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September 22, 2016
Witness
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ash buys cars Contact Ash 083 786 3377 • Tel: 033 342 4717 / 033 345 1971 Email: ashgani@telkomsa.net •www.ashcarsales.co.za
… NOW YOU’RE MOTORING
INSIDE TODAY: Ford’s annual Careers Day exposed 120 pupils in Pretoria and Port Elizabeth to the auto industry. More auto industry news on PAGE 2
Toyota is almost ready to battle with the Pug in Dakar, this time using only two wheels. PAGE 6
We drive Midland farmers’ favourite wheels to the hilt(on) and back. PAGE 3
Metro Car Sales marks 40th anniversary with many giveaways
Trike cars are trickling back to small factory showrooms. PAGE 5
Saturday will see SA’s fastest bikers dragging their knees around Dezzi. A few tins of food gain free entry. PAGE 8
Spring into your choice of the Audi A4 Sport or Design
Visit Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg to take advantage of our limited offers on the Audi A4 Sport or Design. We’re also giving you a chance to win exclusive Audi goodies every Friday in our weekly lucky draw! Model
ALMOST 200 loyal customers attended the high light of Metro Car Sales’ 40th anniversary celera tions in Pietermaritzburg as the city’s top usedcar dealer marked four decades of growth by giving away a Peugeot 107 in a draw. The company was founded in Allandale by brothers Ossy and Baboo Essa. They quickly be came renowned for being the numberone dealer in preowned vehicles in PMB among buyers and financiers. Metro has long moved from the CBD of Allandale to the landmark corner of Boshoff Street and Victoria Road in Pietermaritzburg, and now forms part of the Metro Group which is man aged by the Essa brothers. The staff at Metro Car Sales boast a combined motorindustry sales expe rience of over 125 years between them and the in house finance department allows for finance to be arranged effortlessly in just under an hour. To date,
over 30 000 vehicles have been delivered to clients. Some customers have returned for their fourth and fifth vehicle, which shows the staff are meeting Metro’s aim to guarantee years of motoring peace for their clients, supported by a twoyear unlimited mileage SA warranty. Some of these customers were at Saturday’s 40year anniversary party and many of them won smaller prizes, while everyone could take a carwash voucher. Brian Zuma, PRO for Maritzburg United, was master of ceremonies, while Mrs South Africa fi nalist Maritsa Gouws handed over the keys to the car, worth over R100 000, with Wheels corre spondent Brian Bassett and The Witness transport editor monitoring the draw. Baboo Essa thanked the day’s sponsors on behalf of Metro Cars, namely Kara Nichas PMB, Asiphephe Vehicle Test Station, Warranty Solutions, Nedbank as well as Iemas.
Interest Monthly No. of Linked/ Instalments Instalments Rate Variable
R476 500
R5 393
60
10.60%
R494 500
R5 664
60
10.60%
R527 500
R6 160
60
10.60%
R523 500
R6 119
60
10.60%
R536 500
R6 285
60
10.60%
R557 500
R6 600
60
10.60%
R553 500
R6 541
60
10.60%
R666 000
R8 211
60
10.60%
Deposit
Final Balloon Payment
22.84% (R108 833) 22.16% (R109 581) 21.04% (R110 986) 21% (R109 935) 20.85% (R111 860) 20.23% (R112 782) 20.34% (R112 582) 17.77% (R118 348)
44% (R209 660) 44% (R217 580) 44% (R232 100) 44% (R230 340) 44% (R236 060) 44% (R245 300) 44% (R243 540) 44% (R293 040)
Total Cost Incl. Fees and Vat
R533 258 R557 437 R601 725 R597 495 R613 168 R641 315 R635 985 R785 701
Offers calculated on the Audi A4 models specified, in standard specification over 5 years. *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 10.75%. Instalment amount as specified, and includes initiation and monthly administration fee of R68.40. Information subject to change without prior notification. All Finance offers are subject to credit approval from Audi Financial Services. 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
(From left) Metro parts manager Rookaya Ismail, the ecstatic winner Kevin John, Mrs South Africa finalist Maritsa Gouws and sales manager Elvis Naidoo at the handover of a Peugeot 107 at Metro Car Sales’ 40th anniversary celebrations in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday. PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN
Audi A4 FSI 110kW Manual Audi A4 FSI 110kW S tronic Audi A4 FSI 110kW S tronic Sport Audi A4 FSI 110kW S tronic Design Audi A4 2.0T FSI 140kW S tronic Audi A4 FSI 140kW S tronic Sport Audi A4 FSI 140kW S tronic Design Audi A4 FSI 185kW quatrro S tronic Sport
Vehicle Price
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WitnessWheels MOTORING
September 22, 2016
Africa’s dirty diesel scandal Refineries in Europe and the U.S. Gulf are using lax standards to sell poison to the continent ALWYN VILJOEN DIESEL fumes in Accra, Ghana, contain five times more particulate matter (PM) than diesel fumes in London. In Lagos, Nigeria, the cars belch out diesel that has 13 times more particles than in London. This particulate matter comes from several sources, but dirty diesel is by far the main contributor. These are the findings from a 160 page report based on three years of re search into the African fuel trade by Swiss corporate watchdog Public Eye (formerly the Berne Declaration). The report entitled “Dirty Diesel” was released last week and argues that Euro pean and U.S. firms, but especially Swiss firms, are abusing lax regulations in Afri can countries to dump fuel with high sul phur contents on the African continent. “They work with politically connect ed individuals and do business with po litically exposed persons. This happens in notoriously corrupt countries such as Angola, the Republic of the Congo and Zimbabwe,” stated the report. In Zimbabwe, the fuel industry is dominated by Swiss trading companies Glencore and Trafigura, which supply three front companies to meet local con tent laws, which requires petroleum companies to be 50% owned by Zimb abweans.
Africa’s governments need to set higher standards to prevent dirty diesel and petrol from killing its citizens, says a Swiss corporate watchdog. PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN
In total, the researchers sampled fuel in eight African states where fuel is sup plied by Swiss companies, and found those states’ average sulphur content to be 200 times higher than in Europe. In the worst places, the PPM count is a 1 000 times that of Europe’s average. “The results from our fuel tests are even more shocking when one considers that Africa, especially West Africa, sup plies the world with the some of the best quality, lowsulphur, ‘sweet’ crude oil,”
the report reads. The report lists only China as another country facing similar problems, where exhaust fumes from old trucks are add ing to the blanket of toxic smog Beijing is infamous for. But the Chinese govern ment has set January next year as the deadline to start selling fuel containing only 10 particles per million (PPM) while Africa is still running its cars on any cheap fuel it can get. “Nothing justifies this situation,”
states the report. “There is no technological challenge, no restrictions to the availability of low sulphur fuels, no significant economical impact related to their adoption.” The report quotes Jane Akumu, leader of the African campaign at the UN Envi ronmental Programme’s Transport Unit, who said adopting ultralow sul phur fuels would save governments money in dramatically lowering illnesses and deaths from urban air pollution.
