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ASH EXOTICS

December 15, 2016

Witness

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… NOW YOU’RE MOTORING

Avoid these dangers on SA’s busiest holiday road in December ALWYN VILJOEN PROFESSIONAL drivers dread December, when amateur drivers take the long drive to the family or holiday destination, often driving faster and further than they do all year.

Wheels asked those in the know what causes the most problems on the N3, South Afri­ ca’s busiest holiday road.

Truckers’ pet hate A few of the 6 600 truckers that pass the Mooi River Plaza each day told Wheels they can spot these holiday drivers in the far distance.

They are the drivers who are not going along with the traffic flow, instead going too fast or too slow for the situation, and often unable to cope with the different levels of difficulty on the N3.

Coming from the west, the trucks list the steep descends

past Van Reenen’s, thick mist past Mooi River and average speed cameras as the three things amateur drivers seem unable to cope at the correct speed.

But KZN’s champion truck drivers, Moses Makhathini, Regi Naidoo and Alfred Ngilo all agree that drivers who race past a slow moving truck, only to brake hard in front of the truck, are the big­ gest pests on the road.

“Why try and be early for your death? Take it slow and enjoy the beautiful scenery,” said Makha­ thini.

Drunk drivers feared most Motorists polled by the Automo­ bile Association (AA) in a recent survey list drunk drivers, fast drivers and a lack of law enforcers as their biggest safety concerns on SA’s roads during the festive period.

The survey also found more than nine in 10 people feel unsafe

while travelling on South African roads during December.

Six in 10 of the respondents see drunk drivers as the biggest problem on the country’s roads.

Apart from speeding and a lack of law enforcers, the survey found that motorists believe unlicensed drivers also pose a major prob­ lem.

Asleep behind the wheel Con Roux, commercial manager at the N3 Toll Concessionaire (N3TC), however said the statis­ tics point to drivers who fall asleep behind the wheel as the biggest danger on the N3.

He said of the 915 crashes re­ corded between Heidelberg and Cedera by the N3TC over the past 10 months since January, 76,7% of crashes occurred in clear weather and over a third (381) involved passenger cars.

Of these 915 crashes, 224 crashes were vehicles rolling on

Spot the trucks passing in the middle lane. Thick mist make for difficult driving on the N3, but most accidents happen on clear days due to drivers falling asleep. PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN a straight road, and 203 were ve­ hicles that just veered off the road. “This suggests that fatigue and or inattention cause most of the accidents on the N3,” Roux said.

Roux advised holiday drivers to rotate driving duties every couple of hours. “Three hours’

driving is already too long. Stop every two hours and make the journey a part of the holiday.

Don’t try to break speed records.”

Rather stop and start, taking photos for next year's competi­ tion during this festive season, he said. The competition can be en­ tered on the N3TC website.

Important numbers Get the latest route updates to help you avoid unexpected prob­ lems on your planned journey by following the N3TC on Twitter @N3Route. Contact the 24­hour N3TC Customer Care Line on 0800 63 4357 for any assistance, even fuel.

SHAKASKRAAL READY FOR FUN DAY’S TESTING

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

All of us at Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg would like to thank you, our valued clients, for the continued support throughout 2016 and wish you all a wonderful Festive Season and prosperous New Year.

We look forward to being of service to you in 2017.

Happy Holidays!

Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg 9 Armitage Road, Pietermaritzburg, 3201. Tel: 033 940 1381. www.audipietermaritzburg.co.za

BP Advertising

Shakaskraal, which used to resound to the thump of the feet from the Zulu leaders’ Impis, will on Saturday echo to the engines of the 4x4 enthusiasts who have entered into the KZN 4x4 challenges hosted by Andre Karrim.

Participants will test a tough new obstacle course and faster tracks as part of a practice run for a televised event at sugar farm in Shakaskraal on December 14.

There are still a few spaces for contestants at R200 a car.

Contact Karrim on 083 996 1303 to enter. Spectators enter free.

2

WitnessWheels MOTORING

December 15, 2016

Ten awards for Volvo’s Polestar

The Jaguar F­Type is most at home on the back straight of the Roy Hesketh Circuit in Hayfields, where Wheels’ tame sports car driver ‘Dizzie’ Govenden got close to 180 km/h coming up down the back straight. PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN

Good looks and power BRIAN BASSETT spends a few days with the F­Type Jaguar S Coupe, 3.0 V6 THE F­Type Jaguar is the spiritual succes­ sor to the iconic E­type, which still sells in Britain, when you can get one, for be­ tween £150 000 and £200 000 (R25­ R34 million). The new car was 10 years in design and designer Ian Callum pro­ duced one of the most beautiful sports cars in the world. The convertible came first in 2012 and was followed in 2013 by the Coupe.

Perhaps the best tribute to Callum’s fine design I have come across was the reaction from my wife, Lin, while it stood in our driveway.

Normally her view of cars is tailored by concerns like practicality and durabili­ ty.

With the F­Type, however, she ap­ proached the car, stroked its roof and de­ clared it the most exquisite vehicle she had ever seen.

This was followed by a series of photo­ graphs with her cell phone and SMSes with photographs to friends. Clearly the commencement of a love affair, and well deserved as the F­Type is desirable be­ cause it satisfies both the needs of the style conscious and the demands of driv­ ing enthusiasts.

Our car was supplied by SMG Jaguar/ Land Rover Pietermaritzburg and our thanks to Allan Neave, the used car sales manager, for his co­operation.

Design The bodywork of the F­Type is stunning and looks somewhat like the Aston Mar­ tin DB series.

The exterior purrs quality and power.

The overall design is in a soft, swept back style accentuated by the front and rear bi­xenon and LED light modules.

In fact the short tail and slim rear lights hint at the car’s E­Type ancestry.

The overall effect is dramatic, en­ hanced by fine detailing like the door han­ dles, which pop out when the car is opened, and elegant, tight modern lines, which result in perfect proportions from every angle.

The 18­inch alloys and twin rear central exit exhausts round off what is destined to become another icon.

I attended a meeting at Hospice while driving the car and emptied the meeting venue, with those at the meeting crowd­ ing around the car and asking questions, while expressing admiration and delight.

Such is the F­Type’s relationship with its public.

Interior The drama continues in the interior, which is driver­orientated and the driver zone is clearly demarcated by a grab han­ dle on the passenger side.

Press the starter button and the air vents rise majestically from the dash. The joystick­type gear lever and toggle switch­ es make you feel special and there is black, white­trimmed leather everywhere.

The dash is sensibly organised allow­ ing for easy driver use, while the centrally­ placed eight­inch touchscreen is easy to operate. Satnav and Bluetooth are stan­ dard and the six­speaker surround sound system makes a delightful noise.

The cabin is comfortable and snug.

