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The weekly supplement in Africa's oldest daily paper covering all things on wheels, focusing on wheeled events in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, edited by Alwyn Viljoen.
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March 5, 2015
Witness
WHEELSKZN’S MOST RIVETING READ ON CARS, BAKKIES, BIKES, TRUCKS … AND A DUTCH WINDWHEEL
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Proudly Bidvest Yamaha rider Brett Swanepoel will aim to get to the top in the fastest time for a win in E1 (200cc) Class at Creighton on Saturday.PHOTO: DIRTRACING
Creighton double billTop bikers converge for two enduro roundsELZA THIARTBOTES
THE Myddleton dam near Creighton will on Saturday and Sunday host two of the six rounds inthe 2015 SA Liquorland National Enduro Motorcycle Championship.
The championship has new rules that includeE1 (200 cc) and E2 (Open) riders starting together, followed by High School and Senior Classcompetitors, with the Master Class riders behindthem. Races will run on adjusted time and notreal time like in the past. The use of a GPS isalso compulsory for national competitors.
Correct interpretation of the new rules may yetdetermine which of the large number of talentedenduro competitors will emerge the winner intheir classes.
The new High School Class Championship hasnot only attracted a slew of local entries fromKZN, but riders from as far as Gauteng, Richard’sBay, Cape Town, Bloemfontein and Middelburgin Mpumalanga. Eduan Bester (KTM CenturionLiqui Moly Racing) will defend his title.
The E classes have received more than 40 entries, while the Senior and Masters Classes havealso received a healthy number of quality entries.
The defending E1 champion, Wade Young(Brother Leader Tread KTM), is taking a shortbreak from his international racing and has entered in the open E2 Class against the defendingE2 champion, Altus de Wet, who will be ridinghis new Sherco motorcycle.
Other top contenders in the E2 are LouwrensMahoney as well as his Brother Leader TreadKTM teammate, Scott Bouverie, and Kenny Gilbert (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha), who finishedthird in E2 last year.
They will do well to look out for new riderslike Tim Young (Kargo Racing Yamaha), BronsonLouw (Husqvarna Factory Racing) and NicholasPienaar (Husqvarna).
In the E1 class Travis Teasdale, who finished
second last year, and Brett Swanepoel (ProudlyBidvest Yamaha) will go for the top honours.
Swanepoel finished second in the 2014 Roofof Africa, but he faces a hard race from last year’sSilver Class Challenge winner, Dylan Barker (PaMa Racing Yamaha) and Henco Botha (KTM);Dwayne Kleynhans, who is now also sporting thecolours of Brother Leader Tread KTM; and Michael Pentecost (Kargo Racing Yamaha) to namebut a few.
It is interesting to see the name of the multipleSA motorcross champion, Richie van der Westhuizen (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha), competing inthe national enduro E1 class this year.
Other riders who have achieved some good results in 2014, include Mauritz Meiring (Husqvarna Factory Racing), Kyle Flanagan (Ihobe International KTM) and Brandon WarwickOliver(Team Liquorland Racing Yamaha) who will allagain be in action.
In the Senior Class for “ooms” over 38, ninetimes national champ William “Wild Will” Gillittand Bruce May are now part of Team AgriSalesPeak Yamaha and will aim to put their new teamon the top step of the championship. Jody Engelbrecht (Yamaha) will also be back in action aswill Steve Landman (Team Liquorland Racing Yamaha).
In the Master Class for toppies over 46, HiltonHayward (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha) will competewith multiple Master Class champ, Denzil Torlage, who played second fiddle to Alfie Cox (KTM)last year. Cox will not defend his title this year.
ENDURO STAGES:Saturday, March 7: Three special stages of which two will again be used at round two on Sunday.Sunday March 8: Two special stages from Saturday’s racing with new stage added.The enduro will take place at the Myddleton Dam (GPS: S 290 58’ 37.1” / E290 50’ 36.74”) outside Creighton.
‘Wheels’ festival date changeALWYN VILJOEN
THE organisers of the Hesketh Festival of Wheels,of which this supplement is the media partner,wishes to inform the public that the plans for theevent have changed.
The vision is to grow the annual MsunduziHospice Car Fair by inaugurating an annual carpicnic. The idea was that car fans and people interested in buying vehicles could be driven aroundthe scenic old race track in Hayfields.
However, the most devastating hail storm inrecorded history, on top of the costs of improvingthe track to comply with the Safety at Sport andRecreational Events Act, (Nr 2 of 2010) havenipped this vision in the bud.
Many of the newcar dealers in town each suffered well over R1 million in damages when largehail stones hammered their new models, smashedwindows and left oncesmooth flanks looking likegolf balls. One dealer had just had a load of newcars delivered, another was caught in the midstof the storm with 41 models damaged.
The changed plan stills entails rides and activities, but the event will be held on September 5at the Hospice, with activities hosted on both sidesof Swartkop Road in Pietermaritzburg. The Hes
keth Motor Club, DY Performance, MsunduziHospice and Witness Wheels apologise for any inconvenience this change may have caused.
CEO of Msunduzi Hospice Warren OxfordHugget said the expanded Car Fair on September 5 remains a festival of wheels, with 4x4 ridesin the latest top models, as well as active displaysof the technological tricks luxurious vehicles cando these days.
The Rotarians, who boast the bestvalue baconand egg burger this side of the planetoid Sedna,(which is on the far side of Pluto) will cater.
• ‘TOP GEAR’ FESTIVAL ALSO CHANGESMeanwhile, the organisers of the Top Gear Festival announced on Monday that the event will move from the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban to Johannesburg. James CookePriest, COO of Top Gear Live, said they are looking for an alternative destination for a Top Gear Live event and hope to have more news very soon.
Fans who have already bought vouchers toattend this year’s event have been contacted regarding their orders and offered alternatives. Updates regarding the alternative Top Gear Live event will be made in the press in coming weeks.
