Wheels 2015 02 18

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February 18, 2016

Catch on us live 104 l Capitadays Satur m 9­10 a

Dealers in Superfine Exotic and Sports Cars Tel: 033 345 1971, 033 342 4717 Fax: 033 342 2900 - www.ashcarsales.co.za

Witness

WHEELS

2016 Ford Focus 2.0 Ecoboost st3[184kw] 6 speed manual, White/Black Leather, 2200kms, Balance of m/plan, Glass sunroof,Xenons, Fogs, Black Leather.white stitching, MFS, Speedo cruise, Electric heated seats, keyless start, Touch screen radio, 19 inch mags Red brake calipers

R440 000

Ble

Bank finanCe availa

Contact Ash on 083 786 3377 (PMBurg)

550 Church Street, Pietermaritzburg 3201 PO Box 8390, Cumberwood 3235

KWAZULU­NATAL’S BEST READ ON ALL THINGS WHEELED … EVEN A RUSSIAN SHERP

Santaco’s top ten drivers KZN branch leads national taxi council in promoting safer drivers through passengers’ votes ALWYN VIJOEN THE KwaZulu­Natal branch of the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) on Saturday honoured their top drivers for the second year running.

Santaco KZN chairperson Boy Zondi said the initiative aimed to minimise the carnage on SA’s roads.

“One of the major concerns that we have is the issue of safety for the public who use our trans­ port and have no other alterna­ tive. We are sending a message to our drivers that we cannot tol­ erate negligence, namely speed­ ing, drinking and driving, over­ load and such.”

This year’s competition saw passengers vote for their drivers through a paid SMS from De­ cember 2015.

Santaco’s provincial manager Sifiso Shangase told on the Nqo­ la radio show, which Wheels co­

hosted on Capital 104, that thousands of commuters had re­ sponded.

Commuters in KwaZulu­Na­ tal were asked to vote for the driver that drives safely and communicates well with the pas­ sengers. The competition closed on January 30.

Ten taxi drivers with the most votes were then selected based on their experience, outstanding traffic fines and an accident record to compete for the 2016 Best Taxi Driver of the Year title.

The competition covered both theory and practical driving tests at Mkondeni.

As was the case in the 2015 Driver of the Year competition, none of the competing taxi driv­ ers could have outstanding fines.

Shangase was proud to say only two of the competing drivers had to settle fines before they could compete this year.

The top three drivers in Kwaz­

ulu­Natal are Kiss Ndlovu (33) from Stanger, Sibusiso Nkabin­ de (42) from Inanda and Sifiso Gumede (31) from iNgwavuma.

Ndlovu said this opportunity has encouraged him to continue obeying the rules of the road and caring for passengers because they voted for him.

“I hope other drivers will re­ spect their jobs after hearing of this initiative, he added.

Chief inspector Bheki Sokhe­ la on Saturday thanked Santaco KZN for encouraging all taxi drivers to drive safely.

“We will support all your ini­ tiatives for the safety of our roads in KZN,” he said.

Step into the spotlight!

• Jerry Jones of Capital Radio said his radio station will next work with Santaco and Witness Wheels to make it possible for commut­ ers to send a text message to vote for their drivers on a daily basis.

Updates to follow.

WHEELED EVENTS IN KWAZULU­NATAL • Seen here is Sthembiso Masango during last year’s KZN XCO Championships. The weekend sees a slew of MTB races: • February 20­21: Greg Minnaar Cycles’ KZN MTB Provincial DHI and Enduro Series #1, starting at 12 pm from St Ives with a enduro on Saturday, and a downhill race on Sunday at 10 am. More on kznmtb.co.za • February 20: Time Freight Midmar Notts Road Cycle Race Burg Wheelers, from the dam to Howick over 80 km, 60 km or 30 km routes.

• February 21: Cedara MTB Classic, with short to long routes from Cedara College.

Entries close on February 17. More on jowettscycles.co.za • February 20­21: Trans Drak MTB multi­ stage race from Montrose to Swinburne.

• February 21: 100’s Riders host a breakfast social in Salt Rock for all friends in the Midlands and on the coast. More information available from Chris at 032 525 7460. (The venue caters for vegetarians, but beware of Minesh’s chilli sauce!)

• May 27­29: Inaugural SA Bike Festival at the new Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. Book online at itickets.co.za • April 28 to May 1: Afrika Bike Week, Margate.

PHOTO: KZNCYCLING

Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg

9 Armitage Road, Pietermaritzburg, 3201 * Tel: 033 397 8800 * Email: Prunellan@bwmr.co.za

2

WitnessWheels MOTORING

February 18, 2016

New deadline for comment Provincial drivers will also be affected by proposed changes to include e­tolls into Aarto Act THE Automobile Association (AA) said it is sure that the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) understands that it cannot threaten legal action against motorists unless it in­ tends following through with court action.

The AA’s comments follow the issuing of a text message by SAN­ RAL on Tuesday last week.

The message, sent to an undis­ closed number of Gauteng road users, reads: “We have noted your refusal to pay your out­ standing e­toll balance. Your ve­ hicle details are being submitted for listing, and legal action will commence with costs incurred.

Call 087 353 1490 Ref…:” “While it is a legal require­ ment to pay your e­toll account, it remains each driver’s choice to do so or not.

“Should SANRAL follow through on these threats, it will be left to the driver to defend themselves in court,” the AA warned.

It appears that SANRAL has appointed a debt­collection agency to manage this process for them, adding yet another layer to the costs of collection, which are already unnecessarily high.

“It is extremely disappointing that SANRAL has gone this route without first resolving their bill­ ing problems.

