Wheels_9Sept2106

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September 8, 2016

Witness

ash buys cars

WHEELS

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L A T I P CA ays Saturd 9­10 am

Contact Ash 083 786 3377 • Tel: 033 342 4717 / 033 345 1971 Email: ashgani@telkomsa.net •www.ashcarsales.co.za

EDITOR: ALWYN VILJOEN 082 4589 332 ADVERTISING: AVIR THULSIRAM ON 084 278 3447

INSIDE:

KZN’s friendliest bikers, 100’s, are staging a bike show at the Veterans Sports Car Club at 120 Oribi Road in Pietermaritzburg, from 11 am on Saturday. Entry is free but 100’s are collecting any type of pet food for the SPCA and welcome your support. All bikers welcome to park and show their ride.

Food, as well as hot and cold drinks, will be on sale at the best prices south of the equator.

All bike fans (and other animal lovers) are welcome!

• Meanwhile, check out how riders, like Kirsten Landman are doing in other countries on PAGE 8

Who could’ve thunkit: The American Army, defenders of the Yanks’ right to take oil from anyone they want, are going green, with a hydrogen­cell, armour­plated vehicle. PAGE 7 For over R2 million, is the BWM M4 GTS the best buy, or the Nissan GT­R Black Edition, or the Jaguar F­Type SVR? Decide which is your dream car after you checking their stats on PAGE 5 and PAGE 7.

Driving­school owners and learner drivers can relax, Hino is not planning the end of the Dyna 4­093, the only truck to survive learner drivers six days a week, for many years yet. PAGE 6

SA’s recycling guru Hermann Erdmann has no reason to look this happy.

PAGE 2

Brian ‘The­Axle­Twister’ Bassett fearlessly goes, well, just about anywhere, in the Subaru Outback. PAGE 3

IT’S ON! trol skills at Mason’s Mill.

Organiser Reece Williamson confirmed the crews coming to

compete will be the top talent the province has to offer.

Book the date.

Spring into your choice of the Audi A3 Sportback or Sedan

Visit Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg to take advantage of our limited offers on the Audi A3 Sportback or Sedan.

We’re also giving you a chance to win exclusive Audi goodies every Friday in our weekly lucky draw!

Model

Vehicle Price

Monthly Instalments

Audi A3 Sportback 1.4T FSI S Manual

R 393 500

R 5 599

Model

Vehicle Price

Monthly Instalments

Audi A3 Sedan 1.4T FSI S S tronic

R 420 500

R 5 899

Interest No. of Linked/ Instalments Rate Variable 60

10.75%

Interest No. of Linked/ Instalments Rate Variable 60

10.75%

Deposit

GFV

Total Cost Incl. Fees and Vat

10.03% (R39 471)

44% (R173 140)

R 509 080

Deposit

GFV

Total Cost Incl. Fees and Vat

10.85% (R45 637)

44% (R185 020)

R 538 960

Offers calculated on the Audi A3 Sportback 1.4T FSI S Manual and Audi A3 Sedan 1.4T FSI S S tronic in standard specification over 5 years. *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 10.75%. R 5 599 and R 5 899 monthly instalments respectively. Information subject to change without prior notification. All Finance offers are subject to credit approval from Audi Financial Services.

Instalment amount includes initiation and monthly administration fee of R68.40. Total Retail Price as above at a Guaranteed Future Value based on 80 000 km p.a. Audi Financial Services - a division of Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa (Pty) Ltd. An Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms and Conditions apply.

Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg 9 Armitage Road, Pietermaritzburg, 3201. Tel: 033 397 8800. www.audipietermaritzburg.co.za New Vehicle Sales | Nathi Mncube • Cameron Govender • Imdaad Hoosan Pre-owned Vehicle Sales | Mandla Mkhize • Mark van Rijsbergen Anwar Charfaray • Pre-owned Manager: Riaz Mahomed

BP Advertising

THE Witness Wheels is proud to support the next drift bat­ tle to show the best car con­

2

WitnessWheels INDUSTRY MOTORING

September 8, 2016

Redisa says hands off!

Tata Pixel, a concept car shown in 2011, shows where Tata Motors is heading. PHOTO: TATA

Tata’s plans in India NEW DELHI — India’s Tata Motors is overhauling its do­ mestic supply chain, product portfolio and organisational structure as part of a three­ year turnaround strategy, the company’s chief executive said last week.

The aim is to put Tata Mo­ tors among the top three car brands in India by the end of March 2019, Guenter But­ schek told reporters, up from fifth in its last fiscal year.

The automaker is rational­ ising the number of suppliers and will eliminate those that do not meet its standards on quality, cost and timely deliv­ ery, Butschek said in New Del­ hi. Tata Motors is making changes within the company as well by increasing account­ ability among employees, fo­ cusing on timely execution of decisions and encouraging more team work and commu­ nication.

“We have a very robust plan on how we take the com­ pany into the future,” said Butschek, a former Airbus Group executive brought in

by Tata Motors in January to plug falling sales in India.

Profits at Tata Motors have for years been propped up by its British luxury unit Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) while its do­ mestic operations suffered because of a slowing econo­ my, which hit demand for its trucks, and as customers pre­ ferred other car brands.

Truck sales are slowly re­ covering as the economy re­ vives, and Tata Motors’ Indi­ an business turned a profit in the last fiscal year, which end­ ed on March 31. Butschek does not oversee JLR’s opera­ tions.

Tata Motors’ passenger ve­ hicle sales fell eight percent in an Indian market that grew seven percent in the fiscal year to end­March, and is domi­ nated by companies such as Maruti Suzuki India Ltd and Hyundai Motor Co. It recovered during the first four months of the current fiscal year with sales in India rising five percent but still lags the nine percent overall growth in passenger vehicle sales, industry data showed.

To bolster its future prod­ uct portfolio, Butschek said Tata will phase out models that are not performing well, like the Nano, while the group will launch products with new technologies and a focus on safety, low emissions and fuel economy. The company will also reduce the number of platforms — the architecture on which it builds cars — and follow a modular approach where it can build several ve­ hicles on the same platform using more common parts to achieve economies of scale.

— Reuters.

SA produces some SA produces some 11 million scrap tyres every year, which are currently collected for eventual disposal

by Redisa. Now

by Redisa. Now government wants to take the fee and use it fee and use it elsewhere …

South Africa’s recycling guru Hermann Erdmann (right) predicts the same fate for tyres as is happening with plastic bags if government swallows the tyre recycling fee — which annually amounts to about 2,5 Nkandlas — in the general fiscus.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED WHEN Wheels asked Hermann Erdmann, CEO at the Recycling and Economic Development Ini­ tiative of South Africa (Redisa), in April how a new tax on tyres would impact the Redisa recy­ cling fee, he had to plead igno­ rance to government’s inten­ tions.

Back then, we asked if the new tyre levy that was announced in the national budget speech would replace the existing waste management fee and if not, what other amount government wants to slap on all new tyres sold.

The amounts involved are huge — in 2014 Erdmann told Wheels the tyre levies to Redisa amounted to R620 million a year, each cent of which was audited by three auditing firms — KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoop­ ers and Ernst and Young.