Japanese built the ultimate braai vanPAGE 6
2 WitnessWheels March 5, 2015 MOTORING
Dutch Windwheel to rival London Eye
Hoping to attract 1,5 million tourists with a 3D rollercoaster interactive cinema and underwater tours, a Dutch consortium plans to build this giant windwheel in the harbour of Rotterdam.PHOTO: SUPPLIED
ALWYN VILJOEN
WHAT happens when a nation of peolewho can dry out the sea set their mindsto building a roller coaster with a difference?
You get the Windwheel, soon to bebuilt by the Dutch WindwheelCorporation. (And, of course, Wheelswill be the first to report on this development in print.)
The giant wheel is to be environmentally friendly, will be a tourist magnetand if the spectacular views over Rotterdam are not enough for the million ormore visitors, the inside hosts a 3D rollercoaster interactive cinema which
provides a trip through the history ofDutch water management.
This may sound like a drip, but thisis a nation whose notions of water management are considered extreme hydraulics anywhere else on the globe.
Hence part of the ride takes the people under water.
So far, the Windwheel is only a nicescreen saver, but an alliance is alreadybeing formed between developers, investors, research institutes, operators,government agencies, energy companies and marketing organisations tobuild it.
Based on the current number of visitors to the Netherlands and Rotterdam,
it is expected that around 1,5 millionpeople will visit the Dutch Windwheelper year, based on hospitality researchby NBTC Holland Marketing in 2013.
The outer ring houses 40 cabins thatrun on rails. The innovative lighting anddigital information layer in the windowsof the cabins make these cabins anexperience in themselves.
Built with materials from theRotterdam region, the harbour and thesurrounding steel industry, the DutchWindwheel is designed for disassemblyand reuse. A pioneering wind turbineconverts wind energy with a frameworkof steel tubes into electricity withoutmoving mechanical parts.
Tesla power at homeBatteries from Panasonic and Tesla’s plant can costs 30% less First Tesla brought the world the fastestaccelerating electric cars.
Now Tesla CEO Elon Musk wantsto use the batteries in his cars to powerhomes across the world.
Musk told analysts during a recentconference that the same lithiumionbatteries made by Panasonic for theTesla electric vehicles will be used topower a home.
Green Car reports the batteries willstore excess energy generated fromsolar panels during the day to supplypower at night.
Musk and his company, however,remained tightlipped on the detail ofthe project, telling Green Car they’renot sharing any additional information about their energy storage andhome batteries for several monthshence.
Musk did tell the analysts “the Tesla home battery, or consumer battery”,will be in people’s houses or businesses “fairly soon”. He said the batteriescould go into production by September. “We’re trying to figure out a dateto have the product unveiling — it’sprobably in the next month or two.It’s really great,” he said.
Electric Car News expects that theTesla home battery system will be animprovement on the home batteriesTesla has been supplying to its solarpanel maker, SolarCity, in California.
Those batteries are currently avail
able in select markets within California, and only through SolarCity. Thenew batteries would be more widelyavailable.
Home batteries are the next bigthings in the U.S. domestic market,with Bosch, GE and Samsung all readyto compete against Tesla’s solar system, while Honda has also unveileda demonstration smart home that features a rechargeable home battery,along with an electric vehicle, solarpanels and geothermal heat pump, alldriven by an energymanagement system.
Musk will compete against all ofthem by buying in bulk, using the gigafactory which Panasonic is buildingin Nevada. The massive complex willcome on stream in 2016 , producing50 gigawatt hours of battery capacityeach year.
The economies of scale generatedby the factory will make Tesla’s batteries for cars and homes cheaper by anexpected 30%. Batteries are the mostexpensive part of solar power systemsand cheaper, effective batteries will bea boon to alternative power users inthe U.S.
In South Africa, the randdollarexchange will ensure the Tesla homebattery remain very expensive, unlessthe government makes good on itspromise to reward alternative energygeneration technologies. — WR.
AA college trains moreTHE Automobile Association of SouthAfrica (AA) has expanded the premisesof its AA Technical College to accommodate more students.
The AA Technical College, whichenrols up to 1 500 students a year, hasexperienced steady growth and is ableto attract many new students due to itstraining excellence in upskilling andqualifying students in the automotivesector.
As a result, the college has expandedits training premises in Johannesburgto include two new classrooms.
These classrooms will be used fortheoretical training of apprentices.
Werner Wandrey, national technicaltraining manager and principal for theAA Technical College, said the trainingfacilities invest in people and have a distinct customer focus. “We see our success in the success of our students andspare no effort to give them the bestpossible start in the motor industry.”
— WR.• For more information on the AA Technical College, visit www.aa.co.za or call0861 000 234.
Thirdgeneration Mazda2 a lookerMazda has launched six models of the third generation of the Mazda2, with either a 1,5litre SKYACTIV petrol or diesel engine. The petrol engine comes in a sixspeed automatic or a sixspeed manual transmission and the diesel engine only with sixspeed automatic transmission. Pricing starts at R188 000 and tops out at R259 900.PHOTO: QUICKPIC
Megane ready to scorch the tarmacRetailing for just shy of R390 000, the new Mégane Renault Sport 265 LUX offers hothatch drivers a scorching 2,0litre RS Turbo making 195 kW at 5 500 rpm, with maximum torque of 360 Nm pulling the front wheels from 3 800 rpm through a sixspeed gearbox. The zero to 100 km/h sprint clocks up to just six seconds, while top speed is limited at 250 km/h. A fiveyear or 150 000 km mechanical warranty plan, and fiveyear or 90 000 km service plans are included in the price. Service intervals are 10 000 km.PHOTO: QUICKPIC
March 5, 2015 WitnessWheels 3 MOTORING
Technology as artBRIAN BASSETT wonders which is best, to drive the BMW 740i, or be driven around in itPART of the fun of writing this columnis that I get to drive a wide range of cars.