“A number of Gauteng drivers have been questioning their bills but have not received satisfacto­ ry replies, if they’ve received any replies at all.

“Many people are also still not receiving invoices or statements but may have received these text messages which is unreasona­

The public now has until 11 March to make submissions to the proposed change to the AARTO Act

If Sanral succeeds in making e­toll infringements part of road traffic offences, vehicle owners will have to pay all fines — even those under dispute because of false plates — before being able to renew a vehicle or driver’s license, PHOTO: ENCA.COM ble,” the AA noted.

In addition, the AA said, these messages come on the back of re­ cent reports in the press that some people have noticed zero­ balances on their e­toll accounts, but have not received any expla­ nations from SANRAL. “Our understanding from ETC, the company responsible for collections, is that these bill­ ing inconsistencies apparently relate to the splitting of customer

accounts to reflect pre­ and post September 2015 accounts.

“We have previously said that we support initiatives to improve roads in all provinces, but fund­ ing these improvements through e­tolls is not the answer.

“The unnecessary administra­ tive costs, which are escalating with this type of approach, place an extra burden on already over­ extended motorists,” said the AA.

“The issuing of the text messa­ ges comes a day before the De­ partment of Transport issued a much­demanded 30­day exten­ sion for public comment on the amendment of the AARTO Act. This amendment to the Ad­ ministrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AAR­ TO Act) intends to include e­toll infringements as part of road traffic offences.

Essentially this means that any

person who has an outstanding e­toll account will be fined for non­payment of their account. If they fail to pay these fines, once the AARTO infringement notice has been escalated to an enforce­ ment order, they will be unable to renew a vehicle or driver’s li­ cense, once it expires.

The AA believes this process will be too cumbersome to man­ age for the Road Traffic Infringe­ ment Agency (RTIA) – which

manages the AARTO system. In addition it will transfer SAN­ RAL’s collections function to an­ other governmental agency, which we don’t believe has the ca­ pacity to deal with it.

The public now has until 11 March to make submissions to the proposed change to the AAR­ TO Act. “Given SANRAL’s extremely negative public image, and the poor uptake of the Gauteng e­tolls system, we find SANRAL’s approach counter­productive.

We would have preferred a less aggressive, more inclusive ap­ proach to resolving the current non­payment impasse,” the AA said. — Supplied.

Opel Ampera a rebadged Bolt for 2016 OPEL will launch rebadged Chevrolet Bolt EV next year, as the German brand contin­ ues the biggest, most far­ reaching model offensive in its history with 29 new mod­ els between 2016 and 2020.

The new model, which will be called “Ampera­e”, was an­ nounced today by GM CEO Mary Barra at the CAR Sym­ posium in Bochum, Germa­ ny.

“GM and Opel have always been convinced that electric cars will play a defining role in future mobility. The game­ changing technology of the Ampera­e is a significant step toward realizing that vision.

Our new battery electric car is also another boost for Opel’s reputation for making innovative engineering widely accessible.”

Trends like urbanisation and protecting the environ­

Able to carry over 2,3 tons while pulling another 3 tons, the Mercedes Sprinter Extreme was shown at this week’s 2016 Chicago Auto Show. PHOTO: GIZMAG

SPRINTER SETS NEW STANDARDS Opel will launch rebadged Chevrolet Bolt as the Ampera­e EV next year.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC ment also call for new kinds of mobility and alternative propulsion systems.

“Electric vehicles have the potential to make a significant

contribution to climate pro­ tection and emissions reduc­ tion”, said Opel group CEO Dr. Karl­Thomas Neumann.

“The new Opel Ampera­e

will open the road to electric mobility by breaking down the barriers of high price and short driving range.”

— Wheels Reporter.

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

MERCEDES­Benz and the tuners at Renntech worked together to deliver a extreme Sprinter concept for the Chicago Motor Show.

Instead of doing what most tuner do, the suspension is lifted and not dropped, adding dramatically to the vehicle’s imposing size.

Larger wheels and suspension are catered for by custom rear fenders.

Made to work, the extreme Spin­ ter has a Scattolini ScattoMaax Tip­ per Bed that can carry 2 355 kg of pay­ load, which it can dump to the left, right or straight back.

The Sprinter’s standard Load­ Adaptive ESP works to keep the Ex­ treme stable, even when fully loaded and pulling 3,4 tons on a braked trail­ er. A mud­splashed neon green wrap shows how business can decorate the working van to make a rolling mar­ keting statement.

Mercedes­Benz in South African

said all Sprinters are now sold with an industry­first five­year/105 000 km service plan.

Called the CharterWay Service BestBasic, the service plan assists op­ erators to concentrate on their busi­ ness’ core requirements, by offering guaranteed vehicle availability and reduced administration.

“The Mercedes­Benz Sprinter is a market leader in its segment due to its high levels of safety, impressively economical engines and unsur­ passed innovations. With the Char­ terWay service plan, we are ensuring it remains in the lead,” said Nicolette Lambrechts, Head of Mercedes­Benz Vans, Southern Africa.

Not having to pay for a service gives operators complete peace of mind when buying a Mercedes­Benz Sprinter, and allows them to concen­ trate fully on their bread­and­butter business. — WR.

MOTORING WitnessWheels

February 18, 2016

3

Unflustered sophistication BRIAN BASSETT cruises in the BMW 650i Auto convertible, despite lacking an island home THE Chris Bangle era at BMW resulted in a number of conten­ tious designs, which provoked argument amongst fans of the brand and the 6­series did not es­ cape lightly.