Erdmann has now learned government wants the Redisa fee, which adds up to roughly two­ and­a­half Nkandlas, to disap­ pear into the deep dark pool that is the fiscus, and he wants none of it.

“We are in consultation to make a written submission to the minister within the 30­day time frame, and firmly believe that the independent integrity of all waste management plan imple­ mentation and fee collection should remain just that — inde­ pendent.”

In an urgent media statement, Erdmann on Tuesday said gov­ ernment’s new waste manage­ ment plan funding strategy will result in job losses and destroy the fragile recycling system Redi­ sa has laboriously built over the

past three years.

“According to the draft Waste Tyre Regulations published on August 12, funding of the coun­ try’s waste tyre stream manage­ ment plan will go into the fiscus on October 1.

“This means that the fledging waste industry being led by Redi­ sa will be knocked back before it has had an opportunity to estab­ lish a strong foundation.

“Not only will those within the Redisa structure be negatively impacted, but existing industry players such as the re­treading in­ dustry will be hit even harder from a financial perspective, re­ sulting in job losses and the asso­ ciated socio­economic impact felt in communities,” he said.

He hinted government should stop paying lip­service to job cre­ ation and stop over­taxing the entrepreneurs who make those jobs. “We face massive unem­ ployment and shrinking eco­ nomic growth in the country, yet at every turn the government calls for business to create jobs, drive an entrepreneurial spirit and empower previously disad­ vantaged individuals.

“What is often ignored is that government needs to create an environment where small busi­ nesses can both develop and thrive, not create jobs itself or even manage the process.”

The plastic bags failure Citing the Redisa plan as “an ex­ ample of the perfect collabora­ tion between government and private industry whereby the platform is provided to Redisa as an NPO to operate, be accounta­

‘In the past we have seen the failings of Government when waste management fees are injected into the fiscus.

Since 2004 we have paid a levy on plastic bags to encourage reuse and recycling while mitigating the environmental impacts of plastic bag pollution.

This has in no uncertain terms been an outright failure.’ ble and report back regularly to the Department of Environmen­ tal Affairs”, Erdmann predicts government will fail even more dismally at collecting and recy­ cling tyres than it has in collect­ ing a fee to recycle plastic shop­ ping bags.

“What has made the Redisa plan successful over the past three years it has operated is its current funding model — in which the fees are paid directly

to Redisa and spent in an audita­ ble and accountable fashion.

“In the past we have seen the failings of government when waste management fees are in­ jected into the fiscus. Since 2004 we have paid a levy on plastic bags to encourage reuse and recy­ cling while mitigating the envi­ ronmental impacts of plastic bag pollution.

“This has in no uncertain terms been an outright failure. A study by the CSIR reported that in the February 2006 financial year only seven percent of the lev­ ies collected actually got paid to the implementation arm, Buyisa­ e­Bag, so it is perhaps not sur­ prising that the organisation shut down with little to show.”

Erdmann reminded minister Edna Molewa that she had em­ phasised the waste management fee collected would not end up in the general fiscus when the Re­ disa plan was legislated. Instead the minister had made it the re­ sponsibility of tyre manufactur­ ers and importers to pay for re­ mediation of the resulting waste.

“The advantage is that Redisa is 100% accountable for what happens with the funds through strict corporate governance practices and audit requirements that ensure these funds are ap­ plied according to the mandates set out in the plan.”

Tax vs a fee Erdmann said understanding the difference between the Redisa waste management fee and a tax is critical to ensuring the ongoing success of this new tyre recycling industry’s development.

He said money collected from taxes disappears into the general fiscus, while the waste manage­ ment fee on the other hand is di­ rectly and specifically applied to dealing with the product and building the recycling industry.

“These funds are managed re­ sponsibly, in an audited and ac­ countable fashion, making it far more effective than a tax­based system where funds are diluted into the general Treasury pool without being ring­fenced,” Erd­ mann said.

So what next?

Erdmann said the Redisa plan provides government with a tyre recycling solution at no cost to the fiscus that also creates jobs, as confirmed by the Institute of Race Relations as well as McKin­ sey.

“It is our opinion that if the fees currently collected by Redisa move into the fiscus, it will bring to an end the significant headway that we have achieved within three short years, affecting the waste pickers working within the Redisa micro­collector pro­ gramme; the university students who are benefitting through Re­ disa bursaries and jobs such as the Redisa depot at Cato Ridge.

“The approach undertaken by Redisa is one that was put in place to stimulate economic and socio­ economic growth, and it’s work­ ing. To remove the one aspect that makes it so successful and replace it with an approach that has proven to fail, would be short­sighted and to the detri­ ment of all involved,” Erdmann said.

New Astra marks quarter­million sales worldwide THE euro­rand exchange rate is doing the new Astra no favours in South Africa, where the ex­ cellent vehicle saw only 32 sales during August.

Worldwide, the picture is to­ tally different. Opel said over 250 000 new Astra models have to date been sold to dis­ cerning petrolheads.

Opel CEO Dr Karl­Thomas Neumann said: “We promised a big hit in the compact class —

and we kept our promise.

“With a host of innovations otherwise rarely found in this segment, the youngest genera­ tion of the Astra and Astra Sports Tourer is again a best­ seller.”

In its marketing, Opel chose to jump the Astra over much larger luxury sedans to illus­ trate how the Astra is both lighter and often better equipped.

The Astra offers superb con­ nectivity with state­of­the­art smartphone integration.

It also continues the Opel tradition of making innovative technologies and features from higher classes available to a broad customer base, from adaptive lights to the Opel Eye front camera that also sup­ ports the car’s Lane Keep As­ sist and Autonomous Emergen­ cy Braking. — WR.

Opel made no secret of what it thought of other German cars compared to the new Astra.

PHOTO: OPEL

MOTORING WitnessWheels

September 8, 2016

3

Tough and sophisticated BRIAN BASSETT takes the scenic route in the new Subaru Outback WHENEVER we drive a Subaru, my colleagues remind me of a road trip over Namibia’s long dirt roads, which are where the Subaru station wagons shine best.

I was therefore keen to experience the Scooby’s legendary road holding over KZN’s dirt roads in the new Sub­ aru Outback, kindly provided by Howard Christie, dealer principal of the largest Subaru dealer in the coun­ try at Camps Drift.

The new Outback was redesigned in 2015 and launched in South Africa later that year. It probably didn’t need a redesign and was still selling some 120 000 units a year interna­ tionally, one in four of which sold in the United States.

Nonetheless the Subaru Legacy, with which the Outback shares a platform, had just had a makeover and it was probably the Outback’s turn. The result we found very pleas­ ing and enjoyable.

Styling The 2015 styling revision is cautious and stays close to the tried and tested Outback formula.

The new model is sleeker, cleaner and has less plastic cladding, despite adding a few millimetres in length to make it just over 4,8 metres long.

This adds to the vehicle’s consid­ erable on­road presence and there is no chance of other road users not taking you seriously.

The front end with its distinctive Subaru grille, flanked by wrap around headlight clusters and a smaller, grille below the built bumper flanked by recessed fog lamps, is more cohe­ sive than the earlier model.

The car is sculpted at the sides and flows backward to a wide tailgate and large tail light clusters, which to my mind is altogether better looking than the previous model.

