KENYA’S PREMIER AUTO MAG
ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2015
ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2015
The New Face of the
KIA SPORTAGE PAGE 12
THE NEW FACE OF THE KIA SPORTAGE THE TOP 10 CARS WE’D LIKE TO SEE ON KENYAN ROADS
ASK
THE KENYA CAR GUY
THE TOP 10 CARS THAT WE’D LIKE TO SEE ON KENYAN ROADS IN 2015
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A Word From the Editor Greetings!
We take the great pleasure of introducing the First Edition of Drive Kenya to you, Dear Readers. As car enthusiasts our goal is to publish a free, high quality, informative and entertaining monthly magazine that is part Ad based, part content based that focuses on the Kenyan automotive sector and its needs. Since conceptualization of the initial idea we at Drive Kenya have worked tirelessly to put this magazine together WR EULQJ RXU UHDGHUV D PDJD]LQH WKDW WKH\ ZRXOG Č´QG LQIRUPDWLYH DQG HQMR\ UHDGLQJ Our goal in the future is to keep evolving and growing better with every publication to meet the needs of the Kenyan motoring enthusiast. (QMR\ WKH ULGH DriveKenya Editorial Team
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P.O.Box: 1911 – 00606 Westlands, Nairobi - Email: info@drivekenya.co.ke - tripletwoholdings@gmail.com Tel: +254 718 221 222 +245 732 221 222 - www.drivekenya.co.ke Published By: Triple Two Holdings Ltd. - Editorial Team: Amit Kwatra & Vivek Kothary
Contents NEWS & EDITORIALS
7
News Feature
8
10 Cars We’d Like To See on Kenyan Roads
10
Technical Corner
17
Kenya Car Guy
18
Your Car Featured
REVIEWS & FIRST DRIVES
5
The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
12
KIA Sportage Main Feature
16
The Porsche 911 GT3
20
The Toyota Land Cruiser
21
The Mercedes C-Class
T WO WHEELERS
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DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | JANUARY 2015
14
The Yamaha MT-09 Tracer
15
The Ducati Scrambler
Photo Credit: Mitsubishi
By DriveKenya
The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Rally Inspired Engineering "Mitsubishi has unveiled an updated Pajero Sports SUV featuring a few cosmetic changes and interior revisions as well as a more powerful common rail turbo diesel engine with improved fuel consumption and lower emissions." - Cars SA. The Pajero Sport's new and improved 2.5-litre engine delivers 11kW more power at 131kW than it’s predecessor and a maximum torque of 400Nm on the manual version. The 5 speed automatic version of the Sport will deliver 350Nm of torque. The Pajero Sport has a Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT) that works hard at feeding air into the four compression ignition cylinder cycles to maximise engine performance. Reviewers report that the Pajero Sport is highly capable off-road, with 215mm of ground clearance, only 5mm short of the Fortuner, it provides ample room to maneuver with abundant traction, the handling reportedly provides a good feel of the wheels when twisting and turning off road. The renowned rally proven Super Select 4x4 system is used to provide a choice of 4 different driving modes - 2H, 4H, 4HLc and 4LLc, depending on road surface. Six airbags are present in the car to enhance safety. Fuel consumption is claimed to be at 7.8 L/100km for the manual and 8.5 L/ 100km for the automatic. 5
DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | JANUARY 2015
Inside the Pajero Sport provides plenty of space with 7 seats, the 2nd row of seats provide ample legroom while the 3rd row has enough space for children. With the 3rd row folded down 1149 litres of boot-space is available. Critics vary on the look and design of the interior with some loving it and others disliking it. Most though, agree that the features provided inside are excellent such as the electric chromatic rear view mirror, automatic climate control, park control sensing enhanced with a rear-view camera and a touchscreen infotainment system. The taillights are said to be inspired from an Alfa Romeo. "The Japanese company's iconic sport utility vehicle has been tweaked, with cosmetic changes inside and out, plus upgraded noise, vibration and harshness reduction measures to give it quieter, more comfortable on-road performance." Car Guide Australia. "This Sport, though, is entirely worthy of its junior Pajero status." - Top Gear SA.
