November 12, 2020
THE WITNESS
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13
WHEELS
www.witness.co.za
Benz can rest easy
NEW ELECTRIC BIKES
Mercedes AMG GT sets new records for a passenger car around Germany’s ‘Green Hell’ ALWYN VILJOEN Carl Benz, who made the first gas-powered motor car in 1886, will rest easy in his grave knowing that a Benz is still the fastest luxury passenger vehicle around the 73 corners at the Nürburgring Grand Prix track. This after a Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4Matic+ blitzed around the full Nordschleife lap in a time of seven minutes and 27,8 seconds. Behind the wheel was racing-driverturned AMG development engineer, Demian Schaffert, who was happy to beat his own record around the “Green Hell”, as the track deep in the Rhineland woods is infamously known. What makes the new record even more impressive is that the 470 kW (639 hp) Merc had a completely standard drivetrain and suspension set-up. That said, the “standard” equipment list includes everything a racer can want— from a fully variable AMG Performance all-wheel drive with active rear-axle steering; to an electronically controlled rear-axle limited-slip differential and the AMG Dynamics agility programme. The only non-standard item affixed the Merc were the four Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 tyres and an aero package, which customers can order as options. As an additional safety measure required at the track, the vehicle also had a bucket seat and four-point seat belts fixed instead of the leather seat. “Even though I’ve been accompanying our GT 63 through its development for several years now, it’s always impressive to see the wide spread we have been able to achieve with this exclusive vehicle. “This is especially true after the recent slight revision. On the one hand, the four-door coupé is comfortable and equipped with many intelligent safety
App blocks phone use in the car As we look back on the U.S.’s National Safety Council’s international Distracted Driving Awareness Month, how successful has each of us been in not using our cellphones while behind the wheel? And were you successful in ensuring that your employees did not use their phones while driving for work? The difficulty is that without technological advancement aiding you, you cannot be sure. The managing director of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, says the challenge is that many drivers do not view distracted driving in as serious a light as they should. “Certain drivers will not even consider drinking and driving. Yet the same cannot be said for using a cellphone. “It is for this reason that MasterDrive is taking proactive steps to change the situation that South Africa faces by launching its latest product offering — MasterDrive Nocell. It is an app that effectively makes it impossible for employees to use certain functions on their cellphones while behind the wheel.” Fleet operators can control how a phone is used behind the wheel. “One can use the app to white list certain applications such as Bluetooth phone calls and navigation applications. “Anything else that can wait until the employee arrives at their destination can be blocked from use, such as e-mails, text messages and social media. The app can even detect a second phone in a vehicle and apply the same restrictions,” Herbert said. MasterDrive Nocell can be used in conjunction with the current telematics systems of the company. “Fleet operators will receive basic information on their employees’ driving behaviours that can be used along with the data from their telematics provider to make informed decisions about training needs. “We encourage every company to join us in this drive to make a difference,” said Herbert. — Supplied.
Harley-Davidson has announced the launch of the Serial 1 Cycle Company to capitalise on the overseas demand for electric bicycles. The new company started as a ‘skunkworks’ inside Harley-Davidson’s Product Development Centre and is led by a team of Harley-Davidson alumni, including company president Jason Huntsman, vice president of product development Ben Lund, brand director Aaron Frank and lead brand marketing specialist Hannah Altenburg. They said in a statement that electric bicycles are ‘the perfect solution for urban commuting and recreational riding’. As for demand, Harley Davidson said the global e-bicycle market was worth an estimated $15 billion in 2019 and is projected to grow at an annual rate of over six percent from 2020 to 2025, which makes the market for pedalpushers much bigger than the market for hog-riders. The company’s first electric bicycle (above) is modelled on and named after Harley’s first motorised bike, the 1903 ‘Serial Nr 1’ (below) but is faster and lighter.
Former race driver Demian Schaffert with the AMG GT 63 four-door coupé that he helped engineer to make the fastest luxury four-door coupé around the Nürburgring — and from there, any smooth tar road on Earth. features for everyday driving, and on the other hand it offers this extremely high level of driving dynamics and precision, which we have now been able to demonstrate once again on the demanding Nordschleife,” said Demian Schaffert. He said conditions on the extremely demanding course were not optimal, as some sections of the course had wet spots with outside temperatures of seven degrees Celsius and the tar only at 10, which makes for cold, slippery tyres.
Schaffert was not deterred, but selected the RACE driving programme, which tightens the damper characteristics and delivers more direct steering as well as the rapid-response control of the electronic limited-slip differential. His record lap was precisely measured by the neutral experts and an independent notary certified the conditions of the vehicle and the lap time. Two tracks at ‘the Green Hell’ The Nürburgring-Nordschleife is re-
In addition to timekeeping with calibrated photoelectric sensor technology, official record attempts and attempts to achieve a lap time are always accompanied by a notary. Apart from monitoring the timekeeping, the vehicles and the tyres are inspected and approved by the notary. The classification of the vehicle classes is based on the official categories of the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (“Kraftfahrtbundesamt” KBA). — WR.