Interior The restyled interior shows a high­ quality finish and design.

The dashboard is simple, with clean lines, two analogue dials that are clearly visible through the multi­ function, and a fully adjustable steer­ ing wheel, with its flappy paddles for the sportier driver.

Sitting above the climate controls on the central stack is a seven­inch touch screen, which shows the opera­ tion of the radio, CD, AUX, cruise control, cell phone pairing and Blue­ tooth functions and reversing cam­ era; to name but a few.

All the basic functions are voice controlled, simply press the prompt button and say “call” or “music” to activate features.

The seats are covered in fine leath­ er and made for the fuller American figure, which means I found them very comfortable.

The front seats are electrically ad­ justable, with an independent mem­ ory button for each seat.

Rear space is brilliant with enough room for three large adults to interact freely and loudly demand lunch on Saturday afternoon.

These days seven seats are the fashion, but to date Subaru have re­ sisted putting in a third row of seats for half­size humans, so the entire in­ terior is spacious and comfortable.

The car has plugs and interfaces for all your IT toys and the 12­speaker Harmon Kardon sound system is im­ mensely enjoyable.

The boot is easily accessed by the wide, electrically­operated tailgate and offers 512 litres of storage space with the rear seats in place and 1 801 litres with the seats lowered.

Safety and security The Outback has five­star NCAP and Japanese safety ratings.

The frame is reinforced to protect passengers and the higher riding po­ sition in the cabin, although not as high as an SUV, provides great all­ round visibility.

For the rest the Outback has every­ thing you could want in the safety field, like ABS with EBD, seven air­ bags including two under the front seat cushions, which take the place of dash­mounted knee airbags.

There is also a rear­vision camera, blind spot detection and lane change assist, which alert you to danger by showing up, together with a loud sig­ nal, on your side mirrors.

The Outback also has Rear Cross Traffic Alert to tell you what’s com­ ing from the side. It is a brilliant and most useful feature. There is a wide range of other safety features, too many to mention here, which make this one of the safest cars on the road.

Performance and handling The Outback handles like a Subaru should. The quick steering ratio and electric power assist provides precise and immediate feedback. The CVT transmission is one of the smoothest in the business and if you use the flap­ py paddles to gear down, the wagon achieves a certain sportiness, which belies the vehicle’s size.

We drove the Outback on farm roads through delightful scenery and found it supple and easily absorbing of bumps and major impacts without bottom­destroying jolts or shudders.

On tar the Outback almost floats along and it has no problem on the N3, passing long loads with ease.

I felt safe and secure in the Out­ back and the permanent, Symmetri­ cal AWD provides a level of stability I have not encountered since last I drove a Subaru. The X­mode button allows the car to take over the engine and safely navigate very bad roads, which is a boon for drivers like me.

The 2.5i­S Premium has the Boxer four­cylinder, horizontally­opposed engine, putting out 129 kW/191 Nm. Our 0­100 km/h run came up in around 10,5 seconds and top speed is a claimed 185 km/h, which we did not test.

Fuel consumption is difficult to predict given the versatility of this car, but expect around 8,8 l/100 km in the combined cycle.

Costs and the competition The Outback will set you back about R550 000 and comes with a three­ year maintenance plan and a 100 000 km manufacturer’s guaran­ tee. The many Midlands farmers whose loyal custom has made Pieter­ maritzburg’s Subaru the busiest dealer in South Africa will testify there is no real competition for a Scooby, but we can recommend a look at the Audi A4 Allroad and Vol­ vo V60 Cross Country too.

The Subaru’s CVT transmission is one of the smoothest in the business and if you use the flappy paddles to gear down, the wagon achieves a certain sportiness, which belies the vehicle’s size.

The Subaru Outback handles like it is on rails, which is a good thing as the old Pentrich station building shows the railways, which once transported people around Pietermaritzburg, have long been shut. PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN

DISCOVERY GRAPHITE

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DISCOVERY GRAPHITE AVAILABLE FROM R11 999 PER MONTH* A special edition for 2016, Discovery Graphite introduces a modern and distinctive look to the model range with an array of striking features and finishes.

These include 19-inch 7-split spoke alloy wheels in high gloss dark grey, and a grey Graphite finish to the fender vents and grille.

Model Retail Price (incl VAT, Incl CO2) Principle Debt Deposit (20%) Period Monthly Instalment Rate Balloon Payment (30%) Total Cost of Finance

Discovery 3.0 SDV6 R1 091 240 R874 189 R218 248 72 months R11 999 8.05% R327 372 R1 179 332

Call us today to book your test drive.

LAND ROVER PIETERMARITZBURG 9 Armitage Road, Pietermaritzburg Tel: 033 897 8860 A/H: Brendon 083 253 6768 landroverpmb@smg.co.za pietermaritzburg.landrover.co.za *Offer available from Land Rover Financial Services. Deal parameters are flexible but will affect rate and payment. Contact dealer F&I manager for options. These payments are indications only and may change depending on date of first payment etc. Changes in the prime rate, currently 10.50%, will cause changes to this schedule unless calculated on a ‘Fixed Rate’ basis. Customer responsible for Balloon Payment when and if applicable. Subject to normal credit approval as per JLR FS credit criteria. Retail prices subject to change without notice.

Advertised monthly payment includes initiation fee of R1197.00 and R68.40 monthly service fee. Terms and conditions apply and while stocks last. Land Rover Financial Services, a product of WesBank. WesBank is a division of FirstRand Bank Limited. An Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP20.

4

WitnessWheels MOTORING

Two islands, t

Jaguar delivered lighter, stiffer and more precise in its ‘ultimate coupe’ F­Type SVR THE F­Type SVR features the lat­ est evolution of Jaguar’s 5.0­litre supercharged V8 to deliver what Jaguar said is “the ultimate in performance and driver reward”.

Changes to the engine’s cali­ bration — adopted from the F­Type Project 7 — deliver power and torque ratings of 423 kW and 700 Nm. To make the most of the in­ creased engine output, the eight­ speed Quickshift transmission gains a new calibration. Together with the extra grip delivered by the wider, 265­ and 305­section front and rear tyres and optimis­ ing the torque on­demand all­ wheel drive system’s Intelligent Driveline Dynamics (IDD) con­ trol technology, this delivers the F­Type SVR’s outstanding launch behaviour and immediacy of re­ sponse.

The changes to IDD and re­ finements to the rear electronic active differential (EAD) ensure optimum torque distribution be­ tween the front and rear axles and across the rear axle.

Combined with a unique cali­ bration for the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system, this en­ hances traction and dynamics — on all surfaces and in all weathers — while preserving the F­Type SVR’s rear­wheel drive character and handling balance.

Selecting Dynamic mode will enable the enthusiast driver to fully explore the F­Type SVR’s ca­ pability, especially with the sta­ bility control set to TracDSC or switched off completely.

Under these conditions, IDD will use the most extreme cali­ brations for the AWD system and for the active diff to fully exploit the available grip.

The gains in performance and driveability do not come at the expense of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions: compared to the F­Type R, the figures on the com­ bined cycle remain unchanged at 11,3 litres/100 km and 269 g/km respectively.

The enhancements made to the powertrain and driveline are matched by the modifications

made to the chassis.