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THE NEWS
Toyota Does It Again
The First Ferrari Sergio Delivered
The Toyota Camry Hybrid was voted by US based Consumer Reports as the best value car for 2015. Their annual roundup of the best and worst cars, considered road test scores, reliability surveys and estimated cost per kilometer over the first five years for 200 cars.
The first of only six individually customised Ferrari Sergio's to be produced has been delivered to a buyer in Abu Dhabi, it was delivered to the SBH Royal Auto Gallery. The Sergio, a wildly modified version of the Spider 458 is meant to honour Sergio Pininfarina, founder of the design studio that has created so many memorable prancing horse designs. With a 605-horsepower, naturally aspirated 4.5-liter V8, the Sergio can hit 100 kilometers per hour in just three seconds.
The Camry delivered 6.2 L/ 100km which the report said "is impressive for a midsized sedan. " The Camry was described as "Smooth and capable—but not exciting, "It was complimented for it's affordability, roominess, comfort and functionality.
New Report Says Global Electric Vehicle Uptake To Slow As Oil Prices Fall A Bloomberg New Energy Finance report predicted that sales of electric vehicles would have a serious dampening effect on their uptake as the price of Brent Crude Oil fell by 45% from June 2014. “ There will be more marginal buyers who are looking at the relative economics, and if you have lower gasoline prices that tilts the equation.” said Angus McCrone, senior analyst at BNEF. The current market share of electric vehicles in the US is less than 1% but was expected to hit 9% by 2020. 7
Kenya’s Premier Auto Mag
Per Ferrari the Sergio's proportions have been pushed to the extreme with the front of the car seeming to penetrate the rear which itself projects forward. The two sections of the car flow effortlessly into one another resulting in sublimely harmonious yet extremely muscular forms.
F1 2014 Season In Numbers
Photo Credit: jiteshjagadish
19 races, 24 drivers, average age 27 years 4 months, Longest race: Great Britain (2h 26m 52.094s), Shortest race: Italy (1h 19mv10.236s), wins from pole: 9 from 19 races, lowest winning grid position: 6th (Daniel Ricciardo in Canada and Lewis Hamilton in Britain), Mercedes secured 16 victories over a single season with 18 pole positions, 11 wins going to Lewis Hamilton and 5 to Nico Rosberg, breaking a record previously held by McLaren (1988) and Ferrari (2002 and '04). Mercedes also claimed a record 11 one-two finishes over a single year, breaking McLaren's 1988 record. This was the first season since 1980 that neither Ferrari nor McLaren won a Grand Prix.
DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | JANUARY 2015
January 2015
60 Old, Vintage Cars Worth Several Millions Of Euros Found On Farm Shed in France A leading French auction house, Artcurial Motors made the incredible discovery at an old farm in the west of France. 60 vintage cars were found including the likes of Bugatti, Hispano-Suiza, Talbot-Lago, Panhard-Levassor, Maserati, Ferrari, Delahaye and Delage are all represented, along with many famous coachbuilders including Million-Guiet, Chapron and Saoutchik. A Talbot-Lago cabriolet once owned by Egyptian King Farouk was also part of the collection as was a Ferrari 250GT SWB California Spider once owned by French actor Alain Delon. Artcurial expert Pierre Novlikoff described the collection as “a treasure”. The collection spans the Era from 1900-1970. The collection was put together in the 1950's by entrepreneur Roger Ballion who sought to preserve prewar automobiles in a museum like setting. They were left in their current state in the 1970's as Ballion suffered a business setback and was forced to sell 50 vehicles from his original collection. The collection will go for auction at the Artcurial in the first part of the traditional sale at Retromobile Salon in Paris on February 6, 2015.
THE TOP 10 cars we’d like to see on Kenyan roads in 2015 The BMW X5 Has great handling, good fuel economy and a powerful engine.
The Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Great value, quiet, comfortable ride.
The Nissan Juke Looks weird, fun and funky!
The Porsche Macan Turbo 0-100 in 4.8s. A Beast.
The Honda Accord Millions of drivers can't be wrong.
The Jaguar XJ Sporty handling, iconic drive, potent engine.
The Subaru WRX STI Reported as incredibly fun to drive.
VW Golf GTI Can be used for the daily grind as well as sporty weekend fun.
The Toyota Sienna Has great handling, good fuel economy and a powerful engine.
The C63 AMG Coupe Now sporting a new, powerful 4.0L twin turbo engine.
