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ASH EXOTICS

November 24, 2016

Witness

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WHEELS

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Clover’s Ngilo competes for SA against world’s drivers ALFRED Ngilo, a driver for Clover in KwaZulu­Natal, this weekend represents South Africa in the second annual UD Extra Mile Challenge in Japan.

Ngolo proved the most effective user of both time and diesel against 20 other UD Quester drivers in the Extra Mile Challenge in South Africa earlier this year. He now faces the same test in that UD dubbed the “World Cup” of driver competitions.

Ngilo told Wheels the challenge fo­ cuses on real world driver skills in three sections; a pre­drive inspection, eco­ nomic driving skills, and cargo handling.

The father of three said the UD Chal­ lenge was not his first win in a driver competition — he won the Department of Transport’s competitions in KwaZu­ lu­Natal in 2009, Limpopo in 2011 and again in KwaZulu­Natal in 2014 — but it certainly was the toughest.

Comparing other driving competi­ tions to the UD Extra Mile Challenge, the forklift­operator­turned­trucker said the challenges were useful in real life, thanks to the combination of vehicle

checks, driving skills and cargo manage­ ment. “All other driving competitions that I’m aware of, just test your skills to move the truck into tight spaces, but UD challenge you to know your Quester like it is a part of you.”

The toughest part of the local elimina­ tions was the tight mountain track at the Gerotek Test Center in Pretoria West.

“That was as bad as any alley dock down a narrow lane in congested Jo’burg,” Ngi­ lo said. But on the day, he collected the most points and to share the podium with Pinki Chuduku, driving for Vital Distribution and Khumalo Vusumusi, driving for Shoprite.

On the eve of his first trip out of South Africa, Ngilo said excitement was run­ ning high in his family, but confessed he had no idea what to expect when he ar­ rived for the global leg of the competi­ tion at UD Truck’s headquarters in Ageo, Japan.

Fortunately, UD Trucks Southern Af­ rica (UDTSA) manager of fleet sales, Ann Pienaar and UD driver Trainer, Der­ eck Moima, will accompany him and as­

Alfred Ngilo, from Clover in KZN and Peet Pretorius, HR Manager for Clover in KZN practise bending, Japanese­style. as Clover say halala to their top driver for representing Msanzi in the annual UD Extra Mile Challange against the world’s top UD drivers in Japan this weekend.

PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN

sured Ngilo they will assist him in every way. Moima said last year’s South Afri­ can winners of the challenge, the Afgri driver­team of James Mavuso and assist­

ant Hennie Schutte, came back as win­ ners of the best fuel consumption, and he has every confidence Ngilo can do at least as well as his countrymen did.

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Demo Vehicles Vehicle Description

Moima said friendliness and patience were two traits that set Ngilo apart, both on the road and in the yard. Ngilo said having started at the back of the truck, loading with a forklift, he understood de­ lays at the depot. “Not getting impatient during loading makes me take it easy on the road too,” said the champion Quest­ er driver.

UD Trucks Southern Africa’s acting vice president, Gert Swanepoel, said the Extra Mile Challenge celebrated drivers, but also showed UD fleet customers how to achieve the best balance of fuel­effi­ cient driving, minimum downtime and using UD’s Extra Mile support.

“Our promise to Go the Extra Mile, together with this challenge to our fleet customers, gives them a chance to recog­ nise the skills of their drivers,” said Swanepoel. “Without truckers our econ­ omy stops, which makes it UD’s privilege to celebrate our driver’s valuable skills in this challenge.”

He said the UD Trucks’ Quester range is specifically aimed at developing mar­ kets and is ideally suited to industry seg­ ments like agriculture, forestry and pa­ per, public utilities, building and con­ struction, mining and petro­chemical.

The model range is on the forefront of UD Trucks’ global aspirations of being a modern smart truck supplier, which ex­ cels on the essentials while retaining its inherent Japanese heritage. — WR.

Pre-Owned Vehicles Year Colour Mileage

Normal Black Retail Price Friday Price

Vehicle Description

Year

Colour Mileage

Normal Black Friday Price Retail Price

Audi A6 1.8T FSI S tronic

2016 White 15 800

R 620 244

R 499 994

Audi A4 2.0T FSI Design S tronic

2016

Red

12 000

R 459 995

R 439 995

Audi A4 1.4T FSI S tronic

2016 White 11 500

R 554 449

R 489 994

Audi RS5 coupé quattro

2011

Black

78 000

R 479 995

R 439 994

Audi A4 1.4T FSI

2016 Silver

11500

R 538 642

R 469 994

Audi S3 S tronic 3 Door

2015 White

48 000

R 479 994

R 469 994

Audi A4 1.4T FSI

2016 White 13 000

R 608 324

R 529 995

Audi A5 2.0 TDI multitronic

2016 Silver

12 000

R 499 994

R 479 994

Audi A4 1.4T FSI

2016 Black

R 554 386

R 489 995

Audi A6 3.0 TDI quattro

2014 White

41 000

R 480 329

R 469 994

Audi Q7 3.0 TDI quattro

2016 Silver 13 100 R 1 071 201 R 989 995

Audi A7 Sportback 3.0 TDI

2013 White

58 000

R 449 995

R 429 995

Audi A5 1.8T FSI multitronic coupé

2016 Silver

4 300

R 561 415

R 529 994

Audi Q3 1.4T FSI S tronic

2016 White

5 600

R 482 235

R 449 995

Audi Q5 2.0T FSI SE quattro

2013

Grey

90 000

R 375 995

R 349 994

Audi A3 1.4T FSI S tronic 3 Door

2016 White

1 500

R 377 000

R 359 994

Audi A5 Sportback 1.8T FSI

2016

Black

5 500

R 619 999

R 499 995

Audi A3 Sedan 1.4T FSI SE S tronic

2016 White

500

R 504 786

R 469 999

Audi A3 Sportback 1.8T FSI Q S tronic

2016 Silver

500

R 539 641

R 499 999

Vehicle Description

Audi A3 Sportback PI 1.0T FSI

2016

500

R 420 911

R 395 999

Grey

8 200

New Vehicles Year

Colour

Normal Retail Price

Black Friday Price

Audi A5 Sportback 2.0 TDI multitronic

2016

Blue

R 669 918

R 619 999

Audi A3 Sportback PI 1.0T FSI S tronic 2016 Silver

500

R 463 312

R 429 999

Audi A5 2.0 TDI coupé

2016

Grey

R 679 681

R 599 999

Audi A3 Sedan PI 1.0T FSI

500

R 426 999

R 414 499

Audi Q3 2.0 TDI quattro S tronic

2016

White

R 621 561

R 581 999

500

R 748 800

R 733 799

Audi A6 1.8T FSI SE S tronic

2016

Silver

R 700 912

R 594 999

500

R 686 478

R 628 999

Audi A7 Sportback 3.0 TDI quattro

2016

Black

R 1 191 982

R 966 999

2016 White

Audi A4 2.0T FSI quattro S tronic Sport 2016 Audi A4 1.4T FSI S tronic Sport

Grey

2016 White

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WitnessWheels MOTORING ELECTRIC

2

November 24, 2016

Eight aim to go green Nations determined to start using electric vehicles in their government fleets Toyota will establish an in­house venture company responsible for developing electric vehicles.