Designed to take the SVR’s dy­ namic capability to the next level, and deliver ultimate chassis agili­ ty, precision, control and re­ sponse, the changes nevertheless preserve the F­Type’s ride quali­ ty and inherent duality of char­ acter — day­to­day usability and comfort have not been compromised.

The F­Type’s aluminium double wishbone front and rear suspension and state­of­ the­art electric power­assisted steering (EPAS) system gave the Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) team the best possible starting point for developing the SVR’s vehicle dynamics.

That the vehicle is 25 kg lighter as standard than the AWD F­Type R — and 50 kg lighter with options including the Car­ bon Ceramic Matrix brake sys­ tem and carbon fibre roof — brings immediate benefits in terms of handling.

Optimised aerodynamics pro­ duce further gains: the rear wing delivers reductions in lift whether in the raised or lowered position.

These fundamental improve­ ments are matched by a raft of other hardware and software changes designed to extract the full potential from every part of the chassis. The rear anti­roll bar is thicker. The valves inside the continuously variable dampers have been revised and the control software — the heart of Jaguar’s Adaptive Dynamics system — has been recalibrated.

The overall effect is that both low speed comfort and high­ speed control are improved.

Fitted as standard with Jag­ uar’s Super Performance braking system featuring large, 380 mm and 376 mm front and rear brake discs, the F­Type SVR can be specified with Jaguar’s Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) braking system.

The wider, specially developed 265/35/ZR20 and 305/30/ZR20 tyres provide exceptional levels of grip with no detriment to ride quality or refinement.

September 8, 2016

You be the judge: which JAGUAR F­TYPE SVR VITAL STATISTICS Engine: 5.0­litre supercharged V8 making 423 kW and 700 Nm. Transmission: Eight­speed automatic transmission sending power to all four wheels.

Grippy tyres: 265/35/ZR20 at front and 305/30/ZR20 at the rear to sprint from 0­100 km/h in 3,7 seconds and a claimed top speed of 322 km/h.

Brakes: 380 mm discs up front and 376 mm on the rear wheels Fuel consumption: (combined cycle): 11,3 litres/100 km In­cabin: eight­inch touchscreens, 3D map displays and 380W Meridian and 770W Meridian surround sound audio systems respectively.

Party tricks: Wearable technology to control the car remotely, active valves in the rear silencers, deployable rear wing.

Pricing: R2 134 100.

Auto tuner delivers South Africa’s most powerful Cruiser yet TOYOTA is proud of the fact that it engineers engines to last, which is good for reputation, but rather boring in the straights.

Which is why the engineers at Steves Auto Clinic (SAC) saw fit to add a bit more life to the 4,5 D­4D V8 turbodiesel en­ gine that makes a conservative 173 kW and 615 Nm when it leaves the factory in Japan.

It is after all a V8 fitted with two turbos, so gaining extra power should be no problem!

After countless hours spent on the dynamometer, SAC

have found a way to unleash the Toyota Land Cruiser VX’s hidden power.

They freed up 20% more power and 50% more torque to give the Land Cruiser a work­ rate of 200 kW and 900 New­ ton metres in raw power, so much so that SAC call this power upgrade “The Beast”.

To free this latent power in the Land Cruiser, SAC worked very closely with the team from Dastek Power and Unichip.

The Unichip Plug and Play conversion offers five different engine maps (programmes)

that have all been tested and proven in South African condi­ tions by the SAC test engi­ neers.

The first map allows for a standard operation, which is exactly as the engine left the factory.

Next up is a special map that changes the V8’s character to prioritise fuel economy, this is a very popular choice for city dwellers stuck in regular traffic.

Then the Off­Road and Tow­ ing selection, which completely changes the engines’ operation to befit low­down grunt and

which makes the engine very re­ sponsive to even the slightest touch of the accelerator.

Map 4 and 5 will unleash “The Beast” from its cage. In Map 4 you have access to that deep well of extra power, and you will immediately feel the change in acceleration and top speed.

In Map 5 mode you will find yourself pushed back in your backrest as the big and bulky 200 Series suddenly forgets about its weight, ignores the laws of physics and bolts for­ ward. — WR.

For more information on Witness Wheels advertising Contact Avir on 033 355 1152 or 084 278 3447 Avir@witness.co.za Making a chipped 200 kW and 900 Nm (from the original, and dare we say suddenly miserly 173 kW and 615 Nm), this looks to be the most powerful Land Cruiser yet.

PHOTO: MOTORPRESS

MOTORING WitnessWheels

September 8, 2016

two supercars

5

The supercar slayer you can do the school run in, for an adrenaline drive each time

h one is your dream ride?

NISSAN R35 GT­R VITAL STATISTICS Engine: A twin­turbo, hand­built 3.8 V6 engine making 408 kW and 632 Nm. Transmission: Six­speed dual clutch automatically actuated gearbox sending power to all four wheels.

Grippy tyres: 20­inch forged alloy wheels on custom rubber to sprint from 0­100 km/h in less than three seconds and a claimed top speed of 315 km/h.

Brakes: 390 mm discs up front and 381 mm on the rear wheels.

Fuel consumption: (combined cycle): 12 litres/100 km.

In­cabin: eight­inch touch screen, fewer buttons and a lot less 1980s in feel and look.

Party tricks: Just the most street cred on wheels and winner of the 2015 and 2016 Knysna Hillclimb in the hands of Marburg’s Dezzi Gutzeit — hence the first consignment was sold out by pre­order.

Pricing: R1 950 000 for the Premium Edition and R2 050 000 for the Black Edition.

NISSAN is proud to announce the new 2017 Nissan GT­R is the most powerful, yet most refined version of the R35 to date.

The new Nissan GT­R offers a range of styling, mechanical, lux­ ury and performance upgrades that makes it a more accom­ plished everyday supercar, with a major improvement in its everyday driveability and more power on tap at mid­ and high­engine speeds.

The interior of the GT­R was beginning to look a lot like the cabin from the 1980s car show Knightrider but the 2016 edition received a comprehen­ sive remake, with Nissan saying all features offer a performance benefit as well.

The dashboard has been rede­ signed to be more elegant and simple, with the number of but­ tons in view of the driver reduced from 27 to 11.

This was made possible by moving many of the control functions to the new, larger eight­inch capacitive touch­ screen with Nissan’s proprietary Display Command system.

The dashboard itself is uphol­ stered in a large, single piece of hand­selected soft nappa leather.

The slight increase in weight of this leather cladding is more than offset by a new type of cush­ ioning material, which is lighter than the material previously used.

The new GT­R now features steering wheel mounted paddle shifts for the dual­clutch gear­ box.

The new set­up allows for eas­ ier mid­turn gearshifts. Both the gear shift paddles and air vent controls have been re­engineered for a more positive tactile feel.

The seats are also upholstered in nappa leather and feature a new carbon fibre chassis for an additional weight reduction, while new sound dampening and an acoustic glass windshield keep unwanted road and wind noise from the cabin.

The hand­built VR38DETT V6 engine remains the heart of

the 2017 R35, but it has been fur­ ther refined and improved for this model.

Torque delivery now peaks at 632 Nm (up from 628 Nm) at a wider band from 3 300 rpm to 5 800 rpm. The kilowatts have increased from 397 to 408 at 6 800 rpm.