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By DriveKenya
Technical Take The Internal Combustion Engine A car is one of the most technically complex devices we use today and powering it is the internal combustion engine. Opening the hood of a car can be a daunting experience for the uninitiated, akin to entering another dimension. What's going on with all those tubes, lumps of metal blocks, boxes and wires running all over the place? And what's with all the car lingo being used to describe various types of engines? V8 engines, direct fuel injection, compression ratios and the like. In this particular article we'll answer the most basic question of all, what is the principle idea behind an engine? The idea behind the engine is to convert petrol into motion so that your vehicle can move from point A to point B. The easiest way to do this is via the internal combustion engine - the principle behind the Internal Combustion Engine was invented by Nikolaus Otto in 1867, with his invention of the four-stroke combustion engine cycle also known as the Otto cycle (for those into thermodynamic details this entails isentropic compression, constant-volume heating, isentropic expansion and 10
DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | JANUARY 2015
constant-volume heat rejection.) The purpose of this engine is to take a tiny amount of high energy petroleum, enclose it in a confined space and ignite it. This process leads to the release of incredible amounts of energy in the form of expanding gas. Now imagine this process repeated hundreds of times per minute and you get the idea behind the internal combustion engine. The repeated explosions are being harnessed into the process of motion. This is an incredibly efficient operation compared to the external combustion engine, an example of which is the steam engine used on older trains. The breakdown of the four-stroke cycle consists of:
1.The intake stroke 2.The compression stroke 3.The combustion stroke and 4.The exhaust stroke. What happens to the engine as it goes through the full cycle is that the piston starts at the top position, the intake valve opens up and the piston moves down to allow the engine to take in a cylinder full of air and petroleum. This is the intake stroke done, only a meager drop of petroleum is required to be mixed with air for this process to work. Then the piston moves back up to compress the fuel air mixture, this compression makes the explosion much more powerful. When the piston reaches the top of its stroke, the spark plug emits an electrical spark to ignite the petroleum.
Figure 1
Figure 3
The petroleum in the cylinder ignites driving the piston down. As the piston hits the bottom of its stroke the exhaust valve opens up and the exhaust leaves the engine cylinder to go out of the tail pipe. Now this cycle is ready to be repeated. So the engine intakes another round of air and petroleum. You'll notice that the motion of an internal combustion engine is linear but the linear motion of the pistons is converted into rotational motion by the crankshaft which are joined together by a connecting rod. This rotational motion is then used to rotate the car's wheels and produce movement
Figure 2
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Figure 4
By DriveKenya
The New Face of the KIA Sportage Everlasting Impression Kia has made huge inroads into the automobile industry in the past few years. Its global sales rose by 4.6% cumulatively, through the first eleven months of 2014, to 2.65 million units sold. The KIA Sportage is a European car. This may surprise those of you who associate this make with South Korea but for all intents and purposes this car is European. The Sportage has always been a striking vehicle visually as it was designed by Massimo Frascella, an Italian car designer who is now the creative studio chief at Land Rover and prior to which he worked for Jaguar and Aston Martin. The Sportage's design was then signed off by Peter Schreyer, the original designer of the Audi TT and one of the best known and most awarded car designers in the world. Finally the car is made in Slovakia as well. Take a seat at the steering wheel and you'll feel the great build quality and care that's gone into this vehicle. Everything in the centre console fits nicely and no plastic knobs look out of shape. Everything about this car shouts out as European.
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Locally the Kia Sportage is available in a 1.6 Litre petrol GDI engine with a 6 speed automatic transmission in a part time AWD that's mostly front wheel drive and which directs power to the rear wheels in the event of a slippage. The Sportage produces a pretty decent 140 HP @ 6300rpm. This car has been designed and engineered predominantly for buyers with families and active lifestyles. Kia states the fuel economy of the Sportage is 7.2 L/ 100km but our test run found it to be closer to a still
ECM with rear veiw display
Rear Parking Assistance System
The Electro-Chromic rear-view Mirror (ECM) automatically dims when it senses headlight glare from vehicles. It also incorporates a rearview display that provides all round vision by eliminating blind spots.