With car ownership rapidly increasing in Africa, the researchers predict that Af rica will have three times as many deaths from vehiclerelated air pollution as the U.S., Europe, and Japan combined by 2030. Public Eye calls on African govern ments to ban all dirty fuels and govern ment of export hubs for “African quali ty” fuels in Amsterdam, Antwerp and the U.S. Gulf to prohibit such exports. Public Eye makes it clear that none of the dirty fuel suppliers to Africa were exceeding legal limits, but stressed that governments would get what they allow, and with that all the respiratory diseases associated with high particulate counts in the air. The companies simply take advantage of weak fuel standards in Africa to pro duce, deliver and sell lowquality fuel — what the industry calls “African Quali ty” — in order to increase profits. If African countries were to adopt Eu ropean fuel standards (10 ppm) for sul phur in diesel, they would immediately cut by 50% the trafficrelated air pollu tion from particulate matter. This adds up to preventing 25 000 premature deaths in 2030 and almost 100 000 premature deaths in 2050, the report states, adding such a move would also reduce car maintenance costs and allow people to spend their budgets on other pressing issues.
Lyft cofounder puts his money on driverless cars as soon as 2026 STU ROBARTS LYFT cofounder John Zimmer has out lined the ridesharing company’s vision for the next 10 years and beyond. Lyft is Uber’s main competition in the ridehailing market and had in March announced a deal with General Motors to create a network of ondemand self driving cars. Contrary to transport pundists who say robot cars are decades off, Zimmer believes the world is on the cusp of a transportation revolution, with the rise of ridesharing and autonomous vehi cles set to change the physical environ ments of our cities. Following its partnership with Gener al Motors to launch an ondemand net work of autonomous vehicles, Zimmer says the majority of Lyft’s rides will be delivered by autonomous vehicles with in five years. Indeed, we’re already see ing the likes of Uber and NuTonomy testing autonomous ridesharing vehi cles publicly. Zimmer reasons that the availability
GRAPHIC: LYFT of autonomous ridesharing vehicles be low the cost of car ownership will con tribute to a move away from outright ownership, as it will be simpler and more affordable to live without a car, while still possible to have access to one when re quired. With that in mind, his second predic
tion is that, by 2025, private car owner ship in U.S. cities will “all but end”. Finally, Zimmer predicts that this re duction in car ownership will change the shape of our cities “more than we’ve ever experienced in our lifetimes”, with less space and infrastructure required to ac commodate cars. For example, he argues
Outa twist in etoll dispute with Sanral THE Automobile Association (AA) notes with concern the latest public ex changes between the South African Na tional Roads Agency Limited (Sanral), and the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa), on issues relating to etolls in Gauteng. The dispute raised in the public do main over the past week by the two orga nisations relates to legal discussions be tween them on the summonses issued to etoll defaulters. According to Outa, an agreement was reached that current, and future, Outa members — who have outstanding etoll accounts — will not be pursued until a test case to determine the legality of etolls on the Gauteng Freeway Im provement Project (GFIP) is concluded. Sanral, in turn, denied that an agree ment has been reached, claiming that Outa is using this as a means of attract ing (paidfor) membership.
Sanral and Outa have locked horns over issues relating Gauteng etolls. PHOTO: TOLPLAN.CO.ZA Neither Outa nor Sanral have men tioned the position of nonOuta mem bers, especially those who are not paying their etolls accounts, and how they should proceed if they are summonsed by the roads agency. “Whatever the situation may be, this current round of debate in the media be
tween the two parties is not bringing any clarity to Gauteng road users on how they must proceed in relation to etolls. “Many road users still do not pay for etolls, and are anxious for a final legal ruling. In light of this, we urge both San ral and Outa to consider that this is not benefitting anyone,” the AA said. The AA said it is of particular concern that Outa claims that an agreement has been reached in relation to its current and future members. “If it is true that an arrangement has been made (only for current and future Outa members), this amounts to protec tion for a specific group of individuals, which is wholly unfair and, we would ar gue, may be unconstitutional.” The association said it is dismayed at what seems to be endless delays in bring ing this matter to finality, as the situa tion does not benefit the motorists using the etolls. — Wheels Reporter.
that there will be fewer cars sitting parked and empty and therefore less need for parking spaces. Zimmer makes clear that he doesn’t think cars themselves are the problem, but how we use them, with the amount of time they remain parked rather than in use being incredibly inefficient.
He points out, though, that we no longer have to own many products in or der to enjoy their benefits, with DVD ownership having been made unneces sary by streaming services like Netflix and owning music by services like Spoti fy. In a similar way, Zimmer says that it is now possible to offer “transportation as a service”, with ridesharing firms able to provide all the access to cars that many people will need at a cost kept down in part by the eventual lack of need for a driver. While someone is currently required to sit behind the wheel of selfdriving cars, Zimmer believes that 10 years from now autonomous vehicles will not even require a person in the driver’s seat to take control in the event of a problem. Ultimately, he says these changes will give us the opportunity to create more peoplefocused cities, citing arguments that no need for parking bays will allow wider sidewalk businesses and parks on parking lots, with subsequent implica tions for overall quality of life. — NewAtlas.
VINTAGE CARS AND SEAT BELTS DEAR Sir/Madam, I was pulled over by Townhill SAPS outside Grey’s Hospital dur ing a routine check. I was issued a fine for not wear ing a seat belt, in spite of explain ing that the seat belt does not work. I do not condone not using a seat belt. My car is a Rolls Royce, registered in 1975. Does this now mean that all vin tage car owners cannot drive their vehicles on public roads? I would like to hear some thoughts from other vintage car owners. Anonymous. Dear Anonymous (and good luck with that anonimity in a Rolls!), The Veteran Sports Car Club in Pietermaritzburg and the Veteran Car Club of South Africa both
pointed to the National Road Traf fic Act 93 of 1996, section 213 of which states all persons in any ve hicle have to be restrained, using SABSapproved belts, with all the bits and pieces in good working or der, on all the seats in the vehicle. Some vintage car owners are confused by section 220, which ex cempts certain vehicles from cer tain provisions of section 213, and states in paragraph (3): “A motor vehicle manufactured before 1965 is exempt from any provisions of this Part in so far as the fitment of the equipment required in terms of this Part will alter the original design and equipment of such mo tor vehicle”. Note that date — cars made be fore 1965. So fit belts and wear them with pride. — Motoring Editor.