A key ingredient in the 2017 GT­R’s blistering 0­100 km/h run is its launch control system and an improved gearbox.

The six­speed dual clutch au­ tomatically actuated gearbox re­ mains fitted above the rear axle and is connected to the engine with a carbon fibre shaft, but the shifting has been refined to be smoother and less audible.

The GT­R also features a new titanium exhaust system that has been tuned for improved per­ formance and a more appealing mechanical sound.

This is enhanced through Nis­ san’s Active Sound Enhance­ ment system.

To get around corners, the GT­R is equipped with new 20­ inch forged alloy wheels that are shod with Dunlop SP Sport 600 DSST ultra­high performance tyres. These tyres were developed in partnership with Nissan for the GT­R and feature RunOnFlat technology.

Upgrades to the suspension and a more rigid suspension structure mean that the GT­R now exhibits even better stability and grip through quick lateral transitions, such as on a fast switchback or hairpin on a race track. Along with these dynamic improvements, the engineers at Nissan have spent considerable resources and time on making the GT­R an even better perform­ er at everyday speeds.

In doing so, they have ensured that the 2017 GT­R exhibits none of the quirks that make other su­ percars a taxing drive on every­ day commutes.

The new GT­R can be ordered at Nissan High Performance Centres. The first consignment of vehicles has already been sold out. — WR.

Merc’s first cabrio four­seater S­Class ready to go topless this Spring

The S 63 Cabriolet is Merc’s first open­top four seater in the S­Class segment. PHOTO: MERCEDES­BENZ

MERCEDES­Benz is heading in­ to the open­air season by launch­ ing the first cabriolet based on the C­Class, thereby rounding off its range of cabriolets with a classic fabric soft top.

The new cabriolet’s design in­ terprets modern luxury with a youthful touch. Featuring plenty of high­quality details, its dis­ tinctive character is most appar­ ent when the top is down.

Marketing manager of Mer­ cedes­Benz Cars Selvin Goven­ der said: “The AMG product portfolio will continue to grow rapidly this year, making the world of driving performance

more diverse than ever, and with the all new C­Class C 43 Cabrio­ let and the facelifted SLC 43, we are offering a younger target group yet another alternative to discover the fascinating world of AMG. These new models will al­ so be on display and available for test drives for patrons to experi­ ence.”

He said 2016 is also the “Year of Open Top Driving” for Merc and to celebrate the brand is pre­ senting a superlative dream car in the guise of the Mercedes­ AMG S 63 Cabriolet.

“For the first time in its histo­ ry, Mercedes­Benz’s sports­car

and performance brand is offer­ ing a four­seater cabriolet in the S­Class segment, which aug­ ments the product portfolio with an attractive alternative for car enthusiasts with a passion for performance and luxury,” said Govender. “Showing off high­ performance technology cou­ pled with expressive exterior and interior design, it is immediately apparent that the new S 63 Cabri­ olet is built by car enthusiasts for car enthusiasts — the ultimate dream car — and we are ecstatic to host our local premiere of this model at the festival,” he added.

The bi­turbo eight­cylinder

engine of the Mercedes­AMG S 63 Cabriolet is produced in the hand­finishing section of AMG’s production plant in Affalterbach, based on the “One Man — One Engine” philosophy.

This means that each engine is assembled by a highly qualified technician who applies the strict­ est quality standards. This tech­ nician is responsible for every­ thing from installing the crank­ shaft in the engine block and assembling the camshafts, to wiring the engine and filling it with engine oil — as clearly evi­ denced by the signature on the AMG engine badge. — WR.

Car dealers hear the future, and it is small, fast and on the web THE digital revolution is causing rapid changes in the global au­ tomotive industry and motor businesses will likely get smaller and web­based.

Speaking at the biennial Car Conference held at the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit as part of the South African Festival of Motoring last week, keynote

speaker Martyn Briggs told the audience of car dealers how digital dealerships using small showrooms in shopping malls, were proving increasingly suc­ cessful in the UK. Briggs, who is also an indus­ try principal of Frost and Sulli­ van in the United Kingdom, said the trend was to have on­

ly one or two cars on display and doing business online, much like India’s car dealers are doing.

He predicted that this trend is expected to spread world­ wide as part of his address on the topic “Megatrends and the future of mobility”.

Briggs said that car design is

another aspect of the automo­ tive world that is being influ­ enced by the changing digital landscape and the manner in which the designs of more and more vehicles are morphed into make hybrid designs.

Examples here are the Suzuki SX4 and Tesla Model X. Chris de Kock, the managing

director of Wesbank, the coun­ try’s leading vehicle finance house and the main sponsor of the Festival of Motoring, said that the current linear process of buying a car — search, sell, finance, buy — had to change as it was inefficient, did not offer a personalised experience and was expensive for the cus­

tomer.

De Kock said WesBank was mulling the various disruptive technologies that will deliver the desired experience to the customer.

Options include Platform Business Systems, Blockchain, Cloud Computing and the In­ ternet of Things. — WR.

6

WitnessWheels TRANSPORT MOTORING

September 8, 2016

Tractors sans drivers China’s electric bus builder BYD has supplied the first of six electric buses to Sydney airport.

PHOTO: BYD

Electric buses for Oz fliers ALWYN VILJOEN ANYONE who has tried not to breath the tons of diesel fumes spewed out by the pas­ senger buses idling all day long at O.R. Tambo Airport will hope local contractors will soon follow the example set by the Sydney Airport, where Australia’s first electric airport bus is now transport­ ing passengers to their planes.

China’s BYD supplied two of six electric buses to Electric Blu, which is replacing the air­ port’s existing diesel bus fleet servicing the shuttle route be­ tween the T2/T3 terminal precinct and the Blu Emu Car Park.

The fleet of Blu Emu elec­ tric buses will deliver carbon emission reductions of ap­ proximately 160 tons per year and improve local air quality through zero tailpipe emis­ sions. The fleet will also lower external noise levels, reduce waste fluids to zero and de­ crease the amount of toxic material generated during servicing.

Electric Blu is a “Toro” model electric bus, created by Carbridge in a joint venture with the world’s leading glob­ al electric bus manufacturer BYD. The Electric Blu bus has a carrying capacity of 70 pas­ sengers, features purpose­de­ signed luggage storage racks and has a range of 400 km on a single charge. Sydney Air­ port has invested in charging stations and other ancillary equipment to support the de­ ployment of the new electric bus fleet.

The airport is also current­ ly trialing electric cars as part of its ground transport fleet and investigating solar­pow­ ered charging stations to fur­ ther decrease carbon emis­ sions, while research and de­ velopment is under way for recycling and reuse of batter­ ies and other components.

The cost of the project, over R72 million may, howev­ er mean passengers queueing at the lower terminals of O.R. Tambo will have to continue filtering the buses’ diesel fumes through their lungs for many more years yet.

The latest company to launch robot tractors system has no seat for a human CNH Industrial last week re­ vealed two bolt­on autonomous tractors systems in London.

One tractor still has a seat for a driver, but the streamlined trac­ tor that attracted everyone’s at­ tention dispenses entirely with the need of a human hand on a steering wheel.