Parking in tight spaces can often be awkward. The Rear Parking Assistance System sounds an alert if you get too close to obstacles, making parking simpler than ever before.
reasonable 10 L/100km which included a stint of driving along Uhuru Highway, Waiyaki Way, Parklands, Gigiri and the CBD. While the handling isn’t exceptional, we found the ride quality to be pretty solid, reliable and fairly smooth for an SUV of its size on Nairobi roads. The 6 speed automatic drivetrain made overtaking easy and quick bursts of speed were fun and manageable. As a family car, the Sportage SUV offers a lot. The front seats are spacious and comfortable to sit in. There's plenty of storage space within arm's reach. The rear seats can also easily fit in 3 average sized adults. The cabin ambience is of high quality and in the highline variant it stands out due to the panorama sunroof. The six speaker sound system is pretty darn good as well with the option of connecting your USB or iPod, you can control the sound system from the comfort of your steering wheel.
Spacious Interior The boot is a decent 564 litres with the rear seats folded up but increases to a princely 1,353 liters with the rear seats folded down
The boot is a decent 564 litres with the rear seats folded up but increases to a princely 1,353 L with the rear seats folded down. Standard safety features across the 3 variants include: Dual Airbags, Anti-Lock Brake Systems, Electronic Brake-Force Distribution, Cornering BrakeControl, Engine immobilizer, Impact sensing auto door unlocking and a back warning system with 4 sensors. All in all the Kia Sportage look’s great, is decent to drive, is reasonably priced and carries with it a lot of features. It's no surprise then that Kia Motors Corporation’s brand value has skyrocketed by 480 percent from US$929 million in 2007 to US$5.4 billion, according to Interbrand’s exclusive list of 100 ‘Best Global Brands 2014’.
To find out more about the KIA Sportage go to: www.marshalls-ea.com 13
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1,598 cc 1.6L GDI Max. Power (ps / @rpm) : 140 HP @ 6,300 rpm Transmissions: 6-Speed Automatic
Photo Credit: big-ashb
By DriveKenya
The Yamaha MT-09 Tracer One bike with two souls Yamaha describes the MT-09 Tracer as one bike with two souls. That's because it's seen as both versatile and invigorating. The Tracer comes at a very reasonable price, has long distance capability while providing comfort and has an impressive spec sheet. It comes in three colours - grey, red or blue. The ride height is adjustable from 845mm to 860mm, ABS comes as standard while it features fully switchable traction control that prevents the rear wheel from spinning by momentarily cutting power to the drivetrain on loose or slippery surfaces. D-Mode offers the rider three power character options from sports riding through to touring and general daily use. Also included is the YCC-T (Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle) that ensures instant and accurate response to rider inputs. Some are already calling this bike, the bike of the year for 2015 for its all round capabilities.
6Q Ć“PF QWV OQTG CDQWV VJG 6TCEGT IQ VQ www.yamaha-motor.eu 14
DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | JANUARY 2015
QUICK SPECS Engine type: 3-cylinder, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 4valves
Engine Displacement: 847cc
Transmission system: Constant Mesh, 6-speed
Bore x stroke: 78.0 mm x 59.1 mm
Power: 86 kW @ 10,000rpm
Torque: 87.5 Nm @8,500rpm
Avg. Fuel consumption: 5.6 L/100km
Tank range: 267 km
Wet Weight: 210kg
Front tyre/Rear tyre: 120/70 x 17 ,180/55 x 17
Rear suspension Front suspension system: system: Swingarm, (Link Telescopic forks type suspension)
Rear brake: Front brake: 2 x 298mm 245mm discs with four- single disc with piston monobloc singlepiston radial calipers. caliper.
Top Speed: 233km/h
Fuel Capacity: 18 litres
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
By DriveKenya
The Ducati Scrambler Inventive, youthful and free-spirited The Ducati Scrambler has been described as good looking, fun, easy to ride and light to handle with its wide, retro bars that appeal to the 70’s. It’s a stylish and affordable Ducati priced at under a million shillings brand new in the UK. The level of finish has also been described as very high given the price point with Ducati working alongside quality brands such as Brembo, Pirelli and Kayaba to come up with this beautiful bike. The single Kayaba shock absorber comes with preload regulation, ABS comes as standard and that’s about it when it comes to driver aids. The engine itself is based on the old Ducati 796 Monster unit of the noughties hence reliability should be a non-issue. As one reviewer wrote “The Ducati Scrambler reminds you what this motorcycle thing is all about.“ “the Ducati Scrambler is the perfect blend of tradition and modernity and marks a return to the pure essence of motorcycling: two wheels, a wide handlebar, a simple engine and a huge amount of fun.” - Ducati Media
6Q ƓPF QWV OQTG CDQWV VJG 5ETCODNGT IQ VQ www.scramblerducati.com 15
DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | JANUARY 2015
QUICK SPECS Engine Type: L-Twin, Desmodromic distribution, 2 valves per cylinder, air cooled. 6 Speed gearbox.
