Wheels 09july2015

WHAT IS IN A CAR’S NAME? ­ P4

CARS WANTED

July 9, 2015

Witness

WHEELS

Exotic,luxury and supercars WANTED FOR CASH must be low mileage and mint condition, email pics and brief description to ashgani@telkomsa.net

ASH EXOTICS Dealers in Superfine Exotic and Sports Cars Tel: 033 345 1971, 033 342 4717 Fax: 033 342 2900 - www.ashcarsales.co.za 534/550 Church Street, Pietermaritzburg 3201 • Ash 083 786 3377

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

Grip, gripper …ST AMIL UMRAW CRISPER, sharper, and with looks that will send shivers down the spines of GTI drivers, Ford’s new face­lifted Focus ST has arrived and is ready to tear up the tarmac.

Ford said in its press kit that it is not just the power that sets the new ST apart — the competing

hatches match up easily. Instead, said Ford, it is what you don’t see that gives it the edge.

For example, engineers includ­ ed an industry­first Enhanced Transitional Stability (ETS) system as part of the vehicle’s ad­ vanced Electronic Stability Con­ trol (ESC).

The ETS senses vehicle stabili­

On a wet Dezzi Raceway AMIL UMRAW AMIL UMRAW discovers ST stands for Smooth driver and Tattooed hooligan

Throwing an eagerly powerful Ford Focus ST around wet hairpins are a lot less scary than you’d think, thanks to ETS and ESC. PHOTO: SUPPLIED ty and driver inputs, predicts when a skid or loss of control might occur, and intervenes as required to maintain optimal pre­ cision and control X giving the novice driver added confidence behind the wheel.

We tested all this theory at Tuesday’s launch of the ST at the tricky Dezzi Raceway in Marburg

X in the rain. Around wet hairpins the handling is simply phenome­ nal.

The car stuck around corners at high speed with the ease of a sin­ gle hand on the steering wheel.

This can also be attributed to Ford Performance engineers hav­ ing revised the Electronic Torque Vectoring Control settings that

optimise wheel torque distribu­ tion, to further maximise traction through corners, reduce under­ steer and increase agility on a straight or after a tight bend.

Back to that power X it is breath­taking. Never before could I pull away from a corner in third and still go wide­eyed in a car in this segment. But it is not all for

bad­ass tattooed hooligans either.

There is a smooth operator un­ der the hood, as I found on the N2. At R421 900 the Focus ST3, can rival every other big motoring brand with a extra features at a lower price tag.

• Read all about the wet ST test at Dezzi’s in the Weekend Witness Motoring on Saturday.

2

WitnessWheels MOTORING

July 9, 2015

In the eye of the beholder A bargain hunter, an orange farmer and a shepherd debate the BT­50’s raison d’être WHEELS received the new Maz­ da BT­50 bakkie to test, courtesy of Mazda’s media fleet, and had an auction bargain hunter, or­ ange farmer and shepherd test it.

It is common knowledge that the BT­50 shares a platform, en­ gines and transmissions with the Ford Ranger, but the big smile on the Mazda’s nose makes the big Ford look rather square.

With everything below the bodywork basically the same, we wondered why they badge­engi­ neered two bakkies?

The short answer is that the marketers aimed the Mazda BT­ 50’s more vulnerable lights at city slickers with an outdoor lifestyle, which was where our auction bar­ gain hunter Brian Bassett stepped in, or rather, clambered up, as the bakkie is a mite higher than Bassett’s normal low­slung Bavarian chariots.

The bargain hunter Wearing his art connoisseur hat, Bassett said: “One cannot but use the word stylish to describe the new BT­50. It is certainly bet­ ter looking than most other bak­ kies on the market, although its stylish exterior still manages to project an overall image of raw masculinity.

“I could somehow not imag­ ine a woman behind the wheel, but my wife assures me that she has several friends who use this

bakkie as a mom’s taxi because they feel safe and secure in the high cabin and their families have a useful vehicle for the holidays.”

Bassett pointed out the good industrial design and ergonomic controls that make the BT­50 such a pleasant interior to occu­ py, front and back. The rear­seat space is excellent and three adults had no problem with the comfort offered. The seats in the vehicle we drove were leather covered and lent a grand feel to the interi­ or, and the rest of the dashboard and door interiors were uphol­ stered in excellent quality plas­ tics. “Driving the BT­50 was a pleasure, and I am not really a bakkie man. There is ample torque for traversing very bad road surfaces and two of the roads on which I took the BT­50 were rutted badly and sandy to boot. On rock­strewn surfaces it also behaves well and with car­ like handling.

“The 3,2 litre diesel is a de­ lightfully powerful motor and de­ livers 147 kW and 375 Nm of torque, expressed on road by, in our case, a six­speed manual gearbox, although an auto is also available.”

Bassett aimed the nose first to Cannon’s Auctioneers, where the big load bin on the double cab came in handy for four dining­ room chairs which he bought for a song.

The BT­50 finds favour with an art collector and orange farmer, although the shepherd wanted a van.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC The shepherd It was there that Alwyn “The Van Man” Viljoen, who boasts a di­ ploma in sheep management, had his usual grumble about the best bakkie always being a panel van. “With a van, I don’t have to tug on tonneau covers and strug­ gle to lift chairs onto high load beds,” he pointed out.

Viljoen, who is on record for feeling the happiest in his old Land Cruiser, said bakkies are ba­ sically ego extenders (only, he did not use the word “ego”) and said if he HAD to chose a bakkie, he would go for the prettier Mazda.

“Mazda dealers used to be able to compete on price against the Ford, but the 2016 Ranger is com­

ing, which will see a lot of specials among Ford’s double cabs.

“For me, it all comes down to which style of headlights you pre­ fer. Note, if the Mazda’s beauty beholds your eye, you would do well to also take the JMC Vigus on a test drive. It’s all Ford tech­ nology under that nose too, albe­ it of a previous generation.”

The orange farmer Johan van der Merwe is the former orange farmer who also writes for Landbou Weekblad.

He admitted to thinking he has seen it all when he got the keys to the BT­50 with the 3,2 V6 Ford diesel engine.

“There have been four 3,2 V6 Ford Rangers in our family over the past eight years,” he said, add­ ing he has done almost 60 000 carefree kilometres in his 2,2 Ford Ranger.