MOTORING WitnessWheels
September 22, 2016
3
Find your Sport+ button BRIAN BASSETT goes from Hesketh’s faster corners to Hilton’s mud in the new Subaru Forester SUBARU has become an iconic brand in South Africa over the years. Firstly it was supported by farm ers, who were attracted to its rugged durability and the fact that it could be relied on to deal with the needs of the school lift club in all weathers and road conditions. Then the brand spread to the sta tusconscious, urban SUV crowd and finally to anyone who liked bundu bashing and wanted a car that would last 20 years without much trouble. To Subaru Pietermaritzburg and its dealer principal Howard Christie our appreciation for allowing us a few days with the new Forester. Styling The recent Forester upgrade has con centrated on design and refinement. The exterior shows a redesigned grille, bumper and headlights, which benefit from the addition of LED. The fog lights get a new chromed detailing, while the hexagonal grille has a new, chromed frame and mesh design. The Cshaped, daytime run ning lights accentuate the sharp front end expected from the Forester. For such a rugged vehicle the de sign moves quietly towards with the rear and the large, rear LED tail light modules and automatic, wide rear tailgate with its interior height set ting button. There are roof rails for extra baggage and the 2.0 litre XT al so has 10spoke alloys with business like 18inch rubber. All of these elements make for an attractive and distinctive package. Interior The redesigned and reworked interi or is a pleasant and space to be. The finely finished leathercov ered seating is comfortable and the driver’s seat is electrically adjustable, with a memory recording the needs of two individuals. The threespoke, multifunction steering wheel, with its flappy pad dles, has been redesigned and now controls a number of functions like the fine HarmonKardon nine speaker audio system, Bluetooth, cruise and voice control, as well as having a button to activate the SIRI EyesFree system, which allows handsfree interaction with the tele phone and radio systems using the voicerecognition system connected to the SIRI device. The doublevolume tilt and slide sunroof is a pleasant addition and easy for the driver to operate. The rear seats are comfortable for three adults and the boot offers 505– litres of space, backed by rear seats folding flat in 60/40 fashion. The insulation around the doors and electric windows has been im proved, as has that on the floor, load ing bay and apron and foot wells — making for a delightfully quiet ride. The window glazing has also been upgraded by 0,5 mm, adding to the overall ruggedness of the vehicle. The controls are centrally placed and pleasantly backlit in blue, with the central column being surmoun ted by a small screen carrying infor mation about your journey and the car and a large touch screen, easily operated and dealing with audio, tel ephone, general information and car settings. Safety and security Being a Subaru it is one of the safest cars on the road. A fivestar Euro NCAP rating is backed by seven airbags, ISOFIX child seat anchors, a reinforced safety cell and a Full Vehicle Dynamic Con trol Suite, which makes for stability on any road surface. There are also steering responsive
headlamps, which follow the curves, a rear view camera, symmetrical AWD, park assist and a perfectly dampened front and rear suspen sion. Automatic locking and a built in alarm system complete the safety suite. Performance and handling There are five model variants in the Forester suite, of which the XT is the range topper. Using the twolitre, fourcylinder, turbopetrol Boxer motor, the XT puts out 177 kW and 350 Nm via a sixspeed CVT gear box. Press the Sport + button on the steering and the gearbox becomes eightspeed, with the gear ratios shortened, delivering hugely im proved acceleration and perform ance — just the sort of thing you need to take the kids to school on dirt roads. The 0100 run comes up in around 8,5 seconds and top speed is claimed to be 210 km/h. Fuel consumption is around nine litres per 100 km but, drive the For ester hard on a track, as we did, and consumption easily tops 13,5 litres. On tar and in town the Forester is a relaxed drive and easy to park. The high driving position pro motes a sense of being in command and potholes are terrified into sub mission by the firm, yet comfortable ride quality and absolute stability. We got permission to use the Hes keth Circuit at Hayfields for for an hour and we enjoyed ourselves driv ing a family SUV like a sports car. Even in family mode — i.e. with that Sport+ button off — the Forest er responded with crisp and respon sive steering, strong, fast and stable cornering, as well as speeds of up to 140 km/h down the back straight. Later that afternoon I took the Subaru to Hilton via the rough, rut ted and damp forestry roads and the car performed superbly. It does so well on mud that I felt brave enough to take on a steep downwhill section popular with our MTB riders — from the bottom up, mind you. The Symmetrical AWD delivered power to all four wheels providing enhanced traction and control and its 220 mm ground clearance dealt with hidden roots. Depress the XMode button and the car takes over the engine, brakes, AWD and all other components necessary to en sure survival on bad roads. Costs and the competition The Forester 2.0XT Lineartronic CVT costs around R600 000. It comes with a threeyear or 100 000 km warranty and a three year or 75 000 km maintenance plan. The Forester competes head on with the SA’s best selling ute, the To yota Fortuner, as well as the formida ble Ford Everest and competitively priced Chevrolet Trailblazer and plush Discovery, but all the Midlands farmers (who helped to make Subaru in Pietermaritzburg the biggest deal er of the marque in SA), will settle only for a Scooby.
Subaru’s symmetrical allwheel drive system means grip is where you want it, whether over slippery mud or around Hesketh’s faster corners. PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN
FINANCIAL SERVICES
REDEFINES THE ‘S’ IN SUV
RANGE ROVER SPORT AVAILABLE FROM R12 799 PER MONTH* Range Rover Sport is the most agile, dynamic and responsive Land Rover ever. Its 3.0 litre V6 Supercharged engine delivers an exhilarating 0-100kph in just 5.3 seconds. Supported by the latest Terrain Response 2 technology, capable of adapting to changing road conditions seamlessly and effortlessly.
Model Principle Debt Deposit (15%) Period Monthly Instalment Rate Balloon Payment (30%) Total Cost of Finance
It does so well on mud that I felt brave enough to take on a steep downwhill section popular with our MTB riders — from the bottom up, mind you.
Range Rover Sport 3.0 V6 S/C S
Retail Price (incl VAT, Incl CO2)
R1 105 516 R940 886 R165 827 72 months R12 799 7.45% R331 655 R1 240 372
LAND ROVER PIETERMARITZBURG 9 Armitage Road, Pietermaritzburg 033 897 8860 AH: 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.