PHOTO: TOYOTA

Toyota to start its own eevee company TOYOTA Motor Corporation (TMC) has not yet admitted to Elon Musk he was right when he called Toyota’s plans to focus on hydrogen cars “bullsh*t”, but TCM has announced plans to start an in­house venture company to de­ velop, among others, electric ve­ hicles from next month.

The virtual organisation will in­ itially have only four people, one each from Toyota Industries Cor­ poration, Aisin Seiki Co. Ltd, Den­ so Corporation and TMC, who will be independent of other in­ ternal structural organisations.

They will draw on the techno­ logical know­how and resources of the Toyota Group to develop evees, or electric vehicles. TMC said its small organisational structure would enable it to im­ plement unconventional work processes, leading to accelerated project progress and, thus, fast­ to­market products.

When TMC dropped Musk and electric cars, it said it was be­ cause batteries will not be ready for decades. Now it said its aims “to provide the right vehicle at the right place at the right time, with a multi­angled approach to introducing environment­friendly vehicles and has developed hy­ brid vehicles, plug­in hybrid vehi­ cles, fuel cell vehicles (FCVs), EVs and others”.

Note, the special focus is still on fuel cell vehicles, because TMC were right about the bat­ teries’ shortcomings when com­ pared to hydrogen fueling times — in those few places where the hydrogen stations work.

TMC alludes to the problem of escaping hydrogen as “infrastruc­ ture issues around the world” and said “the rapid strengthen­ ing of regulations aimed at in­ creasing the use of zero­emission vehicles” was what heightened its need for evees. Decyphering the corporate speak, between the lines one reads that Toyota realised there are more state subsidies for electric cars than for hydrogen and the company Toyota needs to make models that qualify. TMC president Akio Toyoda, is much more eloquent: “Over these past few years, which we have positioned as years for strengthening our planting of seeds for the future, we have taken such measures as establishing the Toyota Research Institute, made Daihatsu a fully owned subsidiary and have be­ gun work to establish an internal company responsible for com­ pact vehicles for emerging mar­ kets … It is my hope that it will serve as a pulling force for inno­ vation in the work practices of Toyota and the Toyota Group.”

— Wheels Reporter.

EIGHT nations have announced they will start using electric vehicles in their government fleets to reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector.

Canada, China, France, Japan, Nor­ way, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States signed a government fleet declaration, pledging to increase the share of electric vehicles in their gov­ ernment fleets and calling for other gov­ ernments to join them.

The declaration was announced at the Marrakech Climate Change Conference (COP22) and was developed under the aegis of the Clean Energy Ministerial’s Electric Vehicles Initiative (CEM­EVI).

The declaration emphasises the re­ newal of government fleets and show­ cases specific and voluntary commit­ ments of these countries to accelerate the introduction of low­emission vehi­ cles in their vehicle fleets. Through this declaration, the eight signatory govern­ ments are taking a leadership role in this movement and sending a strong signal for the need to speed up the transition to a low­carbon transportion system.

Greenhouse gas emissions from the

Eight countries have announce that they will be reducing their carbon emissions by using electric vehicles for their government fleets.

PHOTO: CEM­EVI transport sector today account for near­ ly a quarter of total emissions. The share will increase significantly in the coming decades unless high­impact actions are taken. Changing the trajectory of emis­ sion in road transportation involves a global shift towards low­emission vehi­

cles, along with the adoption of broader sustainable transportation principles.

The voluntary commitments taken by these countries will reduce fleets’ green­ house gas emissions and help accelerate the transition to low­emission vehicles, in line with the goals of the Paris Agree­

ment.

The members of the Clean Energy Ministerial’s Electric Vehicles Initiative co­operate to facilitate the global de­ ployment of 20 million electric vehicles, including plug­in hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles, by 2020.

This declaration is also in line with the Paris Declaration on Electro­Mobili­ ty and Climate Change and Call to Ac­ tion released at COP21 during the Lima Paris Action Agenda (LPAA) Transport Focus, which specifies that at least 20% of all road transport vehicles (cars, two­ and three­wheelers, trucks, buses and others) globally should be electrically powered by 2030 to respect a less­than two degree centigrade pathway.

This declaration also aims at encour­ aging non­state actors, such as cities, re­ gional and state governments, compa­ nies, sectorial federations and other or­ ganisations, to accelerate the energy transition with the introduction of clean vehicles in their fleets, including transit buses and taxi fleets, as well as municipal and corporate fleets.

— Witness Reporter.

Tearing up the rule book

The Jaguar I­PACE Concept design has more in common with the C­X75 mid­engine supercar than conventional SUVs. PHOTO: JAGUAR THE Jaguar I­PACE Concept is one of the most visually arresting concepts ever produced by Jaguar. Taking full advan­ tage of the packaging freedom offered by electrification, the design and engi­ neering teams took the opportunity to rethink the vehicle’s overall proportions.

The result is an exceptional vehicle that combines an advanced cab­forward design inspired by the C­X75 supercar with the smooth silhouette of a coupe — in a five­seater SUV. The I­PACE Concept embodies the technological ad­ vances under its skin — and the Jaguar design team’s belief that consumers are ready for bolder electric vehicle designs.

“The opportunities offered by an elec­ tric powertrain are huge. Electric vehi­ cles offer designers much greater free­ dom, and it is an opportunity we must grasp. This is why the I­PACE Concept is developed on a new architecture which has been designed to optimise electric vehicle performance, aerodynamics and interior space,” said Ian Callum, director of design, Jaguar.

“With the I­PACE Concept, the revo­ lution is in the profile, not the design language. The profile is possible because this car is electric. It’s not just that we wanted to create something that was very different from anything else we do; we wanted the design to celebrate the

new battery electric technology.

“I was determined from the very be­ ginning of this project to create a design which reflected this change in the me­ chanics of the car. This is what led to the sporty cab­forward profile rather than a car with a bonnet and an engine.”

A vehicle with proportions this dy­ namic is only possible with a design that consciously exploits every millimetre given by Jaguar’s state­of­the­art electric drive system. Leveraging the technologi­ cal possibilities of electric driving, the I­PACE Concept introduces big design changes and finds fresh expression for Jaguar’s premium, personal touches and British craftsmanship.

Without an internal combustion en­ gine and transmission tunnel to package, the I­PACE Concept’s design brings the cabin forward, extends the wheelbase and shortens the overhangs. This ena­ bles the silhouette to become more aero­ dynamic and the haunches to develop more powerful proportions. It also en­ larges the interior space and improves vehicle dynamics and visibility.