Inside the BT­50 he recognised glimpses of the Ford, but said the Mazda’s design gave him “that young­boy grin”, as it had a little more than the Ford.

“The BT­50 reminded me of my own Ford Ranger 2,2, but has loads and loads more power.

“The BT­50’s on­board tech­ nology made the drive just that much more enjoyable and the parking easier.

“That said, there is not much to choose between the Drifter and the Ranger except looks and resale values.

“The look of the Mazda, with its raised eyebrows, did, well, raise a few eyebrows.

“Choosing between the Ford and the Mazda is going to come down to your desire for technolo­ gy inside the cab, where the Maz­ da offers more, and your inten­ tion to resell your bakkie, where the Ford is the better option.”

MOTORING WitnessWheels

July 9, 2015

3

Care for the kids in a Ciaz BRIAN BASSETT meanders in the Midlands in Suzuki’s larger car made for family trips SUZUKI started car production in Japan in the early 1950s and is cur­ rently one of the 10 largest motor companies in the world, with an international labour force of around 45 000 and 35 production plants in 23 countries.

Since 2010 Volkswagen AG has owned around 20% of Suzuki and remains the largest shareholder in the company.

The introduction of the new Ci­ az sedan to South Africa in April 2015 allows Suzuki to compete in the ultra­competitive compact se­ dan segment for the first time and extends the South African compa­ ny’s reach to customers looking for a larger car than the Swift DZi­ re, while still enjoying the fuel economy, safety, quality and af­ fordability that have become syn­ onymous with the Suzuki brand.

I am grateful to Gary Stokes, dealer principal of Suzuki Pieter­ maritzburg, for allowing me a few days to experience the vehicle.

Styling The exterior design of the Ciaz fo­ cuses on a smooth, sleek shape with slim A­pillars and an expan­ sive windscreen.

There is a strong shoulder line, while the slim­looking flanks and rounded wheel arches add to its visual appeal. Unmistakably Suz­ uki the Ciaz is generously propor­ tioned, with wide front and rear tracks contributing to the car’s

the white, clear light which illumi­ nates the dials at night. The in­ strument binnacle is framed by an attractive three­spoke multifunc­ tion steering wheel with controls for the audio system and Blue­ tooth based telephony. There are the usual plugs for all of your elec­ tronic toys and a useful clutch of storage places. Luxury features in­ clude remote central locking, au­ tomatic climate control and a six­ speaker sound system.

Wide doors, easily cleaned seats and 495 litres luggage space and all the plugs the teenager’s electronic toys require add up to make the Ciaz a good family car.

PHOTO: SUZUKI

Safety and Security The Ciaz has ABS with EBD, driv­ er and passenger airbags, seat belts for all four occupants, child proof locks, side impact beams, brake assist and a collapsible steering column. A high­mounted rear brake light and security alarm and immobiliser are included in the package.

poised, confident look.

The front grill, with its thin, horizontal bars is framed by large, tapered headlight clusters, which incorporate both the projector­ type halogen headlight units and the turn indicators.

An integrated bumper with lower air intakes, flanked by fog­ lamps on either side adds a touch of aggression to the front end. At the rear two large tail light clusters attract immediate attention.

A colour­coded rear bumper appears to support the wide boot

Power and Handling The Ciaz is essentially a town car with capacity for long distances and good countryside perform­ ance. Multi­point fuel injection and variable valve timing makes the 1,4 engine lively and efficient.

Power output is 70kW and 130Nm of torque, with front wheel drive. Power is expressed on road by a five­speed manual gearbox which changes easily.

Steering is crisp and parking is easy with excellent all­round visi­ bility, although the more expen­

lid and the boot itself is cavernous offering 495 litres of luggage space. Quite enough to hold a fam­ ily’s luggage for a long weekend away. The design is rounded off by the 15­inch steel rims with full wheel covers on the GL. The Interior The Suzuki Ciaz allows easy entry and exit for those of all ages and the doors are designed to allow passengers to exit the vehicle in a shopping parking lot without do­ ing damage to the vehicle next

door.

The interior is roomier than the car’s compact exterior would sug­ gest and the cabin of the GL is both practical and well appointed.

The seat covers are of a heavy ma­ terial which will allow easy clean­ ing after your children have spent a weekend in the car.

The ergonomics of the dash­ board favour the driver and the in­ strument binnacle contains deep set analogue dials which can be viewed without taking your eyes off the road. I particularly liked

sive models do have Park Assist.

Driving on the N3 is pleasant, although, if you require immediate acceleration, you will have to work the gears.

The headlights are excellent and the car has a surprisingly high tolerance for poor, gravel roads.

Fuel consumption in the com­ bined cycle is around 6,5l per 100 km, depending on driving style and terrain.

The Ciaz is not a fast car — it is a family car — so 0 to 100 km/h comes up in over 13 seconds. Top speed is in excess of a ton, but chances are you propably will nev­ er need it.

Costs and guarantees There are three models in the Suz­ uki Ciaz range, all powered by the same 1,4 engine.

The entry model I drove will cost you about R180 000, while the top of the range GLX Auto will set you back about R215 000 — although while stocks last, Suzuki Pietermaritzburg offers very good trade in assitance.

The car comes with a three­year or 100 000 km manufacturer’s warranty and a thee­year or 60 000 km service plan.

The Ciaz enters the most com­ petitive area of the car market, so negotiate and look at the Toyota Corolla Quest, Hyundai Accent, Honda Ballade, Kia Rio Sedan and the Volkswagen Polo Vivo, to mention but a few.

Guess the wheels #3 THANK you to all the readers who entered Guess the Wheels #2, which was the JMC Vigus.

Several of you thought it is a Mazda BT­50 and we even had one Hilux. But as you only have to be in it for a chance to win it, we took all entries and Noelin Naidoo won the three gigabyte memory stick, which Wheels re­ ceived courtesy of Chery during the Tiggo on 12 Passes Challenge.

Asked how he spotted the Chi­ nese bakkie where many failed, Noelin told us his is a family of car freaks who read Wheels, Car, Topcar and Topgear mags and watch RPM, Ignition, so he should know at least something.

At the Tiggo 12 Passes Chal­ lenge Chery also gave Wheels a fleece­lined, water­shedding, all­ weather jacket with hood, which now has one extra large lucky Wheels reader’s name on it.