It had what came to be known as the “Bangle Butt” and Jeremy Clarkson once commented that, if you visited friends with a 6­se­ ries, you should reverse out of their driveway to prevent them from seeing what he called the car’s divisive rear end.

The new 6­series launched in 2014 has however had its prob­ lems sorted out by the new de­ sign director Adrian van Hooy­ donk and has resulted in a flash car which tells everyone that you have a second home in Mauritius.

We express our thanks to An­ thony Ellis, dealer principal at SMG Pietermaritzburg, for al­ lowing us to spend a few days with the car.

Styling Many cars are distinctive, but on­ ly a few can be described as beau­ tiful. The flowing, dynamic lines of the 650 convertible make it one of the few.

The car has a sharp­nosed front end with the usual kidney grille, flanked by Adaptive Xenon headlights with high beam assist and fog lights flanking an air scoop at the base of the front end.

All lines sweep towards the rear, giving the car’s design a feel­ ing of power and dynamism. LED repeater lights are integrated into the side gills, adding character to the vehicle.

The doors are of the soft close automatic variety and the car hunkers down on its 19­inch, light alloy wheels with runflat tyres.

The ‘Bangle Butt’ has made way for a sophisticated rear end and the rear tail light cluster is typically BMW. PHOTO: BMW The “Bangle Butt” has made way for a sophisticated rear end and the rear tail light cluster is typically BMW, with a flashing function so those behind can tell the difference between a light tap on the brake and a hard stop.

The roof is robust and drops in 19 seconds, while closing in 24 seconds.

Interior The interior is a nice place to be.

With the roof up it is quiet and cozy. With the roof down the ride is almost quiet, if you have the optional wind deflector.

The typically­BMW instru­ ments are angled a few degrees

towards the driver and the centre console has an intriguing twist, which is Teutonically perfect in execution and makes the con­ trols much easier to use.

There is also a heads­up dis­ play, which provides a wide varie­ ty of information and makes driving safer.

The central stack is topped off by a screen, which reflects the au­ dio, telephone, navigation, re­ versing camera and computer systems, although I was a little disappointed that this did not fold away, as in the Z4.

The leather finishes are su­ perbly done and the entire interi­ or radiates quality and care. Ac­

cess to the rear seats is easy, even for an old man like me, and the degree of rear comfort offered is acceptable.

The ragtop takes little space and even with the roof down you will be able to fit equipment for two golfers into the large boot, while with the roof up the space available is considerable.

The interior also has BMW’s Sun Reflective Technology, which prevents over heating of the seats and fading of the interi­ or. What I really liked about the interior was the unflustered feel­ ing it communicated to passen­ gers and the consequent relaxed driving experience.

Safety and security The 6­series is a safe vehicle with six airbags protecting various parts of the body, as well as the usual seatbelts and ISOFIX child seat attachments.

There is ABS with EBD, a rein­ forced body shell, as well as Dy­ namic Stability and Traction Control, a Roll­over protection system, Active Headrests, a run­ flat indicator and safety battery terminal. The car has central locking and an alarm system, but it is better never to leave the car with the roof down.

Performance and handling The 650 is a big car, but once you

get moving you forget all about its size.

The eight­cylinder, 4,4 litre 330 kW/650 Nm, twin­ turbo petrol engine is a cross between blunt grunt and day­to­day effi­ ciency. The adaptive chassis set­ tings make for light steering and the buttery­smooth eight­speed gearbox is impressive in terms of shift quality and speed, while its breadth and ability are really sat­ isfying.

Top speed is governed to 250 km/h and 0­100 km/h comes up in around 5,6 seconds.

Fuel consumption will be in the region of 12,9 l per 100 km, but put your foot down, as you will be tempted to do in this pow­ erful car and your fuel consump­ tion will rise.

I drove the 650 in Durban dur­ ing rush hour and in the quieter centre of Pietermaritzburg and found that the car handles beau­ tifully. Park assist sorts out your parallel parking problems and the GPS tells you where to go.

On bad roads in the Midlands the car is stable because of the active damping and will really move when prodded. On the open road it comes into its own and is the arch high speed cruiser.

Costs and the competition The 650i, auto convertible will cost you around R1,6 million new, but there are ways to lower that price, like one­ or two­year­ olds and demo models.

The car comes with BMW’s iconic, extendable, five­ year/100 000 km motorplan, which covers everything but tyr­ es and fuel. Also look at Mercedes Benz CLS, Porsche 911 Cabriolet, Maserati GT Grand Cabrio, and Jaguar XJ, amongst others.

New Jaguar lighter, faster, even better­heeled PRETORIA — Jaguar launched seven new derivatives of the new XF, promising a seamless blend of contemporary luxury with tra­ ditional Jaguar craftsmanship and state­of­the art technology.

Ian Hoban, vehicle line direct­ or, Jaguar XF said the engineer­ ing aims for the all­new XF were bound by one holistic goal — it had to do everything better.

“The all new XF offers even better dynamics, even greater re­ finement for the comfort of its occupants, it has an all­new info­ tainment system, and it utilises every last millimetre of packag­ ing to maximise interior space, while exploiting all the weight­ saving optimisation offered by our new aluminium­intensive ar­ chitecture,” said Hoban.

Advanced passive damper technology links the wheels to the car. The Adaptive Dynamics system monitors body move­ ment 100 times a second and wheel movement 500 times a second to determine the opti­ mum damper settings for the driving conditions.