As a result, the I­PACE Concept’s profile . Evidence is clear in the cab­for­ ward proportions, the dynamic heart line, the curve of the front fenders, the powerful proportions of the rear haunches and the large, purposeful

wheels. And yet the I­PACE Concept’s overall footprint is as compact as con­ ventional mid­sized SUVs. The long, 2 990 mm wheelbase creates a volumi­ nous interior with a level of rear knee room usually only found in full­size SUVs and luxury saloons.

The five­seater I­PACE Concept is a clear statement of Jaguar’s plans for the production model with future­fo­ cused design pervading the open, spa­ cious interior. It also showcases the blend of cutting­edge technologies and traditional materials that characterise Jaguar’s vision for electric luxury.

The I­PACE Concept’s range is more than 500 km on the European NEDC combined cycle and more than 350 km on the U.S. EPA cycle. With an average daily commute of 40 to 50 km, most cus­ tomers will need to charge the car just once a week. The battery can be charged at public charging stations, a dedicated wall box at home, or simply using con­ ventional domestic power sockets.

Charging is easy and quick, with 80% charge achieved in 90 minutes and 100% in just over two hours using 50 kW DC charging.

“Electric vehicles are inevitable — Jag­ uar will make them desirable. Zero emis­ sion cars are here to stay and the I­PACE Concept is at the cutting edge of the

electric vehicle revolution,” said Ian Ho­ ban, vehicle line director, Jaguar Land Rover. “As the charging infrastructure continues to develop globally — and with enough range to mean most people would only need to charge once a week — cars like the I­PACE Concept will make drivers appreciate that an EV can be rewarding and practical enough to drive every day.” — WR.

NICK ROGERS group engineering director, Jaguar Land Rover

V

‘It is my belief that over the next five years we will see more changes in the automotive world than in the last three decades.

The future is about being more connected and more sustainable; electrification and lightweight tech are becoming more important as urbanisation increases.’

MOTORING WitnessWheels

November 24, 2016

3

Best 4x4 or legendary relic?

BRIAN BASSETT shakes and rattles, but does not roll well with the Land Rover Defender 90 OVER the years we have reviewed a number of Land Rovers in this col­ umn. Cars like the Discovery, Range Rover and Freelander.

We considered these to be among the finest cars we have driven in terms of design, technology and du­ rability.

They also had the ability to go just about anywhere in comfort.

The one Landy we have not had the opportunity to drive was the De­ fender, an icon designed in 1948 and phased out after 67 years in produc­ tion in December 2015.

In those 67 years, other than the addition of a small amount of com­ fort, electric side windows for the front passengers and a tall front win­ dow instead of a split window, there were few visible changes.

This is after all a car in which front wind­up windows were only intro­ duced in 1983.

Engines and drive trains, as well as suspensions have also been im­ proved and the vehicle we drove, courtesy of Allan Neave, used car sales manager of Jaguar/Land Rover Pietermaritzburg, had the last 2,2­li­ tre diesel engine, introduced in 2011 and delivering 90 kW/360 Nm. The original utility vehicle The Defender is powerful and tough with a recommended maximum gra­ dient ascent of 45° and an ability to tow several times its weight. Sounds great but there is a problem.

The Defender is a utility vehicle; it has also been extensively used as a military vehicle, both during the Irish troubles in the 1970s and as a platform for Rapier missiles for the British Army.

Recently, in Afghanistan, the Brit­ ish added a revolving 50­calibre tur­ ret to a conversion of the vehicle and the Defender rendered great service there. The problem is that, while the Defender is as tough as a bag of nails, it’s as uncomfortable as sleeping on a bag of them.

In fact is the Defender cannot be talked of in terms of comfort but in terms of the roles its robustness and strength allow it to perform.

When one thinks of the range of fine, durable vehicles Land Rover now produces, all of them very capa­ ble in the rough, one cannot help wondering how the Defender has managed to last so long.

I found the vehicle cramped, while entering the cabin required a great deal of grunting and groaning, my cellphone caught on the door handle and my foot could not quite find the running board for that last push to take me on to the edge of the driver’s seat, where I could then slide into an admittedly comfortable high­riding seat. Leaving the vehicle was a con­ tinuation of the nightmare, with my right foot only touching the ground once my left leg had cramped while trying to disengage from the running board. There is, however, an upside.

The body work is tough and the vehicle’s architecture contributes to the image of brute strength it por­ trays, with a no­nonsense functional simplicity and a slab­sided profile

that makes it all the more adaptable to any off­road conditions.

That tough body is made of light­ weight aluminium, with its panels riveted on to a metal frame to allow easy repair in the field. The cargo bed in all models is also aluminium, al­ lowing for a rust­free life for your De­ fender. But alas, after I drove the De­ fender for about a week I found it un­ comfortable on tar, with bone­ shaking manners over deep potholes and speed platforms. The pleasure of course is that you did not have to slow down for either.

On the Midlands D roads the De­ fender is more than competent but not easy to drive with its long­ stemmed gear lever operating a six­ speed gearbox and a heavy clutch.

It is very much a man’s car to drive, although I’m told the coil­spring sus­ pension I had on the model I drove makes for “a soft ride” compared to earlier models and meant I wasn’t be­ ing quite as manly as I thought I was.

Real manly drivers, I was told, would hook the permanent AWD and lock up the centre diff to drive this vehicle anywhere. I retorted I have already did so — in the Land Rover Discovery, with automatic gears, electric seats and a sublime sound system. The Land Rover De­ fender is, then, as much an object of desire as it is one of the most remark­ able marketing success stories ever.

I will admit to having two friends who have Defenders. The one vehicle is 28 years old and the other 32 years old. I have driven to Durban in both of these. Conversation is impossible because of cabin noise and air­condi­ tioning is provided by small windows that open below the windscreen.

Thankfully the Defender we drove was fully air­conditioned, although cabin noise was still distracting.

Nonetheless these vehicles are loved and cared for by their owners and any criticism of them is viewed as treason. Comments about noise and drivability are pushed aside as “wet” and not understanding the purpose of the Landy.

Taking the vehicles from their ga­ rage is viewed as an event and in fact Defender owners can be said to have developed a captive’s love for their vehicles, also known as Stockholm Syndrome. But, as we wrote in Wheels, life is too short not to fall in love, which is why the Landy legend will continue to grow, even while the original fades into history as we await the new Defender at the end of 2016.

The problem is that, while the Defender is as tough as a bag of nails, it’s as uncomfortable as sleeping on a bag of them.

Having one life and living it is what having a Land Rover Defender is all about, as owner Ronnie Drew is always keen to demonstrate in his highly modified Landy. Note the recovery rope, because pukkah Landy drivers who do not get stuck, simply are not trying hard enough. PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN

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NOW WITH R50 000 TRADE ASSISTANCE A special edition for 2016, Discovery Graphite introduces a modern and distinctive look to the model range with an array of striking features and finishes. These include 19-inch 7-split spoke alloy wheels in high gloss dark grey, and a grey Graphite finish to the fender vents and grille.

