Wheels_9Feb2017

February 9, 2017

GOOD CARS. BEST VALUE.

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Comparing SA’s third­best­selling 4x4 bakkie ALWYN VILJOEN WHEELS is currently putting the facelifted Isuzu extra cab and double cab bakkies through their paces.

The smoothly overstroked 2999 cc turbo diesel engine makes 130 kW at 3600 rpm and 380 Nm between 1800 and 2800 rpm. This is less than the 2,8 GD­6 Hilux Xtra cab’s 130 kW and 420 Nm, and the 470 Nm from the Ranger 3,2 Super­ Cab 4x4 XLS. While our resident farm writ­ er Johan van der Merwe also said his 2,2 Ranger is faster, this proved to be more than enough power to push the 3,1 ton Isuzu nimbly along the highways, and when we ran out of tar, all the way up The Slope which we use to test all 4x4s at Wheels.

We in fact felt empowered enough to push the envelope a bit over the axle benders, which left our bike rater Kay Shalik rather shaken. “The bakkie was literally on two wheels with the third wheel barely touching the ground! If the bakkie had a heart

Pushing the edge of grip up The Slope in a KB 300 D­TEQ LX 4x4 Extended Cab, and discovering Japan’s specialist commercial vehicle builder certainly knows about 4x4 bakkies.

• Next week, we race the KB 300 against a Ranger.

PHOTO: KAY SHALIK monitor I would have scored 160,” she said.

Price and competition R479 200 buys you the KB 300 D­TEQ LX 4x4. This is some

R20 000 less than the Hilux but R7 000 more than what Ford wants for the Ranger 3.2 Super­ Cab 4x4 XLS. Prices for bakkies are, however, a starting point only, and there

are always good trade­ins and discounts from Key Group.

• Watch the space: Next week, we test Van der Merwe’s 2,2 Ford Ranger and the Isuzu KB 300 D­TEQ LX 4x4 in a drag race.

‘Keep my column warm!’

Wheels contributors thank the fans who asked after the health of our resident car rater and host of the Nqola motor show on Capital 104 fm, Brian Bassett (pictured). He has undergone chemotherapy in Durban for leukemia these last three weeks and our hopes are high that he will return home today. His instruction in the meantime was clear: ‘Keep my column warm!’

PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN

Wheeled events in KZN • February 25 — Team Alky’s Birthday Spin Bash in Scottsville.

Entry is R60 for adults and R30 for children. There is strict secu­ rity to ensure this will again be fun for all ages.

• March 19 — the second KZN 4x4 Team Challenge will be host­ ed at Shakaskraal. Teams com­ pete in four vehicles to win the

best in show, a challenging 4x4 course and a time attack.

While it is a fun event de­ signed to give 4x4 owners a safe space in which to enjoy their ve­ hicles, it is a tough course that demands brave drivers. Winners get bragging rights in this paper and fame on Facebook. More from andre@kzn4x2.co.za.

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WitnessWheels MOTORING

1.

February 9, 2017

FIVE SUVS WE RECOMMEND Ford Everest 3.2 LTD

Fortuner 2.8 Sorento 2.2 X­Trail 1.6 2. Toyota 3. Kia 4. Nissan GD­6 4x4 Auto CRDi AWD Auto SLX dCi 4x4 LE

Rover Discovery 5. Land Sport TD4 SE

Extreme Nissan rides high At Wheels we hold the best bakkie is always a van, which may make this the best ‘bakkie’ yet WHEN Wheels tested the new Patrol back in 2014, we said we were not impressed by the lack of ergonomic design and espe­ cially disappointed by some engi­ neer’s “brain fart moment” that ensured the big pick­up literally sucked in the veldt.* But now the brand has been re­ deemed by a Nashville­based outfit that has built the Nissan NV Cargo X and then demon­ strated its abilities over a dry river bed and forest track.

Having ogled the videos sever­ al times, we can say this looks to be the most extreme version of Nissan Commercial Vehicles’ flagship NV Cargo van yet built.

The videos were made to en­ sure the van had not just street cred, but off­road respect when it makes its world auto show de­ but at the upcoming 2017 Chica­ go Auto Show.

Built in partnership with leg­ endary off­road builder Ian John­ son, the NV Cargo X stands over 2,3 metres tall on 37­inch tyres and is powered by a Cummins five­litre V8 Turbo Diesel trans­ planted from a Nissan TITAN XD full­size pick­up.