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WitnessWheels MOTORING
September 22, 2016
Wraparound infotainment Renault’s racetested F1 technology helps to make tiny engines big movers in the latest Mégane RENAULT has launched four new mod els of the Mégane offering the latest in infotainment as well as supreme ergo nomics. The new model is not only a bit longer and lower, but the cabin space has also been optimised to give what Renault claims as bestinclass shoulder room and abundant leg room. The new Mégane has been awarded the prestigious fivestar Euro NCAP rat ing and as always in a Renault, there are a number of smart and practical storage areas in the cabin (under the central armrest and in the doors, for example). The boot measures a sizeable 434 litres. Leading the new Renault Mégane pet rolpowered pack is the GT flagship model. Powered by the marque’s newgenera tion Energy TCe 205 151 kW (1,6 litre) engine, the new Mégane GT has a seven speed dualclutch (EDC) auto gearbox plus Renault’s 4Control chassis four wheel steering system. In addition to a host of Renault Multi sense road handling features, full LED technology is also exclusive to the new Mégane GT, providing the driver with light that is 20% more powerful than conventional halogen lamps. Other GTonly features and fitments include leather seats, 18inch alloy wheels (plus a 17inch spare) electronic parking brake and paddle shift. Next up are the two new Mégane GT Line variants. Both are powered by Renault’s 1,2litre engine that makes an impressive 97 kW. There are two transmission options,
blind spot detection and easy park assist. Renault’s proven Energy TCe130 1,2litre turbo petrol engine powers both new Mégane GTLine newcomers and makes 97 kW and 205 Nm at only 2 000 rpm. The automaker’s F1 technol ogy transference to this engine is partic ularly evident in respect of turbo tech nology, engine dynamics, friction reduc tion, cooling and thermal management. This 1,2litre turbocharged petrol unit offers the same performance and effi ciency as a naturally aspirated twolitre power plant. Its direct injection technol ogy and integrated turbo manifold translate to flexibility, responsiveness and improved combustion which bene fits fuel consumption. Customers have a choice of two trans missions, a sixspeed manual or seven speed dualclutch (EDC) auto gear box that Renault explains provides the com fort and response of a dualclutch trans mission, to give a claimed fuel consump tion on par with that of the manual box (5,4 l/100 km compared to 5,3 l/100 km) in the combined cycle. The popular 1,6litre engine makes 84 kW and 156 Nm at 4 000 rpm and is mated to a fivespeed manual gearbox, with a claimed fuel consumption of 6,4 l/100 km in the combined cycle.
The interior of the new Mégane (inset) wraps around the driver from the seats to the easytohand instruments. PHOTOS: QUICKPIC a sevenspeed dualclutch (EDC) auto gear box (just like the GT), or a sixspeed manual box. The Dynamique model is powered by Renault’s 84 kW, 1,6litre engine and mated with a fivespeed manual gear box. These days, infotainment systems are what sells cars, which is why the Mégane
offers two USB jacks, and Bluetooth con nectivity as standard to support both te lephony and multimedia mobile devices. Four speakers and wireless telephony with pushtotalk smartphone voice rec ognition and audio streaming are con trolled from the seveninch instrument cluster.
The screen displays stable images with good contrast both day and night and — as in a MercedesBenz — the clus ter’s dominant colour is changeable us ing the ambient lighting controls. Dynamic driving aids include park distance control, hill start assist, and op tional on the GT and GTLine models,
Renault Mégane pricing Dynamique 1,6 litre (85 kW) R279 900 GTLine 1,2 litre Turbo (97 kW) sixspeed manual R339 900 GTLine 1,2 litre Turbo (97 kW) seven speed EDC auto R354 900 GT 1,6 litre Turbo (151 kW) R449 900.
Test drive the New Renault Megane GT Today!
OPEN THIS HERITAGE DAY
24 September, Saturday 8am to 1 pm
Bidvest McCarthy Renault Pietermaritzburg 9 Armitage Road, Pietermaritzburg. Tel: 033 940 1433 • www.bidvestmccarthyrenault.co.za Darryl Smith 078 120 6861
Njabulo Mtshali 084 413 7751
Wiseman Mhlongo 083 567 0671
Yagan Padayachee 084 555 7456
MOTORING WitnessWheels
September 22, 2016
5
Are trike cars returning? Paying the price of a new bakkie for a seat on three wheels seems mad, but 200 people did so ALWYN VILJOEN EIGHT in 10 cars transport only the driver and that person’s daily commute typically measures a lot less than 60 km a day. Lugging around four or more empty seats plus all the metal that surrounds them for a few kilometres does not tick engineer’s two favourite words — effi ciency and effectiveness — which may be why the world is seeing a steady trickle of new trike designs. They range from the canvascovered legpowered trikebikes in Norway, to Toyota’s new iRoad currently on test in Japan, and a BSC threewheel scooter from China that is on sale in Cape Town. Among the most remarkable are the Spira4u microcars that are made with a polypropylin foam material wrapped with honeycomb fibreglass, both of which are lighter than water, so that the Spira4U floats better than many boats, and can easily be tilted on its wide rear to be parked upright. And, of course, Morgan never stopped building trikes, while a 1957 Messerschmitt KR200 “cabin scooter” recently went on sale for a cool R500 000 in South Africa. But will the slew of tiny trikes ever re gain the brief flash of fashionability they enjoyed in the madcap days after World War 2? Canadian company Electra Meccani ca Vehicles Corporation certainly hopes so, as does Paul Elio, whose punts for his patriotic Elio trike are increasingly starting to sound like the sales pitches from a snakeoil salesman.