R385 000

2015 Fortuner 3,0 D4D 4x2 Auto, 18 000 km

R355 000

2014 Fortuner 2,5 D4D 4x2 Auto, 7 000 km

R305 000

You ask why do we give away stuff? Because company policy requires that gifts be declared, and what better than to declare it the property of our lucky read­ ers? For guess #3, we go old school again. Send your idea as to what car we have here to also go into the pool of readers who

will get invited to join our Fat Pack to help us rate new models.

It’s all on first come, first served basis, and as per usual, the judge’s decision is final, but correspondence may be entered into.

• Send your guess to alwyn. viljoen@witness.co.za

R299 000

2014 Hilux 3,0 D4D XC 4x2 SC LEGEND 45, 12 000 km

2014 Hilux 3,0 D4D XC 4x2, 12 000 km

R199 000

R175 000

2014 Hilux 2,0 VVTi, 39 000 km

2014 Corolla 1,4D Esteen, 26 000 km

R223 000

R219 000

2015 Corolla 1,3 Prestige, 17 000 km

2015 Corolla 1,3 Prestige, 12 000 km

R225 000

2015 Auris 1,6 Xi, 8 000 km

R196 990

2014 Auris 1,6 Xi, 33 000 km

Visit Mascor Toyota Greytown,

1 Dr Wessesl Drive, Greytown • Tel: 033 413 1593 Wendy: 072 193 7374 • Renesh: 072 283 5263 • Nelson: 076 481 3558 www.automark.co.za • Terms and Condtions apply Images for illustration purpose only

4

WitnessWheels MOTORING

July 9, 2015

WHAT’S IN A NAME? SIMON HAW

Honda’s stylish HR­V crossover available for test in Pietermaritzburg Honda’s crossover HR­V is already available for test drive in Pietermaritzburg, with either the 1,5 (88 kW/105 Nm) or the 1,8 (105 kW/172 Nm) petrol engine; both linked to the front wheels’ constantly variable transmission (CVT). Depending on model, the new HR­V’s integrated infotainment system is controlled via a five­inch monitor, or a seven­inch colour touchscreen display. Both systems feature Bluetooth connectivity for hands­free telephony and audio streaming, USB connections, a CD player, and multiple speakers.

The HR­V 1.5 Comfort retails for R299 900, with the 1.8 Elegance costing R354 900. The price includes a three­year or 100 000 km warranty, a four­year or 60 000 km service plan, and a one­year AA roadside assistance package. Services are at 15 000 km intervals.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

The informed choice ALWYN VILJOEN checks where the Mokka slots into the crossover competition.

OPEL’S month to month sales were up a whopping 122% in June, with notable performances from the trio of newcomers the ADAM, Corsa, and Mokka, which sold 169, 277, 191 units respectively.

Wheels drove two of those Mokkas, both the 1,4 manual and auto in Enjoy cladding; and can report there is a lot to like, alongside a few ja­well­no­fine points.

Stand out on the school run Among the likes, top of the list is the exclusivity the Mokka offers.

Nobody buys a crossover to blend in. We pick them because they stand out, literally and figuratively, between the hatches and bulkier Sport Utility Vehicles.

With such buying criteria, the most popular vehicle in this pack quickly loses its new allure to the bulk buyers, setting trendsetters free to look else­ where for lesser spotted lines. This is where the Mokka now sits pretty.

With only 191 sold in June, it still lags a little below that of crossover rivals like the slightly cheaper Nissan Qash­ qai and more expensive Mazda CX 5, and it is well below the sales of SA’s most popular crossover, the Ford Eco­ Sport, which sold to 740 new owners in June.

Intellilink intelligence The second like is Opel’s Intellilink in­ fotainment system with its seven inch touch screen that doubles as a screen for the optional rear view camera and can display photos via USB. I have recently given up trying to pair a phone in the Maxus, and admit to always having to fiddle with Ford’s system, but to link up all your music and photos in the Mokka, just select phone pairing, scroll down to select the Mokka on your phone, press yes,

Those high wheels on the Opel Mokka crossover can get you places, but avoid deep ruts.

PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN and you’re connected.

Six speakers provide good sound and the radio comes standard with an auxillary port.

Really, really comfy seats The third like is the use of space. The Mokka is built on the Corsa platform, which makes parking at the mall easy, but its upright stance creates a lot of room inside. The 356­litre boot can pack 105 litres more than the Juke’s 251 litres and leg room at the rear is ample. The front seats have adjusta­ ble lumbar support and squabs that extend for longer thighs. Opel states the Mokka’s front seats have been ap­ proved by doctors and therapists of the ARG, an organisation for the Ac­ tion for Healthy Backs. I spent three hours straight in these seats and the old break on my tail­bone, which makes me super­sensitive to badly de­ signed seats, did not even twinge.

Not for deep ruts Among the ja­well­no­fines are the

over­sell on the Mokka’s intrepidness in the wild. Opel boasts on its website the Mokka has “go anywhere ability”, so we took it there.

On reasonable gravel roads the high sidewalls on the 16 inch wheels do smooth out rough sections and won’t puncture at the first pothole.

But the McPhersons up front and rear torsion bars are set up for soft cruis­ ing, not deep ruts, and we turned back before we got to the narrow farm tracks, not wanting to put scratches on those curved flanks. The Mokka is a city slicker that can handle dry and reasonably smooth gravel roads, not an axle­bender.

Cruise, don’t bruise The 1,4 litre Turbo engine produces 103 kW and 200 Nm, which is more power for the price when compared to the Qashqai and EcoSport.

But with me and mine loaded, the Mokka weighs over two tons, and you’ll want to work that manual gear

lever if you are the hurried type, for the auto is anything but sprightly, (I lost count after 15 seconds during the 0­100 dash, when the wife told us to drive responsibly). While no robot racer, clever management of the Mok­ ka’s 200 Newtons does make for re­ laxed cruising. We got just over 9 l/100 km in the urban crawl, but then I will insist on deselecting the stop/start function. On the open road, I got this down to below 7l/100 km.