In addition to its appearance at the Chicago Auto Show, which

With suspension like this, (top) the Nissan NV Cargo X (left) comfortably scaled boulders and fallen logs to make this the most capable van yet.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

runs at Chicago’s McCormick Place from February 11 to Februa­ ry 20, footage of the NV Cargo X build and its shakedown on Py­ eatt Draw trail in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest can be viewed at NVCargoX.com “The Nissan NV — Cargo and Passenger van configurations — has the durability, quality and re­ liability that works hard for busi­

ness applications — backed by America’s best commercial van and truck warranty with five­ year or 161 km bumper­to­bump­ er coverage,” said Fred Diaz, divi­ sion vice president and general manager, North America Trucks and Light Commercial Vehicles, Nissan North America, Inc. “We thought it would be inter­ esting to take an NV Cargo to the

extreme, pushing it to where no cargo van has gone before. We weren’t disappointed.”

While the NV Cargo’s front in­ dependent double wishbone sus­ pension and multileaf rear sus­ pension is responsive and rides smooth through even the tough­ est workdays, the NV Cargo X re­ quired something a little more radical — including a custom­

modified off­road suspension system with enough suspension travel and wheel­well clearance to fit a set of 37­inch General Grabber X3 tyres.

“While the front suspension is 100% custom, the rear retains the NV Cargo’s standard leaf spring design.

Next, out came the factory 5,6­litre gasoline V8 engine and in its place Johnson fitted a Cum­ mins five­litre V8 Turbo Diesel

borrowed from Nissan’s TITAN XD pickup. The engine is rated at 231 kW and, more importantly for rock crawling, a hefty 752 Nm. The TITAN XD also donated its heavy­duty Aisin six­speed automatic transmission and ad­ vanced four­wheel drive system.

— WR. * Dust and water from loose breather pipes that dangled underneath the sump.

Delft students win SpaceX Hyperloop pod challenge THIS week’s most innovative development in transport goes to the hyperloop train submitted to the SpaceX com­ petition by 27 teams.

The Hyperloop Pod Com­ petition was staged at the SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, in California in the U.S. A year ago, Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, chal­ lenged the 27 teams from all over the world to construct pods for the Hyperloop, a fu­ turistic transport concept that could propel people and goods through tubes at ex­ tremely high speeds.

During the weekend, the teams were invited to test their pods in a 1,2 km long tube lo­ cated adjacent to the SpaceX grounds in Los Angeles. The Technical University of Delft took out the top spot, fol­ lowed by the WARR Hyper­ loop design and then MITT “It was precisely this award that we had set our sights on.

The light pod that floats on magnetic shoes designed by TU Delft students should be able to cope with speeds of up to 1 200 km/h.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED We tried to focus on every as­ pect and to create a pod that could easily be scaled up,” ex­ plained team captain Tim Houter. “And our hard work has now been rewarded, it is fantastic.”

The Delft Hyperloop team also received the award for the best construction and design.

Students from the University of Munich went home with the other prize, awarded for

the highest average speed.

The pod entered into the competition by the TU Delft students is extremely light­ weight: the use of carbon fibre, which is both light and strong, means that the TU Delft pod weighs just 149 kg. The pod it­ self is approximately 4,5 me­ tres long and one metre high.

Magnets are used to allow the pod to hover above the track, which means that very little

energy is lost.

Speeds of approxi­ mately 90 km/h were recorded during the competition.

In a longer tube, the TU Delft prototype should be able to cope with speeds of up to 1 200 km/h.

The competi­ tion aims to speed up development of a prototype Hyperloop train by challeng­ ing university students to de­ sign and build the best Hyper­ loop pod.

SpaceX is moving forwards with a second instalment of the competition: Hyperloop Pod Competition II, which will focus purely on maximum speed.

This second competition is open to new teams, as well as those who entered the first round and want either to re­ fine their designs or enter a brand new pod. — WR.

For more information on Witness Wheels advertising Contact Avir on 033 355 1152 or 084 278 3447 Avir@witness.co.za

Pocket rocket FIAT introduced the Abarth 595 range, the standard engine of which produces a totally respectable 106 kW and 206 Nm, while the top­ of­the­range 595 Competizione makes 132 kW of power and 250 Nm of torque.

A performance pack comes with a mechanical limited­slip differential that sends the little car blistering around hairpins.

In either of its three derivatives, these little pocket rockets are aimed at enthusiastic drivers, with pricing starting at some R230 000 for the Abarth 595 and going up to R444 000 for the Competizione.