‘Pretty’ is not the first word that comes to mind for a trike car, but more of these truncated little vehicles are being sold based on the efficient, effective and fun ride they offer. PHOTOS: SOLO, WIKIPEDIA, TOYOTA Electra unveiled its 2017 Solo electric vehicle at the Luxury and Supercar Weekend event last week. Electra Meccanica spokesperson Jeff Holland said the Solo EV could go on
sale as early as November, pending ap proval by U.S. and Canadian regulators. The Solo retails at $19 888 in Canada, which is over R210 000. Despite this being the price of the new
Tiny jet turbines on the rise
The Fulcrum turbine generator was introduced by Wrightspeed last year as a power generator specifically designed for use in heavyduty trucks. PHOTO: WRIGHTSPEED MODERN engineering process es have enabled the making of micro gas turbines that can drive generators to give electric cars limitless range and buildings a replacement for the smoke belching diesel generator. In the U.S., Wrightspeed leads the way with electric drivetrains for trucks, but in China, Tech rules this year launched a jettur binepowered electric supercar at the Geneva Motor Show. The Techrules TurbineRe charging Electric Vehicle (TREV) uses a single microtur bine to keep its batteries charged, which in turn power an electric drive. The high torque of the electric motors make them ideal for su percar fast 0100 km/h runs — as Tesla owners have now proven many times — but also to collect the garbage in big trucks. A Mack LR refuse truck equipped with an 80 kW Wrightspeed jet turbine genera tor was shown at the recent
WasteExpo2016 in Las Vegas. Wrightspeed and fellow tur bine makers Bladon Jets, ETV Motors, Delta Motorsport and even Jaguar agree the accelerat ing trend towards local micro generation is like the computing industry’s migration from main frame to desktop. One example of the factors driving this de mand is the rapid adoption of mobile phone technology in ru ral communities. Micro genera tors provide the ideal means to deliver power to mobile phone transmitters where there is no reliable electricity supply. Bladon Jets said its micro power generators offer signifi cant benefits in terms of per formance, size and maintenance requirements when compared to a conventional diesel generator. The highefficiency, clean burning combustion process helps micro gas turbines operate with very low emissions and they are capable of running on a wide range of liquid and gase
ous fuels, including green alter natives like CNG and biofuels. Their compact footprint and low noise levels enable them to be installed almost anywhere, in cluding in sensitive business or residential locations. With support from Innovate UK, Delta Motorsport is devel oping the MiTRE as a bolton rangeextender for electric vehi cles. Delta also estimates that a 35 kW MiTRE will be half as heavy and 40% smaller than an equivalent piston engine, run ning with low emissions at be tween 30% and 35% thermal ef ficiency. ETV Motors, a private com pany based just outside Tel Aviv, in 2009 developed a microtur bine engine to act as an onboard charger with a 60 km range. And the concept Jaguar CX75 has four 145 kW, inwheel electric motors, each driven by an SD Drives generator powered by a micro turbine for a range of over 1 300 km.
Foton Tunland 2,8 bakkie or a new Ren ault Clio 0,9T Blaze, 200 people have already put down a refundable deposit of $250 (Canadian), which is almost R2 700, to get the Solo.
Holland defends the high price for the 450 kg trike by listing the Solo’s achieve ments, which include a 160 km range, thanks to a 16,1 kWh lithium ion battery, and a taut suspension tuned for enthusi astic cornering. This compares to what is arguably the fastest trike out there to day, the Valene Black Mamba, which us es a hub motor in the fat rear wheel to make 80 kW at the entry level and an insane 600 kW in the flagship. But the Mamba does sell for R529 958 in the U.S. In Tokyo, Toyota has launched the second round of an Open Road Project to test the iRoad trike. Through these consumer trials, Toyo ta aims to study the best ways to develop products and services that will build on the key strengths of the iRoad, and open up exciting new possibilities for the fu ture of mobility. This second round will last until March next year, and general commuters will get a chance to ride in this ultra com pact Toyota to assess the electric trike’s acceptability in the market, including how it will be used in shareduse envi ronments, and its usage purposes. If the Japanese commuters’ demand to be included in the second round of iRoad tests is anything to go by, there is a sizeable niche market awaiting trike builders. Ninetysix test pilots were cho sen from among some 3 500 applicants. The first round of tests delivered re sponses like: “The iRoad is really conve nient because I can park it in very small spaces” and “My range of travel has ex panded because the iRoad helps me go anywhere easily”, among others.
Lego Caterham for the stocking CATERHAM unveiled a new model that features a rather dif ferent build process to its usual run of 500 cars a year — the brand’s very first immortalisa tion in Lego form. Technicians from the legend ary British sports car manufac turer have downed their tools and picked up the plastic, team ing up with the equally iconic toy maker to create the first scale model Lego Caterham. The plastic bricks, resplen dent in Caterham’s typically gar ish yellow, create the beautifully engineered Lego Caterham 620R, capable of reaching al most 10 km/h. Originally sub mitted by fanatic Carl Greatrix to the Lego Ideas platform, in which fans can submit their ideas for new Lego sets, it gained the requisite 10 000 votes and the Lego Ideas team selected the 620R to go into production. Consisting of over 770 pieces, including a replica 620R engine that hides a tiny electric motor and gear stick, the Lego Cater ham stands 10 cm long and two centimetres tall. Other features that may cause fans to blow a gasket include a removable nose cone and engine cover, a moving steering wheel,
Spot the scale model Lego Caterham, which puts a different spin on kit cars just in time for the Christmas giftbuying season. PHOTO: CATERHAM an opening boot and function ing axle stands from which the tiny model’s wheels can easily be removed. Caterham chief com mercial officer David Ridley said in a statement: “Caterham has always prided itself on produc ing bespoke, handbuilt cars for its customers. Our army of fans who build their own Caterham Sevens are equally discerning when it comes to the detail and craftsmanship which is central to Caterham, and we worked
closely with the Lego team to en sure the Lego model replicated that. The Lego 620R has various unique features — the intricate ly designed engine was certainly a surprise when we lifted the bonnet for the first time. It’s sat isfying to know that fans can rec reate and build their own 620R with Lego bricks.” The Caterham Lego 620R can be ordered from October 1, priced £69, or some R1 265, be fore postage. — WR.
Innovation snips • ON a hot day in KwaZuluNatal, a car’s air conditioning system can typically condense close to two litres of pure water per hour. Ford engineers Doug Martin and John Rolling er have designed a prototype system to tap this resource. It collects the condensation, filters it and pumps it to a tap in the car. There is no indi cation whether the prototype will be mass pro duced in Ford Focus anytime soon, but it will
be useful when it does. • SWEDISH company Semcon has developed a line of smiley LEDs so that a car’s grille can flash a smile at pedestrians when it is safe to cross. Karin Eklund, head of User Experience at Semcon stated eight out of 10 pedestrians seek eye contact with drivers before they cross a busy road, but in driverless cars, the car’s smile will give the nod.