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Land Rover Pietermaritzburg 9 Armitage Road, Bird Sanctuary, Pietermaritzburg Tel: 033 897 8860 pietermaritzburg.landrover.co.za T’s and C’s apply

4

WitnessWheels MOTORING

November 24, 2016

Not as clean as claimed Fiat Chrysler Autos and Cummins now in the dock alongside VW and Audi for cheating exhausts ALWYN VILJOEN IT is not just VW and Audi that are being sued for lying to buyers about the levels of toxic gases emitted by their cars in normal use.

Seattle law firm Hagens Berman So­ bol Shapiro has now filed a class action lawsuit against several American brands for alleged emissions cheating … and Mercedes may be next in their sights.

The lawyers, who were involved with the Volkswagen 2.0­litre diesel settle­ ment, last week sued Cummins and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) on behalf of 500 000 big bakkie owners in Ameri­ ca.

They are seeking reimbursement and damages to the tune of $3 000 (R42 636) to $5 000, depending on the vehicle.

In its court papers, the company wrote Cummins and Chrysler had con­ spired to conceal illegally high levels of emissions in Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 diesel pickup trucks manufactured be­ tween 2007 and 2012.

They explain how the two companies saw a golden business opportunity in 2001 to meet the Environmental Protec­ tion Agency’s (EPA) stringent emissions standards for heavy­duty highway diesel engines, slated to take effect in 2010. The lawyers’ courts papers quote how Cum­

Nadia Trimmel.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

MBSA appoints new VP PRETORIA — Mercedes­Benz South Africa (MBSA) has ap­ pointed Nadia Trimmel as the vice­president of Mercedes­Benz Vans Southern Africa, effective January 1, 2017. In this position, she will be the successor to Ni­ colette Lambrechts, who will be assuming responsibility for Mer­ cedes­Benz Vans in Canada, as of the same date.

Trimmel holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in marketing and economics from the Univer­ sity of the Witwatersrand. She started her career in the motor industry as a marketing/sales trainee in 2000 at another auto­ motive manufacturer. She was soon promoted to district sales manager.

She went on to fill the roles of sales strategy and campaign manager, product manager, re­ gional manager, chief marketing manager for light commercial ve­ hicles and senior manager after­ sales marketing and strategy with another automotive manu­ facturer, before joining Mercedes­ Benz South Africa in 2014 as na­ tional sales manager (vehicle sales and aftersales). — Supplied.

mins had announced the new truck as the “strongest, cleanest, quietest best­ in­class 2007 Cummins turbo Diesel.

Leapfrogging the competition, the Cummins 6,7 litre turbo Diesel engine”, which is used exclusively in Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 heavy duty pickup trucks to achieve what Cummins said was “the world’s lowest 2010 Environmental Pro­ tection Agency (EPA) NOx standard” a full three years ahead of the require­ ments.

“In order to produce a diesel engine that has desirable torque and power characteristics, good fuel economy, and emissions levels low enough to meet the stringent European and United States governmental emission standards, FCA and Cummins (collectively, the defend­ ants) developed the 6,7 litre diesel en­ gine with a sophisticated NOx adsorber.

The primary emission control after­ treatment technologies include a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and a NOx ad­ sorber catalyst system.

“The DPF traps and removes particu­ late [soot] emissions, while the NOx ad­ sorber system facilitates the capture and reduction of NOx into less harmful sub­ stances, such as nitrogen and oxygen.

“In contrast to Cummins’s promises, real­world testing has revealed that the Dodge 2500 and 3500, equipped with the Cummins 6.7 litre turbo diesel en­

ONLY IN THE U.S.: While lawyers are litigating against VW, Audi and now Dodge Ram, naysayers to climate change in North America have started ‘coal rolling’, with several companies selling mechanisms with big exhausts and smoke stacks to send clouds of diesel smog into the atmosphere in defiance to laws aiming to limit toxic fumes. PHOTO: DAILCALLER.COM gine, emit dangerous levels of NOx at many times higher than their gasoline counterparts; what a reasonable con­ sumer would expect from the cleanest engine in its class; United States Envi­ ronmental Protection Agency maxi­ mum standards; and the levels set for the vehicles to obtain a certificate of compli­ ance that allows them to be sold in the United States,” the lawyers stated.

Thus Cummins’s “cleanest engine in its class” is far from clean, they added.

The lawyers said FCA and Cummins had “vigorously marketed the Adsorber Engine, and the Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 with the Adsorber Engine, as the strongest, cleanest, quietest diesel en­ gine in its class”.

In 2011, Cummins also stated that the “product has been in commercial use for

over four years, delighting customers with its performance and durability, and delivering on Cummins [sic] commit­ ment to a cleaner, healthier environ­ ment”.

FCA’s advertising claimed the “clean­ er diesels saved owners time, expense, and hassles, and that both the 6,7 litre Cummins Turbo Diesel in Ram Heavy Duty pick­ups met all 50­state emissions standards with no need for a diesel ex­ haust fluid system.

“These representations are deceptive and false. The affected vehicles routinely exceed applicable Federal and California emissions limits.

“The legal limit of NOx emissions for stop­and­go driving is 200 mg/mile.

When tested, Dodge Ram 2500s emitted 702 mg/mile, and 2 826 mg/mile at max­ imum emission. The California NOx limit for highway conditions is 400 mg/ mile. Testing for the 2500 shows an aver­ age of 756 and max of 2,252 mg/mile,” thundered the lawyers.

When done with GM, the Seattle­ based smoke­chasers look set to aim for the Mercedes­Benz, a relatively small player in America. For as they said, “the green bubble with respect to diesel vehi­ cles has truly popped on September 18, 2015, when the EPA issued a Notice of Violation of the Clean Air Act against Volkswagen”.

“Now, known as the Cormorant UAV, it’s made its first full untethered autonomous flight … although there were a couple of hiccups.”

The Cormorant airmule during its first flight tests.

PHOTO: GIZMAG

First full flight for the AirMule, but not entirely smooth BEN COXWORTH A LOT has happened since we first heard about the AirMule, a prototype VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aircraft that features internal rotor blades — these work along with the horizontal­ thrust ducted fans visible at the rear.

First, it made some tethered autono­ mous test flights. Then, it flew unteth­ ered for a short distance.

Now, known as the Cormorant UAV, it’s made its first full untethered autono­ mous flight … although there were a cou­ ple of hiccups.

Designed by Israeli firm Tactical Ro­

botics, the Cormorant is designed to de­ liver troops, civilian passengers or other cargo within tight quarters where heli­ copters with exposed rotor blades just can’t go. With the UAV in its name standing for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, the idea is that it will perform these tasks either autonomously or by remote con­ trol.

The latest test took place in Israel on November 3, lasting only about two minutes and involving low flight over uneven terrain.

While the aircraft did successfully demonstrate autonomous flight modes such as takeoff, climb, acceleration,

cruise, deceleration, descent, turns, hov­ er and touchdown, it is hoped that sub­ sequent flights will be able to smooth out the transitions between those modes.

Additionally, there were points in the flight at which the Cormorant’s Flight Management System (FMS) had to override erroneous judgments made by the Flight Control System (FCS).