Engine Displacement: 803 cc
Bore x stroke:88 x 66 mm
Power: 55 kW @ 8,250 rpm
Torque: 68 Nm @ 5,750 rpm
Clutch: APTC Electronic fuel wet multiplate injection, 50 mm with mechanical throttle body control
Top Speed: 209km/h
Average fuel consumption: 4.5 L/100km
Wet weight: 192 kg
Rake/Trail: 24°/ 4.4in
Tank range: 248km
Compression ratio:11:1
Fuel capacity: 13.5 litres
Front tyre: Front brake: Pirelli MT 60 RS 110/80 ZR18 Rear 330mm single tyre: Pirelli MT 60 discRear brake: 245mm disc RS 180/55 ZR17
By DriveKenya
The Porsche 911 GT3 It’s all about the revs Reviewers report that the GT3 is an exceptional car, a naturally aspirated hothead 3.8L engine prepared for track duty. One word of caution though, it only comes as an automatic. The GT3 is now powered by a derivative of the Carrera S six engine with its direct injection and PDK transmission system, this has broken the long hegemony of the mighty RSR's "Mezger" flat six. “Fears that the new-generation direct-injection flat-six would fail to match the character of the old motorsport-derived Mezger unit are, thankfully, unfounded.” Car and Driver The 911 GT3 has a 9000-rpm redline, a full 600-rpm later than in the old GT3. It peaks at 475bhp @ 8250rpm. The engine comes equipped with attributes such as titanium connecting rods, forged aluminium pistons, a proper dry sump oiling system and finally the real magic is in breathed upon cylinder heads which use finger followers between the cams and valves, this increases the contact surface area between the cam lobe and the follower. The follower also has a lighter mass which makes 9000rpm possible. Testers report the GT3 it's all about revs. The GT3's sole gearbox has a seven speed dual clutch automatic. This merciless machine has the most exacting launch control program in a modern car. A 6700 rpm start leads to a 3 second launch to 60 mph! 16
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That's a huge 0.6 seconds over the old GT3, the PDK delivers when it comes to performance. “With the PDK's "Race" mode selected it's instantly responsive, hitting with the speed of a Ferrari gearbox and the lovely, engineered thud of the M-DCT in BMW's M3 GTS. Left to its own devices, the PDK gearbox makes the right shifts every single time” Edmunds. The dual clutch transmission also claims shorter, more closely spaced gearing, so that top speed occurs in the seventh gear at 196 mph. If the paddle moves you're getting a gear change, as the smaller shift paddles require a higher effort through a shorter pull. Critics report that the GT3's grip is very good and the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires provide impeccable balance and the optional carbon ceramic brakes can stop you from 70 mph in 135 feet. A pair of electric motors help the GT3 around corners, reviewers report that the GT3 is thus very agile around tight corners and obediently follows the heavy steering. Critics say that the solid ride, immense grip and hard working flat six engine demand a vigorous drive to extract maximum pleasure. “But ultimately perhaps the best information I can offer is that it all works… Stunningly and rapidly well on the racetrack.” Motoring AU.