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WitnessWheels MOTORING
September 22, 2016
All eyes on Peugeot and Toyota in the 2016 DAKAR
In the Peugeot corner, the 3008 DKR, tweaked to be stronger and maybe a lot faster than the 2016 winner. PHOTO: PEUGEOT
In the Toyota corner, the new rearwheeldrive Hilux has already proven lighter and a lot faster. PHOTO: QUICKPIC
Dakar with the rear wheels ALWYN VILJOEN DAKAR racing teams are preparing for a big race come December, fettling new race machines that range from trucks to quad bikes. The main stage, however, belongs to the race cars, and this year all eyes are on the reigning Red Bull Pug and the all new Hilux challenger. The Pug that Team Peugeot Total and Red Bull will ship to South America in a few weeks for the 2017 Dakar car is offi cially called the 3008 DKR. It has more torque at lower revs, a re vised suspension and a new blackand white wardrobe than the 2008 in which Peugeot won the 2016 Dakar with Stéph ane Peterhansel and the Silk Way Rally
last month, with Cyril Despres at the wheel. Peugeot said in a statement the latest Peugeot has tweaked suspension and damper settings and the drivers can now stay cool with aircon in the 3008 DKR. “Air conditioning may sound like an unnecessary luxury in a race car, but Peu geot believes it will help team members perform at a higher level while doing 12 hour stints inside a cockpit that regularly spikes over 60°C,” the statement read. New engine regulations also means Peugeot has to drop down from a 39 mm to a 38 mm unit, losing about 20 kW in the process. Peugeot said its reworked threelitre V6 twinturbo diesel engine now makes more torque at lower revs, which should make the car easier to drive
and possibly faster on the rough Dakar course. In the Toyota corner, the drivers for Toyota Gazoo Racing, however, think their racing bakkies will benefit more this year from Dakar restrictor regulations. Giniel de Villiers and navigator Dirk von Zitzewitz last month tested the new twowheeldrive racing Hiluxes, which are built near the Kyalami Racetrack, in the North West. The new vehicle no longer uses a four wheeldrive system, and it is going to very interesting to see if the team’s gam ble with rearwheeldriveonly pays off. The allwheeldrive systems currently rule the cross country roost in the local Donaldson Cross Country Champion ship, with Leeroy Poulter and navigator
Merc’s most powerful AMG roadsters yet MERCEDESAMG is blowing even more fresh air into the AMG GT family. Shortly after the world premiere of the AMG GT R, the sports car and per formance brand from Affalterbach is presenting two exciting roadster vari ants of the twoseater sports car — the AMG GT Roadster and the AMG GT C Roadster. With an output of 410 kW and peak torque of 680 Nm, the AMG GT C is the most powerful new Roadster variant and uses some of the technical refine ments of the AMG GT R. These include active rear axle steering and the electronically controlled rear ax le locking differential. Merc stated the AMG’s Ride control sport suspension also guarantees dy namic performance at the very highest level the AMG GT C Roadster. The top Roadster also takes its lead from the top AMG GT R sports car, where muscular proportions are con cerned: the wider rear wings create space for a wider track and wider wheels at the rear axle, allowing even higher cor nering speeds and excellent traction.
Rob Howie leading the championship. Team principal Glyn Hall said results of the first realworld test for the rear wheeldrive Toyota Hilux Evo were high ly encouraging. “The new vehicle is significantly faster over the rough stuff,” said De Villiers at the completion of the test session. “Granted, it takes some getting used to, and it certainly doesn’t feel the same as the fourwheeldrive. But man, it is quick!” Team Toyota Gazoo racing still have a lot of tests to do and are cutting it fine before the SAA Cargo plane flies to deliv er three new racing Hiluxes to De Villiers and Von Zitzewitz; Leeroy Poulter and Rob Howie; as well as the new signings, Nasser AlAttiyah and Matthieu Baumel.
V GINIEL DE VILLIERS Toyota Gazoo Racing driver
‘The new vehicle is significantly faster over the rough stuff.’
COPS CAN PROWL EMPTY STREETS AT NIGHT ON NEW BMW SCOOTERS In 2015, BMW delivered a fleet of maxi scooters comprising 30 of the innovative BMW C evolution to the Barcelona City Hall for use by the lo cal police. The silent motors of the scooters enabled the cops to prowl the empty streets at night with disturbing friend or alreeting foe. These cops can now look forward to two new BMW electric scooters, which has the same batteries as used in the current BMW i3. The new gen eration batteries has a cell capacity of 94 Ah. The world premier will take place at the Paris Motor Show 2016, but
BMW has already revealed the specs. The C evolution scooter will be sold either as the Long Range or the European. The Long Range makes 19 kW and has a range of approximately 160 kilometres, with a top speed electronically limited at 129 km/h. In the A1 driving licence version (Europe only), the new C evolution has an output of 11 kW. The range here is around 100 kilo metres, with a top speed of 120 km/h. New optional accessories such as the smartphone cradle also mean there are now many more ways to customise the BMW C evolution. —Wheels Reporter.
PHOTO: QUICKPIC The variable performance exhaust system also ensures an authentic V8 sound from the AMG Roadster. The developers have also adapted the sevenspeed dual clutch transmission in the AMG GT C Roadster by modifying the hardware and software.
The first gear of the AMG SPEED SHIFT DCT 7speed sport transmission has a higher ratio, while seventh gear and the final drive have a lower ratio. This makes for even more agile accel eration and very fast responses to sud den accelerator movements. — WR.
For more information on Witness Wheels advertising Contact Avir on 033 355 1152 or 084 278 3447 Avir@witness.co.za
The latest electric scooter from Bavaria has to be electronically limited. PHOTO: BMW
September 22, 2016
MOTORING WitnessWheels TRANSPORT
7
Around the world in an eBus Modulo shows zeroemmision buses are ready to move passengers in cities around the globe THE biggest starting fleet of the 80e days around the world electric car rally set up a new world record this month. Eleven teams from China to the U.S. completed the circumnavigation trip, and drove a total of 289 662 km across Europe, North America, and Asia with 100% electric vehicles within 80 days, including the time for crosscontinental transportation. Professor Gunter Pauli, serial entre preneur and thought leader in environ mentalism, who monitored the course of the rally as one of the 80edays stew ards to ensure that all rules were upheld, greeted the teams at the finish line in Barcelona on September 4. The participating electric vehicles were eight Tesla Model S cars and one Tesla Roadster, one Denza and Modulo’s electric bus. Modulo said in statement it took part in the event to show that electric vehicle technology is good enough for any envi ronment, terrain, and condition in any part of the world. It is equipped with Valence batteries supplying 255 kWh of energy, providing a maximum range of 575 km due to its lightweight construction. This compares to China’s BYD ebus, which uses an inhouse Fe battery, with a range of 250 km after a full charge. One single battery package capacity for the BYD ebus is 200 Ah and the total power capacity is 324 Kwh with more than 4 000 recharging cycles in a lifespan. The Modulo battery pack is fast charged by CHAdeMO DC fast chargers along the route. The bus is unique in that it is made in a modular fashion, being able to be built with various lengths off a single design. Valence batteries offer modular solutions as well, being able to