It’s all relative Opel has strategically priced the Mokka to offer the most power for the price, making this the informed buyer’s choice. Among its competi­ tors, Ford’s entry level 1,5 EcoSport sells for a whopping R74 600 less than the Mokka, which explains why almost 30 EcoSports were sold each working day last month, but with only 138 Nm at higher revs, the emphasis is on the eco, not the sport.

Nissan’s gorgeous new Qashqai starts at only R600 less than the Mok­ ka, but between the lights its frugal 1,2 (85 kW/190 Nm) will struggle even more than the Mokka’s little 1,4 mill.

The 2,0 Mazda CX5 (121 kW/210 Nm) offers the best power to weight ratio among the cross overs, but also costs R31k more than the Mokka.

Opel offers a five­year or 120 000 km warranty, a five­year or 90 000 km service plan, with inter­ vals every 12 months or 15 000 km.

Mokka pricing 1,4T Enjoy R288 500 1,4T Enjoy auto R298 500 1,4T Cosmo R325 500 1,4T Cosmo auto R335 500 • alwyn.viljoen@gmail.com

WHAT’S in a name?

Have you ever wondered where the brand name of your car came from?

In some cases it is pretty obvious. Only the most uninformed would think that a Ford was named after a river crossing instead of that or­ nery native of Dearborn, Michigan — cantanker­ ous old Henry. Likewise Messrs Opel, Chrysler, Honda, Toyoda (why the change from a “d” to a “t” is a bit of a mystery) and Chevrolet were all closely involved in the vehicles that bear their names. Mercedes­Benz is a little more compli­ cated. While the Benz part comes from Karl Benz, the man who built the first petrol­engined motor car, the Mercedes part was inherited from his partner Gottlieb Daimler, whose cars were diplomatically named after Mercedes Jellinek, the daughter of an Austrian diplomat who pro­ vided both financial and moral support.

Some makers opted for acronyms. A well­ known German example of this is BMW, which as most people know stands for Bayerische Mo­ torenwerke, often wrongly translated into En­ glish as “Bavarian Motor Works” rather than the more accurate “engine works”, as the core company was a manufacturer of aircraft engines — hence the representation of a propeller in the badge.

Two Italian manufacturers’ names are also ac­ ronyms. Fiat was not based on the Latin verb “let it be done”, although this was probably in the back of the founders’ minds, but on an acro­ nym for Fabbrica Italiana Automoblili Torino, which translates into English as “Factory for Italian Automobiles in Turin”. A frequently mis­ spelt maker’s name is Alfa Romeo as people of­ ten assume that the “alpha” is the first letter in the Greek alphabet rather than the contrac­ tion of Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobi­ li, which somewhat more awkwardly translates into “Lombardy Factory for automobiles” — the “anonima” means “public company”. Nicola Romeo was the entrepreneur who acquired con­ trol of the company.

Something of a curved ball in the acronym stakes is the name Datsun, back with us after a 30­year gap. DAT­branded vehicles took their name from the first letters of the surnames of the company’s three principal investors (always an idea to keep the moneybags on side). When the company produced its first small car they decided to name it Datson — son of DAT. When Nissan — a contraction of the words for Japa­ nese Industries — took over they changed it to Datsun as “son” in Japanese meant “loss”, some­ thing which all carmakers are constitutionally averse to.

Some makers’ names can be vaguely de­ scribed as aspirational. The British were fond of these — Standard, Reliant and Triumph — and look where it got them. I suppose Volkswag­ en (People’s Car) can also be seen in this catego­ ry. Volkswagen was a project of Adolf Hitler’s co­ordinated through the Kraft durch Freude (Strength through Joy, usually shortened to KdF) organisation. VW are fortunate that the original KdFwagen did not stick. But a popular brand that most people probably think was named after its founder belongs in this category.

This is Hyundai — the Korean word for “moder­ nity”. It’s not only the name it seems that is aspirational, the “H” logo is easily confused with that of another well­known make.

However, quite the most unusual derivation of a car maker’s name belongs to Audi. Its founder, August Horch, had set up his first facto­ ry in the early years of the 20th century, but then had a falling out with some of his partners.

He left to set up a new car­making venture, but for obvious reasons could no longer call his new cars Horchs, as the name was already in use for the products from his original plant. What to do? The story goes that while he and others were mulling over the vexed issue of a new and snappy name for his cars, Horch junior was busy doing his Latin homework in a corner of the same room (so much for vast corporate headquarters) when he came up with the inspired idea of trans­ lating the family name — which means Hark, Hear, Listen (take your pick) in Old German — into Latin, in this way Horch became Audi. Ironi­ cally, some years later both Horch and Audi were joined by DKW and Wanderer to form Auto Union, from whence came the four rings — one for each of the previously independent manufacturers — proudly displayed on every Audi product.

• Simon Haw is the author of Old Walls, New Echoes, the story of Maritzburg College’s last three decades, obtainable from the school.

Barons Pietermaritzburg Salutes Greg Minnaar’s History-Making Performance

By Pieter from Maritzburg Just this week, Maritzburg’s own Greg Minnaar became the most successful downhill mountainbiker ever, winning his 18th World Cup crown in Switzerland. That’s an achievement that makes me proud to be from Pietermaritzburg – congratulations, Greg!

Watching Greg’s stunning finals run (check it out on Youtube!), I thought about all the work that went into those three minutes of balanced brilliance. Greg knows a thing or two about what it takes to make mountain-biking history: “The team put in a big effort,” he said, “and it paid off.”

Barons Pietermaritzburg knows all about putting together the right elements for a brilliant

driving experience. Their bespoke deals and excellent after-sales service, coupled with Volkswagen’s unique BlueMotion Technology (that gives you the perfect balance of fuel efficiency and reliability), will put you on the fast track, guaranteed. And for anyone between the Drakensburg and Durban, uphill or down, it’s the most convenient way to get ahead.

Barons VW Pietermaritzburg can be found at 9 Armitage Road. They are committed to bringing you quality cars and excellent service at the best possible prices ALL year round! To start hunting for your dream vehicle, visit www.baronsvwpmb.co.za. And to book a test drive or service call (033) 845 3100. Open Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm, and Saturdays 8am – 1pm.

ONLY 10% DEPOSIT.

Made to meet life’s challenges.

3 year / 120 000km

It’s not just a car. It’s a Golf.

warranty

5 year / 90 000km

Golf TSI 90kW Comfortline from R3,444* per month.