The FCS basically flies the UAV, utilis­ ing input from onboard sensors such as two laser altimeters, a radar altimeter, inertial sensors and an electro­optic pay­ load camera.

On two occasions, however, ground

conditions caused inaccurate laser al­ timeter readings, making the FCS mis­ judge the aircraft’s height above the ground.

On a third occasion, “poor judge­ ment” by the FCS caused the Cormo­ rant to descend too early for its landing.

In all three cases, the FMS determined that FCS’s actions were flawed, and overrode them. As Tactical Robotics puts it: “While the FCS was ‘learning’ to fly the aircraft through the various pattern manoeuvres, the FMS was con­ tinuously monitoring the level of safety, and making judgments regarding if and when to intervene.” — New Atlas.

MOTORING WitnessWheels

November 24, 2016

5

BMW S. Korea tests 5G connectivity for safer cars SK Telecom in South Korea has demon­ strated the world’s first 5G connected car, named “T5”, at BMW’s driving cen­ tre on Yeongjong Island.

Using the 28GHz band, the 5G trial network covers an area of 240 km² and supports more than 20 gigabytes, or 20 000 megabytes per second peak data rates, with sub­millisecond latency.

By comparison, back in Msunduzi, we consider a mere 12 megabytes per second pretty fast. SK Telecom and Ericsson have jointly developed and deployed the 5G radio and core network infrastruc­ ture to cover the whole driving centre.

Based on the 5G trial network, SK Tele­ com demonstrated the world’s first 5G­ based connected car in T5.

Realised through the powerful combi­ nation of 5G and Vehicle­to­Everything (V2X) technologies, T5 provides inno­ vative features that dramatically im­ prove road safety and driving experience by supporting ultra­low latency commu­ nication between vehicles or the vehicle and its environment. For the demonstra­

tion, SK Telecom worked with BMW Group Korea to install 5G terminals within two BMW vehicles.

SK Telecom has demonstrated T5’s capability to observe road conditions enabled by state­of­the­art video recog­ nition cameras installed within the vehi­ cle to provide notifications and assisted­ driving to drivers.

In addition, the company has trans­ mitted, in real time over the 5G network from the device to the network (i.e., up­ link), ultra­high­definition (UHD) vid­ eo taken by 4K cameras and a 360­de­ gree camera installed both inside and outside of the vehicle to the control cen­ tre set up for the audience to enjoy the demonstration through large screen dis­ plays.

“5G will offer much more than just faster data speeds. It will serve as a true enabler for a whole new variety of power­ ful services that deliver unprecedented value to customers,” said Alex Jinsung Choi, the CTO and head of corporate R&D center of SK Telecom. — WR,

V KIM HYO­JOON CEO of BMW Group Korea ‘Today’s demonstration of 5G­based connected car technologies marks the very first step towards achieving fully autonomous driving in the upcoming era of 5G. At present, global automakers are expanding partnerships and collaborations to gain an edge in the area of future mobility realised through 5G.’

The 2017 model of South Africa’s second­best­selling medium sport utility vehicle is coming to local dealers next year to take on the top­selling Hyundai Tuscon. PHOTO: MAZDA

Buyers await a Tuscon vs CX­5 price war MAZDA Motor Corporation has un­ veiled the all­new Mazda CX­5 cross­ over SUV, and promises a turbo diesel for the model early next year.

The new CX­5 refines every element of Mazda’s design, which we at Wheels already rate as the current standard and, on the eye at least, is a worthy com­ petitor for the Hyundai Tuscon, SA’s best­selling medium sport utility vehi­ cle (SUV), but is expected to arrive in local showrooms only mid­2017.

The slogan for development of the Next­Gen Mazda CX­5 is “an SUV all customers will enjoy”, which means Mazda’s designers aimed to ensure the passengers will also enjoy the ride.

Hence, as with all Mazdas, the ergo­

nomics are excellent. Not that this means the CX­5, which in the current model range blew the socks off all en­ thusiastic drivers with its handling, are no longer a driver’s medium ute.

Mazda said it is still engineered to deliver responsive performance “that conforms to the driver’s expectations”.

These expectations can be pretty high, while this is not the sporty, two­ seater MX­5 that hugs the tarmac, this ute has that “car­like handling” the marketers like to proclaim, alongside the slightly higher seating position which drivers enjoy.

South Africa can expect the same powertrain lineup as Europe, which comprises the Skyactiv­g 2.0 and 2.5

petrol, and Skyactiv­d 2.2 diesel en­ gines. All three engines provide smooth power delivery and despite the dangers of making any type of claim of low diesel emissions these days (see the latest bout of litigation on page 4), Mazda said all its engines deliver “out­ standing environmental performance”.

Maybe that just means they stand out for not having any cheating devic­ ces or inflated fuel consumption claims? The CX­5 is the second­best­ selling medium SUV in South Africa, and it looks to be a ding­dong battle with specials on the showroom floors when it arrives next year. We recom­ mend that even specials on the current model are worth snapping up.— WR.

WitnessWheels TRANSPORT MOTORING

6

November 24, 2016

LEFT: This picture of Old Faithful, Durban’s last electric tram, was taken on August 2, 1948 in Musgrave Road outside Jameson Park. RIGHT: A modern­day electric tram in Brussels, Belgium.

PHOTO: FAD.CO.ZA­ALSTOM

Trams greener than buses Novel study shows cities battling smog and diesel engines will do well to go back to tramways ALWYN VILJOEN FEW residents of Pietermartizburg will have been around when the public trans­ port needs of Scottsville were served by a tramway, which served the suburb with large wagons and had its terminus near today’s tourism office in the centre of town from 1904 to the 1936.

Former town planner and Wheels writer Brian Bassett said all cities had tramlines in those years, but these sys­ tems fell out favour because everyone thought crude oil would always be sold for around R15 a barrel.

City engineers then cited studies to show how expensive the trams’ electrici­ ty was compared to cheap gasoline. Citi­ zens supported their arguments, as ev­ eryone aspired to be independent with their own car.

As a result, no one shed a tear when the rails were ripped up and coaches sold for scrap across SA in the mid 1940s.

Now a comparison of the environ­ mental lifecycle impacts of tramway and Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) systems points out shows a return to trams, in­ stead of buses, are the way to go.

Environmental consultants Carbone 4 was sponsored by tram builders Al­ stom to conduct the study. Until recent­

ly, a lack of hard industry data made it difficult to compare the long­term envi­ ronmental performance of BRTs and tramway systems, but Carbone 4 said all that changed last year, when Alstom shared its data on standard tramway sys­ tems and its optimised Attractis inte­ grated tramway system.

Carbone 4 is a leading independent consulting firm based in Paris special­ ised in climate­resilient and low­carbon strategy. Alstom develops and markets complete rail systems, equipment and services in 60 countries with 31 000 em­ ployees. The result of their study was the world’s first comparison of end­to­end carbon footprint of tramways with those of a range of buses deployed in rapid transport systems.