CNH said their driverless technology will boost productiv­ ity through precision farming.

Precision farming is a long proven farming practice, with SA’s top John Deere dealer at Mascor in Greytown selling sev­ eral agricultural machines than steer themselves to plant seeds with square inch accuracy over the same fields year after year.

In London, CNH used a Case and a New Holland tractor to demonstrate its self­steering abilities.

CNH said in a statement the autonomous technology will sus­ tainably boost production and productivity during harvest times by making the most of ide­ al soil and weather conditions, as well as available labour.

While John Deere still allows human drivers by popular de­ mand, CNH has released robot tractors with no space for a hu­ man — the cabless concept Case IH Magnum.

For farmers who will require human intervention at some point, CNH has the New Holland T8 NHDrive concept tractor that can steer itself or be steered.

The process of operating ei­ ther tractor begins with input­ ting field boundary maps into the system, and then using the inte­ grated path planning software to plot the most efficient field paths for machines.

CNH said the robot tractors

The concept tractor Case IH Magnum was designed by CNH Industrial to take itself to a field to do drudgery driving jobs that require minimal input from an operator, such as harvesting or planting. PHOTO: CNH are best at drudgery jobs that re­ quire minimal complex operator intervention, like cultivation, planting, spraying and mowing.

As with John Deere’s system, the CNH machines and imple­ ments can be monitored and controlled either via a desktop computer or via a portable tablet interface.

A path­plotting screen shows the tractor’s progress, another shows its live camera feeds, pro­ viding the user with up to four real­time views (two front and two rear), while a further screen enables monitoring and modifi­ cation of key machine and imple­

ment parameters such as engine speed, fuel levels and implement settings — seeding rate or planter downforce, for example.

Should an object be detected in the tractor’s path, visual and audio warnings appear on the control interface — either tablet interface or desktop — which of­ fers a choice of how the tractor should respond: by waiting for human intervention, driving around the obstacle using either a manually or automatically plot­ ted path or, in the event that it is something such as a straw pile or tree branch, driving onwards.

Should something — for ex­

ample, another machine — cross its path and continue moving, it will come to a momentary stand­ still and move off again once its way is clear.

In the instance operating pa­ rameters become critical, as in the case of low fuel or seed levels, the same notifying system is em­ ployed. Any critical machine alarms or loss of critical machine control functions cause the au­ tonomous vehicle to stop auto­ matically for safety reasons, while a stop button on the con­ trol interface can be activated manually for the same purpose.

These autonomous technolo­

gies have been designed so that, in the future, they could be fur­ ther developed to enable their application across the full range of equipment in a modern farm­ er’s fleet. This could encompass the full range of tractors, harvest­ ing equipment and support vehi­ cles, such as sprayers.

CNH Industrial has worked with its long­standing technolo­ gy provider Autonomous Solu­ tions Incorporated (ASI), a Utah­based company that is the industry leader in off­road auton­ omous solutions, in order to de­ velop and refine this concept au­ tonomous technology.

NIKOLA TRUCK WITH HYDROGEN NIKOLA Motors, which an­ nounced the sounds­too­good­ to­be­true Nikola One truck in June, now says the wonder trucks will not have an jet tur­ bine motor as an electric gen­ erator in the U.S and Canada.

Instead, Nikola Motors plans to use hydrogen fuel cells. The CNG turbine version of the Ni­ kola One will be available for other countries where hydrogen is not readily available.

CEO Trevor Milton said in a media statement he had kept this information confidential “pending finalisation of key supplier agreements”, a Nikola press release said. The Nikola One will be unveiled on Decem­ ber 1, 2016 in Salt Lake City.

Milton said the custom­built hydrogen­electric 800V fuel cell will still make the Nikola One

trucks more powerful than any other production diesel truck on the road, with a range of over 1 900 km between fill­ups.

He said 100% emission­free trucks were critical to Nikola Motor’s long­term engineering and environmental efforts, not just in vehicle energy consump­ tion, but also in how energy is produced.

And adding more wonder to the Nikola 1, Milton said the company will make its hydro­ gen at solar farms that will produce over 100 megawatts each and will use electrolysis to create hydrogen from water.

“Even our manufacturing facili­ ties will be run off of zero emission hydrogen energy,” said Milton. He said Nikola plans to build over 50 hydrogen stations by 2020. — WR.

U.S. army cars to emit water General Motors and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Centre (Tardec) said they will reveal a Chevrolet Colorado­ based fuel cell electric vehicle on October 3 at the fall meeting of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) in Washington, D.C. The vehicle is expected to look a lot like the one shown, which was used for fuel efficiency tests last year. PHOTO: SEARCHAUTOPARTS

It’s long live the driving schools’ favourite little truck

WHEEL NUT WITH ALWYN VILJOEN

DRIVING schools across SA are abuzz with the rumour that Hino will stop making the Dyna 4­093 — the truck in which millions of South Africans have learnt how to drive.

To settle all the misunder­ standings, there are three pieces of good news for all driving­ school owners who wonder where they will ever find such an affordable, tough vehicle again.

First, Hino will not stop selling

the Dyna 4­093, but will change it into a bakkie by reducing the weight of this medium­weight truck by just 50 kg to make what the law calls a Light Commercial Vehicle. This will enable Hino to still sell the old vehicle, which cannot be fitted with an electron­ ic speed limiter as is required from December 1 for all medium and heavy commercial vehicles.

This also means that parts will still be on sale for many more

years to come. The third bit of good news is that driving schools will also be able to run existing 4­093s as before, as long as the Dyna was built before December 1. So, I suggest that those who need to replace a unit contact Hi­ no Pietermaritzburg today.

The dealership said it has or­ dered enough stock from the fac­ tory at Prospecton to meet the anticipated rush, but December is around the corner.

For those driving schools that must buy a replacement EC1 ve­ hicle, several frugal new Hino 300 models await. These mod­ ern trucks are arguably better ve­ hicles to get a truck driving li­ cense in.

• Should driving schools teach people how to drive in old trucks?

E­mail your views to alwyn. viljoen@witness.co.za.

Driving schools have until December 1 to buy the trusty Dyna 4­093, before a new law will see future Dynas change into a bakkie.

MOTORING WitnessWheels

September 8, 2016

7

Epic is understating it BMW’s fastest yet M car has SIBONELO MYENI filling in Lotto cards, just in case TAKE a legendary racetrack, Kyalami, add BMW’s legendary M­Division and top it off with race cars that shift your internals into places they were never meant to be … epic is an under­ statement.

BMW’s fastest yet M car, the M4 GTS, is a race car built for the road and now Mzansi will see 23 of these roaming our streets and tracks … unfortunately, all have been sold at R2 203 900 a pop. The lucky owners get a 368 kW/600 Nm, 3,0­litre Twin­ turbo six­cylinder engine, and a 0­100 km/h sprint in 3,8 seconds topping at 305 km/h.

The M4 GTS gets a water­in­ jection system that cools the in­ duction chamber for the engine to produce more power.

And it is not just brawn. There is a lot of beauty to take in too.

The M4 GTS gets a carbon­fi­ bre adjustable front splitter, a special vented bonnet, an adjust­ able rear wing with acid­orange M­light alloy wheels, a titanium exhaust and organic LED rear lights. The interior is generic M4 quality and layout with no rear seat. Instead, a roll cage takes pride, with carbon­fibre racing seats, carbon­fibre accents around the cabin and pull­string door loops.