New Jetta TSI 77kW Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW Conceptline from Trendline from R3,345* per month. R1,799* per month.

The Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW Conceptline standard features include:

Vehicle Price

New Jetta TSI R259,900 77kW Trendline

Interest Rate Monthly No. of Linked / Deposit Instalments Instalments Variable

R3,345*

72

-

16 Navarra alloy wheels Hill-hold control Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) with Brake Assist and Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)

7.85%*

Balloon Payment

Total Cost Incl fees & VAT

10% 30% R318,804 (R25,990) (R77,970)

55kW @ 5,000rpm Fuel-injected 5-speed manual Air conditioning Driver and passenger air bags Power steering

Model

Vehicle Price

-

Interest Monthly No. of Rate Linked Instalments Instalments / Variable

Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW R144,900 R1,799* Conceptline

72

The Golf TSI 90kW Comfortline standard features include:

Height and reach adjustable steering column Digital clock and trip recorder 3 cup holders (1 in front; 2 in rear console) Body colour bumpers

7.92%*

Deposit

Balloon Payment

10% 36% (R14,490) (R52,164)

-

Total Cost Incl fees & VAT

90kW @ 5000rpm 6 speed manual Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) Electronic Park Brake with Auto-hold

No. of Monthly InstalInstalments ments

Vehicle Price

Model

Golf TSI 90kW R308,000 Comfortline

R181,672

R3,444*

72

-

Air conditioner 16” Toronto alloy wheels Cruise Control Front, side and curtain airbags

Interest Rate Linked / Variable

6,52%*

Deposit

10% 37% R361,917 (R30,800) (R113,960)

Visit us on www.baronsvw.co.za

An optional cost of R900 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 9.25%. Note: Offers calculated on the New Jetta TSI 77kW Trendline model in standard specifications. Installment excludes optional extras and delivery fee, but includes monthly administration fee of R57.

Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa Proprietary Limited trading as Volkswagen Financial Services an Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms and Conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 14 July 2015.

An optional cost of R900 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 9.25%. Note: Offers calculated on the Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW Conceptline model in standard specifications. Installment excludes optional extras and delivery fee, but includes monthly administration fee of R57.

Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa Proprietary Limited trading as Volkswagen Financial Services an Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms and Conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 14 July 2015.

An optional cost of R900 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 9.25%. Note: Offers calculated on the Golf TSI 90kW Comfortline model in standard specifications. Installment excludes optional extras and delivery fee, but includes monthly administration fee of R57.

Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa Proprietary Limited trading as Volkswagen Financial Services an Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms and Conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 14 July 2015.

Polo Vivo 2011 2011 2013 2014 2014 2015 Polo 2011 2012 2012 2012 2013 2014 2014 2014 2015 2015 2015 Golf 2011 2011 2011 2014 2015 2015 Amarok 2011 2011 2011 2014 Other VW 2012 2012 2012 2014 2015 2015 Other 2012 2013 2013 2014

Mileage certified Full Service history 7-day exchange plan Vehicle Customisation 24 Hr roadside assistance

• • • • •

80-point mechanical check 2-year / unlimited km warranty* Vehicle History Integrity Check Balance of VW Automation Plan Professional Vehicle Reconditioning

Polo Vivo 1.6 Trendline 5 Door Polo Vivo 1.4 Trendline 5 Door Polo Vivo 1.4 Trendline 5 Door Polo Vivo 1.6 Trendline 5 Door Polo Vivo 1.4 5 Door Polo Vivo GP 1.6 Comforltine 5 Door

Black Silver White Red Beige White

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R 245 000 R 289 000 R 259 000 R 399 000

114 000 55 000 111 000 23 000

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R 159 900 R 189 900 R 194 900 R 209 900 R 279 000 R 124 900

108 000 42 000 16 000 30 000 6 500 5 000

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R 179 900 R 319 000 R 149 900 R 114 900

84 000 87 000 15 000 11 000

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WitnessWheels MOTORING

BIKING

6

July 9, 2015

Self­balancing wheelchair on pedrails smoothly climbs any stairs ALWYN VILJOEN BECAUSE doctors like to call super bike riders “organ donors”, news of a new wheelchair seems apt for placing on this biking page.

Alan Lee started B­Free Technology in 2010, after reading a media report about a young paraplegic in Hong Kong who had locked himself in his room for eight years because he could not negotiate five stairs outside.

Lee said those five steps

kept a shy, young man housebound because it was not always possible for peo­ ple to help him down the stairs, and he ended up liv­ ing like a prisoner in his room.

This fate is the same for many other wheelchair­ bound people in Hong Kong, which poses many problems and inconvenien­ ces for wheelchair bound people. They just cannot get around without help.

Lee said to help them he

Inventor Alan Lee climbs stairs on his wheelchair at a trade show.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

started creating an afforda­ ble wheel chair to climb all the city’s typical barriers.

He successfully tested the first chair with narrow tank tracks in October 2011 and has now patented the B­Free chair.

The B­Free Chair was of­ ficially launched late last year and was last week shown at the International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva. Equipped with non­slip pedrails, this folda­ ble pedrail power wheel­

chair moves smoothly over obstacles and up or down stairs, with the pedrails ad­ justing to keep the chair moving smooth and level.

“We are now working with a number of agencies and negotiating proposal to market our product as fast as possible.

The ultimate goal is to enable more wheelchair us­ ers to break through all ob­ stacles and live in a real bar­ rier­free world,” said Lee in a statement.

Selecting the bike of 2015 THE FINALISTS The finalists are (in alphabetical order): • Aprilia Caponord Rally • Aprilia RSV 1000 • BMW RnineT • BMW S1000RR • Ducati Multistrada • Ducati Scrambler • Ducati 1299 Panigale • Harley Davidson Street 750 • Indian Scout • Kawasaki Ninja H2 • KTM 1290 Super Adventure • Triumph Tiger 800 XCx • Suzuki GSX­S 1000F • Yamaha R1 • Yamaha Tracer • Zero S

The electric 2015 Zero DS in action. Cayenne Group told ‘Wheels’ the Zeroes are selling as fast as the are unpacked, but such is the depth in the Bike of the Year, the DS is not on the list.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Judges spoilt for choice as number of finalists for 2015 Bike of the Year has more than doubled DRIES VAN DER WALT CAPE TOWN — What a year!