While the F­Type is a long distance car, with the electrically­adjustable, suppor­ tive sports seats and grippy, multi­func­ tion steering wheel providing a low riding position, so driver extremities are some­ times difficult to see at speed.

Luggage space is limited to 196 litres.

But whoever bought one of the world’s finest sports cars for its luggage space?

The car also has a spare wheel, which we at Wheels argue is essential on any car sold in South Africa, even if only a space saver.

Safety The F­Type is packed with electronics and every safety device you can think of, as well as a few that you didn’t even know existed.

There is a two­stage stability control and a limited slip diff for better grip. It has the largest Jaguar brake discs ever made and blind spot warning.

The rear park sensors and reversing camera make shopping centre parking as easy as possible for this quite wide car, especially as you quickly attract a small crowd, who are more interested in seeing the vehicle than in your parking safely.

There is of course the usual central lock­ ing and alarm.

Performance and handling I was very impressed with the F­Type’s outstanding directional stability and pre­ cision at high speeds, with sharp, clear steering response.

It is perfectly balanced and wonderful­ ly powerful, while the Active Exhaust Sys­

tem opens special valves at 3 000 rpm to produce the best exhaust note in the busi­ ness.

The six­cylinder, three­litre engine produces 250 kW of power and 450 Nms expressed on road via an eight­speed auto gearbox. Zero­100 comes up in about five seconds. Some say all round fuel con­ sumption is about 10 litres per 100 km, but most enthusiastic F­Type drivers say “who cares when you are having fun”.

Having driven the car ourselves, we took it to the Roy Hesketh Circuit in Hay­ fields and handed it to our tame sports car driver, “Dizzie” Govenden. He drove the car around the track as it should be driven, with nearly 180 km/h coming up down the back straight and the engine roaring its approval as he came into what used to be BP corner.

After 30 minutes of impressive ma­ noeuvring around the track, he agreed with our sentiments about the car’s han­ dling, which he praised, but felt that it could be somewhat tail happy at speed.

This would not affect conventional driving but might be a problem on the track.

Costs and the competition If you need it new it will set you back R1,1 million.

A year old will cost you about R800 000. It comes with a five­year, 100 000 km extendable maintenance plan and manufacturer’s guarantee.

Also look at the Porsche 718 Cayman/ Boxster/911, as well as BMW M4, Mer­ cedes SLC and Aston Martin Vantage.

A Merc for the price of a small family car THE 2010 C­Class Mercedes was and is a very special car for the German car maker, as it is the first of the C­Class cars that matched the BMW 3 Series in terms of handling.

Elvis Naidoo, sales manager for Metro Car Sales in Boshoff Street, has a 2010 Mercedes CGI, C 180, Blue Efficiency on the lot at R199 900.

The car has done 169 000 km but, like all of Metro’s vehicles, it looks new on the outside and

I watched the wet, silver car gleaming in the fading light on a dull Sunday afternoon, with its 16­inch alloys completing what is a fine design. The interior of the C180 is all about quality, with black leather and panelled doors giving a feeling of being well put together and encourag­ ing a sense of well being.

The car has everything you need to make your journey pleas­ ant. There auto lights and a real­ ly good radio/CD system, while

Blue Tooth and automatic cli­ mate control make the car ap­ pear younger than it is.

There are also electric seat ad­ justments at the front and a mul­ ti­function steering wheel to ease control at speed. The interi­ or is spacious and will easily take five adults.

The four­cylinder engine puts out 115 kW of power and will take you anywhere you want to go with ease, while the claimed fuel consumption for the vehicle

in the combined cycle is about 9 l/100 km.

This car is worth a test drive and, with the two­year guaran­ tee extension offered by Metro as an option, you could drive with a quiet mind through the next two festive seasons.

The seven­year­old Mercedes CGI, C180, Blue Efficiency still offers excellent value.

PHOTO: OLX

Brian Bassett tunes you straight

THE 270 kW engine in the new Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar, one of the most powerful four­cylin­ der production engines in the world, has been awarded the prestigious 2017 Wards 10 Best Engines trophy.

“Not long ago, a newly de­ signed engine that could achieve 100 horsepower per litre was a big deal. Today, Polestar and Vol­ vo blow way past that mark, achieving a remarkable 184 horsepower (135 kW) per litre from the 2.0­litre four­cylinder Drive­E engine in the S60 and V60 Polestar. It’s a threshold never before seen in our competi­ tion,” wrote the editors of Ward­ sAuto in their jury report.

In winning the award, the S60/ V60 Polestar engine faced off against 40 other nominated en­ gines and models, including the BMW M2, Jaguar XE and Por­ sche 718 Cayman.

“We set out to increase per­ formance and drivability, at the same time lowering consump­ tion as well as emissions with our new engine,” said Niels Möller, chief operating officer at Pole­ star.

“With the strong efforts of our development team in combina­ tion with the cutting­edge tech­ nology of the Volvo Cars Drive­E engine family, we achieved what we set out to do. This engine is the culmination of the develop­ ment work that we started in 2009 with the powertrain opti­ misation programme and we are proud to receive this recognition from WardsAuto as a testament to our philosophy.”

The Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar, sharing engine tech­ nology with the S60 Polestar WTCC race car in which Thed Björk recently won at Shanghai International Race­ way, are available in 47 mar­ kets around the globe. In South Africa, the S60 Polestar with its upgraded Drive­E powertrain, was imported for 2016 in a limited run of just 45 units. — Supplied.

UK INSURER LISTS SAFEST USED CARS THE UK’s Co­op Insurance and Thatcham Research have released its annual list of top 10 safest used cars.

The Volvo V40 topped the list with the researchers advising buy­ ers of used cars to look for safety features of modern cars as to ben­ efit from the real world benefits of life­saving, crash prevention technologies. Matthew Avery, head of research at Thatcham Re­ search, said the more safety tech­ nology is fitted as standard on new cars in the first place, the bet­ ter used cars buyers will be able to access it.

The 2017 top 10 safest used cars in the UK are: • 2012 Volvo V40 • 2012 VW Golf • 2014 Nissan Qashqai • 2013 Peugeot 308 • 2015 Opel Astra • 2013 Mazda 3 • 2012 Mercedes­Benz A­Class • 2012 Honda Civic • 2012 Mazda CX5 • 2014 Fiat 500L. — WR.

December 15, 2016

MOTORING WitnessWheels

African states say no to cheap dirty diesel WHEELS recently reported on the sorry state of low grade, impure diesel made especially for Afri­ can markets because they have no laws to prevent the sale of impure diesel and its attendant cancer­ causing emissions.

Instead, Africa allows the cheaper, 500 or more parts per million (ppm) dirty diesel to be made (refined is too strong a word) in especially the Netherlands , from where traders export this filthy fuel to all African countries willing to take it, in­ cluding South Africa, where there is still a lot of demand for 500 ppm diesel for older engines.