Last week you will remember I drovethe inexpensive, welldesigned and ergonomically impressive Suzuki Splash.
This week, courtesy of Allan Neaveand KarinAnn Agnew of SMG, Pietermaritzburg, I spent a week with the flagship of the BMW brand, the 7 Series,which was both enjoyable and impressive.
The 740i I drove is part of a lineof fullsize luxury vehicles first introduced by BMW in 1977 and some ofthese early 7Series vehicles are stillto be seen on the road today. The current 740i is the fifth generation of thisvehicle and production commencedin 2008 with some 60 000 vehiclesbeing produced worldwide in 2014and increasing sales in a vibrant Chinese market.
STYLING AND EXTERIORThe 7 Series is a subdued, but outwardlyimpressive vehicle. The adaptive LEDheadlights are a little Eastern in designinspiration and — with the flared bonnet — add to the powerful presentationof the front. The colourcoded, electrically operatedside mirrors have integrated indicatorsfor improved visibility.
The rear of the car has Lshaped wraparound rear lights, a centrally placedBMW badge and distinctive chromestrips, which accentuate the width ofthe vehicle, while the lightalloy, 15inchspoke wheels round off a great piece ofindustrial design.
In all, the 740i expresses an imageof absolute power and assurance in anyparking lot and no matter where I leftthe car during the week I drove it, I always returned to find one or two interested males discussing the car’s specialnature.
At one stage, I halted at a traffic lightand the driver of an old, red Mini wasoverawed by the 740i, to the point thatwhen the light turned green and I oozedacross the intersection, he totally forgotto move off and was hooted into actionby fellow motorists.
INTERIOROpen any of the selfclosing doors byone of their backlit handles and you areintroduced to a world of comfort, quality and luxury.
The interior is finished in soft, merino leather, with padded dashboard andsatin walnut trim.
The seats themselves are all electrically operated and have heating, massage and memory functions.
The front seats have televisionscreens at their back, in case you needto keep up with international stock market prices on the way to the office.
Although the 740i can take three passengers at the rear, it is in fact meantfor two, with a folddown arm rest containing a number of comfortrelatedcontrols and a small electric refrigerator.
The car also offers full Bluetooth andUSB connectivity for two cellphones.
The leathercovered multifunctionsteering wheel allows the operation ofa wide variety of onboard functions, including cruise control.
DASHBOARD IS A DESIGN DELIGHTThe multifunction instrument displayis typically BMW and covers every element I required to see on a regular basisand a few not so frequently required.There is a complete fullcolour, headsup display, which means I never had totake my eyes of the road, something Ifound very helpful at night.
The vehicle has a screen placed at ahigh level on the dash, just above thecentral airconditioning ducts. Operat
ed by the I Drive controller. This allowed me to undertake a wide
variety of tasks from setting the internalclimate, to manipulating data, using thetelephone, operating the builtin GPS,receiving emails and a whole host ofother functions covering every aspectof the car and the current journey beingmade.
There is also a magnifier functionwhich allows the driver to magnify anyelement shown on the screen and in the
control panel. Furthermore, if I were to drive for too
long a period, the 740i would tell meonscreen that I needed a break and acup of coffee.
For those going on holiday, the cavernous boot offers space for two setsof golf clubs and luggage for four.
SAFETY AND SECURITYThe 740i has a host of safety features.From the usual ABS and EBD to nightvision with pedestrian recognition anda lane departure warning system whichalerts the driver by a gentle vibrationon the steering wheel if the vehicle isabout to cross a lane marking.
There is a rearreversing camera, aswell as side cameras, which allow thedriver to see what is coming from bothsides at intersections — most usefulduring blackouts. Automatic parking isavailable as an optional extra.
Then there is dynamic stability control, traction control and six front, sideand curtain air bags — the car also hasthe usual BMW deadlock and alarm systems.
PERFORMANCE AND HANDLINGThe 7 Series is a superb mix of comfortand driving pleasure. In town, it cruisesnoiselessly in traffic and is easy to park.
On the open road, it comes into itsown and the power of the vehicle makeshighspeed driving a pleasure.
The biturbo, threelitre, sixcylinderpetrol engine produces 235 kW of power and 450 Nm of torque which, linkedto an eightspeed automatic gearbox,will take you from zero to 100 km/h in5,7 seconds.
Top speed is governed to 250 km/hand, driving sensibly you should get9,5 litres/100 km.
Your consumption can be improvedby engaging the ECOPro mode, whichfeatures a coasting function, where thecar moves forward using its own kineticenergy; however, the Sport + Functionwill always be tempting.
PAYING FOR YOUR PLEASUREThe 740i will cost you about R1,2 million new.
Remember there are always demosand year olds. It comes with the usualthreeyear or 100 000 km manufacturer’s warranty and a fiveyear 100 000motor plan, which cares for everythingbut tyres.
The plan can be extended to200 000 km. The 7 Series also comesin 750 and 750Li models and a 730d andActive Hybrid.
This end of the market is not exactlycrawling with competitors, but youshould have a look at Audi A8, MaseratiQuattroporte, Mercedes SClass andthe Jaguar XJ.
The biggest conundrum in the BMW 740i is whether to be driven, or to drive it. Both rear seats have dedicated displays and a small electric refrigerator between the seats with space for two bottles of Champagne, but the front are closer to the buttersmooth, threelitre, sixcylinder petrol engine. Brian Bassett decided playing chauffeur is the better option.
PHOTOS: SUPPLIED and ALWYN VILJOEN
HYBRID BEEMER A HIT IN ENGLANDTHE BMW i8 plugin hybrid sports car has been crowned UK Car of the Year for 2015.