Carbone 4 began by comparing Al­ stom’s data to BRT data issued by lead­ ing French, European and international institutions.

The study took into account multiple variables, such as the fact that a fully­ electric bus with large batteries would have less room to carry passengers.

It also factored in how often the vehi­ cles would need to be replaced — 30 years for a tram and 15 years for a bus — and wear factors, such as battery life­ time for electric buses.

The study then analysed the CO2 emitted by the energy used to build, maintain and renew the transport sys­ tem and power the vehicles.

Regarding electricity, the study took into account the average electricity car­ bon factor in Belgium, which has a mix of nuclear, hydro and fossil fuel sources.

The sensitivity of the results to the emission factor of electricity was also as­ sessed. Perhaps not surprisingly, consid­ ering the sponsor, tramway systems emerged a clear winner when it came to supporting cities in their goals to have cleaner air and cheaper mass transport, although Carobon 4 admit constructing the rails and overhead lines can make the place messy for two years or more.

Construction and manufacturing Although a bus system offers short­term advantages during construction and manufacturing, when making a tram produces 400 tons of CO2 compare to making a diesel bus, which emits only 30 tons of CO2, the tramway system is a clear long­term winner, with much lower overall lifetime emissions, thanks to its better operation and maintenance performance and the longer lifetime of the trams.

Due mainly to the combustion of diesel to power the bus, a diesel BRT’s total

lifetime emissions are more than twice as high as the ones of a tramway system.

For the same reason, a plug­in hybrid BRT system emits about 30% more greenhouse gas (GHG) than a tramway system over its lifetime.

The BRT system also uses more elec­ tricity than the tramway one with a simi­ lar transport capacity. Even a fully elec­ tric BRT system has 17% higher lifetime emissions than a tramway system, since a city would need to operate a large fleet of buses to achieve the same transport capacity as 20 trams, resulting in 3,6 times more kilometres travelled by a bus annually.

Because BRT infrastructure is lighter during the initial construction phase, its associated emissions would be 2,2 times lower than for a tramway.

If a city can use existing road infra­ structure as a basis to build a BRT sys­ tem, it would however need to reinforce it for heavy traffic and build stops and other associated elements.

Impact of energy mix Electricity production accounts for more than 40% of global fossil CO2 emissions. Since tramways are powered solely by electricity, how does the elec­ tricity mix influence the carbon foot­ print advantage of tramway systems?

Even in a worst­case scenario in which the electricity emission factor is around 0,800 kg CO2 per kWh, as in China, all other assumptions remaining the same, the tramway’s carbon footprint remains lower on a 30­year lifetime than a diesel, hybrid or electric BRT system.

Carbone 4 also predict the electricity emission factors will significantly de­ crease in the coming years, thanks to the current developments in the fields of re­ newable energy, which will reduce fur­ ther the footprint of electrical modes.

This ranges from new uses of silica which increases several 1 000 times the heat of heavy salts in solar energy cap­ turing systems, to Tesla and Solar City merging to form one company, to Toyota making a fuel cell car that doubles as a mobile power generator.

After doing the study, Alstom had to get in a punt for its product, the Attractis a tram service.

Altogether, over a 30­year lifetime, At­ tractis said in a statement its tramway system will emit 57% less GHG than a diesel bus system, 32% less than a plug­ in hybrid, and 23% less than fully­elec­ tric bus system such as BYD or Volvo uses. Alstom said a 12 km long Attractis tram system can be fully operational within 30 months.

World’s biggest trams were in Durban ELECTRIC buses, such as BYD and Vol­ vo are building, are not new. Kevan Mardon, expert in the history of trans­ port in eThekweni Municipality, reports trams powered by electricity were in­ troduced on May 1, 1902.

The first ones were imported. The municipal workshops in Durban began building their own tram bodies in 1910, fitting them with imported motors.

The trams built in Durban had the distinction of being the largest in the world.

They were equipped with a driving position at both ends and passenger seat backs which could be flipped to

allow the passengers to face forward no matter which way the tram was travelling. In addition to the normal passenger trams, the Durban Municipal Transport Department operated a num­ ber of specialised trams including wa­ tering trams, which sprayed unpaved streets to keep the dust down, obser­ vation trams which were used to check the state of the tram lines, and stone trucks which were used to transport stone from the quarry near the Umgeni River for use in road building.

The department also operated two funeral trams which are believed to be unique in the world and which provided

space for a coffin and 12 mourners to sit. The funeral tram service first ran in 1907 and caused a huge outcry among the town’s funeral directors who were still using horse­drawn carriages.

The service for the white population of Durban was suspended after the second trip although that for non­ whites continued until 1931.

The last electric tram (No. 7015), af­ fectionately known as Old Faithful, ran in Durban on August 2, 1949.

Dear Old Durban author Aileen Gor­ don­Huntley had the unique distinction of riding on both the first and the last trams. — www.fad.co.za.

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

Pedal power for Bergville pupils Giving rural school children access to bikes is a proven way to lift academic performance.

In September 2016, Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) donated 350 new bikes to children at three schools in Bergville as part of their long­term partnership with Qhubeka’s Bicycle Education Empowerment Programme (BEEP).

VWSA’s Matt Gennrich said the records show how the time saved by bicycles leads to improved marks for pupils who no longer have to spend hours walking.

Qhubeka’s Sarah Phaweni says a trained bicycle mechanic is established in each area and a bicycle supervisory committee at each school enforces a two year service­to­ own contract with the pupils. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

MOTORING WitnessWheels

November 24, 2016

Winners of the UK’s 2016 historic motoring awards Louwman Museum’s splendid Pegaso Z­102 Berlinetta ENASA Cúpula, which this year emerged from restoration to win Best in Show Concours de Sport at Amelia Island, was voted Car of the Year. PHOTO: NEWSPRESS IN a break with tradition, the Lifetime Achievement Award in the 2016 Inter­ national Historic Motoring Awards, in association with Octane magazine and EFG private bank, went to a place and the events held there rather than to a person in England last week.

At a gala dinner at London’s magnifi­ cent Guildhall, the highest accolade of the evening went to America’s Bonne­ ville Salt Flats Land Speed Racing, in tribute to over 100 years of inspiration­ al achievements in a unique location.

Octane publishing director Geoff Love said the Bonneville Salt Flats have been the scene of innumerable speed record attempts for over 100 years.

“I can think of nowhere else that has inspired so many people to such a level, and this award goes to the place itself and to all of those enthusiasts who have endeavoured to take a minute, a second or a fraction of a second off a speed record there.”

Celebrating “the best of the best” in the international historic motoring in­

dustry, the Guildhall saw the good and the great of the industry come together from around the world to discover who had won the hotly contested awards.

A panel of expert judges including former World Sportscar champion Jo­ chen Mass, car designer Peter Stevens and Le Mans icon Derek Bell combined their experience and expertise to select the winners from a wide range of worthy finalists.