Modulo sent its 100% electric bus on the aroundtheworldin80days race to show the technology for electric vehicles is already good enough to provide public transport in any part of the world. PHOTO: SUPPLIED expand to any capacity required. Meanwhile Tesla Model S demon strated how far the EV industry has come from its initial days. Team Switzerland 1, faced with limita tions in charging speed capabilities of the Tesla Roadster, compared to their teammates driving the Tesla Model S, had to overcome a great many challenges to complete the rally in due time. Due to careful planning and fierce de termination, Markus Doessegger and
Matthias Aebi won the dramatic race against time, catching up with the rest of the teams in Zurich after a fiveday delay for gear replacement and a subse quent 10days delay at the U.S. customs before its transportation to China. Tesla Model S of Team Czech Repub lic had a hanger bolt breakdown in Ka zakhstan. The Model S of Team Switzerland 2 had a minor collision on a highway in China, and the Model S of Team Germa
ny 1 had a blackout in Ukraine. Despite these minor incidents, all teams success fully reached the finish line in record time. To represent their nation, a coorga niser of the 80edays rally, Andrew Zong, the CEO of PHNIX EcoEnergy Solu tions, and Team China pilot chose the Denza EV for this trip, the first Sino German joint venture brand focusing on new energy vehicles in China. Although experiencing more tough
charging opportunities due to different charging standards in the world, Team China showed determination and proved that our planet is EV friendly to all brands of electric cars. The video production by 4 China pro fessional camera groups is underway to share with the world the highlights of the 80edays challenge. The Hungariandeveloped Modulo stands still as the first and only electric bus to cross North America. With improvements in construction and innovation in design, it is safe to say that the electro mobility infrastructure across the world is improving and is now suitable for public transport as well. The Elduro 2016 rally was a testament to the environmental responsibility that the 80edays project has stood for. During the rally, 28 symbolic 80edays trees were planted by the participants at different predetermined locations around the world, aiming to communi cate the importance of sustainable and environmentally friendly transporta tion. Driving with electric vehicles the teams saved 30 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. In a bid to offset the carbon footprint of two cargo flights, 10 000 trees were planted in Nicaragua as part of the carbon offset project of mycli mate, 80edays’ ecopartner. Rafael de Mestre, Team Spain pilot and initiator of the 80edays aroundthe world EV rally, stresses the importance of raising awareness of electric mobility. That’s exactly the reason why more than 30 events were held on the route: to promote the advantages and the relia bility of sustainable transportation over fossilfuel dependent transport around the world. — WR.
Nissan’s wheelchairfriendly taxis a first NISSAN has become the first manufac turer in South Africa to offer wheelchair friendly vehicles to the taxi industry in order to meet the growing demand for safe, reliable transportation for people living with disabilities. The company has developed a full conversion of its popular NV350 Im pendulo, transforming the vehicle into a spacious carrier suitable for disabled passengers including hydraulic lift, rear facing seating and aluminium flooring which helps to keep wheelchairs in posi tion. The converted Impendulo, only re leased in August, is attracting interest and enquires from several sectors, in cluding in the Eastern Cape where the vehicle has already been deployed within regional health departments. “There is a definite need for more public transport facilities that cater for people living with physical disabilities,” says Wonga Mesatywa, director, corpo rate and general affairs at Nissan Group of Africa. With taxis transporting approximate ly 15 million commuters daily, according to the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), and approximately 7,5% of the country’s population re garded as having a disability, many disa bled people remain unable to access this vital mode of transport. They are there fore excluded from gaining meaningful employment or education opportuni ties, and participating in the economy. Easier transport for the disabled Unlike most other minibus vehicles, the interior seating in the Nissan NV350 Im pendulo can be removed, and a portion of it adapted to be rearward facing so wheelchairs can fit comfortably inside the vehicle. This is also removable, thereby allowing for versatile use. Aluminium flooring in the rear pas
FAW trucks help cars to spark by moving andalusite. PHOTO: QUICKPIC
FAW tippers are up for it
In the converted Nissan Impendulo minibus, the seats fold away and a ramp lifts wheelchair users into the space. PHOTO: MOTORPRESS senger section of the vehicle also keeps wheelchairs safely in place while it is in use. The conversion makes maximum use of the available space within the ve hicle. One of the most useful modifica tions to the vehicle is the hydraulic lift that allows people in wheelchairs to have easy access through the rear door. The fact that Original Equipment Manufac turers (OEMs) mass ratings on the Im pendulo are class leading, makes it an ideal platform for this type of conversion because it minimises the chances of overloading. This is a key differentiating factor for the Impendulo compared to similar ve
hicles on the market. The converted vehicle has achieved homologation, meaning it meets regula tory standards and specifications, such as safety and technical requirements. In addition to providing safe trans port for physically disabled members of society, the conversion is also ideal for a variety of applications including hotel fleets, interhospital transportation and frail care. “The conversion was only released last month but it has already been well received and we have received multiple enquiries about the modifications made to the vehicle,” says Mesatywa. — WR.
A FLEET of FAW tippers are literally helping cars to spark at the anda lusite quarry of Rhino Mine near Thabazimbi in Limpopo province. Andalusite is used to make high temperature ceramics, which are used in spark plugs. Fleet operator and contractor on the project, Willie de Beer and his son Michael, run the fleet with their staff of 24 people deployed as driv ers, loader operators, technicians and administrative support. Since being reassigned the con tract, Willie de Beer purchased the FAW 28.280 10m3 tippers early last year. These tippers move about 4 200 tons a day. Andalusite is highly abrasive on any equipment involved, and the residue sand and stone are no eas ier on the vehicle and equipment either. What made Willie de Beer decide to buy the FAW 28.280FD was the brand’s reputation for strength and durability. He said the tippers have exceptionally good torque — 1 160 Nm between 1 400 and 1 700 rpm — and the manual nine
speed FAW gearbox can climb in clines of 36%. Since changing to FAW tippers, De Beer reports a 22% drop in fuel consumption. The site’s major obstacles are heat, powdered dust and extreme gradients, with the FAW overcoming them all. “We enjoy the support of the FAW Pretoria West dealer and Piet er Gerber, the dealer principal, in particular, when it comes to keep ing the tippers moving. “The dealer is responsible for ser vicing our vehicles on site, the sup ply of parts and the training of our drivers. Invaluable service and sup port when we have these types of site challenges to deal with,” said Willie de Beer. “Another major selling point was affordability, as this is especially relevant when you run a relatively small fleet like ours. “That’s why I’ve been buying FAW since 2008 and certainly plan to continue with the brand that has not let me down to date.” — Wheels Reporter.