Having fought off stiff competition to the title of Performance Car of the Year, the fourseat technological tour de force also won the overall vote. The win heralds back to back wins for BMW and its “I” car programme as the BMW i3 was awarded UK Car of the Year in 2014. The BMW i8 was also recently named as Top Gear Car of the year.
Launched in 2014, the UK Car of the Year Awards are judged by 27 of Britain’s mostread motoring journalists. The judges use their expertise to pick out the top performer in 12 vehicle categories, before deciding the overall winner from their favourites in each class.
The UK has quickly become Europe’s biggestmarket for i8 sales with 450 registrations so
far. There is currently a ninemonth waiting list for the car. The sister BMW i3 is also a sales success with the 1 860 car sold in the UK since its November 2013 launch.
Craig Thomas, UK COTY judge, said of the BMW i8: “Just as the i3 helped redefine electric vehicles, so the i8 is helping to redefine what a sports car is, in a world attempting to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.
The pairing of a threecylinder engine and electric motor gives mindboggling headline economy and emissions figures, while it makes few compromises in the driving department.”
Graeme Grieve, BMW UK CEO, said the i3and i8 being named consecutive UK Car of the Year winners shows BMW’s technology strategy is being recognised as truly game changing for the car industry.” — Supplied.
Offroad skateboardIf you have R11 608 to pledge, industrial designer Chris Terpstra will sell you his new Gila Board on Kickstarter. The skateboard has independent suspension similar to that used in rally cars, with fully adjustable pivoting struts and a coilover shock absorber on each wheel. Terpstra plans to sell the boards for R14 582.PHOTO: GILA BOARDS
4 WitnessWheels March 5, 2015 MOTORING
For more information on Witness Wheels advertisingContact Avir on 084 278 3447 or [email protected]
Officially the fastestFTYPE R Jaguar scratches the South African land speed record by seven km/hPRETORIA — The Jaguar FTYPE RCoupé is officially the fastest productionvehicle in South Africa.
On February 28, at the Upington Airport in the Northern Cape, a small groupof Jaguar employees gathered to watchthe 405 kW supercharged V8 coupé being driven into the record books. Theevent was the culmination of just oversix weeks of planning, and saw Jaguartapping into its heritage; recalling theforties and fifties, when it famously setnumerous European landspeed recordswith the XK120.
“Not only do we say that racing is inour blood, we go out there and prove it,”said Richard Gouverneur, managing director of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) SouthAfrica and subSaharan Africa.
“Aside from being inspired by our history of racing and landspeed records, wealso wanted to show off the innovation,
performance and safety of our vehicles.“A car that’s capable of reaching
300 km/h safely is many times safer atlegal and safe speeds.”
At the hands of Dawie Olivier, nationalaftersales manager at JLR and a racerwith more than two decades of rallyingand circuit racing experience, theFTYPE R Coupé reached speeds inexcess of 300 km/h on the 4,9 km runwayat Upington Airport.
For the record to be official, two runshave to be completed in both directionswhile timekeeping officials from Motorsport South Africa measure speed overa onekilometre distance.
On the uphill section of the FTYPE’Srecordsetting run, it achieved a speedof 288,33 km/h, while the complementing downhill run saw it crack the magical300 km/h mark with an officially measured speed of 301,03 km/h.
The landspeed record comprises theaverage of the two runs, and now sits at294,68 km/h — besting the previousrecord of 287,63 km/h set in 2002, withMike Griffiths behind the wheel of aPorsche 911 GT2.
“The FTYPE R Coupé is limited to300 km/h, but we chose not to removethe speed limiter, even though theregulations make provision for us to doso legally. The car that we used is exactlyas customers can buy it off the showroomfloor,” said Gouverneur. “Ultimately, weran out of space to go even faster; however, this was the safest venue to illustratethe potential of this vehicle.”
The South African landspeed recordattempts are sanctioned by MotorsportSouth Africa (MSA), which ensures thatcars used for production vehicle recordattempts are standard and within manufacturer specification. — Supplied.
The FTYPE R Jaguar Coupé reached speeds in excess of 300 km/h on the 4,9 km runway at Upington Airport.PHOTO: QUIKCPIC
KING OF THE HILL FOR JAGUAR SIMOLA HILL CLIMB IS FULLTHE King of the Hill category for the Jaguarsponsored Simola hill climb, to be held in Knysna, is already fully subscribed.
The King of the Hill caters for a maximum of 80 entries, comprising both production cars and race vehicles, each of which is separated into smaller classes based on engine capacity, number of cylinders and whether they
are normally aspirated or boosted by means of a turbocharger or supercharger.
Last year’s winner, Franco Scribante,will be back to defend his title and recordbreaking time of 41,159 seconds. However, a change to the rules will seehim defending his title in the Classic Car Friday in a Chevron B26, powered by a specially developed 3,2litre V8
Suzuki engine.One of the other main drawcards
will be Supercar Thursday, which has been introduced for the first time.
This is a noncompetitive event togive owners of these highperformance supercars a rare opportunity to push their cars to the limit. The event takes place on May 14 to May 17.
— Wheels Reporter.
Shorter crosscountry returns to Harrismith
THE 2015 Donaldson CrossCountry championship will openwith the RFS Endurance Race inHarrismith over March 27 andMarch 28 and will bring changesto the national series.
The changes include a shortercalendar and revamped eventformats and points allocation.The changes, put forward by
the South African National OffRoad Association during the offseason, seek to cut costs and streamlinethe series.
In this respect, the most significant change is to the calendar: thenumber of events counting for the national championship has been cutfrom eight to six.
THREE SPRINT EVENTSSanora chief executive officer RichardSchilling explained: “We are dutybound to protect the interests of thechampionship and the changes areaimed at reducing costs for stakeholders, event organisation and competitors.
The changes implemented willpave the way for the growth of regional and national championship crosscountry racing.” The championshipwill have three sprint events, two endurance events and a marathon.Sprint events will be 450 km, endurance races of 650 km to 700 km andthe lone marathon event, the ToyotaKalahari Botswana 1 000 DesertRace, will be run over 1 000 km.