2015 is shaping up to be a treat for bike enthusiasts, with more than 30 new models announced, including the likes of the Aprilia Tuono, Ducati Monster 1200S, and electric Zero DS. Being spoilt for choice also means the number of finalists for the 2015 SA Bike of the Year has more than doubled.

As has become customary, a panel of 14 South African motor­ cycling journalists, drawn from a variety of publications, will have three days to test the cream of SA’s biking crop before casting their votes.

Where the 2014 list was domi­ nated by naked bikes, the 2015 competition is more evenly spread among the various cate­ gories (though with a slight bias towards sport bikes).

There are a number of interest­ ing machines on the list but the two potentially game­changing machines likely to attract a lot of attention are the supercharged Kawasaki Ninja H2 and the inno­ vative Zero electric bike.

The bikes will be judged objec­ tively (within their specific cate­ gories) against several set criteria to ensure that each bike stands an equal chance of winning.

This will make up 70% of the

score, with the remaining 30% reserved for the judges’ subjec­ tive impressions.

The greater portion of the testing will take place on the “Twenty­two”, the popular 22 km strip of twisty road be­ tween Hazyview and Sabie in Mpumalanga. Most of the bikes will be ridden from Gauteng to Mpumalanga to allow the judges to assess their open­road per­ formance (exceptions, such as

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

the Zero with its limited range, will be trailered). There will also be opportunities for off­road and track riding, depending on the category of bike.

In the interests of transparen­ cy Lachlan Harris, the national director of the Association of Motorcycle Importers and Dis­ tributors (AMID), will accompa­ ny the judges as an independent observer and the judges’ score sheets will be made available to

the importers. The date the win­ ner will be announced has not been finalised, but we will tell you as soon as we know.

• The Bike of the Year is now in its third year and the previ­ ous two years’ awards have led to considerable debate. Tell us which bikes you think should have been on, or off, the list.

E­mail alwyn.viljoen@ witness.co.za

ROAD SIDE ASSIST FOR BIKERS CAYENNE Group has a new road side assist programme for bikers. Called Safe, the insurance product sells for R3 500 or R5 000 over two years. Clients can pay cash or per intall­ ment during the financing of a bike, which comes to about R84 a month over a typical finance deal.

The R3 500 option offers bike recovery, medical assistance within 15 minutes, and a identification bracelet for the riders to help paramedics on the scene. The R5 000 package adds a a tracking device that does not compromise the battery life or cut into wiring harnesses. Both packages have a chauffeur service to drive motorcyclists home if they had a second beer, which on a bike is one drink too many. — WR.

TRUCKING MOTORING WitnessWheels

July 9, 2015

7

Aiming for a safer tomorrow Daimler forges ahead with safety and assistance systems on the way to the autonomous truck BERLIN — The commercial ve­ hicle divisions of Daimler AG are forging ahead with the develop­ ment of safety and assistance sys­ tems for deployment in trucks, buses and vans.

The ambitious goal is to avoid dangerous situations and thus to realise the vision of accident­free driving. To this end, all commer­ cial vehicle business units will launch new safety technologies such as the blind spot monitor­ ing system or the mirror cam in the coming years.

In particular with long­dis­ tance trucks, the combination of various assistance systems will ease the way to autonomous driving in the coming years. De­ velopment for series application is making good progress at Daimler Trucks.

“The vision of accident­free driving is our driving force. We are therefore continuously devel­ oping new safety systems and launching them on the market.

“How fast we can apply them depends significantly on how quickly the required legal frame­ work can be created. This means that we need support from the political sphere.

“As a pioneer of safety tech­ nologies, we will take an active part in this social dialogue,” said Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, Member of the Daimler Board of Manage­ ment for Trucks and Buses, at the event “Shaping Future Transpor­ tation — Campus Safety” staged by the Daimler commercial vehi­ cle divisions in Berlin.

The event showcased the ca­ pabilities of state­of­the­art as­ sistance systems made by Daim­ ler, using a van, semitrailer trac­ tor, articulated bus and a super high­decker touring coach.

They showed a broad spec­ trum of safety systems, ranging from Crosswind Assist for vans to the new ATC anti­jackknife protection system for articulated buses and the new Blind Spot Monitoring system assist feature for trucks.

“We are the industry’s pioneer and pacemaker. And we have plenty of ideas on how to make goods transport by road even saf­ er,” stated Dr. Bernhard.

Mirror Cam One new feature that Daimler is currently working on is the Mir­ ror Cam. Monitors in the cab on

The Trailer Stability Assist and VDA evasion test with the Mercedes­Benz Sprinter crewbus at Shaping Future Transportation 2015.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC the right­ and left­hand sides, in conjunction with exterior camer­ as, significantly improve visibili­ ty for the driver and reduce the risk of accidents.

The lower wind resistance compared with conventional ex­ terior mirrors additionally low­ ers fuel consumption.

Active Braking Assist Daimler is also pursuing the fur­ ther development of Active Brak­ ing Assist, which in its current, third generation (ABA3) is able to brake a truck or coach to a standstill if necessary when faced with stationary obstacles.

According to experts, more than half of all rear­end collisions involving heavy commercial ve­ hicles can be avoided in this way.

In the next stage of development, the emergency braking assist­ ance system will also be able to detect pedestrians and cyclists.

Blind Spot Monitoring Another innovation is Blind Spot Monitoring system, which Daim­ ler Trucks will be putting into se­ ries production in the foreseeable future, as the first manufacturer in the world to do so.

Experts estimate that this sys­ tem, which detects pedestrians in the driver’s blind spot, has the potential to prevent half of all truck accidents with pedestrians and cyclists.

Lane Assist will also be further developed. Today, it already gives visible and audible warnings when a truck is about to leave its

CANTER­ING ALONG ON BATTERIES MITSUBISHI and Daimler trucks concluded year­long tests of the all electric Fuso Canter trucks at an event held in Lisbon.

President and CEO of Mit­ subishi Fuso Truck and Bus Cor­ poration, Marc Llistosella, said in a statement the Canter E­Cell project is a great example of in­ novation and collaboration be­ tween public and private sectors.

The Portuguese government co­funded the research project through IAPMEI, the Public Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation.

During the year­long trials, customers of the Daimler sub­ sidiary delivered goods with eight Fuso Canter E­Cell trucks.