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WitnessWheels MOTORING RACING
September 22, 2016
SuperGP blasts into Dezzi SA’s fastest bikers arrive on the South Coast to chase last points THE SuperGP Champions Trophy rid ers make their way to Dezzi Raceway on the KwaZuluNatal south coast for the penultimate round of the 2016 season on Saturday. With just two outings left, the race for championship points is heating up. SuperGP championship leader Ma thew Scholtz (ETR Nashua Yamaha R1) has finished on the podium in all but three of the 12 races held this year and has a 39point lead over Clint Seller (Neolife Yamaha R1) with Michael White (Consortium Shipping Yamaha R1) just a point further back. While Scholtz cannot wrap up the championship at Dezzi, unless both of his closest rivals have very bad outings, another couple of podium finishes will make securing the title at the final event of the season largely a formality. Greg Gildenhuys (Kreepy Krauly Ka
wasaki ZX10R) is the only rider to con sistently challenge the championship leading Yamaha mounted trio and add ed another two podium finishes to his tally at Aldo Scribante last time out. Veteran Lance Isaacs (LIR Motorrad BMW S1000RR) is next up on the log with Daryn Upton (Turnskill Engineer ing Yamaha R1) rounding out the top six. The only championship that has al ready been decided is the SuperMasters Interprovincial challenge, where Isaacs has won every race this season. Damon Purificati (Amalgam Welding Shop Kawasaki ZX10R) is well on his way to securing the runnersup spot while Etienne Nelson (BMW S1000RR) holds third at this stage. Johnny Krieger (BMW S1000RR) and Hendrik de Bruin (Yamaha R1) could spoil Nelson’s plans.
Dominic Doyle (front) and CJ Hackart will be chasing four riders in the Super600, making Saturday’s race too hard to call. PHOTO: MOTOPRESS Despite crashing out of the opening race in Port Elizabeth last time out, Adolf Boshoff (Neolife Yamaha R6) will wrap up the 2016 Super600 title if he finishes ahead of Blaze Baker (Uncle Andy Rac ing Suzuki GSXR 600) in the opening race at Dezzi Raceway. Defending champion Steven Oden
daal, who missed the last round as he was busy wrapping up the European Mo to2 title, will also miss this round. This time he will be competing on the world stage in the Moto2 event in Spain. Kewyn Snyman (Inex Construction Kawasaki ZX6) has the best outing of his season at Aldo Scribante, taking his
maiden Super600 victory and moving up into fourth on the championship log. He has Nicole van Aswegen (Women in Motorsport Triumph 675) and Dylan Barnard (Kawasaki ZX6) not far behind him. Another disappointing outing for Capetonian Brandon Staffen has dropped him down to second place be hind Aiden Liebenberg in SuperJunior championship after the trip to Port Eliz abeth. Tyreece Robert and CJ Hackart are third and fourth respectively. Dominic Doyle, who took both wins at Aldo Scrib ante, has moved up into fifth place ahead of Jared Schultz. With 100 points still up for grabs in the last two rounds, this one is still too close to call. The national categories will be sup ported by the Botts riders together with a number of regional and local catego ries. Practice and qualifying take place on Friday, September 23 with racing get ting underway at 10.05 am on Saturday. Spectators who arrive before 10 am with tinned food to support the Tin Run Tour enter free. — Driftmedia.
Feet up and the throttle wide open KTM rider Scott Bouverie on the technical track set out at penultimate round of the Liquorland South African National Enduro championship at Swinburne, just outside Harrismith. The next round in the KZN Racing Xcountry Championship is on October 1, at Seven Oaks. More on Seven Oaks wfo@webmail. co.za PHOTO: QUICKPIC
Poulter adds rally champ to local cross country title CHARMAINE FORTUNE THE 2016 South African National Rally Championship title fight is over, as To yota Gazoo Racing SA, in association with Total Quartz, wrapped things up on their home rally, the Toyota Cape Dealer Rally, this weekend. Leeroy Poulter/Elvéne Coetzee fin ished in second place, bagging enough points to close out the championship with one round to spare. At the same time, teammates Giniel de Villiers and Carolyn Swan placed their Toyota Ga zoo Racing SA Yaris S2000 on the top step, with De Villiers winning his second Toyota Cape Dealer Rally. “It was a great result for us this week end,” Toyota Gazoo Racing SA team principal Glyn Hall said from the podi um ceremony at the Malmesbury Sports Club. “With Leeroy and Elvéne winning the 2016 title, and Giniel and Carolyn taking a welldeserved victory here in the Swartland.” De Villiers/Swan proved to be in a class of their own in the Cape — also the scene
of De Villiers’s first rally victory, when he won the event in 2014 together with navigator Greg Godrich. This year De Villiers/Swan powered their way to victory by winning all but two of the Toyota Cape Dealer Rally’s 12 stages. Victory on Stage 6 and 12 went to teammates Poulter/Coetzee. “We had a really good event,” said an elated De Villiers after spraying spar kling wine from the top step of the podi um. “The Toyota Yaris ran faultlessly, and we had clean runs through almost every stage. It feels great to win again.” For Poulter/Coetzee, the weekend marked the end of their unbeaten streak in the 2016 rally championship. With that said, they bagged enough points to seal the 2016 title with a round to spare, and Poulter now counts among a small number of drivers to achieve championship victories in both rallying and crosscountry racing. “We lost a lot of time after suffering two punctures on Stage 8,” said Poulter. “It was just bad luck, but it took us out of the fight for the win.”
Leeroy Poulter and Elvéne Coetzee thrill the fans on their way to becoming rally champs in their racetuned Yaris. PHOTO: QUICKPIC With just two rounds remaining in the Donaldson CrossCountry Champion ship for 2016, and Poulter currently lead ing the title chase together with naviga tor Rob Howie, Poulter may well match Hannes Grobler as the only driver to win both titles in the same year. Behind the two factory Toyota Yaris S2000s, privateer Theuns Joubert and navigator Mari van der Walt (Shalom Racing Toyota Auris NRC4) completed the Toyota lockout of the podium, by
finishing in third place in the overall standings. Things didn’t pan out as planned for defending Class S1600 champions Guy Botterill and navigator Simon VacyLyle. The pair were well in control of the Class S1600 battle, when they approached a farm gate near the end of Stage 8. It seemed that the wind may have pushed the gate slightly closed, and the pair made contact with the gate at high speed.
Cosmetically the Yato Toyota Etios S1600 escaped with only minor damage, but under its skin the radiator was punc tured. “This meant that the engine over heated, and we were forced to stop. Not the way we wanted to win the champion ship,” said Botterill. Despite the nonfin ish in Cape Town, the pair had amassed more than enough points through the season to claim the class title, adding to their two previous championship wins. “Overall we have every reason to be ecstatic with our results,” said Hall. “We achieved all of our goals this weekend: We won our home rally; Leeroy and El véne sealed the championship; and Guy and Simon made it three championships in a row.” With a great spectator turnout, there is no doubt that the Toyota Cape Dealer Rally was one of the highlights of the year. Next up is the final round of the season, which is scheduled to take place in Gauteng, over the weekend of Octo ber 21 and 22.
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