The company also introduced a new acronym for electronic sta­ bility control. Calling it All­Sur­ face Progress Control (ASPC), Jaguar said the system was devel­ oped for low­speed driving in low­grip conditions, automati­ cally manages the brakes and the throttle to deliver the best possi­ ble traction, enabling the car to

The Mazda MX5 continues to win accolades.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

MX5 GETS MORE SILVERWARE

The new Jaguar XF takes the battle to its German rivals with keen, all inclusive pricing.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC pull away smoothly and without drama. “The driver only has to steer,” said Jaguar in a statement.

ASPC operates between 3,6 km/ h and 30 km/h, and the desired speed is set by the driver using the cruise control switches.

While the XF boasts Jaguar’s year­old InControl Touch sys­ tem, it does come with adaptive full­LED headlights.

Featuring two banks of LEDs and reflectors — one for dipped beam, the other for main beam

— they generate light with a col­ our temperature closer to that of daylight than is achievable with Xenon lights, delivering better il­ lumination. Unlike first­genera­ tion LED designs, cooling fans are not needed.

If the high­beam assist func­ tion is specified, the stereo cam­ era will detect other vehicles in the distance, and the headlights will be dipped automatically as necessary to avoid dazzling other drivers.

The latest low­slung sedan from Jag competes against the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes­Benz E­Class and Audi A6. — WR.

Prices: 2.0 Prestige Diesel — R714 800 2.0 Prestige Petrol — R755 153 2.0 Portfolio Petrol — R856 253 2.0 R­Sport Diesel — R782 700 2.0 R­Sport Petrol — R822 953 3.0 R­Sport V6 250kW — R1 045 503 3.0 S V6 280kW — R1 186 803.

CARRYING on the tradition of its predecessors, the recently launched in South Africa, new edition of the all­new Mazda MX­5 has now collected more than 15 prizes from around the world.

Proud winner of Japan Car of the Year 2015­2016 and the Ja­ pan Automotive Hall of Fame’s 2015­2016 Car of the Year; the roadster has been honoured with numerous major accolades globally.

These include 2016 Wheels Car of the Year for the third time in the model’s history in Austra­ lia, number one convertible at the Australia Drive magazine’s Car of the Year awards, “Best Drop Top” at Scottish Car of the Year 2015 and winner of the “Red Dot: Best of the Best” prize in Germany — which is an award that recognises exceptionally ground­breaking designs across many industries.

More honours come from UK’s What Car? magazine, which chose the fourth­generation MX­5 as best convertible overall in the UK, as well as best con­ vertible under £25 000. Mazda’s brand icon also made UK’s Sun­ day Times “Top 100 Cars 2016” list, winning the two­seater roadster category.

Ranked highest in the Com­ pact Sporty Car category on the 2015 Highest­Ranked Name­ plates and Models list by JD Power; motorists have matched the enthusiasm shown by award juries thus far.

Almost one million have sold in the 27 years following the launch of the original MX­5 in 1989. Since then, the legendary sports car has captured more than 240 awards around the world. In redesigning the model Mazda concentrated on stimu­ lating the sensations through which people enjoy cars. — WR.

4

WitnessWheels ELECTRIC MOTORING

February 18, 2016

Porsche predicts the car’s future ‘Think electrification, digitisation and connectivity’ DR Oliver Blume, chair of the Porsche executive board was in­ terviewed recently about the fu­ ture of Porsche and driving in general. He first acknowledged that the world of automobiles is changing faster than at any other time in the company’s history, but emphasised that Porsche cars will always be emotionally exciting vehicles.

“There is no avoiding the fact that customer expectations of our vehicles are changing. Elec­ trification, digitisation, connec­ tivity — these are the big three in car building in the new century.

“In the future, it will depend massively on how we transfer the buying and usage behaviour of our customers to new vehicle generations and nonetheless re­ main faithful to our principles.

“What we offer will in part be different. But whatever is labelled Porsche must always be Porsche inside. I call it emotional sporti­ ness.”

Speaking about the new four­ door electric car, the Mission E, which is under development, Blume said, “The technology of the car is radically new. Yet the philosophy behind it is pure Por­ sche.”

He expects the Mission­E will be on the market by 2020.

Speaking about Tesla Motors, Blume acknowledged that the California company “has intro­ duced many new facets. It has provided the industry with genu­ ine stimuli. And that deserves re­ spect.”

He noted that Tesla is not yet profitable and that Porsche is first and foremost a business, not a hobby. “Investment in a new model series at Porsche always has to be a promise of returns as well. Otherwise we prefer to let it be.” Then he was asked about falling oil prices and government

The limited­edition BMW i8 Protonic Red Edition has been revealed, featuring unique interior and exterior details.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Limited edition BMW i8 quite electrifying BMW i8 Protonic Red Edition will make its debut at the Gene­ va Motor Show in March. The new model will go into produc­ tion in July, with first deliveries expected in September.

The new special edition BMW i8 Protonic Red Edition puts a new angle on the immedi­ ately recognisable BMW i mod­ el. The paintwork, created exclu­ sively for this sports car, comes

Dr Oliver Blume, chair of the Porsche executive board.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED incentives for electric cars.

Blume said: “You don’t have to be a clairvoyant to predict that the oil price will go up again.

“The current trend is decep­ tive. However, the fact is that, without a helping hand, we will not achieve the ideal vision we have in mind: the leap into a new era.”

That helping hand does not equate to tax incentives. Rather, assistance with creating a robust electric charging infrastructure would be more valuable, Blume believes. “A sound charging in­ frastructure is much more im­ portant. If we want to achieve the breakthrough for electric cars, it will not be possible without it.

“It would be nice if industry and politicians worked towards a common aim in order to tackle the challenges.

“However, that does not mean that we can take it easy. Our inno­ vations are the crucial factor.

They are what it all depends on.