Your
Questions Answered! Each month, our car guy Priyen Dhanak gives you solutions to the problems you face with your car. 1. I have a Mercedes Benz C200, YOM 2008. My car has a vibration when in idle or driving. What do you think the problem might be? (KCG) - Many factors can lead to engine related vibrations. If your vehicle does not show a “check engineâ€? lamp, I would begin by looking at the condition of the HQJLQH PRXQWLQJV ΖI WKHVH DUH Č´QH \RX ZLOO UHTXLUH IXUWKHU GLDJQRVLV WR HOLPLQDWH WKH SRVVLELOLW\ RI PLVČ´UHV LQ DQ\ RI WKH F\OLQGHUV DQG DOVR FRQČ´UP WKH IXHO pressure at the injector nozzles is to manufacturer VSHFLČ´FDWLRQV
2) I have a Toyota Mark X, YOM 2007. Past few weeks my car has been consuming more fuel than it should be over the same distance from my house to my place of work. What do you think I should look for? (KCG) - Check to see the condition of your spark plugs, WKH\ PD\ UHTXLUH UHSODFHPHQW LI \RX KDYHQȇW GRQH VR LQ \RXU ODVW VHUYLFH 7KH PDVV DLU ČľRZ VHQVRU DOVR FRQWULEutes to fuel economy. Your mechanic can test this for \RX 3RRUO\ LQČľDWHG W\UHV FDQ DOVR UHGXFH WKH HÉ?FLHQF\ of your vehicle by up to 3%.
3) I drive a 2008 Subaru forester, my mechanic just ȴWWHG P\ QHZ EUDNH SDGV Ζ VWLOO IHHO WKDW P\ FDU does not stop the way it used to. Please help me. .&* :KDW LV WKH TXDOLW\ RI WKH EUDNH SDGV" 6RPH RI WKH FKHDSHU TXDOLW\ SDUWV DUH NQRZQ IRU QRW KROGLQJ DV well as genuine parts. Did your mechanic bleed the EUDNHV" $LU EXEEOHV LQ WKH V\VWHP GHOD\ WKH EUDNLQJ intensity.
4) I drive a Toyota RAV4, YOM 2006. My car takes too long to start especially in the morning. Please give me your input on what I should do? (KCG) - This could be related WR D ZHDN EDWWHU\ $V D EDWWHU\ ages, the cells weaken and the problems such as these occur. Have your mechanic run a load test on your battery to determine the condition of the battery.
5) I have a BMW 320i YOM 2008. My spark plugs need to be changed. Should I use iridium or platinum plugs? I am confused. Please tell me WKH GLÎ?HUHQFH" .&* 7KH GLÎ?HUHQFH PDLQO\ lies in the type of electrode used by the manufacturer of these plugs. Iridium plugs are known to burn hotter and last longer. The longevity of the plugs is best determined by the manufacturer of the spark plugs. Most newer model cars use iridium spark plugs, and are not changed at every service unless under severe driving conditions.
To s e n d i n y o u r q u e s t i o n s t o t h e K e n y a C a r G u y C o n t a c t : i n f o @ d r i v e k e n y a . c o . k e 17
DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | JANUARY 2015
Q&A
DriveKenya sits down with car enthusiast Sunny Singh Benawra to talk about his passion for cars.
Q) Tell us a bit about yourself? A) My name is Sunny Singh Benawra, I'm a director of a security company, Firstline Security Ltd. I'm married with 2 kids.
Q) When did your interest in cars first begin? A) Ever since I can remember my uncles have been involved in rallying and motocross so I've been exposed to cars since a very young age and ever since I can recall I've loved cars and bikes.
Q) What was the first car you bought? A) The Ford Escort RS Turbo.
Q) What cars do you currently drive?
Have an interesting car? Let us know: info@drivekenya.co.ke
A) For my daily driving I have a Discovery and a Prado. For my weekend use I have a Subaru STI N12 Spec C, a Mitsubishi Evolution 7 and a BMW 330ci.
Q) Subaru or Evo? A) Love Both!
Q) Tell us more about your Subaru?
Q) Tell us more about your Subaru?
Q) What would be your dream car to own and drive?
A) It's a very limited edition Spec C, called a Toshiro Arai, in commemoration of the Production World Rally Championship win in 2005. I believe there were only 300 made of this particular model in the whole of Japan! I've mapped it to about 400 BHP and it's top speed is 265 kph. It also has a 12 liter water cooler tank in the booth to spray the intercooler.
A) The La Ferrari FXX but realistically my next car would be the Nissan GTR.
Q) Tell us more about your Evo? A) It's the same model car that Paul Walker drove in 2 Fast 2 Furious - The Mitsubishi Evo 7. It's got an anti-lag map on it. The high point of the Evolution is that it's got one of the best handling of the cars that I've ever driven.