Now five African countries — Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, Nigeria and Benin — announced they would reject shipments of high sulphur diesel fuel from Europe, according to the United Nations En­ vironment Programme (Unep).

GreenCar reports these countries are introduc­ ing stricter standards requiring low­sulphur fuels, and demanding that they receive the same quality of fuel offered to European nations.

Nigeria, for one, is cutting the legally­accepta­ ble amount of sulphur in fuels from 3 000 parts per million to 50 parts per million.

The stricter standards proposed by the five West African nations now taking a stand against high­sulphur diesel are meant to prevent this.

The U.S.­based Diesel Technology Forum advo­ cacy group applauded the move, noting that the U.S. diesel industry still thrives under the strict standards currently in place here.

“The five African nations that recognise the op­ portunity for bringing in cleaner technology and the need for ultra­low sulphur diesel fuel, will move forward,” said Allen Schaeffer, executive di­ rector of the Diesel Technology Forum.

But actually implementing the ban on high­sul­ phur diesel fuel could prove difficult.

“It’s not clear their populations can afford the cleaner diesel, or that is there enough cleaner die­ sel [produced in Europe] to meet that demand,” a source in the oil and gas industry with experience in Africa said.

African nations may also lack the infrastructure to enforce a ban, as many cannot locally test fuels for compliance. — GreenCarReports­WR.

3

Impreza is Japan’s car of the year Subaru Impreza chief engineer Kazuhiro Abe with the 2017 Car of the Year (Coty) Japan award.

The Impreza received 420 votes to beat Toyota Prius by 49 votes. The Audi A4 polled 149 votes to win the Import Car of the Year trophy, just four votes ahead of the Volvo XC90.

This win gives Subaru only its second ever Coty trophy and its first in 13 years. Abe said when the team started developing the Impreza over four years ago, they never imagined such a prestigious award. ‘On behalf of all of my R&D team, I’d like to thank the jurors for their support of this car.’

Japan’s Coty organisation is made up of 59 jurors who each start with 25 votes and must give their most highly rated vehicle 10 votes. Their remaining 15 votes are then spread across their next best four cars. Each juror must vote for five cars out of the final Top 10.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

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PHOTO: MOTORPRESS

NISSAN GETS NEW MARKETING DIRECTOR ROSSLYN — Nissan South Africa has appointed Kabelo Rabotho to the position of marketing di­ rector, effective from December 1.

Rabotho brings with him more than 20 years’ experience in the automotive industry, and is set to drive Nissan’s marketing division to new heights.

Rabotho joins Nissan South Africa from BMW South Africa, where he held the role of general manager sales and brand management for MINI. He is excited to take up the challenge of heading up Nissan South Africa’s marketing division.

“I believe I come equipped with the know­how to take an already formidable automotive brand from strength to strength,” he said.

Rabotho began his career in the automotive world in 1994 at Toyota South Africa. Beginning as a product and market researcher, he went on to hold senior marketing roles at the company.

During this time, he also received a BCom degree from the University of the Witwatersrand. After a 10­year stint at Toyota, Rabotho gained fleet experience working at Absa Vehicle Management Solutions and SMMT, before spending time as the dealer principal and general manager for Impe­ rial Toyota in Parktown. — WR.

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WitnessWheels HIGH RIDERS MOTORING

4

December 15, 2016

A scene from the alternative route indicated by a GPS to get around SA’s second­most expensive tollgate at Machadodorp in Mpumalanga, shows why big utes have a place in South Africa.

PHOTOS: ALWYN VILJOEN

SA’s best kept SUV secret The Chevrolet Trailblazer offers the best value for money in its segment ALWYN VILJOEN AT R613 200, the seven­seat Chevrolet Trailblazer 2.8D LTZ 4x4 automatic of­ fers the most value for the least money in the big SUV market, yet it is not the best seller by a long shot.

Last month, Toyota sold 1 135 Fortun­ ers and exported another 153. The next best­selling big SUV locally was the Ford Everest, with 359 units sold. And BMW sold 111 X5 models to new owners. By comparison, the big Chev sold only 64 units.

Now, surely the 1 600 plus people who all opted for other brands cannot all be wrong, so we asked if we perhaps missed something in rating the Trailblazer so highly at Wheels in terms of value.

Could it be that Chev’s dealer network is too small ? The Chev site reveals 149 dealers in SA, (11 in Namibia, six in Zim and two in Botswana), with 153 approved service centres across Afri­ ca.

These dealers manage Chevrolet’s Complete Care after­sales package with a best­in­class five­year/120 000 km warranty and a highly competitive five­ year and 90 000 km service plan, and the network compares to the almost 200 Toyota dealers across southern Africa, so it can’t be the dealer network.

Maybe 500 Nm is just not enough power? The X5 also makes 500 Nm and the Fortuner and Everest make less, so power is not the problem.

Could it be fuel economy? After a 1 400­km trip, my average consumption was 8,7 l/100 km, which is already good, but my best — recorded while travelling slowly in 4­high mode over a rough dirt and sand road — was an excellent 7,4 l/100.

This is quite a bit better than Chev’s official combined fuel­consumption fig­ ure of 9,5 l/100 km.

As long as there’s grip for a wheel, neither sand nor mud stops the Trailblazer’s 500 Nm. Perhaps the seven­seater wagon is too soft off­road?

After smoothly going over rocks, sand and eventually knee­deep mud, we have to agree with Chev’s statement that no other body­on­frame SUV on the market can match its proven 2,8 litre Duramax Turbo­diesel engine when it comes to torque output, and that even the tough­ est off­road challenges becomes a walk in the park for the Trailblazer.

What about on­road then — is it a sluggish, bumpy ride typical of good off­roaders? I did not test the claimed acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in about 11 seconds (you don’t get excel­ lent consumption with a heavy foot) but the ’blazer scoots from 60 km to 80 km in five seconds to pass trucks. Around corners, the more expensive X5 and Ev­ erest sit a bit better in the hairpins, but the Traiblazer hunkers down solidly on tar and it is simply fantastic on the rough, where its electronic stability sys­

tem just smirked at all my efforts to in­ duce a tail swing on pebbly dirt roads.

After having a German lane departure system jerk my steering wheel at high speed, I especially appreciated the free­ dom Chev gives its drivers to drive, with

This is the first Trailblazer they saw at the border post to Mozambique near Kosi Bay. Officers who track stolen SUVs there say this Chev just does not appear on their stolen car radars. its lane departure system only giving a few beeps should you cut your corners.

How about comfort inside then?

Well, there is adjustable air conditioning for passengers in all three rows, a literally

Blazing a trail to lesser­visited spots is what the Trailblazer likes best.

cool feature not seen in any of the other utes in this price range, and only the Ev­ erest has a third row of seats that folds down faster.