“Market leadership does not come from subsidies but from superior technology. Once we have it, everything comes auto­ matically.” — WR.

The students behind the Stella Lux (interior shown here) tweeted their solar car has in the past year made more energy than it used, according to audited results. The race­winning car is road legal in Europe and the students say the results just underline again it is possible to build a family car that drives on sunlight. PHOTO: TWITTER

in a Protonic Red finish with Frozen Grey metallic accents.

The colour scheme is comple­ mented by BMW W­spoke 470 light­alloy wheels painted in Or­ bit Grey metallic with hubs painted in Aluminium matt and mixed­size tyres (front: 215 R20, rear: 245/40).

On the interior, the special edition i8 comes with high­class red double­stitching and exclu­

sive carbon fibre and ceramic trims.

The exterior and interior de­ sign of the i8 are heavily influ­ enced by its LifeDrive architec­ ture and pioneering BMW eDrive system, however its rein­ terpretation of established de­ sign features ensures it’s still recognisable as a BMW. The structure of overlapping and interlocking surfaces also

contributes to the unmistakable appearance of the BMW i8 Pro­ tonic Red Edition.

This layering principle allows aerodynamic forms to be wrapped up in a progressively styled package, while powerfully formed wheel arches draw atten­ tion to the wide track of the BMW i8. The dihedral doors open upwards, adding intrigue to the sports car design. — WR.

Students find free power almost everywhere

FROM LEFT: Yannick Brouwer, Daphne Lamberts, Wouter van der Wal, Joch Jansz, Rachel Rietdijk and Gijs de Boer in Nancy, France. PHOTO: SUPPLIED A ROADTRIP with an electric car, would that be possible?

Wouter van der Wal along with a group of five friends took the challenge last summer.

“The first obstacle was the electric car itself, which we didn’t have,” he explained to Wheels in a statement.

“We created a pitch video and website to send to various car brands.

“The proposal: an electric car for three weeks in exchange for a movie about our trip. It was already mid­June, a month be­ fore take­off. Fortunately, Kia was quick to respond and decid­ ed to join the mission.

“They lent us the electric Kia Soul EV and a Kia Picanto on gasoline. Perfect reference ma­ terial, it turned out.

“The Soul EV has a day­to­ day range of about 160 km; after Tesla one of the cars with the best range. On top, it is relatively

spacious.”

Perfect for a road trip!

In three weeks they drove al­ most 4 500 kilometres through 10 countries in Europe.

Van der Wal said they experi­ enced the current state of the European charging network, learned the ins and outs of elec­ tric driving and meanwhile had a great holiday.

“Without any electric driving experience, it was hard to esti­ mate the distance we could trav­ el in a day and the time we would have left for adventure.”

The first thing they learnt was that Europe still needed a lot of charging points. “[On the first day] after we cross the Dutch border close to Maastricht, we discover that it is a national holiday in Belgium.

Not only are all the shops closed, so is our first charging location at the Belgian supermarket Del­ haize.

“The remaining two alterna­ tive chargers follow the same logic: company closed, charger closed.

“It requires some clandestine wiretapping to reach the border of Luxembourg. Here, we can fi­ nally plug the Soul into a func­ tioning charger.”

The Alps proved no problem for the Kia’s 285 Nm, all which Newtons are directly available from zero rpm. And regenerative braking meant the steep down­ hill sections just added to the battery range.

The students’ biggest con­ cern, that of fuel costs, dissa­ peared in Italy and France, where free charging of electric vehicles is encouraged in several cities.

Even when they paid, charg­ ing in general was very cheap, said Van der Wal. In total the group paid less then R880 to travel 4 486 km, including tolls and parking fees, mostly be­

cause chargers were free.

“As Industrial Design stu­ dents, we’re excited about the opportunities of new technolo­ gies.

“With this trip we want to show that range anxiety is some­ thing of the past.

“In our experience this issue is as much about the current range of electric vehicles as it is about the charging infrastruc­ ture.”

Van der Wal said many char­ gers they used were less than a year old, and they popped up from various directions, from stores to private homes.

“Compared to travel experi­ ences of EV enthusiasts in past years, we see big improvements in coverage of fast chargers in Europe,” he said.

• Read their retrospect on the trip at: https://electricroadmov­ ie.atavist.com/en — Wheels Reporter.

Thanks for a Great Partnership!

By Barons Pietermaritzburg At Barons Pietermaritzburg we value partnerships, and we value our customers. That’s why we want to take this opportunity to thank Amith Ramsaroop from Xtec Pietermaritzburg.

There’s a lot of paperwork involved in running a successful dealership, and we have come to rely on our Xerox copiers, and on Xtec’s excellent services. It’s a professional partnership that has been beneficial to both Barons and Xtec. So we are proud to say

Polo Vivo. No deposit. No hidden costs.

Total Cost Incl fees & VAT

0%

30% (R50,070)

R250,733

Purchase a Polo TSI 70kW BlueMotion from R3,396* per month or a Polo TSI 81kW Highline from R3,545* per month.

Model

Vehicle Price

Polo TSI 70kW BlueMotion R243,800

Exclusive to Barons Pietermaritzburg: Receive free 14” alloys, ultrasonic alarm, radio and MP3 with your purchase.