Their feedback is that electric trucks are adequate for everyday use to deliver up to two­ton pay­ loads in cities.

In daily traffic, the trucks

The batteries that store power for the Fuso Canter E­Cell are placed in the chassis, like a traditional fuel tank.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED achieved a range of more than 100 km, which far exceeds the average distance most light de­ livery trucks travel in Portuguese cities.

The preliminary numbers show an electric Canter saved the operator at least a €1 (R13,73) per km, compared to a diesel Canter.

The small trucks carted gar­

den and waste to recycling cen­ tes, did forest maintenance and made house­to­house deliveries of gas bottles, and delivered bulk mail to Portugal’s distribution centres in the cities of Lisbon and Coimbra.

The eight electric Canters were assembled at the Tramagal plant, located about 150 km northeast of Lisbon. — WR.

lane. The next stage is that it will actively keep the truck in its lane and steer the truck in case of a dangerous situation.

Each of the new assistance and safety systems will reduce the number of accidents. Their intel­ ligent combination will result in a quantum leap towards acci­ dent­free driving.

“When we combine all of a truck’s sensor systems for longi­ tudinal and lateral dynamics, we further increase the safety of our vehicles significantly — autono­ mous driving will then become possible,” stated Dr. Bernhard.

Trucks are predestined for that development.

Cars drive an average of just under 12 000 km each year, but long­distance trucks cover

130 000 km, often on monoto­ nous routes.”

Self­driving trucks Daimler Trucks has frequently demonstrated its leading role in the field of autonomous driving.

In July 2014, the Mercedes­Benz Future Truck 2025 equipped with the Highway Pilot system completed its first drive in auton­ omous mode on a stretch of high­ way near Magdeburg.

In May 2015, Daimler received the first­ever license for road use for the Freightliner Inspiration Truck, also equipped with the Highway Pilot, in the U.S. state of Nevada.

The rapid application of High­ way Pilot in both trucks was pos­ sible due to the close, worldwide

collaboration between Daimler Trucks development engineers.

As the only truck manufactur­ er in the world to date to do so, Daimler Trucks has already cov­ ered tens of thousands of test kilometres with autonomously driving trucks — for the most part at its own test facilities and on non­public roads.

Testing on public roads is es­ sential on the path to the market launch of this technology. Daim­ ler Trucks will therefore be start­ ing trials on German roads in the near future. Dr Bernhard: “Poli­ ticians must make it possible for us to put autonomous trucks on the road soon. The advantages in terms of more safety and efficien­ cy in goods transport are obvi­ ous.” — Supplied.

MORE AUTO CREW CAB HINOS HINO SA announced it will en­ larg its 300­Series truck line­up.

Major users of these popular medium trucks include bakeries, security companies and local municipalities, with the latter fa­ vouring crew cabs when teams are used for work projects.

Vice President of Hino SA Er­ nie Trautmann said extensive market research with both deal­ ers and customers preceded the decision and show a need for more crew cab bodies and the option of automatic transmis­ sion, “At present we only have the 815 model with both these speci­ fication items, but aim to im­ prove that situation shortly.”

“Trucks fitted with the smooth­shifting, six­speed au­ tomatic transmission designed, developed and manufactured by Hino are finding increasing fa­

More Hino 300 trucks will soon have automatic transmission.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED vour with operators as they are easy­to­drive thereby reducing driver fatigues, allow the driver to concentrate fully on the road and traffic situation and cut

maintenance costs. This is the ideal solution for owner drivers of which there are a fair number in this market segment,” added Trautmann. — WR.

RACING WitnessWheels MOTORING

8

July 9, 2015

Electrifying Pikes Peak 2015 Two heavy cars topped the podium in U.S. hill climb to give battery­power a lot of street cred ALWYN VILJOEN ONE segment of the car market where 1960s Ford muscle car genius Bob Tasca’s “win on Sun­ day, sell on Monday” do not yet apply, is electric vehicles.

Few bikers are interested in the new record speeds of the electric bikes at the recent Isle of Man. Fewer people even know about the “electric Formula One”, de­ spite each of the eleven races in the season that ended last month being nail­biting affairs around new city tracks on which only tal­ ent determined who ended first, as all Formula E drivers race in the same Spark­Renault car.

All this is set to change after two very different electric cars last week placed first and second in a race which American petrol­ heads regard as the Mecca for real racers (as opposed to Nascar drivers).

This race was the 93rd running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, America’s second­ oldest annual car race after the Indianapolis 500 oval races.

The fastest Pikes Peak drivers reach speeds of over 240 km/h to steer around 156 hairpins along a steep 20 km course in less

Professional drift car racer Rhys Millen did a lot for the street cred of electric cars by winning this year’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb in an electric car, beating his long time rival Nobuhiro Tajima, also in an electric car.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

than 10 minutes.

This year, below zero tempera­ tures and snow at the summit of the mountain near Colorado Springs saw organisers move the finish line a bit lower midway through the race, which means results still have to be ratified.

But the weighted times will still see the Latvian engineering firm Drive eO’s PP3 the fastest up the hill, with drift car racer and Pikes Peak veteran Rhys Millen clocking 9:07,222.

Millen’s time also sets a new record for electric cars.

The second car in a time of 9:36,496 was driven by Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima, in his electric car, the Tajima Rimac E­Runner Concept One. To be sure, the times of their battery­laden cars were over a minute off the overall record for Pikes Peak of 8:13.878 — set in 2013 by nine time World Rally Champion driver Sebastian Loeb in the featherweight Peuge­ ot 208 T16 Pikes Peak racer.

But in years to come, Mr Mil­ len and Tajima­san will be able to point to 2015 as the year they went up a mountain very, very fast to give electric cars the street cred they had lacked up to that point.

Rotax Max Challenge karting delivers high­speed tumbles STUART JONHSTON JUSTIN Allison from Bloem­ fontein did as we predicted in Wheels last week to win the ul­ tra­competitive DD2 Gearbox Class headliner race of the sec­ ond National round in the 2015 South African Rotax Max Chal­ lenge karting extravaganza.

The race meeting, which saw karters compete in four differ­ ent Rotax categories, was nota­ ble for a series of high­speed tumbles and clashes between front­runners, and a number of penalties were imposed in the various classes.