A topless model costs R40 000 more. Fiat warns only limited numbers of the Competizione are available. Seven trim levels are available. Seen here is the natural leather on the 595 Turismo with sequential robotised automatic transmission. All models feature a three­year or 100 000 km warranty and maintenance plan.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

MOTORING WitnessWheels

February 9, 2017

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FIVE HATCHES WE RATE Volkswagen Polo 1.2 TSI Comfortline

Jazz 1.2 2. Honda Comfort

The Super 73 rides on thick snow tyres.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Fiesta 1.0T 3. Ford Trend

Corsa 1.0T Enjoy 208 VTI 1.2 5. Opel 4. Peugeot Car Active

The Capuchin can carry up to 159 kg.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Sit­up bikes back in vogue Tattooed designers hark back to when having different size wheels and bell bottoms mattered ALWYN VILJOEN TWO sit­up bikes recently ap­ peared on the social capital­rais­ ing platform Kickstarter and both will remind readers who know their compilation tapes from their seven singles, of the seventies’ Chopper bicycle.

From Lithium Cycles in Cali­ fornia comes the Super 73, a sit­ up bike with an electric motor to boost the leg power, while Flori­ da­based start­up Monkey Fac­ tion’s Capuchin requires the rid­ er to produce all the power.

While the designers at Lithi­ um Bikes say their bike was in­ spired by the vintage small mo­ torbikes of the seventies, Monkey Faction’s builders say they named their bike after the capu­

chin monkey (not the Capuchin order of friars).

Both bikes’ scooter­like fea­ tures include a long padded seat, a low frame and small tyres.

The Capuchin’s frame is made from aluminum and rides on an RST coil spring suspension fork and 20x4 inch tyres. It also has mechanical disc brakes and a Shi­ mano seven­speed drivetrain.

The Capuchin weighs 16 kg in its XL frame and can carry up to 159 kg.

California’s Super 73 rides on even thicker snow tyres (20x4,25 inch) and has a lithium­ ion battery under the seat to help power its 29,5 kg weight.

Like most e­bikes, the battery can go for 30 km on the level, and a full recharge takes 3,5 hours.

Depending on the rider’s weight, the 1000 Watt motor can take the bike to a top speed of

48 km/h, which is over the 35 km limit set for assisted bikes to qualify as bicycles, as opposed to

motorbikes, in may regions.

A speedometer allows the rid­ er to set a street­legal maximum speed limit, plus it lets the rider determine how much assistance the motor provides when pedal­ ling. The unit also displays the battery charge level. Disc brakes and a tail light built into the bat­ tery are standard, as are a USB port for phone charging and a cup holder and bottle opener, but a headlight is an optional extra.

The Super 73 with its 1kW elec­ tric motor and battery pledges for some $1 799 (R24 040). The planned retail price is $2 999 (R40 297). The engineless Cap­ uchin pledges for a relatively low price of just over $349 (R4 660) The planned retail price is $449 (R6 037).

Japanese cult bikes prove good investments MIKE HANLON JAPANESE motorcycles have al­ ways had a strong following bor­ dering on cultish in places, and like Volkswagen Combis and Beetles, they are set to defy the gravity of mass­production with prices on the auction block.

They delivered customers what they wanted in all the areas that encourage loyalty.

Endearing qualities such as a low cost­of­ownership, easy maintenance and by comparison to the bikes made until that time, total reliability.

They also blew non­Japanese motorcycles into the weeds, of­ fering superior performance and superior reliability, no oil leaks, electrics that worked, brakes that worked ... they were better and cheaper.

The weakest point of these bikes was the frame and suspen­ sion, and thanks to modern tech­ nology, the internals of the sus­ pension units can now be rebuilt invisibly, meaning they can now be persuaded to handle better than they did when new.

if you like two wheels and not four.

An unprecedented number of quality motorcycles sold in Las Vegas this year and although many of the more fancied lots didn’t sell, the strength of the marketplace was clearly evident by the turnover and the strength of motorcycle prices for bikes built in the 1970s and 1980s.

— New Atlas.

This original 1969 Honda CB750 with sand­cast cases sold for over R411 000 ($30 800) PHOTO: SOMER HOOKER As a bastion of the four­stroke engine (four­strokes always sell for more than two­strokes), Honda will do best over the next decade with its marquee models of that time now thrust into the spotlight.

With the limited production RC45 and RC30 production rac­ ers already well recognized for

high prices at auction, Honda’s six­cylinder CBX, first model four­cylinder CB750, flat­four Goldwing and the transverse v­twin CX500 Turbo look set to become the next level of champi­ ons at auction.

More than anything else, buy­ ing a collectible costs one or two orders of magnitude less money

Honda’s six­ cylinder CBX, first model four­ cylinder CB750, flat­four Goldwing and the transverse v­twin CX500 Turbo look set to become the next level of champions at auction.