Driving one at the new Kyala­

Despite an asking price of over R2,2 million, all 23 units of the BMW M4 GTS sold out in a short space of time in South Africa. PHOTO: BMW mi Racetrack, it immediately feels a lot more agile, stable and utterly quicker compared with any M car built before.

The ultra­fast gear changes and exhaust sounds exhilarate in a way few production cars can … kudos to those 23 owners.

BMW has also availed 30 units of the BMW M3 — “30 years M3” — to celebrate 30 years since the first production M3 was made. This model adds the Com­ petition Pack, meaning power jumps from 317 kW to 331 kW and the 0­100 km/h sprint drops

to four seconds flat.

The “30 years M3” gets special 20­inch forged alloy wheels, ex­ clusive Macao Blue metallic paint, “30 Years” branding on the M gills on the front wings, sports seats, door sills and car­ bon­fibre interior trim. You can

add the Competition Pack to any new M3 and M4, which yields the 331 kW power hike, 20­inch wheels, adaptive suspension, modified M differential rear axle and black chrome tailpipes.

BMW has also unveiled the first M­tuned 7­series — the M760Li xDrive uses a 6,6­litre Twin­turbo V12, producing 448 kW/800 Nm for a 3,7 sec­ onds 0­100 km/h, limited to 250 km/h. An optional driver’s package increases that to 305 km/h, while consuming a claimed 12,6 l per 100 km.

Power is nuked to all wheels via an eight­speed Steptronic Sport transmission, while the Execu­ tive Pro suspension can shift from cloud­soft comfort to agile handling at the press of a button.

Exclusive 20­inch wheels, an M aerodynamic exterior kit and V12 decals ensure you know which 7­series this is.

Owners can choose other trim levels at now cost. The interior is pure class, with leather, wood and aluminium used for a high­ class feel and finish. Pricing starts at around R2,9 million, however, local availability will only be in 2017. Pray the rand doesn’t lose any more value.

• Tune in to Ukhozi FM to hear Si­ bonelo Myeni talk cars at 7.50 am every Thursday.

Seven­seater Datsun for young families and rental cars DATSUN has launched its sec­ ond model, the GO+, offering seven seats at R200 000 less than competing seven­seaters — a price Datsun said will appeal to young families.

Vincent Cobee, global head of Datsun said buyers can also look forward to the GO+ Panel Van, which will be aimed at entrepre­ neurs, with financing to reduce the total cost of ownership.

Des Fenner, general manager of Datsun South Africa, said that these two new offerings indicate Datsun’s commitment to the market. “South Africans, partic­ ularly those looking for their first cars and young families needing reliable transport and additional space for seating, comfort and storage, are facing challenges to their budgets caused by the slow­ ing economy and general rise in the cost of living.

The Datsun Go+ sells for just under R135k, making it a good value offer among seven­ seaters.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

“Datsun offers aspiring and existing motorists the opportu­ nity to make their first car pur­ chase or family vehicle a brand new car. We have no doubt that

at a recommended selling price of R134 900 the Datsun GO+ will be a serious challenger in the market, where it will go head­to­ head with other marques on of­

fer. With most MPVs retailing at more than R200 000, there is no doubt that the incredible value offered by the GO+ will provide the competitive edge that will see

many young families switching to this vehicle.”

Fenner said Datsun aimed the GO+ at buyers between the ages of 26 and 36 as well attractive op­ tion for rental companies.

The Datsun GO+ is powered by the tested, reliable and eco­ nomical 1,2­litre petrol engine which produces 50 kW at 4 000 rpm, a power plant that ensures steady performance in cities and on the open road.

A driver’s side airbag, seat belts for all passengers, stopping power supplied by large disc brakes upfront with drums at the back, power steering, and power­ ful headlights complete the offer­ ing.

The Datsun GO+ offers a claimed fuel efficiency of 5,2 l/100 km, with the most ap­ pealing maintenance costs and new parts basket in South Africa.

Poland’s little Sam heads to Uncle Sam’s big trike market BEN COXWORTH IF you’ve been to Poland recently, you may have seen a bug­eyed lit­ tle three­wheeled electric car driving down the streets.

It’s known as the Sam, and it’s been manufactured in that coun­ try since 2009.

More recently, its makers have begun selling units in markets such as Switzerland (where it was first developed, by a different group), Germany, Austria and the UK. Now, the company is set to begin exporting Sam to the U.S. Featuring a steel chassis and fully­recyclable polyethylene body, the Sam is accessed via a folding gull­wing door. About 300 of the rear­drive two­seater

Poland’s answer to traffic congestion is now exporting to other countries. PHOTOS: SAM vehicles have been manufactured to date.

It has a lithium­polymer bat­

tery pack that can be fully charged from an ordinary outlet within five hours. Depending on

operating conditions and ambi­ ent temperature, that charge should reportedly be good for a range of 80 to 100 km. Its maxi­ mum speed is 90 km/h.

CEO Wacław Stevnert said the Sam company hopes to begin U.S. sales sometime next year, and is currently looking for pro­ spective dealers in California and Florida.

The planned base price with­ out battery is some $8 600 (R124 520) before import taxes, with the standard battery costing an additional $3 750 — a higher­ capacity battery will cost around $5 750, and should provide a range of up to 161 km.

The Sam trike will compete with several other trikes in the U.S., like the Elio and the Black

Mamba. We at Wheels are reserv­ ing judgement on the Elio until its backers finally start making the much touted trike instead of — as Elio did last week — selling branded apparel.

But as far as we are concerned, the Black Mamba trike shows where the future of personalised transport is heading.

Some petrolheads may be­ moan that electric vehicles don’t have sound, but they will moan with pleasure when they experi­ ence the equivalent of a V8 en­ gine packed into the hub motor of a fat rear tyre, a light roll cage to protect the two passengers and grippy front tyres that enable the Mamba to steer as close as possible into 90­degree corners.

— NewAtlas.com­WR.

Bosch is using a water jet in the new BMW M4 to make the engine more efficient and effective.

PHOTO: BOSCH

Water in fuel Boosts BMW fastests sports car BOSCH said the BMW M4 GTS will be the first produc­ tion vehicle to feature an in­ novative and groundbreaking water into fuel injection sys­ tem.

Because petrol engines waste roughly a fifth of their fuel, Bosch engineers have been seeking a way to limit the loses. They found it at high engine speeds, when some of the petrol gets used for cooling instead of for pro­ pulsion.

With its new water injec­ tion, Bosch instead injects water and say their system both reduced fuel consump­ tion by up to 13% and in­ creased power.

“With our water injection, we show that the combustion engine still has some tricks up its sleeve,” said Dr Rolf Bulan­ der, chairperson of the Bosch Mobility Solutions business sector.

The fuel economy offered by this Bosch technology comes especially to the fore in three­ and four­cylinder downsized engines: in other words, in precisely the kind of engines to be found under the hood of any average midsize car.

Extra boost for turbos The Bosch innovation can also make turbo engines more powerful. “Water injection can deliver an extra kick in any turbocharged engine,” said Stefan Seiberth, president of the Gasoline Systems divi­ sion at Bosch.