All events will be run over a minimum of two loops with a compulsory20minute service halt after the first
loop. Drivers will qualify for grid places for sprint and marathon eventsthat will be run over 100 km.
NEW SCORING SYSTEMWhile there are no changes to classesin the Production and Special Vehiclecategories, the scoring of events andthe allocation of points counting towards the Donaldson CrossCountryChampionship has also received afacelift.
Sprint and endurance events willscore single points, with single pointsalso allocated to each of the two heatsthat will make up the Toyota KalahariBotswana 1 000 Desert Race.
Points awarded to competitors inthe Production and Special Vehiclecategories, as well as the variousclasses, have been amended with 30points now on offer for race winners.The practice of competitors dropping a score at the end of the seasonhas also been scrapped — all races willcount towards overall and class results.
— Wheels24.com
2015 RACE CALENDARMar 2728 — RFS Endurance (Endurance) HarrismithMay 89 — Toyota Dealer 45 (Sprint) EstonJune 2628 — Toyota 1 000 Desert Race (Marathon) KalahariAugust 78 — Nkomazi 450 (Sprint Race) MalalaneSeptember 1112 — (Endurance Race) VryburgOctober 3031 — Atlas Copco Gold 450 (Sprint race) Westonaria.
Formula E grid for 2015
The field has shrunk by two teams for this year’s eerily quiet Formula E racing, down from 10 last year. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
THE Federation Internationale del’Automobile (FIA) has announcedthat a total of eight teams will compete in the second year of Formula Eracing, down from the 10 taking partin the first season.
The competition is set to heat upduring the 20152016 race calendar,with teams being allowed to developthe vehicles for the first time.
While Formula E racers might notcompete at quite the same dizzyingspeeds seen in flagship Formula Oneracing, the allelectric cars are capable of speeds in excess of 225 km/h.
The first season included 10 races,with varying locations from Beijingto London, where the final race willtake place on June 27.
Six current teams will continue tocompete in year two — ABT Sportsline, Andretti, Mahindra, RenaultSports, Ventauri Automobiles andVirgin Racing Engineering — whilenewcomers NEXTEV TCR andMotomatica will fill out the lineup.
While Amlin Aguri, DragonRacing, Trulli and China Racingtook part in the inaugural championship, you won’t find them on the
grid in year two. The FIA didn’tcomment on why those teams won’tbe continuing in the sport, but didstate that it’s satisfied with qualityof those manufacturers progressingto the second season.
Up until now, teams have beenusing the exact same SparkRenaultSRT_01E car. That’s set to changefor the 20152016 season, with theseries becoming an open championship, allowing teams to start makingmodifications to their vehicles.
Those modifications will belimited to the power train for thetime being — specifically the gearbox, inverter, emotor and coolingsystem — but will extend to batteriesfrom the third season onwards.
“The gradual opening up of theregulations will promote innovation, while at the same time keepingcosts under control,” said FIApresident Jean Todt.
“The solutions chosen by themanufacturers will hopefully lead torapid development of the futurefocused technologies at the heart ofFormula E.”
— Supplied.
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Polo Vivo2013 Polo Vivo Sedan 1.4 Trendline Tiptronic Silver R132 900 44 000 km2013 Polo Vivo 1.6 Trendline 5 Door Silver R139 900 40 000 km2014 Polo Vivo 1.4 Trendline 5 Door Red R149 900 9 000 km2015 Polo Vivo 1.6 Comfortline Silver R159 900 1 500 km2015 Polo Vivo 1.6 Comfortline 5 Door White R159 900 1 000 km2015 Polo Vivo 1.6 Comfortline 5 Door White R169 900 1 000 kmPolo2013 Polo 1.4 Trendline 5 Door White R152 900 25 000 km2013 Polo 1.2 TDI BlueMotion 5 Door White R174 900 48 000 km2014 Polo GTI 1.4 DSG White R274 900 11 800 km2015 Polo Sedan 1.6 Comfortline Tiptronic Silver R249 000 1 400 km2015 Polo 1.2 TSI Comfortline Silver R229 000 2 100 km2015 Polo 1.2 TSI Highline Red R239 000 3 000 km2015 Polo 1.2 TSI Trendline White R185 900 900 kmGolf2012 Golf 6 GTI DSG Black R299 900 59 000 km2012 Golf GTI DSG White R298 900 66 000 km2015 Golf 7 2.0 TDI Highline DSG White R349 900 23 000 km2015 Golf 7 1.4 TSI Comfortline DSG Silver R319 900 3 500 kmAmarok2014 Amarok Double Cab DSG 132kW White R449 000 13 000 kmOther VW2010 Scirocco 2.0 TSI Silver R259 900 45 000 km2012 Jetta 1.4 TSI DSG Beige R279 000 58 000 km2014 Tiguan 1.4 TSI BlueMotion Grey R299 000 6 500 km2014 Passat 2.0 TDI DSG White R329 900 15 000 km2014 VW Transporter Single Cab TDI White R249 900 7 000 km2014 21st Century Beetle 1.2 TSI White R259 900 5 000 km2015 Touareg 3.0 TDI BlueMotion Tiptronic White R799 900 1 000 km2015 Tiguan 2.0 TDI Silver R339 000 5 000 kmOther2007 Nissan X-trail 2.0 White R69 900 160 000 km2010 Audi A3 1.8 TFSI Sportback Blue R169 900 88 000 km2010 Ford Figo 1.4 Trend Beige R79 900 127 000 km2011 Ford Bantam 1.6i XLT Grey R119 900 70 000 km2013 Ford Kuga 1.6 Ecoboost White R299 000 44 000 km2014 BMW 320D F30 Sportline White R379 000 20 000 km
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Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW Conceptlinefrom R1,999* per month
New Polo TSI 66kW Comfortlinefrom R2,597* per month
The Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW Conceptline standard features include: The New Polo TSI 66kW Comfortline standard features include:- Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic
Brake force Distribution (EBD)- Heated rear window- Tinted glass all round- Electronic rev counter
- Central locking with Remote- High level brake light- Immobiliser- Revised radiator grille with chrome inserts
- Multi Collision Braking System- Hill-hold Assist- Electronic stability control (ESP) incl. ABS with
brake assistant, ASR, EDL and EDTC
- 15” Tosa alloy wheels- Electric mirrors- Alarm with ultrasonic interior monitoring- 3 year / 120 000km warranty
Model Vehicle Price MonthlyInstalments
No. ofInstalments
Interest RateLinked /Variable
Deposit BalloonPayment
Total Cost Inclfees & VAT
Polo Vivo 1.4 55kWConceptline
R143,800 R1,999* 72 7.4%* 0% R50,330 R194,275
Model Vehicle Price MonthlyInstalments
No. ofInstalments
Interest RateLinked /Variable
Deposit BalloonPayment
Total Cost Inclfees & VAT
New Polo TSI 66kWComfortline
R221,200 R2,597* 72 9.25%*20%
(R44,240)30%
(R66,360)R253,315
An optional cost of R900 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNBprime rate, currently 9.25%. Note: Offers calculated on the Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW Conceptline modelin standard specifications. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offersare subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. Instalment includes initiation andmonthly administration fee of R57. Volkswagen Financial Services a division Volkswagen FinancialServices South Africa (Pty) Ltd Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Termsand Conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 15 March 2015.