‘Our goal was to create a new kind of electric bike while looking at the past for design inspiration.

Motorcycles, mopeds and mini bikes of the seventies drew our attention as durable, fun and timeless.’

Rented bicycles from bike­ sharing firms are callously flung on a heap in Shenzhen.

PHOTO: AFP

Bike share not for SA WHILE bike­hailing is growing apace in China, people with a bad character are dumping or even vandalising the bikes they hired for less than R2.

AFP reports over 500 bicy­ cles from China’s flourishing bike­sharing companies have been dumped in huge piles on the streets of the southern city of Shenzhen, according to local media. Pictures showed jumbled stacks of vehicles nearly three metres high, with handlebars, baskets and other parts scattered on the ground.

New tech firms such as Ofo and Mobike, with their ri­ val fleets of bumblebee yellow

and fluorescent orange bikes, have been locked in a cut­ throat battle to get China’s 700 million mobile phone us­ ers to use their bicycles on the first or last mile between stations. Customers rent a bike from R2 an hour. Bikes can be left anywhere for the next user. Instead the bikes are dumped on heaps.

At South Africa’s oldest bi­ cycle shop, Jowetts, Gary Flint said Ride sharing is not something that will in SA, yet.

He said Jowetts had tried renting out bikes in its 85 years, “but they soon disap­ peared”, as is the case with rented bikes in Durban. — WR.

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WitnessWheels MOTORING

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February 9, 2017

FIVE CARS FOR YOUNG FAMILIES Renault Captur dCi 90 Dynamique

EcoSport 1.5 2. Ford TDCi Titanium

HR­V 1.5 3. Honda Comfort

Qashqai 1.2 5. Nissan Visia

Vitara 1.6 4. Suzuki GL+

How safe are older drivers really?

Tuning you straight HENRY SPENCER THERE can be no hard and fast rule as to when seniors should move over to the passenger seat. The majority could con­ tinue driving happily and safely forever, whilst others, (dependent on their health), may experience problems earlier.

The TV Presenter, Jeremy Clarkson, once said: “ … pensioners are by far the worst drivers. They are spiteful, dithering, old, and IN THE WAY!” (And Clarkson never even set foot in Howick.)

Before sharpening the Zimmerframes, we need to acknowledge that many of us might need to start adding some adaptive techniques to our arsenal of driving skills.

The man who turned right instead of left Lao Tzu once said : “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading,” and so it was for an elderly Alz­ heimer’s sufferer who lived in Sandown, a Pinetown retirement village.

He unwisely still drove and used to col­ lect his wife each afternoon from her place of work in Westville — some eight kilo­ metres away. One afternoon he turned right instead of left and ended up in Har­ rismith, 330 km east of Westville!

At 6 pm that evening his distraught wife received a phone call from a Harris­ mith shop owner, informing her there was an elderly man in the store, who appeared confused and didn’t seem to know why he was there, or even who he was.

The song of an unhappy vehicle clutch On another occasion, while having my ve­ hicle repaired, I was given a lift back to our village by the local motor mechanic; as he dropped me off, looking at a black VW Golf parked near our cottage, he asked … “Is that Lizzie’s car?” On being told that it was, he confided how they had repaired her vehicle’s clutch four times in the last three years (The sound of an over­ revved and unco­ordinated clutch is a scream for help from a suffering and abused vehicle!).

With the advent of the baby­boomers, there are now countless seniors driving.

International First World statistics show people over 80 are 250% more likely to die in an accident and have more acci­ dents per kilometre than any other co­ hort, despite retired people tending to

Djurk Venter puts foot in team Lindenberghis pristine Shelby Mustang in Cape Town.

PHOTO: HEINRICH SAUER MOTORSPORT MEDIA

Lindenberg proves balies can do fast

Henry Spencer authors books on all aspects of ageing. Contact him on halfmens@telkomsa.net.

PHOTO: FILE travel less.

In the UK, insurance stats show fatali­ ties increase exponentially after 65. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Acci­ dents also say that drivers over the age of 80 are more likely to cause a mishap; often being attributable to underlying health conditions and medication side­ effects. Even a small bumper bashing could result in rib and sternum fractures from the seatbelt due to the brittleness of the senior bones.

How safe are Seffrican seniors?

The Arrive Alive organisation maintains that the elderly often compensate through their adaptive driving behaviour: • They tend to drive when roads are less busy.

• They generally choose to drive during daytime and dry weather.

• Experience enables them to anticipate problematic situations.

• Their desire for excitement and sensa­ tion is usually less.