Fortunately there were no se­ rious injuries, although one kar­ ter was taken to hospital for a check­up after a crash in the Saturday morning warm­up.

Held at the Vereeniging Kart raceway on Saturday, Allison was followed home by Jonathan Aberdein from Cape Town and in second place and KZN’s Ben­ jamin Habig in third.

Habig led Race Two at one

stage.

In the DD2 Masters category, for drivers 32 years and older, Potchefstroom’s Ronnie Bap­ tista emerged the winner after his main rival, Durban’s cham­ pion Cris Morgado, suffered a huge cart­wheeling crash in the second race.

He was luckily uninjured, leaving the track after avoiding a spinning competitor. Mas­ ter’s stalwart John van Wyk (now based in England) took second, ahead of Nicholas Ver­ heul, who suffered exhaust valve problems in the second race, but bounced back to finish second in the final race.

Max Challenge Jonathan Aberdein has set him­ self the ambitious SA Champi­ onship task of competing in both DD2 and the non­gearbox Rotax Max Challenge class this year, the two top categories in international karting.

And once again he was at the cutting edge of the grid, and,

consequently, the centre of some controversy.

Dicing with Race One winner Jordan Sherrat (KZN) in the second race, on the final lap the two disputed the same piece of tarmac three corners away from the chequered flag, with Aber­ dein easing Sherrat wide and Sherrat in turn short­cutting over the grass to win.

The resulting stewards meet­ ing reversed this order, with quick lady driver Fabienne Lanz in third. However, for overall honours it was Natal’s Luca Canderle who had the last laugh. His second place in Race One and a fourth in Race Two was followed up by a win in the final, to see him declared win­ ner for the day.

His decision to compete in Max Challenge as well as DD2 is thus paying dividends for this very quick and experienced driver.

Junior Max Challenge With an ultra­strong field of 18

Le Mans’ Bamber gets warm welcome JOHANNESBURG — Talented young Porsche works driver and Le Mans team winner, Earl Bam­ ber paid a visit to Porsche Centre Johannesburg during a private trip to South Africa.

Bamber wrote history as the youngest graduate of the Porsche

youth development programme: The New Zealander gained his first one­make cup experience in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia and the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. In 2014, he won the

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup as a Porsche Junior, and in 2015 he clinched victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a Porsche works driver at the wheel of the Number 19, 919 Hybrid LMP1 vehicle,

karts entered for this class for drivers aged 13 to 16, the future for karting bodes well in South Africa. As indeed the racing proved, with any one of six driv­ ers in contention for the lead throughout the three races held over the weekend.

The only driver missing from this bunch early on was the un­ fortunate Luca Munaretto, who qualified fifth on the Friday, but was involved in an accident straight afterwards as he slowed down after setting his lap time, and he was out for the weekend.

Thus the race for overall hon­ ours developed between Gaut­ eng ace Joshua Dias and KZN karting returnee and former Maxterino champion Clinton Bezuidenhout.

These two shared the wins and disputed the race lead all weekend, and Dias in fact was looking good for an overall vic­ tory, but was docked five places after jumping the start in Race 3! Thus the overall win for Round Two went to the give­

alongside teammates Nick Tandy and Nico Hülkenberg.

Bamber revelled in the cheer­ ing and flag waving of an ecstatic team at Porsche Centre Johan­ nesburg, as he entered the show­ room.

The 24­year old posed pa­ tiently for photographs with staff and customers, before taking a walk through the facility and en­ joying lunch with Chief Execu­ tive Officer Toby Venter and oth­ er team members of the Porsche Centre Group LSM Distributors (Pty). Ltd. Winning the world’s most fa­ mous endurance race in the Por­ sche 919 Hybrid marks the pinna­ cle of his meteoric career from Porsche Junior works driver to celebrated Le Mans winner — all in just over a year.

no­quarter Bezuidenhout.

If either of these two made the slightest slip there was a train of four drivers right on their rear axles the entire week­ end. Jason Coetzee from Cape Town placed third overall, from KZN’s Dominic Lincoln, fol­ lowed by two more Cape driv­ ers, Dino Stermin and Delano Fowler.

Maxterino The Maxterino category for 60 cc karts is the National Cham­ pionship class for the smallest drivers in the 2015 SARMC but arguably the most competitive!

Some 18 drivers took the start in Race One, and the fa­ vourite, Kwanda Makoena duly won the first heat on Friday.

However his Saturday morn­ ing warm­up shunt put him out for the weekend and this left the way clear for the likes of the in­ credibly determined Aidan Strydom from Cape Town (winner of Round One on home turf) and Gauteng’s Cameron

Bamber’s motorsport roots began with karting in 2004, but it was due to Porsche’s support that his career got a significant boost. Le Mans was only the sec­ ond race in the premier class of endurance sport.

Looking back at his sensation­ al victory on the circuit des 24 Heures, Bamber said: “It was overwhelming to hold the trophy in my hands and to be cheered by so many people.

“When you dream of winning Le Mans that would normally be time to wake up. But this dream continues in real life.”

Porsche’s youth development programme was launched in 1997 when the first UPS Porsche Jun­ ior team lined up on the grid.

Since then, 19 of the young race drivers who have received

O’Connor to fight things out.

They were joined in battle by Guateng’s Zaood Variawa and another bunch of quick Cape drivers, including Joseph Oelz and Troy Dolinschek.

A feature of this racing was the way these drivers passed and re­passed each other many times a lap, and yet still man­ aged to leave room for each oth­ er on the exit of a corner.

At close of play it was O’Con­ nor that won the day from Vari­ awa, with Strydom third overall ,after looking like a potential winner all weekend but tangling at crucial moments. Fourth was Oelz, followed by Dolinschek, and yet another quick Cape driver, Charl Visser.

• The third round of the 2015 South African Rotax Max Chal­ lenge is to be held at the Idube Raceway in the KwaZulu­Natal Midlands, in August, with the final round scheduled for Octo­ ber at the Zwartkops Raceway, west of Pretoria.

support in the junior programme have managed to climb the lad­ der to become professional race drivers Talented young drivers have until August 1st to put themselves forward to become a Porsche Junior for the 2016 mo­ torsport season.

• More details on the Porsche youth development programme on on www.porsche.com/ juniorprogramme

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