An optional cost of R900 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNBprime rate, currently 9.25%. Note: Offers calculated on the New Polo TSI 66kW Comfortline modelin standard specifications. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offersare subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. Instalment includes initiation andmonthly administration fee of R57. Volkswagen Financial Services a division Volkswagen FinancialServices South Africa (Pty) Ltd Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Termsand Conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 15 March 2015.
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Amarok 2.0 BiTDI Highline Automatic4x2 from R5,417* per month
Tough gets you across rivers and over mountains.
An optional cost of R1600 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB primerate, currently 9.25%. Note: Offers calculated on the Amarok 2.0 BiTDI Highline Auto 4x2 in standardspecifications. Instalment includes delivery, initiation and monthly administration fee of R57. Subject tobank approval. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are subjectto credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. Volkswagen Financial Services South AfricaProprietary Limited trading as Volkswagen Financial Services an Authorised Financial Services andCredit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms and Conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increaseand valid until 15 March 2015.
Model Vehicle Price MonthlyInstalments
No. ofInstalments
Interest RateLinked /Variable
Deposit BalloonPayment
Total Cost Inclfees & VAT
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6 WitnessWheels March 5, 2015 MOTORING
ADAM WILLIAMS
BJARKE Ingels Group (Big) has begunwork on a luxury residence in Denmarkthat’s almost equal parts home and private car showroom. Commissioned bya client with an enviable car collection,Villa Gug comprises a novel loopingform that integrates the cars into themain body of the house.
Bringing to mind Poland’s Autofamily House in its unabashed celebrationof the car, Villa Gug is located in a ruralarea near Ålborg, Denmark.
Its design will polarise opinion, butappears wellsuited to the client’s particular requirements. Judging from therenders provided to the press, the homeappears to take its place well in the surrounding landscape too.
“In Villa Gug, the client’s passion forcars plays a significant role in family life,taking up a significant portion of thehousing area,” says Big. “Instead of hiding the vehicles away in a basement, ora large garage, we suggest a house thatsmoothly turns from car to home.”
Villa Gug comprises a total floorspace of 750 sq m, and is laid out as follows: the looping form serves first as adriveway and then becomes a privateshowroom and garage. As it slopes upwards, it leads into a gym and then thehouse proper, with kitchen, lounge, andremaining areas joined onto each otherand connected by hallways. A rooftopterrace tops the structure and a libraryis reached by descending a staircase.
Although Villa Gug sports significantglazing, it’s deceptively private, and passersby won’t be able to gawk inside at
the cars as the ground floor features alarge unbroken facade of what looks likeconcrete. In addition, the looping form
also creates an inner garden area that’sremoved from prying eyes. Work on theproject is ongoing. — Gizmag.com
Architectural model of Villa Gug.PHOTO: BIG
ALWYN VILJOEN
THE heart of the company Kohle is inthe right place — trying to make andsell bakkies that run on sunshine.
The company has been working since1918 and is a major player in theindustrial bodywork sector in France,with nearly 3 000 conversions leavingits workshops every year.
Its designers clearly need to get outinto the sun a bit more often. They willthen see that — in the bright light ofday — their range of hackedoff converted bakkies and vans looks a littleless than alluring when compared withthe original Renault Trafic or DaciaDocker.
And then there is the question ofwhat were Kohle’s designers thinkingwhen they took a big tin opener to theDacia Docker to turn the mini van backto a bakkie, complete with jutting Cpil
lars to accommodate the rear lights?Especially as Dacia had replaced the
2008 Logan Pickup, which we still buyand trust as the Nissan NP200. At the
current euro to rand rate with taxi incentives added, Kohler could haveshown a profit just by importing thebakkies made in Rosslyn to fit the Ren
ault Zoe’s drivetrain to it. Instead, wehave another ugly halfton electric bakkie to join the ranks of this breed buzzing around airports and warehouses.
How not to shape a bakkie or van: Until Kohle’s designers got hold of it, both the Trafic (left) and the Dacia Docker mini van had a sleek, modern look thanks to Renault’s elegant designers. Now they look gaptoothed.PHOTO: KOHLE
ALWYN VILJOEN
THE Japanese seem determined to adoptSouth Africa’s culture. First it was oursoccer, then rugby and now it is our braais.