• They generally drink­drive less and obey traffic rules more than their younger counterparts.

Conclusion It is important for seniors to adapt both their vehicles and their driving habits, but most importantly to recognize their limi­ tations.

THREE months ago, SA’s well known speed boat and race car driver Peter Lindenberg was fighting for his life.

A botched hip replacement saw him stricken in hospital, his family and friends praying for his return to good health.

On Saturday at the Killarney Race track in Cape Town , despite having to be helped in and out of his Shelby Mustang racer, Peter drove the pristine car to overall victory in the thundering top of the bill Pre­66 Legends of nine­ hour saloon car race, fighting all the way with du Toit and Ferdi van Niekerk Junior’s giant Ford Galaxie, to finish the first race second — side­by­side with winner Jonathan du Toit’s Chevy Nova.

Lindenberg then stormed to a domi­ nant race 2 victory to claim overall honours for the day. “Wow, what a day!” Peter said after the race.

“If you told me six weeks ago that I’d win the day at Killarney at the be­ ginning of February, firstly I probably would not have heard you because I was non­compus mentis under seda­ tion, but if I did, I’d have told you that you were smoking your socks!

“But here we are — I won!

“Racing today was brilliant for my self confidence,” Lindenberg (61) ex­ plained. “I struggled a little being low on energy later in the races and it was pretty uncomfortable with all my oper­ ation wounds, but it was all good in the end, special thanks to my medical team, who were all here today, even if they could not believe their eyes!

“Hopefully now my recent medical dramas are all a thing of the past and I can get on with my first love of motor­ sport after a most difficult couple of years — let’s race!”

A Springbok in three different

sports, Peter Lindenberg is no stranger to bouncing back from serious injuries.

Now he’s bounced back from a treach­ erous health scare too; leaving one to wonder if Peter Lindenberg is motor­ sport’s Houdini.?

The Lindenberg Racing team had a good weekend all­round at Killarney.

Daughter Paige Lindenberg enjoyed a great outing in the Pre­’77 Production Car race, ending second in Class B as the petite lass manhandled her mon­

ster Ford Fairlane around the Killarney track. Teammate Djurk Venter ended ninth in Pre­77 Class B in his Ford Ca­ pri Perana and drove the Shelby Dayot­ na Cobra coupe to seventh in the Pre­’68 45­minute TT endurance race and first in class.

A great day’s at Killarney racing was however marred by a tragic accident in the classic motorcycle race that claimed the life of legendary SA biker, Gavin Ramsay. — Motosport Media.

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Letters: The way forward for Ford A DISTURBING aspect of the Kuga fires is that Ford did not immediately imple­ ment a total recall of all Ford Kugas in South Africa.

Thirty seven other Ford Kugas went up in flames, yet there was minimal ac­ tion taken by Ford.

A situation like this will never be al­ lowed to take place in a European country. Once again, could it be a case of Ford abusing our ineffective laws and manipulating the system?

Could it be that South African lives are not important?

A riveting question asked on Check­ point is whether Ford is using our in­ competent laws to their advantage at the expense of the South African con­ sumer. Any company that disregards

the welfare and safety of their clients can never be trusted. Putting profits ahead of safety considerations of the consumer can be detrimental to the continued existence of any business.

The way forward would be for the Ford Company to accept responsibility for the fire that caused the death of Mr Reshall in lieu of the video footage and other evidence from Kuga owners that portrays the company in a nega­ tive light.

A joint lawsuit of the affected Kuga owners is imminent. To save the brand Ford needs to settle out of court.

The longer these devastating inci­ dents remain in the spotlight the greater will be the reputational attack on the company.

Ford needs to pick up the pieces knowing that they have erred in their mechanics when manufacturing the Ku­ ga.

They need to meet with their highly paid engineers to rectify the problem thereby making sure that a recurrence is never allowed to repeat itself.

Condolences to the Reshall family on the loss of their beloved one. We pa­ CV Joint tiently await speCialists the conclu­ for CV joints, ball joints, sion of this tie rod ends, wheel bearings. saga.

VIJAY 341 GReYlinG stReet SURUJPAL Pmb. 033 342 9174/75 Phoenix

Our friendly sales team is equipped to deal with all enquiries and have a wealth of knowledge in the motoring field. We pride ourselves in delivering exceptional service and products to our clients and therefore have a stringent quality check process in place to make sure that every product complies with our requirements and is in top order.

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035 789 0464 53 Bullion Boulevard 035 789 0754 Richards Bay CBD 084 357 1082 Richards Bay eastcoastengines@gmail.com