All seats are clad in leather and the luggage capacity starts at 1 229 litres with the third row down. As with all sev­ en­seater utes, with the third row occu­ pied, you need a trailer for the luggage as there is only space for four small bags in the 205­litre gap between the seat and the rear door. I did not have a trailer but an owner told me his ’blazer just loves towing, thanks to Hill Descent Control and Trailer Sway Control.

Other driver aids include forward col­ lision alert, side blind­zone alert, rear cross­traffic alert and — my favourite — tyre pressure monitoring.

Entertainment wise, General Motors’ second­generation MyLink system also links to any phone with three clicks. The on­board satellite navigation system al­ so managed to steer me through 300 km of unmarked dirt roads in deep rural KZN to really live up to the car’s name.

After its lowly sales, the only other cat­ egory in which the Trailblazer scores lower than the competition is in the number of vehicles hijacked.

In a week that saw both Toyota and Ford lose SUVs in robberies at dealer­ ships, no Chev was touched. At the bor­ der to Mozambique at Kosi Bay, Track­ er’s officers told me this model is simply not on their radars.

After spending a week in the Trailblaz­ er over back roads of every description, I still agree with Chev that their Trail­ blazer is a very attractive proposition among the big sport utes, with its intelli­ gent tumble flat seven­seat configura­ tion, generous equipment, excellent safety levels and established engines backed by a best­in­class warranty.

Which leads me to conclude, maybe all those buyers of other brands are, in fact, wrong.

What do you think? E­mail your SUV views to alwyn.viljoen@witness.co.za

MOTORING WitnessWheels

December 15, 2016

Racing debuts for new trio Ferrari 488 Challenge

AMG GT4.

Mazda RT24­P ALWYN VILJOEN THREE new cars aimed at race tracks have been launched ahead of next year’s motoring shows to get the gearheads salivating.

Ferrari launched the 488 Chal­ lenge at Daytona, and will make its debut during the first round of the Ferrari Challenge series in 2017.

This is Ferrari’s first turbocharged car for its Challenge series.

The company said in a statement the 488 Challenge is more powerful, has more downforce and uses less fu­ el than the car it replaces; but per­ haps most importantly, it looks drop­ dead gorgeous. Pricing details ha­ ven’t been announced.

In Germany, Mercedes­AMG an­ nounced a new GT4 race car.

Tobias Moers, chair of the man­ agement board of Mercedes­AMG GmbH, said the increasing interest for GT4 race cars led to the new car and will meet approval with an even larger target group of amateur and professional drivers.

Mazda announced its RT24­P race car at the Los Angeles Auto Show, stating this car starts a new era in the

prominent history of Mazda Motor­ sports’ flagship endeavours in North America.

The new car will compete under Daytona Prototype international (DPi) rules in the Prototype class, the top level of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

After significant on­track testing, it will make its racing debut at the 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona in late Janu­ ary.

The Mazda RT24­P name echoes the Mazda Road to 24 — a driver de­ velopment programme that provides scholarships to help championship­ winning drivers progress from grass­ roots into the upper categories of professional sports car racing. The “24” also represents the two­litre, four­cylinder race engine. The “P” signifies Prototype.

Mazda currently holds a more­ than­55% market share in grassroots racing, and the Mazda Road to 24 helps provide championship­win­ ning drivers an opportunity to earn scholarships to compete in pro cate­ gories such as the Battery Tender Global Mazda MX­5 Cup presented

by BF Goodrich Tires.

A UNIQUE MOBILITY EXPERIENCE HONDA said its exhibition theme at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas will be “co­operative mobility ecosystems” next month.

Honda said the aim is to make transport units (not cars) that will

Honda said its NeuV is much more than a car, but a mobility system.

PHOTO: HONDA

combine artificial intelligence, ro­ botics, and big data “to transform the mobility experience”.

Hence Honda at CES will show interactive and immersive experien­ ces that are designed to reduce traffic congestion; create new modes of in­car connectivity; and demo technologies with the poten­ tial to make people’s lives better.

The exhibit will include the NeuV — a concept automated EV com­ muter vehicle equipped with artifi­ cial intelligence (AI) called “emo­ tion engine” that creates new pos­ sibilities for human interaction.

Honda also will announce initia­ tives with start­up companies and global brands that will create a more productive and enjoyable mo­ bility experience. — WR.

5

Weaponised THeMIS Adder aces live fire tests MICHAEL IRVING AFTER unveiling it at the Singapore Air­ show back in February, Milrem and ST Kinetics have conducted the first live fire tests of their weaponised unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) — the THeMIS Adder.

Armed with a heavy machine gun, the UGV reportedly aced the tests, paving the way for robots that may eventually be able to support or even replace ground troops on the battlefield. Two main com­ ponents make up the modular un­ manned vehicle. Milrem’s Tracked Hy­ brid Modular Infantry System (THe­ MIS) provides the tank­like base, running a hybrid diesel­electric drive that can operate for up to 10 hours at a time. It can be controlled remotely, with the potential for autonomous oper­ ation. A central platform between the treads allows the UGV to be kitted out for a variety of military applications, such as remote reconnaissance, counter­ explosive missions, supply deliveries or med­evac.

In this case, it was topped with an Ad­ der remote weapon station from ST Ki­ netics, and armed with a CIS 50MG

Carrying three troops in this photo, the THeMIS Adder is designed to support or eventually replace ground troops in the battlefield by carrying supplies or remote controlled weapons. PHOTO: MILREM heavy machine gun. Together, the THe­ MIS Adder represents a long­time col­ laboration between the two companies in developing a weaponised UGV, and under supervision of the Estonian De­ fence Forces, the vehicle was put through its first live fire tests last month.

“The tests were intended to test the stability of our platform and see how the remote weapon station and vehicle com­

municate and work with each other,” said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem. “To our satisfaction everything worked perfectly, you can see as much from the video.”

The THeMIS Adder can carry be­ tween 750 and 1 000 kg, and hit a top speed of between 24 and 35 km/h. The turret on top can spin a full 360 degrees in a matter of seconds, and hit targets from as far away as 1,8 km. — New Atlas.

WitnessWheels MOTORING ELECTRIC

6

December 15, 2016

Tame the city jungle Rinspeed adds a little garden under the windscreen for a calmer commute SWITZERLAND’S maverick vehicle design studio Rinspeed has revealed more details about its Oasis autonomous concept that will appear at CES 2017 and the 2017 Detroit Auto Show in January.

The visionary Frank M. Rin­ derknecht always pushes the boundaries when it comes to re­ imagining mobility and his “Oasis” car is no exception.