Polo TSI 81kW Highline

R254,700

Monthly Instalments

No. of Instalments

Interest Rate Linked / Variable

Deposit

Balloon Payment

Total Cost Incl fees & VAT

R3,396*

72

8.38%*

5% R12,190

30% (R73,140)

R317,672

R3,545*

72

8.38%*

5% 30% (R12,735) (R76,410)

R331,621

Visit us on www.baronsvw.co.za An optional cost of R950 incl. VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 10.25%. Offers calculated on the Polo TSI 70kW BlueMotion and Polo TSI 81kW Highline models in standard specification. Interest rate is used for illustrative purposes only. Instalment excludes optional extras, delivery, licensing and registration, but includes bank initiation fee of R1140. Offers may not be used in conjunction with any other specials service or offering. Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. Offers only available through 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 29 February 2016 or while stocks last.

Silver Silver Silver White White Beige

114 900 109 900 123 900 144 900 144 900 144 900

57 000 83 000 89 000 29 500 27 000 30 000

km km km km km km

White White Red Red White Silver Blue

147 900 239 900 176 900 209 900 199 900 204 900 199 900

99 000 39 000 35 000 9 000 9 000 17 000 12 500

km km km km km km km

Silver Red White

229 900 289 900 249 900

58 000 km 64 000 km 100 km

White Red

149 900 279 900

98 000 km 6 000 km

White

109 900

28 000 km

Silver Silver Green White Grey Red Beige

219 900 315 900 299 000 309 900 399 000 309 900 289 900

68 000 6 000 19 000 7 000 3 000 6 400 89 000

White White Gold White

93 900 189 900 79 900 186 900

124 000 km 7 000 km 99 000 km 93 000 km

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*The advised price exclude the 2 year Mastercars Warranty. The Mastercars Warranty is available as an option and is a contract between the customer, an insurer and administrator. This extended Warranty is not available for all Amarok and Light Commercial Vehicle models. Terms & conditions apply. While stocks last.

Mastercars Sales Consultants: Laurie - 082 783 8040 • Rajen - 072 228 9834 • Sanjay - 083 639 0989 Barry - 072 235 4244 • Phumlani - 073 017 0294 Visit us on www.baronsvwpmb.co.za and find us on facebook.com/BaronsPietermaritzburg

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WitnessWheels MOTORING

BIKING

6

February 18, 2016

An end to Tiger’s purity Triumph only teases with details of an extensive redesign to the engine of the facelifted model SPIROS TSANTILAS ONE of Triumph’s best­selling models, the Tiger Sport, has re­ ceived a host of updates for 2016.

The 1 050 cc in­line triple en­ gine has been redesigned for more torque and lower fuel con­ sumption, coupled with an elec­ tronic throttle, a new slip assist clutch and a collection of elec­ tronic safety features.

The name Tiger occupies a highly regarded place in Tri­ umph’s history, having been used in a number of legendary models.

It first appeared in 1937 as a 249 cc single and throughout the subsequent three decades named a series of motorcycles, including the sport roadsters that eventu­ ally evolved to become the iconic Bonneville series.

In the company’s modern his­ tory, the Tiger reappeared as a dual purpose T400 triple in 1993.

In this form it gradually grew in capacity from 885 to 955 cc, re­ maining in production until 2007 when the new 1 050 version was introduced.

That was a pivotal point in the model’s timeline, as it trans­ formed to a purely street­orient­ ed sport adventurer with 17­inch wheels and road tyres, while du­ al­purpose duties were relegated to the new Tiger 800 and Tiger Explorer 1 200 models.

This latest iteration of the Ti­ ger met considerable success and went through a thorough rejuve­ nation process in 2013, when it acquired the Tiger Sport desig­ nation.

On February 12, the new 2016

Triumph’s new Tiger Sport does away with cables and joins the big engine bike ranks with an electronic throttle, a new slip assist clutch and a collection of electronic safety features. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Tiger Sport was unveiled at the MCN London Motorcycle Show.

Triumph opted to retain the motorcycle’s design, shape and most of its running gear, as the last version of the bike is still ex­ tremely competent. Instead, fo­ cus was turned on upgrading it with some modern electronic

support systems, as well as com­ plying with the Euro 4 ruleset.

Starting with the engine, Tri­ umph talks about an extensive re­ design without disclosing exact­ ly what it was that has changed.

What we do know is that the three­cylinder powerplant sports revised combustion chambers, a

new exhaust system and a brand new Electronic Control Unit (ECU), targeting more torque, optimised power delivery and lower fuel consumption.

However, no specific numbers have been released as of yet.

Until now, the Tiger Sport was part of a rare breed of motorcy­

cles in the large capacity class to still employ steel throttle cables and refrain from any electronic safety system other than ABS. This purity of sorts ends with the new model, as Triumph equipped it with the ride­by­wire throttle system — as is now the case with every other motorcycle

in its range. With the aid of elec­ tronic throttle control, the new ECU features the typical selecta­ ble Rider Modes — Rain, Road and Sport — with each represent­ ing a predetermined set of power delivery and traction control val­ ues.

Talking about the traction control, Triumph describes it as “multi­level” but does not clarify whether it can be adjusted inde­ pendently of the rider modes or if it is possible to deactivate.

The new Tiger Sport also fea­ tures cruise control and, of course, ABS in its standard equipment list.

Triumph also added its slip as­ sist clutch to the new Tiger Sport, a system that debuted a few years ago in its sportbikes and has al­ ready migrated to the latest Bon­ neville and Thruxton family, of­ fering lighter clutch action and dialling back torque.

Updates include new grippier footpegs, redesigned mirrors, hand guards and heated grips as standard. There’s also a new tint­ ed screen that is adjustable on the go by just one hand and includes a pair of “screen aero diffusers” designed to deflect air away from the rider.

The new Tiger Sport will be available in April, at a price that is not expected to exceed €13 000 (R229 086) in Europe.

It will be produced in two colour variations: silver with red detail­ ing and matte black with neon yellow detailing — the latter of which are not included in the photos released by Triumph.