Earlier ignition angles mean that the engine is oper­ ated even more efficiently.

On this basis, engineers can coax additional power out of the engine, even in powerful sports cars.

The basis of this innovative engine technology is a simple fact: an engine must not be allowed to overheat.

To stop this happening, ad­ ditional fuel is injected into nearly every gasoline engine on today’s roads.

This fuel evaporates, cool­ ing parts of the engine block.

With water injection, Bosch engineers have exploited this physical principle.

Before the fuel ignites, a fine mist of water is injected into the intake duct. Water’s high heat of vaporisation means that it provides effec­ tive cooling. This is also the reason only a small additional volume of water is needed: for every one hundred kilometers driven, only a few hundred millilitres are necessary from a tiny water tank.

— Wheels Reporter. .

8

WitnessWheels MOTORING RACING

September 8, 2016

E­racing plan for Audi German car builder starts race­testing the tech of future electric models TEAM ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport will increase Audi’s in­ volvement in the FIA Formula E Championship in the 2016/2017 season that opens in Hong Kong on October 9.

Audi also plans to incorporate Formula E into a factory­backed motorsport programme in next year’s season.

Audi board member Dr Stefan Knirsch said electric cars is a key topic in the auto trade and Audi intended to evolve into one of the leading premium car manufac­ turers in this field.

“By 2025, every fourth Audi should be an electric vehicle. The first model for this is planned to be an SUV we’re going to present in 2018. In the light of these plans, adapting our motorsport programme and taking up a com­ mitment in a fully electric racing series is only a logical move.”

Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich said Audi al­ ways uses motorsport to test and develop new technologies for subsequent use in production.

“With quattro drive we revolu­ tionised rally racing and subse­ quently set standards in circuit racing as well. In the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Audi was the first manufacturer to have achieved victories with a TFSI engine, a TDI and a hybrid race car, so writ­ ing motorsport history on sever­ al occasions. Now we intend to repeat this in fully electric racing.

Formula E with its races being

Sheldon aims for TT title SOUTH African racing prodigy Sheldon van der Linde (17) is ready for the second part of his Audi Sport TT Cup season commencing at the Nürburgring this weekend following his in­ troduction to the Audi R8 LMS GT3 race as part of his Audi Sport Drivers Academy pro­ gramme at Lausitzring last week.

He will now refocus on the Audi Sport TT Cup as he pre­ pares for the Nürburgring races, where he won a race on his first visit to that famous cir­ cuit. “I hope to carry the mo­ mentum from Zandvoort through to Nürburgring and score the necessary points I need to regain the lead in the championship in the last three remaining races.”

Saying he is familiar with the turns at the infamous “Green Hell” in Germany, Van der Linde plans to use everything he has learnt in the first half of the season to score points.

— Motorsport Media.

Audi will be using the Formula E all­electric races to test new technologies to back its plan to make a quarter of all Audi models sold fully electric. PHOTO: AUDI held in the hearts of major cities is an ideal stage for this purpose and Team ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport a logical partner for us.”

Starting in the 2016/2017 sea­ son, Audi is going to intensify the existing partnership with Team ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport by fi­

SA BIKERS EXCEL OUT OF STATE

Binder tops the Moto3 GP The boykie from Potch, KTM rider Brad Binder, has an unassailable lead in the Moto3 GP, a race series that pits the world’s top young riders against each other on 250 cc bikes. The Moto3 riders race in the microstate of San Marino this weekend, and as long as South Africa’s fastest young biker doesn’ come off, he will maintain his lead.

PHOTO: MOTOGP.COM

Hard silver for Landman KTM rider Kirst Landman took second in the RedBull Braveman in Namibia over the weekend.

Landman tweeted the event took extreme to a new level, with the heat, dry terrain and extreme loop getting the better of her. ‘Nevertheless we pushed through from starting back of the pack after a not­so­good prologue run and got to the finish in second place. Happy with that!’

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM

nancial and technical support and the fully electric single­seat­ er race cars will be sporting the four rings when the Formula E season starts in Hong Kong.

The 2016/2017 Formula E sea­ son calendar currently features 12 races in 10 cities around the

world. On June 10, 2017, the elec­ tric racing series will visit Berlin.

The two final races will be held in New York (U.S.) on July 29/30, 2017.

The drivers of Team ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport are Daniel Abt (Germany) and Lucas di

Grassi (Brazil) who are now tack­ ling their third joint Formula E season as team­mates. Di Grassi was third in the drivers’ classifi­ cation in the inaugural season and as vice champion just barely missed the championship title in the 2015/2016 season. — WR.

Sheldon van der Linde.

PHOTO: MOTORSPORT MEDIA

SA fend off 4x4 drivers from four nations TEAM South Africa have suc­ cessfully defended their Interna­ tional Spirit of Amarok Trophy.

The 2016 competition recent­ ly took place north of Upington in the unrelenting dunes and pans of the Kalahari Desert.

Fourteen teams, from Austra­ lia, Botswana, Namibia, Russia and South Africa, participated in this year’s competition with each country except Russia being rep­ resented by three teams, each team comprising two people.

The participants contested 30 stages (18 speed and 12 technical challenges) over five days in Am­ arok Double Cabs. This year’s competition also included night stages.

Team South Africa amassed a total of 4 890 points, followed by Team Namibia in second place with 4 263 points.

Team Australia (3 925) and Team Botswana (2 589) finished third and fourth respectively, with newcomer to the competi­ tion Russia ending on 1 125 points.

“The 2016 competition was very close. The winners were de­ cided on the last day during the last five technical stages,” said Sarel van der Merwe, rally and track racing legend and the host of the Spirit of Amarok competi­ tion.

Van der Merwe added: “Aus­ tralia had a good team which fought hard against Namibia for the second position. The Russian teams battled in the early stages because of the driving position but improved once they were fa­ miliar with the right­hand drive cars.”

The winning pair of the indi­ vidual category were Jaacie and

Winners of the 2016 International Spirit of Amarok, Jaacie and Natasha Visagie (left) with Tarryn Knight (centre), marketing communications manager at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, and host Sarel van der Merwe. PHOTO: MOTORPRESS Natasha Visagie of South Africa.

They were followed in the second place by the 2015 winning team, Alywn and Melanie Jordaan of Namibia. Juan Engelbrecht and Eugene Thornhill, also of South Africa, completed the top three.

“The Spirit of Amarok Trophy demonstrates Amarok’s off­road capabilities and provides con­ testants with an opportunity to

test their off­road driving skills.

For countries such as Australia and in southern Africa, it is essen­ tial to show and prove how much hard work the Amarok can take,” said Tarryn Knight, marketing communications manager at Volkswagen Commercial Vehi­ cles.

Knight added: “The competi­ tion also presents contestants

‘With 10 countries looking to compete in 2017, this is sure to become a very interesting event to follow.’

with an opportunity to experi­ ence off­road driving at its toughest.

“Five new countries, including Argentina and Germany, where Amaroks are produced, have ex­ pressed their interest in compet­ ing next year. With 10 countries looking to compete in 2017, this is sure to become a very interest­ ing event to follow.” — WR.

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