Rinderknecht said in a state­ ment the self­driving electric vehicle aims to refute the no­ tion of an urban jungle that re­ quires SUVs to navigate.

His alternative is a fast small car that parks easily and even offers a mini garden behind the windshield.

In the statement, Rinder­ knecht said the self­driving Swiss vehicle is not a wallflower or strictly functional like the Google Car, but rather “next gen” — with a host of technical and visual treats inside. The concept car was again engi­ neered by Swiss company 4erC and executed by Esoro.

Rinderknecht has lofty goals for the tiny car. The company believes it can be a literal oasis in the urban landscape, provid­

The Oasis aims to tame the urban jungle by making a small car with a garden accessed through the windscreen (inset). Fresh watercress, anyone? PHOTOS: RINSPEED ing a peaceful space that pas­ sengers can enjoy because they don’t have to drive. Rinspeed al­ so views the Oasis as a compan­ ion just like, it says, the Star Wars droid R2D2.

Like R2D2, the Oasis can spin around in place. The car does that with two in­wheel electric motors and a special steering mechanism.

Speaking of inside: the ulti­

mate Oasis is the small garden with enough space for growing radishes or even little Bonsai trees.

The vehicle is equipped with Harman LIVS technologies

(Life­Enhancing Intelligent Vehicle Solutions connectivity system. In front of the relaxing seats is the large display with 5K resolution with voice­ or gesture­control that curves around the top of the dash­ board along with a folding steering wheel.

The system basically turns the Oasis into a personal assist­ ant, allowing passengers to check on their friends via social media, reserve a table at a near­ by restaurant, or make Skype calls for work.

These features can also be accessed outside the car using Harman’s cloud.

Rinspeed views the Oasis as more than just a personal car.

The company believes it could also be used as a delivery vehi­ cle, or even in both roles under some form of car­sharing scheme.

The Oasis will debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2017 and then will be display at the Detroit Auto Show later that month.

It will also be on display in the Swiss national own front garden — at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. — WR.

Courier returns to pedals to deliver parcels cheaply THE world’s largest package delivery company, United Parcel Service (UPS), has started delivering using electrically­ assisted tricycles.

UPS anticipates this eBike prototype could become a component of its deliv­ ery capabilities in some cities across the U.S. The deployment of the eBike is part of UPS’s ongoing commitment to re­ duce carbon emissions as city popula­ tions and e­commerce grow, and traffic, noise and air quality challenges continue to rise. “Early in our 109­year history, UPS operated as a bike messenger com­ pany,” said Mark Wallace, UPS senior vice­president global engineering and sustainability.

“While we have evolved and devel­ oped a vast network of ground and air vehicles, the bicycle may be making a comeback as we navigate through crowded urban areas and continue our focus on environmental sustainability.”

The success of this pilot programme was first demonstrated in 2012 in collab­ oration with the city of Hamburg, Ger­ many. It focused on developing a new

Electrically assisted tricycles have proven successful to deliver parcels in Europe, and are now being deployed in Portland, U.S. PHOTO: UPS and sustainable method of delivering goods to urban areas. UPS placed four containers at central locations in the city for interim storage of packages for UPS service providers. From these points, de­ liveries were made on foot or with spe­ cialised bicycles called “Cargo Cruisers” — UPS’s electronically­assisted tricy­

cles. These alternate delivery solutions helped ease traffic congestion and re­ duce emissions each working day. Due to the success of the pilot, the Hamburg programme was extended in February 2015 for another two years. That model serves as a guidepost for the company’s new programme in Portland, Oregon.

The eBike is equipped with battery­ powered electric motors that makes it possible to cover further distances, carry substantial loads, and navigate hills and other terrain.

Maximum energy efficiency is achieved when combining battery power and human power simultaneously. The eBike can be operated solely on battery power or pedal power.

During the testing phase, UPS will evaluate the reliability, design, integra­ tion to the city’s infrastructure and ac­ ceptance of the vehicle. If successful, UPS envisions additional eBike deploy­ ment and testing in 2017.

By the end of 2016, UPS will have in­ vested more than $750 million in alter­ native fuel and advanced technology ve­ hicles and fueling stations globally since 2009.

Using its “Rolling Laboratory” ap­ proach, UPS deploys more than 7 700 low­emission vehicles to determine what works best in each situation, from old­fashioned pedal power to electric and hybrid electric vehicles and natural gas engines. — WR.

John Deere made one of its JD 6R tractors full electric by fitting a huge battery bank up front (below) and dual electric motors developing up to 130 kW (174 horsepower) on the rear wheels.

PHOTO: JOHN DEERE

John Deere adds bank of batteries to tractor JOHN Deere has released a video of an all­electric concept tractor in the lead­up to the SIMA Agribusiness show in France, pointing the way to­ ward a zero­local­emissions tractor product in the future.

In some ways, tractors seem like an ideal candidate for electrification.

Electric motors are great for gener­ ating the kinds of huge torque fig­ ures tractors require, and tractors are generally fairly short range vehicles that live in the same shed every night, making for convenient re­ charging.

They’re also very low­mainte­ nance in comparison with diesel gear. That’s the thinking behind John Deere’s Sesam (Sustainable Energy Supply for Agricultural Ma­ chinery) tractor — a gutted out JD 6R with a huge battery bank up front and dual electric motors developing up to 130 kW (174 horsepower) of continuous power.

The dual motors can be set to three modes; all drive can go to the wheels, or the power take­off shaft, or drive can be split between them.

The battery at this stage will only last for about four hours of work, so it’s not ready for the big leagues yet.

But it’s starting to get close, and it’s good to see a major player in agricul­ ture starting to take zero­emissions farming seriously. — WR.

Soft contact lenses inspire new ways to make super batteries ALWYN VIJOEN THE way in which soft contact len­ ses are made now also offers elec­ tric car builders and cellphone makers hope of better batteries.

This after researchers at the University of Surrey and Augment­ ed Optics, in collaboration with the University of Bristol, discov­ ered new materials offering an al­ ternative to battery power and proven to be between 10 and a thousand fold more powerful than the existing battery alternative — a super­capacitor.

Their research follows on that of researchers at the Queensland University of Technology in Bris­ bane, Australia, who in 2014 an­ nounced a new carbon­based su­ per­capacitor.

Like the Aussies, Augmented Optics hope their development

will translate into very high energy density super­capacitors, making it possible to recharge your mobile phone, laptop or other mobile de­ vices in just a few seconds.

The new technology could revo­ lutionise electric cars, allowing the possibility for them to recharge as quickly as it takes for a regular non­electric car to refuel with pet­ rol. It currently takes about six to eight hours to recharge.

Imagine, instead of an electric car being limited to a drive from Pietermaritzburg to Mooi River, the new technology could allow the electric car to travel from the KZN capital to Johannesburg without the need to recharge — and when it did recharge for this operation to take just a few min­ utes to perform.