Char of the Japanese Barbecue Association Gejo Tamio, collaborated with socialmedia project editor Osamu Suzukisan and carmakers Nissan to make the“ultimate smart BBQ car”.
Called the Ultimate BBQ vehicle, theproject is only partly tongue in cheek inresponse to a challenge to design the ultimate smart BBQ car that is ecofriendlywith zero emissions and waste.
Based on the electric Nissan NV200,the braai van comes with a mobile kitchenthat slides out on rails in the rear, a roofthat rolls out from the side with a watermister as well as other luxuries the Japanese consider essential braai aids, like aselfie drone that broadcasts pictures viaa cellphone to the car’s windscreen, a karaoke system and, of course, subsonicacoustic mosquito repellents. The electric braai has a 1 500watt grill.
Answering the question “why an ultimate smart BBQ car” in the electric car?The makers said that the potential of electric vehicles is infinite.
“They do not pollute the air, are quiet
and comfortable and ride very comfortably. And in a disaster, will also be an important power supply device.” The funloving geeks behind the BBQ say theyneed just another Yen 10 000 (R978 771)to finish the project on crowd funding.
The Japanese Barbecue Association’s ultimate braai car. It features essentials such as a selfie drone and a chrome caster to broadcast the drone’s photos via a smartphone onto the car’s windscreen. SCREEN GRAB: YOUTUBE
THE UK Mirror carried what could yet turn out to be the weirdest carfixing item this year.
On February 19, an AA service employee temporarily fixed a farm’s sixties’ Land Rover using a potato. Mario Papademetriou (59) had already failed to mend the condenser using tin foil and silicone repair tape.
He had been called out to a farm in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire.
He said: “There were a lot of vegetables around, so I thought I’d try wiring up a potato with a couple of screws. It started instantly.
“I followed the owner to the garage and he said the vehicle had never driven so well.”
The owner made the 19kilometre journey to the garage where the ignition system was properly repaired.
Mario of Chingford, Essex, wonan AA prize for the inventive repair job.
To show it was not just a coincidence, the AA’s technical department replicated the temporary repair using the AA’s Series I Land Rover and it worked perfectly.
Boss Donald MacSporran said: “AA patrols work on pretty much any vehicle on the road and pride themselves on their ability to fix them.
“While they regularly go the extra mile with some very inventive repairs, we continue to invest in their training and equipment to maintain our leading fix rate.
“Although vegetables are best left on the dinner plate, Mario’s use of a potato was definitely a chip above the others — an excellent example of thinking outside the box.” — The Mirror.
Proving water is a good conductor, a potato helps to spark an old Landy’s engine. PHOTO: UK MIRROR
Potato power wins
AA award
Japanese has ultimate braai van, complete with selfie drone
Heart is in the right place, but their vehicles are fugly
A home that’s also a private car showroom
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Guns, shots and 4x4sSAIM SAEED discovers how Pakistanis race crosscountry at the Cholistan Desert Jeep RallyI COULDN’T have imagined that thefirst time I would see someone inPakistan drinking openly in public itwould be in the Bahawalpur Desert.
Yet, there it was. The man was young,wearing a red shalwar kameez, with anunmistakable green Murree Brewerybeer can. He caught me staring andoffered me one, and I graciouslyaccepted, still dumbfounded.
There were whiffs of narcotics too,but the strong wind blew them awayintermittently. We were stationed at aparticularly sharp corner along withhundreds of spectators on the secondday of the 10th Cholistan Desert JeepRally, watching massive 4×4s strugglewith the treacherous sand as they camein to the turn.
MOUSTACHES AND ASSAULT RIFLESThere wasn’t much in the way ofbarriers; just two border troops withsticks yelling at spectators as theytransgressed the imaginary line thetroops had made around the turn.
Every time a car got stuck in the sand,which was often, spectators swarmedaround the car yelling instructions toeach other. They pushed and pulled, andwhen the driver revved the car, he spatmore sand on all the people trying tohelp, before eventually racing awaytrying to make up for lost time.
Most spectators looked seasoned.They brought umbrellas and dust masksand rugs and ice boxes. They sat on folding chairs, and wore big moustaches.Many had assault rifles lazily leaningnext to them. There wasn’t a woman insight.
It was my first time. I had met a participant at the rally through a mutualfriend who invited some friends and meto attend the rally, also known as “Pakistan’s largest motor sport event”. Twodays before the qualifying round, I tooka bus from the southern port city of Karachi to Bahawalpur to check it out.
A LOCKED DERAWER FORTPakistan’s tourism industry has seen aspectacular collapse over the past decade as its security situation deteriorated. Hotels across the country have beentargeted (most spectacularly theIslamabad Marriott in 2008 that killed58 people), and so have foreign embassies, diplomats, and tourists.
In 2009, the Sri Lankan cricket teamwas attacked, shutting out Pakistanfrom hosting any international cricket.
In 2013, gunmen dressed in armycamouflage killed 10 foreignmountaineers on the Nanga Parbat basecamp. And then just last year, a Spanishtourist cycling through Pakistan wasattacked in Balochistan; six policemenin the convoy assigned to protect himwere killed.
Tour guides, hoteliers, and hustlerswere left to pick up the pieces, and theystarted with the natives.
While international tourism mighthave slowed to a trickle, local tourismcontinues to thrive.
There was ample evidence of that atthe rally, where nearly 100 000 peopleshowed up.
There was plenty on offer, too. The race took off in front of the
centuriesold beautiful Derawer Fort.There was a mausoleum next to fortembellished with the blue tiles southPunjab is famous for, a mosque madevery much in the Mughal style of theTaj Mahal and the Badshahi Mosque.
But in typical fashion, both the fortand the mausoleum were closed on theday we went.