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Q) F1, MotoGP or rallying? A) Can't pick between the three but if I had to pick - F1. All cars are on the same track, racing concurrently. Second would be rallying and third MotoGP.
Photo Credit: Toyota UK
By DriveKenya
The Toyota Land Cruiser A Legend Around the World A favourite on Kenyan roads for decades and it's not hard to see why. The Landcruiser brings legendary off road capability, reliability and a comfortable ride on the bumpiest of roads. "The Land Cruiser is a legend around the world, considered from Aruba to Zimbabwe as one of the most competent SUVs ever made." Car and Driver. Reviewers report that the Land Cruiser's 5.7 Litre V8 engine comes with excellent power. The 6 speed automatic is standard and reviewers praise it for its feel and responsiveness, gear shifts are quick and smooth. Also well praised by critics is the luxurious interior, with its 8 seats across 3 rows, which has superb build quality and a wood trim finish. Critics note that boot space isn't as large as it could be as the 3rd row seats fold across to the sides as opposed to folding downwards. Other interior features include adaptive cruise control, leather seats which are heated and ventilated in the front, navigation, a 14 speaker JBL stereo system, a rear entertainment system, four zone automatic climate control, a backup camera and Bluetooth. Critics note that the Land Cruiser exhibits a fair amount of body lean through corners but is very comfortable on the 20
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road while it excels at off-roading, the terrain selection system reportedly maximizes traction on all road surfaces very well. Fuel economy is estimated to be between 5.5/7.65 KPL depending on city/highway use, pretty much standard for a V8 engine powering a 4WD SUV of its size. Test drivers praise the Land Cruiser highly for its small turning radius which makes it surprisingly easy to maneuver around. "We've put the Land Cruiser through its paces in the dirt, and we can confirm that it's still got skills. Much of this comes from the high-tech driving aids -- you just pick your terrain type, dial in the desired speed (as low as 1 mph) and focus solely on steering, letting the Cruiser's crawl control mode do everything else." Edmunds "If you look into the history of the Toyota brand, the Land Cruiser has been around for more than half a century. It has long proven how capable it is on whatever terrain you throw at it." Top Speed.
6Q Ć“PF QWV OQTG CDQWV VJG .CPF %TWKUGT IQ VQ www.toyotakenya.com
Photo Credit: Mercedes Benz
By DriveKenya
The Mercedes C Class Composed drive and superb handeling "Mercedes is sticking to what it does best - luxury. To that end, Mercedes has transformed the C-Class from a 3-Series imposter into what essentially amounts to a smaller S-Class." - Left Lane News Visually the new C-Class is strikingly good to look at, critics write that the redesigned model is well placed against the competition with its luxurious design, near opulent interior, composed drive and superb handling, though some critics argue that cornering isn't as sharp as it could be on a sports sedan. The C-Class comes with a standard seven-speed automatic transmission and the driver has the ability to choose between "Comfort", "ECO", "Sport", "Sport+" or "Individual" modes depending on driver needs. Test drivers report that while the C400 V6 engine is considerably more potent the turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the C300 is powerful enough for most drivers. "Part of the newfound friskiness in the C-Class comes from weight savings; Mercedes shaved 154 pounds by increasing the amount of aluminum in the car to nearly 50% from 10%" LA Times The US EPA reports that fuel consumption is between 9.8 L/100km to 7.6 L/100km 21
DRIVEKENYA.CO.KE | JANUARY 2015
depending on city or highway use. Test drivers also report adequate legroom in the rear seats while the front seats are comfortable and roomy. Standard features in the 2015 C300 sedan include dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth, two USB ports, HD Radio, a Wi-Fi hot spot requiring subscription, push-button start, driver drowsiness monitoring, forward collision warning with automatic braking and Mercedes’ COMAND infotainment system, which includes a 7-inch display. Critics report that the COMAND system will take time to master. Available features include satellite radio, a premium Burmester audio system, navigation, a rearview camera, parallel parking assist, front and rear parking sensors, a head-up display, pedestrian and cross traffic detection with automatic braking, a panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise control, active lane keep assist and blind spot monitoring. "For many luxury brand buyers, it’s the interior spoils that count most, and boy does the C-Class ladle on the spoils." - NY Daily News