The researchers said in a state­ ment super­capacitor buses are

already being used in China, but they have a very limited range, whereas this technology could al­ low them to travel a lot further be­ tween recharges. Instead of re­ charging every two to three stops, this technology could mean they only need to recharge every 20­30 stops and that would only take a few seconds.

Elon Musk, of Tesla and SpaceX, has previously stated his belief that super­capacitors are likely to be the technology for future elec­ tric air transportation.

The group said they believe the present scientific advance could make that vision a reality.

The technology was adapted from the principles used to make soft contact lenses, which Dr Do­ nald Highgate (of Augmented Op­ tics, and an alumnus of the Univer­ sity of Surrey) developed following

his postgraduate studies at Surrey 40 years ago.

Super­capacitors, an alterna­ tive power source to batteries, store energy using electrodes and electrolytes and both charge and deliver energy quickly, unlike con­ ventional batteries, which do so in a much slower, more sustained way.

However, because of their poor energy density per kg (roughly just one 20th of existing battery tech­ nology), they have, until now, been unable to compete with conven­ tional battery energy storage in many applications.

Dr Brendan Howlin of the Uni­ versity of Surrey explained: “There is a global search for new energy storage technology and this new ultra capacity super­capacitor has the potential to open the door to unimaginably exciting develop­

ments.”

The ground­breaking research programme was conducted by re­ searchers at the University of Sur­ rey’s Department of Chemistry where the project was initiated by Dr Donald Highgate of Augmented Optics Ltd. The research team was co­led by principal investigators Dr Ian Hamerton and Dr Brendan Howlin.

Dr Hamerton continues to collab­ orate on the project in his new post at the University of Bristol, where the electrochemical testing to trial the research findings was carried out by fellow University of Bristol academic David Fermin, professor of Electrochemistry in the School of Chemistry.

Dr Hamerton, reader in poly­ mers and composite materials from the Department of Aero­ space Engineering, University of

Bristol, said: “While this research has potentially opened the route to very high density super­capaci­ tors, these polymers have many other possible uses in which tough, flexible conducting materi­ als are desirable, including bio­ electronics, sensors, wearable electronics, and advanced optics.

“We believe this is a potentially game­changing development.”

Jim Heathcote, chief executive of both Augmented Optics Ltd and Supercapacitor Materials Ltd, said the test results from the new polymers suggest that extremely high energy density super­capaci­ tors could be constructed in the very new future.

They are now seeking commer­ cial partners in order to supply polymers and offer assistance to build these ultra­high energy den­ sity storage devices.

MOTORING WitnessWheels BIKING

December 15, 2016

7

From a V8 bike in 1903, to today’s Lightning MIKE HANLON

Wearing no more protection than a leather cap and jacket, Glen Curtiss rode one of his four­ litre V8 motorbikes at a speed of 219,31 km/h on January 24, 1907. The record held for 23 years.

Fastest bikes, then and now LOZ BLAIN

LAST May, when Gizmag first featured the “truly, horrifyingly fast” Lightning LS­218, I ended by saying: “If I could take any bike in the world out for a test today, this would be the top of the list.”

Well, after a 17­hour flight half­ way around the globe, I have now ridden the Lightning.

It was one of the most extreme experiences of my young life.

I have also nearly fallen off it, twice, like a complete idiot. With three times the horsepower and some 70% more torque than the Zero SR, which is in itself an ex­ traordinary motorcycle, the LS­ 218 is the king of a new breed of electric motorcycles — one de­ signed to beat the world’s best petrol bikes.

It makes 200 horsepower, a lu­ dicrous number but one we’re more or less familiar with in to­ day’s modern superbikes. But, being electric, it makes an abso­ lute mountain of torque — 70% more than the punchiest petrol superbike you can buy, and it can make its full 227 Nm from zero.

With an aerodynamic fairing and a smaller sprocket on the rear wheel, it recorded a top speed of 351 km/h on the Bonneville Salt Flats, making it the world’s fast­ est production bike.

When the LS­218 raced against a field of primarily petrol bikes up Pike’s Peak in 2013, it de­ molished everything else on the mountain by more than 20 sec­ onds. In racing terms, that’s an absolute pants­down spanking.

This thing is capital­F Fast.

I rode the Aim MXL dash. Like the rest of this pre­production demo bike, is set up purely for racing. It’s a confusion of volta­ ges, amp­hourages and RPMs with comprehensive datalogging capabilities.

The tacho is an odd inclusion on a single­speed, clutch­less bike — it merely serves to remind you that even as you hit 160 km/ h, you’re still not even half way to the LS­218’s top speed.

I was warned this demo bike has an extremely narrow steering lock for racetrack use, and a throttle that’s set up with strong regenerative braking at all speeds

on a closed throttle.

Production bikes will have much wider steering stops and the customer’s choice of throttle mapping, but this one’s set up for racing, and it’ll be a handful at very slow speeds. They were not joking. On my first u­turn and later in the day I twice all but dropped the bike.

The LS­218 is a single­speed, clutch­less, direct drive bike, so it’s effectively locked permanent­ ly in sixth gear. From a standstill, the takeoff is brisk, but not nearly as scary as pulling the trigger on full­throttle launch control on a modern superbike like the Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC. From about 90 km/h, full throttle engages a heart­stop­ ping warp drive that freezes my blood in my veins.

The world just blurs as the LS­ 218 hurls me at the horizon, I’m hanging on for grim death and feeling my eyeballs get forced back into their sockets. I’m breathing raggedly within a few corners, my heart hammering against my chest. The accelera­ tion is just unbelievable. I’ve

IN the history of going faster than anyone has before, aviator, engi­ neer and bike builder Glen Curtiss left an indelible mark, yet it was only ever a sideline business for him.

Curtiss’ subsequent role in the history of aviation overshadows some of his most remarkable achievements along his path to greatness.

He was one of the great aviation pioneers and is generally regarded as the father of naval aviation through his work with sea planes.

But he was primarily an ingen­ ious engineer whose main busi­ ness was making high­power, lightweight engines, be it for mo­ torcycles or aeroplanes.

He manufactured motorcycles under his own brand and realised that the low weight and minimal frontal area of the motorcycle of­

fered an easy way to demonstrate his wares to the public and sell more of his engines.

And Curtiss did not just build them, he tested his fastest engines himself.

In 1903, he was timed at Yonk­ ers (New York) riding his own Curtiss Hercules 1 000 cc V­twin at 64 mph (103 km/h), earning him a place in history as the first motorcycle speed record holder.