There were no guards to tell us why,just a big lock on the gates and somebarbed wire that encircled the area. Onewould have imagined that when thewhole point of the rally was to boosttourism, they would open the doors tothe tourist sites on offer, but perhapsinevitably in Pakistan, politics camefirst. Last year, the fort was closed byits owner, Faizul Rashid Abbasi, for notbeing involved in the administrativecommittee of the race.
Abbasi is the heir of the last Nawabof Bahawalpur before the former princely state was fully absorbed into Pakistan,and simply observing the abject state ofdisrepair the fort had fallen in can makean argument for nationalisation.
While technically Abbasi isn’t ingovernment, he’s an influential politicalfigure in the region.
Our camp was wedged between thehighway that led to the fort and his hunting grounds. This year, Abbasi did organise the rally but the fort was still closed.Many residents simply didn’t have ananswer. One said: “There are too manypeople,” and another said darkly: “Security.”
ALCOHOL AND POLITICSWhile it was supposed to be all fun andgames — kabaddi tournament, bikersdoing wheelies and tricks, concerts, icecream trucks in the desert, circusperformers, fireworks, drugs, alcohol,sex workers (some from as far as Russia,attendees told me, though I didn’t seeany) and, of course, the cars, politics wasinescapable.
The armed forces already had a strongpresence in the region because of itsproximity to India.
A paramilitary force called the PunjabRangers does border patrol, and theauthorities called in extra troops toensure security around the track and the
event. Although they couldn’t have beenthat good at their jobs, as a driver toldme all the foreign liquor was smuggledfrom across the border. They also beefedup security in Bahawalpur city, an houraway.
Earlier, when we were entering thecity, a policeman stopped our car andasked us for identification andregistration papers.
Upon asking why we were stopped,the policeman smiled sheepishly andsaid the army people told him to, andsubtly pointed to the truck standingabout 40 metres away.
“I’m just following orders,” thepoliceman said, telling us everything weneed to know about civilmilitaryrelations in the country.
One of the origin stories I heard ofthe Cholistan rally was that the armyorganised the rally in 2004, but theresults were rigged.
“Brigadier this won this category.Colonel this won that category. It wasall a sham, so the civilians decided todo their own thing,” a driver told me.
BIGBELLIED DRIVERS
The participants, for the most part, hadcomparable wealth, which made sense.
It would be disingenuous to say theTourism Development Corporation ofPunjab sponsored the event when somuch of the rally was funded by theparticipants themselves.
Only a giant, inflated neon MountainDew gave any indication that the racehad corporate sponsors.
Most participants funded their ownrally cars, mechanics, transport,accommodation and food.
I was lucky to have accommodationin a private camp.
Most spectators and journalists wereonly given a tent on a few square feetof the parking lot, where they were topitch it. A big watering hole next to itwas the makeshift shower area for thethousands in attendance. Many wereforced back to Bahawalpur city for thenight. Just the registration fee was $350.And looking at the vehicles they weredriving, the expenses were much, muchhigher.
The race cars were massive, roaringsupercharged monsters — the mostobvious extensions of their masculineowners. The drivers wore cowboy hatsand Harley Davidson shirts that werestretched by big bellies.
Any discussion over the dinner tableinevitably was about the suspension, thedrive, that race from three years agowhen the car overturned.
Essentially, I was amid a subculturewith its own hierarchy of drivers, mechanics and cars, their own vocabularyand lexicon (putt was a patch of flat, dryground upon which cars could accelerate; teep is a sand dune; khaadir is a seriesof bumps; the front of the car floats),their hopes and their rivalries.
BUT A SAD RALLYThe day of the rally was a disappointment. There were no cameras at anystretch of the 220 km course, so thespectators were resigned only to watchthe cars leave from the starting pointand arrive at the finishing line.
If they were charitable, the driverswould do a few donuts to excite thecrowd. The sand was blowing so fiercely,it was difficult to see the cars from thestand.
After the excitement of watching thefirst few cars leave subsided, theaudience moved over to the televisionthat was screening the IndiaPakistanWorld Cup match.
For obvious reasons (Pakistan lost),interest in the match also soon subsided.Some dancers and drums kept the dayalive for some time before they, too,packed up their bags and left. We leftbefore the prizes were awarded, a $1 500financial reward.
But even before the winners wereannounced, the gunfire had alreadystarted. I looked up and realised thatthere was no roof above me, and I reallycouldn’t hide anywhere when the bulletscame down, so I gave up and enjoyedthe fireworks instead.
— Republished from the Europeand Africa edition of
the Quartz Daily Brief.• Follow Saeed @saimsaeed847.
Fans of crosscountry racing speak the same language about the same topics everywhere, but in Pakistan the drivers have bigger moustaches and automatic assault rifles than anywhere else.
(Left) Go figure, the historic Derawer fort was locked tight during the biggest tourism event of the year. (Top) Indian wrestlers compete in bouts of kusti. PHOTOS: SAIM SAEED
INVITE TO U15s TO ENTER TOYOTA DREAM CAR ART CONTESTTHE ninth annual Toyota Dream Car Art Contest has officially opened and will run until March 16.
The contest is held once a year,with Toyota affiliates around the world conducting a national competition in three age categories namely: under eight years old, eight to 11 years old and 12 to 15 years old.
The top five contestants win prizes on a national level and the top three are entered into the international competition which is judged in Japan with Akio Toyoda.
This year’s theme is “Your DreamCar”.
All contestants are encouraged toshowcase their imagination and
draw the car of their dreams. The car could fly, clean, dive and even save lives, no dream is too small for this competition.
The competition will be judged by a panel, which includes the Toyota South Africa’s creative team and creative directors from Johannesburg Advertising Agency, FCB.
Entry forms will also be deliveredto selected schools across the country. All information, including the poster, entry form, questionnaire and the terms and conditions of the competition as well as the list of schools, can be found on the Toyota website at www.toyota.co.za
— Supplied.