— Gizmag.com.

The Rwandan government has enlisting the services of an American robotics company called Zipline to replace bikes like this to deliver urgent medical supplies to rural areas.

PHOTO: GIZMAG

Drones instead of pharmacy bikes NICK LAVARS IN the last couple of years, drones have emerged as a very promising tool in the effort to protect Africa’s wildlife, and now they are set to come to the aid of the continent’s human population as well. The govern­ ment of Rwanda is implement­ ing a drone delivery programme that will see flying robots carry medical supplies, such as blood bags, to rural areas in need.

The prospect of drone deliv­ ery has garnered its fair share of publicity in developed coun­ tries, with Amazon and Google, along with startups like Flirtey all working to deploy commer­

cial services in spite of tight gov­ ernment regulations.

But in Africa, where paved roads and infrastructure to move cargo by land aren’t so widely available, it is a different proposition altogether.

Just as mobile phones arrived to connect the disjointed land­ scape lacking in landline infra­ structure in all kinds of new ways, some imagine that drones can have the same revolutionary impact.

Rwanda is already planning to construct a Droneport, as a pilot phase for a bolder scheme to have drones carry urgent sup­ plies from a central hub to rural areas around the country.

Meanwhile, a non­profit

called La Fondation Bundi is working to establish a network of drones carrying 20 kg loads around Kenya by 2020.

The latest initiative sees the Rwandan government enlisting the services of an American ro­ botics company called Zipline, with the aim of carrying blood and urgent medical supplies to rural areas.

It will start with the construc­ tion of three drone ports in Mu­ hanga District, with test flights slated to begin in August this year. Details are scarce on the technical capabilities of the drones, but Zipline says it will be cheaper than making the same deliveries by motorbike.

— Gizmag,com

Zeitgeist aims to establish a new class of luxury electric bicycles in the City.

The name is a bit of a misnomer, as the 20 kg carbon fibre electric bike is designed to also take on jeep tracks. Not that many owners will want to get dirt on their City bike, as it retails for R126 172 in the U.S. — steep even for mountain bikers.

But the price includes carbon fibre lined with Kevlar and encloses high­density lithium­ion Panasonic battery cells, the same as whats powers Tesla cars. The batteries drive a 500 watt hub motor (inset), which can comfortably boost the cruising speed to 45 km/h.

An onboard computer with LCD display tracks battery life, boost level and speed; the magnetic display is also removable and serves as a key to the bike. When it’s finally time to stop, Auriga E­Comp hydraulic disc brakes bring the ride to a quick halt.

The bike was commissioned by Danish bike designer Brian Hoehl, and Zeitgeist claims the bike is the “fastest, most luxurious and lightest bike in its class on American bike lanes today”.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

MOTORING WitnessWheels

February 18, 2016

Suzuki takes top honours SUZUKI Auto South Africa this month took home the top hon­ ours in the regional Suzuki Au­ to Sales Awards, winning the silverware for its market ex­ pansion and dealer growth.

The Sales Awards were held for all Suzuki distributors in the Africa, Middle East and Indian sub­continent region and rec­ ognised exceptional perform­ ance by distributors and their dealers.

Suzuki Auto South Africa’s award follows its aggressive expansion programme in South Africa, which saw its dealer network grow from 23 dealers in 2013 to 43 in 2015.

A further four new dealers are planned in the area for this year, which includes Swaziland and Botswana.

“The award recognises the significant investment in capi­ tal and personnel from both Suzuki Auto and its dealers.

“We look forward to another year of growth in 2016,” said André Venter, divisional man­ ager for sales and marketing at Suzuki Auto South Africa.

Apart from winning top honours for its network expan­ sion, Suzuki Auto SA also re­ ceived the runner­up prize for the sales growth award.

In being considered for this award, Suzuki Auto SA was pit­ ted against strong competi­ tion in all regions, especially the Indian sub­continent, where Suzuki holds a massive 45% market share.

“Last year, we mounted a strong sales drive, which coin­ cided with our dealer network growth and the introduction of exciting new products such as the Celerio, Ciaz and the new Vitara.

This sales drive has helped Suzuki to outperform the de­ clining market,” said Venter.

— Supplied

7

Go­anywhere Sherp Hunters and fishers wowed by Russia’s latest go­anywhere utility vehicle CC WEISS WHEN we initially saw the Sherp ATV rolling its way around the Internet, our first thought was that it must be the work of a de­ signer, not a real vehicle.

The compact body tucked be­ tween ginormous off­road tyres just looked too odd to be real. But the Russian vehicle is indeed real and it’s one hell of a way to drive over anything short of a sheer cliff face.

Led by technologist Aleksei Garagashian, the minds behind the Sherp ATV — minds that are almost certainly a little twisted — got together in 2012 to develop a vehicle with supreme terrain navigation capabilities.

They finished up the design last year and are now showing the vehicle at expos like the upcom­ ing Hunting and Fishing in Rus­ sia show.

The Sherp ATV isn’t just an off­roader; it’s an off­track vehi­ cle designed to navigate over ter­ rain that hasn’t benefited from even the most basic human clear­ ing — through the heart of brush fields, into swamps, over dead­ fall­strewn forest floors, and up and over talus fields.

Its positively massive tyres stand 160 cm tall and provide the size and traction needed to roll over and through virtually any­ thing in the way.

With nearly 60 cm of ground clearance, the Sherp underbody glides over obstacles that would eat up lesser vehicles. A tyre­in­ flation system helps the vehicle adjust to the varying demands of the ground below.