Ree partners with global wheel maker Iochpe-Maxion REE Automotive (Ree), the Israeli company whose “skateboard” battery pack and hub motors look to become the base for many types of electric vehicles in the near future, have signed a deal with Iochpe-Maxion. Iochpe-Maxion has 33 manufacturing plants located in 14 countries, all which makes wheels and automotive structural components and the partnership with Ree entails developing an exclusive wheel design and chassis solution for Ree’s “corner modules” — what the rest of the world calls hub motors. Ree’s skateboard design allows the hub motors to be placed on the corners for the best possible handling characteristics and lowest center of gravity. The wheel hub contains the entire “drivetrain”, suspension and steering components, leaving a completely flat chassis on which to affix any shape a transporter needs. “Partnering with Maxion was the clear choice for us given its advanced technical capabilities and global pres-
The future drivetrain and suspension all fit in the hub of a wheel rim, as shown here in Israeli company Ree Automotive’s hub motor and suspension system, which are fixed to the corners of a flat battery pack. PHOTO: NEWSPRESS
ence,” said Tali Miller Levin, vice president, corporate development, Ree. “We are delighted to add Maxion to our exclusive production network of top Tier 1 partners, which fortifies the market leadership of Ree by lever-
aging Maxion’s existing wheel and chassis capabilities for our Reeboard production demands.” Dr. Saul Reichman, head of Maxion advanced technologies and global director, innovation and corporate ven-
ALWYN VILJOEN Chrysler is selling the company’s Redeye specification 6,2-litre, supercharged V8 engine as a ‘crate’ purchase for about R330 000. The block (pictured) makes a proper 602 kW and 971 Nm and the deal inclides a supercharger, throttle bodies, injectors, coil packs, water pump and front sump pan. Chrysler is also offering a range of attachment parts to go with the Redeye V8 deal: a flywheel, all power and alternator ancillaries, drivetrain attachment bits and mounting hardware. Chrysler stated: “If you have an appropriate rear-wheel-drive vehicle platform, the possibilities are virtually endless with this latest Chrysler ‘crate’ engine deal.” Local mechanics are, however, underwhelmed. Staff at East Coast Engine Imports said their low-mileage Lexus V8 imports, which included
an auto or manual gearboxes — all bench-tested and pre-wired with the original computer electronic control
acting deliberately and in wilful contempt of those court orders. “The fine that is payable and the committal to prison are not a sanction imposed by MSA — it is a sanction imposed by the high court for Mr Wyndham deliberately and flagrantly ignoring the court orders granted by it.” “Mr Wyndham is damaging motorsport in all its facets. He is spreading falsities and inaccurate information and is damaging the reputation of the sport, and his actions could make sponsors reluctant to commit to sponsoring com-
petitors and events. “MSA has given Mr Wyndham the opportunity to engage with the board on numerous occasions, but he has declined each invitation to engage with the board of MSA. “Instead, he continues to conduct his malicious campaign against MSA and others on Facebook. “It is not for MSA to comment on what the sanction must be by the high court, that will be the high court’s decision,” said Roux. — Witness Reporter.
units — sell from R26 000 to R27 000 depending on the specific engine.
BMW has set out its future transport developments, which includes this electric scooter, the BMW Motorrad Definition CE 04. BMW calls it ‘both a means of transport and a means of communication for the urban commuter’, and said the scooter ‘embodies a new urban aesthetic and stylistic evolution’. BMW said the scooter is approaching production readiness. The technical heart of the Definition CE 04’s drive system comprises a single-sided swing arm, spring strut and tooth belt. The electric scooter enters a market dominated by the pioneering Gogoro from Taiwan, which boasts 200 000 battery swaps a day at 1 950 GoStations. The BMS scooter requires the charging of a slim battery pack in the underfloor section that powers a small drive unit on the rear wheel, with a range of only 12 kilometres. What sets the BMW scooter apart is a 10,25-inch display, billed as ‘the largest of its kind so far in the scooter segment to serve as an interface between the rider’s analogue and digital worlds’.
turing, said the partnership with Ree gives Maxion a chance to apply its wheel and chassis expertise to new mobility EV applications in its quest to meet future transport demands and designs. — WR.
Mixed reactions to Chrysler’s V8-in-a-crate offer
MSA heads back to court over Wyndham Motorsport South Africa (MSA) and five other applicants are heading back to the high court in Johannesburg on November 17 in a matter where the high court on two prior occasions has ruled in favour of the applicants against disgruntled local racer Steve Wyndham. MSA chair Anton Roux said: “It is clear that Mr Wyndham does not have any respect for the high court orders that have been granted against him. The matter between MSA and Mr Wyndham was a civil matter, but now has turned into a criminal matter as Mr Wyndham is
garded as the most difficult racetrack in the world and is included in every new development by Mercedes-AMG. A record lap is therefore the most demanding test of the qualities of a sports car. The times are determined for two track alternatives — 20,6 km and 20,832 km long, with the shorter circuit the standard test track since 1997, as it does not have the flying start of a full Nordschleife lap. Strict conditions must be met for both record times to be recognised.
Pietermaritzburg leading drift-car builder, Kurt Volmink, also pointed out a used V8 from BMW, Nissan or Ford and Chevrolet blocks, all sell for between R25 000-R35 000. “This leaves a lot more money for other essentials — like a manual, short-throw gearbox from Toyota or BMW — for the guys whose budgets don’t stretch to a brand new, superpower engine,” said Volmink. At Backdraft, a boutique race car factory in Prospecton, Tony Martin told Witness Wheels Chrysler’s price only looks high, but is actually cheap for what is an 800-hp supercar’s engine. He said an engine with half the horsepower of Chrysler’s Redeye block typically sells for about R160 000. Martin should know, as his small factory exports their hand-built sportscars to the U.S., where demand is currently exceeding Backdraft’s ability to build them fast enough.
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