In 1906, Curtiss rode a 1 000 cc V­twin, the fastest bikes at the time. As his engines grew more powerful and reliable, Curtiss wished to prove their worth as a lightweight power unit via the media, so he installed one of his 4­litre V8 aircraft engines (essen­ tially four of his V­twins on a com­ mon crank) into a motorcycle and blew all competitors into the weeds with a run of 219,31 km/h on January 24, 1907, during the premier speed event in the world

at that time, Speed Week in Or­ mond, Daytona Beach, Florida.

It took another 23 years before it was beaten in 1930 by Joseph Wright’s OEC Temple Jap at 220,99 km/h.

Within weeks, BMW wrested the crown with a run by Ernst Henne of 221,67 km/h and the combined forces of BMW saw Henne better the record every year until 1937.

But that was a quarter century after a world war had catalysed technological development in ev­ ery facet of aerodynamics and en­ gine development.

The wind­tunnel streamlining that was evident in Henne’s BMW and BMW’s mastery of super­ charging engines had changed the game. Curtiss rode with no more protection than a leather flying helmet and in the process, defied the laws of physics as much as we understood it then. — New Atlas.

The fastest bike on Earth right now is the Lightning LS­218, and it’s full electric.

PHOTO: LIGHTNING opened the throttle on plenty of open­class superbikes, but noth­ ing throws you into the future like this thing. Nothing.

I can’t keep the throttle wide open for more than about a sec­ ond. There’s just no straight piece of road long enough. My brain can’t keep up with just how ferociously it builds speed, and my eyes can’t bulge open wide enough to take in every piece of scenery that’s hurtling towards me. In an instant I find myself on

top of the next corner, thankful that the Lightning comes kitted out with superb Brembo brakes and Race Tech suspension to keep things under control.

Where other electrics are qui­ et, the Lightning shrieks as it un­ leashes its extraordinary power, loud enough to be easily heard over the rush of wind above 160 km/h. In the tradition of the best sportsbikes, it’s not just physically demanding, it’s emo­ tionally engaging. By the time I

pull over to catch my breath, I’m well and truly peaking on adrena­ line.

Sure, I ran into corners so hot and overbraked so hard that I doubt I got the bike more than 30 degrees from vertical on my whole test ride — well, except for when I nearly dropped it at a standstill. I’d need a few days to calibrate my brain to the acceler­ ation before I could properly ex­ perience the cornering.

— New Atlas.

Maritzburg boykie Teasdale shows the real spirit of the Roof of Africa BRITISH enduro rider Graham Jarvis successfully defended his Roof of Africa title at the final Hard Enduro of the year.

The 41­year­old out­gunned a charging Alfredo Gómez, with South African Scott Bouverie rounding out the podium after three days of brutal racing in Les­ otho last weekend.

After three days and nearly 400 km of racing, a mere nine seconds separated the top two riders.

The final stage was a classic race of attrition, with the elder statesman’s experience of the ep­ ic race in the highlands of the mountain kingdom gradually wearing down the Spaniard on his first visit to Africa.

From flat to … roofy Born in 1967, the Roof of Africa event used to include cars, quads and motorcycles, but has pro­ gressed from a fast and flowing race in the lowlands of Lesotho to one of the world’s toughest Ex­ treme Enduro events, known as the “Mother of Hard Enduro” to be precise. The 49th edition of

Husqvarna’s Graham Jarvis (left) won his fourth Roof of Africa last weekend after a two­day tussle with KTM’s Aflredo Gomez (centre) while Pietermaritzburg’s enduro rider Travis Teasdale brought home the Spirit of the Roof award. PHOTOS: RED BULL this prestigious event lived up to its name and the Motul Roof of Africa 2016 began in the streets of Maseru on Thursday, Decem­ ber 1, for the traditional “Round the Houses” race where competi­ tors race through the capital city of Lesotho, completing a 3,6 km loop three times.

Arriving at an altitude of 2 263 m at Bushmen’s Pass, Gold riders had to get ready to tackle the 51,8 km long Time Trial that would give them a little taste of

what the next two days held in store for them. Jarvis (Husqvar­ na) posted the fastest time ahead of Brett Swanepoel (Yamaha) and Travis Teasdale (Brother Leader Tread KTM, KTM 250 XC­W).

On the first race day, riders took on a 157 km­long loop with the temperature going over 30 degrees Celsius. Sections like “Maurice Pass” and “Snake Bike” soon separated the men from the boys when even the top

Gold riders battled on this ex­ treme section of the race.

Spirit of the Roof award Maritzburg’s Teasdale got assist­ ance from a fellow competitor and instead of continuing to race and chase the top guys, he decid­ ed to return the favour, walk down the mountain and help the other rider before continuing his race. True sportsmanship like this saw Teasdale awarded the “Spirit of the Roof” award.

KTM Factory racer Alfredo

Gomez from Spain worked his way through the field on his KTM 300 XC­W to win the first day.

He was only 27 seconds behind Jarvis on the overall leader board.

The second race day and final day of the 2016 Roof of Africa held 119 km of technical terrain in store — long and extreme, but not as tiring as Friday and riders kept on pushing all day. At the end of the 119 km, victory went to Husqvarna’s Jarvis, who claimed his fourth victory at the

Roof of Africa, followed by Go­ mez only nine seconds behind Jarvis. Brother Leader Tread KTM’s Scott Bouverie rounded off the podium as the first South African competitor home ahead of team­mate Teasdale.

Kirsten Landman attempted her first ever Roof of Africa Gold race this year after having fin­ ished Silver and Bronze the previ­ ous years. She made history on her trusty KTM Freeride 250 R by becoming the first female competitor to finish the gruelling Gold class at “The Mother of Hard Enduro”.

“I feel like I’m on top of the world! I’m so happy, but I don’t think it has quite sunk in yet. I put the effort in and worked hard for this the whole year and I am so happy it has all paid off,” Land­ man said.

The Silver Class was won by KTM Durban’s Calvin Hume on­ board the recently launched KTM 150 XC­W, while the Bronze Class was won by Hein­ rich Zellhuber on another KTM 150 XC­W. — WR.

WitnessWheels MOTORING RACING

8

December 15, 2016

Njilo shows his skills in Japan The driver from Clover was a winner in UD challenge UD fleet driver Alfred Ngilo from Clo­ ver in KwaZulu­Natal, was named the Best Skilled Driver at the UD Extra Mile Challenge driver competition, which was held at the UD experience centre in Ageo, Japan, recently.

Although Ngilo didn’t win the over­ all title, he did South Africa proud in this prestigious competition that helps fleet customers get the most out of their UD products and services. The competition is aimed at improving driving skills and reducing costs and downtime, and is based on three key elements: pre­inspection, fuel efficien­

cy and safety, and drivability.

During the competition, drivers us­ ing the same UD Quester model, had to compete in a simulated transport de­ livery cycle and the team from Malaysia delivered the highest profitability sta­ tistics, giving them the title.