The Petersen Automotive Museum (USA) took top honours in the Museum or Collection category, following its outstanding redevelopment unveiled during the past year. The museum’s chairperson of the board of directors, Peter Mullin — who has been highly in­ strumental in leading the museum’s grand redesign and renovation — was called on stage again later in the evening to collect the Personal Achievement award.

Two British organisations triumphed in the Specialist and Industry Support­ er categories, with Crosthwaite and

Gardiner scooping Specialist after a year which has seen them undertaking some very challenging projects, while Bicester Heritage topped 12 months in which it has delivered its concept to cre­ ate the world’s first historic car business campus by winning Industry Supporter.

And another British win came when the remarkable achievements of the De Dion Bouton Club UK to celebrate its 10th anniversary were rewarded with the Club of the Year title.

RK Motors in Charlotte, U.S., re­ ceived the Restoration award for their stunning and meticulous restoration of P/1046, the GT40 that headed Ford’s famous 1­2­3 finish at the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours.

And a meticulous endeavour of an­ other kind — the astonishingly detailed collation of archive material in “Por­ sche 917 Archive & Works Layout 1968­ 75” — secured the Publication category for Germany’s Walter Näher.

Historic cars out on the road or race track or taking part in a rally or concours

are a joy for owners and spectators, and IHMA has four categories to celebrate this.

The superb Le Mans Classic, which brought together 550 cars on track, 1 000 drivers and 10 former winners of the 24 Hours, won Motorsport Event, while the equally impressive Amelia Is­ land Concours d’Elegance took top honours in Motoring Event.

One of the most famous historic mo­ toring events in the world — Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run — took home the Rally or Tour award, while HRDC’s Academy series, which has brought a surge of new drivers to the historic racing sector, was first across the line in Race Series.

Finally, in the one category decided by public vote, the Louwman Museum’s splendid Pegaso Z­102 Berlinetta ENA­ SA Cúpula — which this year emerged from restoration to win Best in Show Concours de Sport at Amelia Island — was voted Car of the Year.

— Newspress.

Getting mobile again Nicky’s Drive helps people in wheelchairs to regain their independence KERRYN MCKAY FOR Eudricht Kotze, not having his in­ dependence after a car accident left him a quadriplegic in 2012, simply wasn’t an option.

At the time he was 20 years old, living alone in Stellenbosch and working as a civil engineer. His work required him to travel a great deal and he had always en­ joyed being behind the wheel.

He was driving home after a long weekend when he lost control of his car on a dirt road and had the accident that was to change his life.

Kotze lay in a hospital bed for three months, recovering from his injuries and taking in the fact that he had no move­ ment from the chest down. No one, he says, can prepare you for this. “In retro­ spect, I realise that prior to my accident I was not in a good space in my life. The accident made me reassess my place here. In a way, I feel like I have been given a second chance.”

Shortly after coming out of rehabilita­ tion, Kotze took up wheelchair rugby. He hadn’t played any sport since his school days, but this quickly became one of his passions.

He also began to peer­counsel others who were going through rehabilitation for similar injuries. He said: “When I was in rehab I had so many questions, and very few answers. People around me could help me but they didn’t always have the necessary information.

To date, Kotze has peer­counselled 10

Eudricht Kotze lives a full life despite being wheelchair­bound, thanks to being able to drive with the assistance of Nicky’s Drive.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED people through the Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital’s rehabilitation unit, where he himself was rehabilitated.

Kotze said that living as a quadriplegic requires additional equipment — and subsequent expenses — to aid and sup­ port the limitation of movement. “I did find, though,” he said, “that not all the things you’re advised to buy are really necessary. As part of my peer counselling I also advise people as to what they are really going to need, and what is not al­

ways that necessary.”

For Kotze, the most important finan­ cial investments have been in financing his wheelchair, purchasing a car and in­ stalling the necessary car adaptations.

Given that he is currently fundraising for a custom­made wheelchair that will accommodate his 1,89 m frame, having received financial support for car adap­ tations was a huge bonus.

“I heard about Nicky’s Drive on social media,” he said, “and how the organisa­

tion funds car adaptations. This was something that I desperately needed for my new vehicle.”

Although able to move his arms and wrists, Kotze has limited hand move­ ment.

His car adaptations included a spin­ ner with which to steer, as well as hand controls for the brakes and accelerator.

“I drive everywhere, every day,” said Kotze. “Although I no longer have to drive vast distances for work, my current position as the national sales account manager for a security distribution com­ pany still requires me to undertake the occasional site inspection or client con­ sultation.”

Driving a car is something that com­ pletes Kotze’s independence. “I drive, I work, I play sports, I go shopping. I live a full life,” he said.

Importantly, Kotze maintains that in­ dependence is as much a mindset as it is a lifestyle.

“I’ve seen people with less mobility than I have, who are actually more inde­ pendent than I am. I believe that the road to independence is a journey, and to get there, you need to have the drive.”

• Kotze is not a registered counsellor, but he is happy to provide peer counselling to people who might like to talk to some­ one who has gone through a similar expe­ rience to themselves. Should you wish to talk to him, please contact Nicky’s Drive, who will be happy to put you in touch with him on 021 555 3298 or via e­mail nickys­ drive.com.

7

The top view of the first genuine Jaguar XKSS to be built in almost 60 years, now on display at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles.

PHOTOS: JAGUAR LAND ROVER CLASSIC

Curves worth R17 million THE Jaguar Classic engineering team have rolled off their assem­ bly floor the first genuine Jaguar XKSS to be built in almost 60 years a few weeks ahead of the production schedule.

The mechanics formed the magnesium alloy bodies by hand over wooden bucks, which first had to be re­created. There are a few items not period correct, like the petrol tank, which has been updated in the interests of safety, and new cast iron blocks, but the 3,4­litre, double­overhead camshaft inline­six, fed by a trio of Weber DC03 carburetors, still pushes this car to 160 km/h in 14 seconds.

This is why XKSS is often called the world’s first supercar, and was a road­going conversion of the Le Mans­winning D­type, which was built from 1954­1956.

In 1957, a fire destroyed nine cars earmarked for export to North America at Jaguar’s Browns Lane factory in the Brit­ ish Midlands; with only 16 exam­ ples of XKSS being built. Jaguar announced in March it would as­ semble the nine XKSS cars de­ stroyed in the fire.

Eight months later, the first of the nine models made its world debut at the Petersen Museum, Los Angeles.

Finished in non­metallic Sher­ wood Green paint, the XKSS still catches the eye of even millenial kids who otherwise have no in­ terest in cars.

Or as one cooed at the office: “It is so curvy!”

Each of the nine cars will be completely new, with period chassis numbers from the XKSS chassis log. All cars are sold at a price in excess of £1 million (over R17 million) each. — WR.

The fist of nine cars for delivery to customers across the globe in 2017.

WitnessWheels MOTORING RACING

8

November 24, 2016

Ready for Daytona history Porsche ready to race the biggest evolution in GT cars at track that made Kreepy Krauly famous ALWYN VILJOEN IN 1984, South Africa’s Kreepy Krauly pool cleaner became fa­ mous across the U.S. after an all­ South African team won the 24­ hours Daytona race in a March 83G­Porsche.