Kishi Nobuhiko, UD Trucks senior vice president of brand and product, said: “The Extra Mile Challenge is not just a driving competition, but it also provides a great opportunity for drivers to test and hone their skills, refine their strengths and ‘go the extra mile.’”

Earlier this year, Ngilo won the local

leg of the competition by outperform­ ing 20 other participants, which result­ ed in him participating in the finals in Japan.

“Through this competition we aim to help enhance driver capability and reinforce confidence in their own abili­ ties, but also in the UD Trucks products they drive every day,” said Gert Swane­ poel, acting vice president of UD Trucks Southern Africa. “We are very proud of Alfred’s fantastic performance — he certainly was a great ambassador of his company and his country.”

— Supplied.

The Iveco Powerstar 4x4 of last year’s Dakar racing truck winner Gerard de Rooy in action.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

Goodyear and De Rooy team aim to defend title BRUSSELS — The De Rooy team, win­ ners of the 2016 Dakar rally truck class, are going for gold again in the world’s toughest race, driving on standard Goodyear off­road ORD tyres.

The 2017 De Rooy team comprises Gerard de Rooy (2012 and 2016 Dakar truck class winner) in an Iveco Powerstar 4X4; Fredrico Villagra, who came third in his first Dakar last year, also in an Iveco Powerstar 4X4; and Ton van Genugten, who ended fifth last year in an Iveco Trakker.

The team’s new member is Wuf van Ginkel, who is no rooky with a dozen previous Dakars and a fourth finish in 2007, who will race in an Iveco Trakker.

The Dakar comprises 12 stages cover­ ing over 8 500 kilometres of the most challenging terrain, including deserts, high mountains and rocks.

Tyres are the most important compo­ nent of the race and the four race trucks

Alfred Ngilo (second right), from Clover in KZN, was named the driver with the best skills at the recent Extra Mile Challenge driver competition in Japan, and received his award from Kishi Nobuhiko (right), UD Trucks senior vice president of brand and product. With Ngilo are (from left), Derick Moima (UD demonstration driver), Ann Pienaar (UD fleet sales manager) and Tony Amaro, delivery services manager from Clover.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Hino looking for records in Dakar 2017 HINO Motors Limited, Japan’s leading truck manufacturer, will enter its cus­ tomary two trucks in the 2017 Dakar Rally in South America as it aims to ex­ tend its record to 26 consecutive finish­ es in this gruelling two­week event.

Hino will also be out to win the class for trucks with engines under 10 litres capacity for the eighth time in a row.

Once again, the team will be man­ aged by Team Sugawara and it is a joint venture with Hino engineers who have further improved the performance of the two 500­series four­wheel drive trucks. Hino is again the only entry from a Japanese truck manufacturer, with all the other trucks coming from Eastern and Western Europe.

This year’s route of almost 9 000 km goes from Asuncion in Para­ guay on January 2, 2017, via Bolivia to the finish in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on January 14. This is the first time the route will go through Paraguay, which makes it the 29th country in the world that the Dakar has traversed in its histo­ ry, which dates back to 1977.

The 2017 event has attracted a total of 344 entries, with 54 trucks, 136 cars, 110 motorcycles and 44 quads.

Hino No. 1 is based on the truck that raced in the 2016 event, with updates to the performance of the nine­litre,

Hino Motors Limited will enter its customary two trucks in the 2017 Dakar Rally in South America.

PHOTO: HINO straight six turbo­charged engine and suspension upgrades. The engine now develops 650 hp of power and 2 255 Nm of torque. Truck No. 2 is new for the 2017 event, with improved durability components following participation in the Silk Way Rally in July. (11 000 km event from Moscow to Beijing).

Both trucks have six­speed transmis­ sions, with No. 1 being part­time four­ wheel drive and No. 2 having full­time four­wheel drive.

Hino No. 1 will be driven by Yoshima­ sa Sugawara with Mitsugu Takahashi

doing the navigating, while Yoshima­ sa’s son, Teruhito, will drive Hino No. 2 with Hiroyuki Sugiura as his naviga­ tor. Team director Yoshimasa Sugaw­ ara (74) has entered the Dakar Rally 33 times consecutively, which is a record.

He is the only Japanese to have compet­ ed in the race on a motorcycle and quad, as well as in a car and truck. He holds the record for the most consecutive fin­ ishes in the Dakar Rally at 25. His son, Teruhito, contested the rally for the 18th time in 2016, finishing in the top 10 on 13 occasions. — WR.

will compete on standard Goodyear 375/90R22,5 off­road ORD tyres, as will all the fast service assistance trucks, while the other service trucks will use Goodyear 315/80R22,5 Omnitrac MSS II and Omnitrac MSD II truck tyres, mounted on the steer and drive axles, respectively.

“We are delighted that Gerard de Rooy and his team have chosen Good­ year tyres again for their attempt on the 2017 Dakar title. We have worked long and intensively with them to help find the best set­up for the race trucks and to provide the back­up that is essential for this event to be a success for the team.

But just as important is the technology leadership that enables them to perform under such challenging conditions,” said Benjamin Willot, director marketing, commercial tyres at Goodyear Europe, Middle East and Africa.

— WR.

Tiffany impresses on her debut as she eyes the title BRITISH International School Grade 8 pupil Tiffany Napier caused quite a sen­ sation in her debut year in karting, but as far as she is concerned, this is only the beginning.

The latest in a growing line of South African girl power karters, Roodepoort lass Tiffany raced her first full season this year in the extremely competitive Junior Max Class, following limited experience as she only learnt the ropes in the previ­ ous year.

“I am proud to have already proven what a young woman without any previ­ ous experience can accomplish,” Tiffany said.

“I have the passion and the dedica­ tion, I work hard and I am growing in my driving ability every day.

“I also have very supportive parents and an excellent team around me, which is a huge plus, so we are so excited about next year.”

Tiffany impressed in her rookie kart­ ing year, ending up a stunning third over­ all in the Northern Regions Gauteng championship, eighth in the African Open and 11th overall in the National Junior Max Series.

Now she intends following in her brother, former SA Junior Max champi­ on Richie Napier’s footsteps, as she goes after the 2017 SA Junior Max crown.

“There has only been one female South African champion so far,” Tiffany said.

“I intend to make that at least two.”

She will continue with Neil Basilio

Tiffany Napier.

PHOTO: MOTORSPORT MEDIA Racing in 2017, aboard a BirelArt chassis run under the guidance of Neil and Cor­ rie Liebenberg, with multiple SA Karting champi­ on, team­ mate CV Joint Bradley speCialists Lieben­ for CV joints, ball joints, berg, as a tie rod ends, wheel bearings. mentor.

— Mo­ 341 GReYlinG stReet torsport Pmb. 033 342 9174/75 Media.