Ever since then local endur­ ance race fans have been keeping an eye on the German brand’s performance in other endurance races, and our national soccer and rugby coaches can only wish for a track record achieved by Porsche this year.

The Porsche teams — again — took home all the silverware from around the world, from winning Le Mans in France; the manufac­ turers’ world championship in Shanghai and the drivers’ world championship in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at last weekend’s finale in Bahrain.

With Audi having announced it will pull out of endurance rac­ ing to focus on the new Formula E, the coast is now also clear for its VW stablemate to record a third consecutive clean sweep around world endurance tracks.

While its VW stablemate fo­ cuses on race­testing full electric motors, Porsche will instead fo­ cus on racing its hybrids.

Next year’s teams In the 2017 season, the factory is

THE NEW AND THE OLD: Left is one of the Porsche GT racing cars that made a clean sweep in the 2016 World Endurance Championships (WEC) for the second year running; above is very similar March 83G­Porsche in which Sarel van der Merwe, Tony Martin and Graham Duxbury won the Daytona in 1984. PHOTOS: PORSCHE­LEISUREWHEELS expected to run the new 911 RSR at 19 outings, which equates to more than 140 hours of racing.

Two factory­entry Porsches will tackle the FIA World Endur­ ance Championship (WEC) in­ cluding the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as the American Imsa Weathertech Championship.

The new racer will celebrate its debut under the toughest condi­ tions at the Imsa season opener in Daytona on January 28­29.

“We’re very well prepared for this,” says Marco Ujhasi, head of GT Works Sport.

“Since its first rollout in Weis­ sach in March this year we’ve covered 35 000 test kilometres on racetracks in Europe and North America — that’s more than in the development of any other Porsche GT racer.”

All­new GT planned The company said in a statement it will tackle next year’s racing season with a completely re­de­ veloped GT racer.

The new 911 RSR makes full use of the breadth of the Le Mans 24 Hours GT regulations and, in addition to systematic light­ weight design, features an ultra­ modern, flat­six unit positioned in front of the rear axle.

The four­litre, extremely light aggregate features direct fuel in­ jection as well as a rigid valve drive and is characterised by out­ standing efficiency.

The new 911 RSR will make its debut at the Daytona 24­hour race in January 2017. “This is the biggest evolution by now in the history of our top GT model,” says head of Porsche Motorsport

Dr Frank­Steffen Walliser in a statement. “For the 911 RSR, we deliberately focused on a particu­ larly modern and light normally­ aspirated engine, as this gave our engineers immense latitude in developing the vehicle,” explains Dr Walliser. “Apart from that, in principle, the LM­GTE regula­ tions stipulate the absolute equality of various drive con­ cepts, as the torque characteris­ tics of turbo and normally aspi­ rated engines are aligned.”

Depending on the size of the restricter, the new naturally­aspi­ rated unit delivers around 375 kW. Shift paddles on the steering wheel actuate the se­ quential six­speed gearbox with a magnesium housing, which de­ livers power to the the foot­wide (31 cm) rear wheels.

Peugeot poised to defend Teams’ Rallycross crown THE final round of the 2016 FIA World Rallycross Champion­ ship in Rosario, Argentina, is poised to settle the battle for this year’s Teams’ title.

Rallycross events use mixed­ surface asphalt/dirt (60%/40%) circuits of about one kilometre in length and can feature one or more jumps.

The drivers are knocked out as the weekend progresses and only the six fastest and bravest of them get to contest the final.

Sébastien Loeb and Timmy Hansen, who have clocked up two victories for Team Peugeot Hansen so far, will do everything in their power to conclude the campaign in style and attempt to defend the squad’s 2015 crown.

With a gap of 17 points to bridge, Team Peugeot Hansen has absolutely no intention of giving up its bid to defend its 2015 Teams’ crown, even though the outcome is not entirely in its hands. Its drivers Sébastien Loeb and Timmy Hansen will use their skill and the potential of the powerful Peugeot 208 WRX to reverse the positions at the top of the provisional Teams’ points table.

Collision avoidance systems While the normal process is for technology to be race­tested and then be deployed into street cars sold to mere mortal commuters, next year will see the process re­ versed as safety tech will for the first time be used in a Porsche GT race car.

The tech features state­of­the­ art assistance systems, as the new 911 RSR is equipped with the ra­ dar­supported “Collision Avoid System”. Now in the dark, faster LMP prototypes are detected early enough, therefore prevent­ ing accidents. But note, airbags still do not feature in race cars.

Instead, a new safety cage con­ cept and a rigidly­mounted rac­ ing seat enhance driver safety.

With the seat fixed to the chassis, the pedalry can now be moved

and adjusted to fit the driver.

The new 911 RSR’s serviceabil­ ity has also been significantly im­ proved. Entire elements of the carbon­fibre body can be ex­ changed completely in a very short time thanks to clever quick­ release fasteners. Moreover, changes to the suspension set­up can be performed much more quickly and easily.

With the look of the body wrapping, the 911 RSR is striking out in a new direction. For the first time, the GT racer bears the new factory design that has fur­ ther developed the clear and dy­ namic design language of Por­ sche Motorsport.

From a bird’s­eye view, a hint of the Porsche emblem silhou­ ette can be seen. The basic col­ ours remain white, red and black.

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Sebastian Loeb is already practising to beat South Africa’s rear­wheel­drive Hilux bakkies in Dakar next year.

PHOTO: MOTORPRESS Rosario has already been the scene of success for Peugeot this year since it was at the foot of its National Monument to the Flag landmark that Stéphane Pe­ terhansel celebrated victory at the end of last January’s Dakar in the Peugeot 2008 DKR. Next year January, Peugeot hopes to repeat this win, but South Africa’s Toyota Gazoo Racing SA aim to dethrone Peu­ geot.

Gazoo Racing have prepared two racing Hilux­based bakkies for the iconic race, this year us­ ing all­wheel drive, with Giniel de Villiers, partnered with Dirk von Zitzewitz, and Nasser Al At­ tiyah with Matthieu Baumel the driving teams.

Their endurance racing battle looms in January, but on Satur­ day, the Peugeot 208 WRX will be looking to make the headlines in Argentina with Sébastien Loeb (Peugeot 208 WRX #9, Team Peugeot Hansen).

“I know Argentina quite well after competing in the country on numerous previous occa­

sions in the World Rally Cham­ pionship, as well as on the Dakar for the first time back in January.

I love the passion the people here have for motorsport.

“I hope the spectators will be just as vociferous at the rally­ cross meeting in Rosario. We still have a chance of winning the Teams’ title. It won’t be easy but I’ve seen for myself several times already that anything can hap­ pen in rallycross. We will keep fighting until the very end!”

• Fans can follow the last episode of 2016 of our WorldRX Inside web series which follows Timmy Hansen during a typical race weekend. To watch it, click on http://liencs.fr/q49.

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