And the Sherp ATV even swims, with the terrain­grap­ pling ridges on the tyres doubling as paddles. Drainage valves shed water after the Sherp ATV gets back on land.

If you think the ultra­rugged,

The Sherp is the brainchild of Russian technologist Aleksei Garagashian, who built it to impress even Russia’s Dakar winning truckers with the big­wheeled vehicle’s ability to run over deep mud or float over deep water (below).

340 x 252 x 230­cm, L x W x H Sherp ATV requires some kind of massive engine to shove it for­ ward, you’ll be rather shocked to

learn that the whole thing is pow­ ered by a 1,5­litre, four­cylinder turbodiesel with just 33 kW (44 hp) on tap.

Though massive to the eye, the Sherp ATV weighs as little as 1 300 kg, and that small engine and the five­speed manual trans­ mission can get it going up to 45 km/h on land and six km/h in the water.

Sherp drivers also rely on skid steering, whereby the two wheels on each side are locked in syn­ chronisation, and can be driven independently of the pair on the opposite side.

The Sherp ATV seats four peo­ ple inside its steel body and even has two seat belts. It can carry up to a ton.

The St Petersburg­built Sherp ATV soft­top base model starts

at $65 000, about R1 024 400.

Options include an onboard generator and 50­litre in­wheel fuel tanks to augment the 58­litre fuel capacity.

The Sherp AV is also available for lease, though what we’re real­ ly hoping for is day rentals.

Watching the Sherp ATV in action is absolute magic — it speeds through the swamp, pulls itself out of the water onto ice aft­ er a swim, and slices through tall brush.

After watching the video on­ line, we’re already reserving it a spot on our off­road vehicles of the year list for 2016.

— Gizmag.

SEEN AT CHICACO MOTOR SHOW

Indiana­based wheelchair mobility specialist BraunAbility and Ford are showing a wheelchair­accessible Explorer at this week’s Chicago Auto Show. BraunAbility chose the Explorer after looking at other available SUV options and introduced the MXV last year. And just a week before Toyota launches the new Hilux in South Africa, the group also debuted the “Yank Hilux”, officially the Tacoma TRD Pro off­road pickup truck at the Chicago Auto Show.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

State­of­the­art office in a van Peugeot is using the upcoming Geneva International Auto Show to offer the world its vision of what a highly­connected business shuttle could look like in the not­too­distant future. Positioned as a concept vehicle based on the Peugeot Traveller that will debut at the same show, the Traveller i­Lab is heavy on technology that complies with the needs of today’s business traveller. Peugeot isn’t saying whether or not any of the particular elements of the Traveller i­Lab will be incorporated into the Traveller or other vehicles in the future.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

8

WitnessWheels MOTORING

February 18, 2016

Cars the new collectables?

Three rare classics go under the hammer in South Africa as investors compare rates of return AUCTIONEERING company Stephan Welz & Co is putting up for auction three classic cars, with an estimated total value of some R5,6 million in Cape Town on March 1 and 2.

The three veteran cars are a 1969 Jaguar E Type Series II Roadster, a 1958 Mercedes 220S Ponton Coupe, and a 1955 Ford Thunderbird Convertible.

Anton Welz, auctioneer and specialist at Stephan Welz & Co, said investment returns on clas­ sic cars have risen to over 450% since 2005, according to the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index.

That represents a sizeable re­ turn on the R2,4 to R2,6 million that the rare E Type Series II Roadster is expected to reach un­ der the hammer.

The car for sale is red with a black interior, right­hand drive, wire wheels, 75 000 miles on the odo, with a hard top, 4,2 litre mo­ tor and four­speed manual gear­ box.

In 2008 the Daily Telegraph ranked the E Type first in the 100 most beautiful cars of all time. An emblem of the swinging 60s, it was driven by the likes of the late actor Steve McQueen.

Also up for auction is a rare hand­built 1958 Mercedes 220S Ponton Coupe, valued at R1,8 to R2 million.

Mercedes­Benz only built 1 251 of this exclusive model in Coupe version, and quite a number were bought by aristocracy; King Juan Carlos of Spain was gifted one by his father, as well as many famous actors and politicians.

The car is ivory with white leather interior, whitewall tyres, 2,2­litre motor, manual trans­ mission and right­hand drive.

In 2015, Stephan Welz & Co. sold a similar model in Johannes­ burg for R1,8 million.

“It’s rare to find Ponton Coupe models in South Africa, so this should flag the attention of any serious collector,” said Welz.

For that retro American look, there will also be a 1955 Ford Thunderbird Convertible for sale.

Valued at R1 to R1,2 million, the two­door model is white with black and white leather interior,

Alphen Drive, Constantia on Tuesday, March 1 and Wednes­ day, March 2, 2016.

The pre­auction viewing to the public opens on Wednesday, February 24 to Sunday Februa­ ry 28, from 10 am to 5 pm, and a cocktail event will take place in Cape Town at Constantia 23.

Catalogues will be available from both the Cape Town and Johannesburg offices as well as the Stephan Welz & Co. website www.stephanwelzandco.co.za.

Anyone who can’t attend the auction in person can bid for pie­ ces online via art and antiques auctions portals www.the­ saleroom.com and www.invalua­ ble.com.

Users of these websites can search catalogues and place their bids over the Internet in real­ time, with live audio and video from the auction room.

— Supplied,

This 1969 Jaguar E Type Series II Roadster is valued between R2,4 to R2,6 million.

PHOTO: STEPHAN WELZ & CO

Mercedes­Benz only built 1 251 of this exclusive hand­built 1958 Mercedes 220S Ponton in Coupe version.

RARE BIRD: A 1955 Ford Thunderbird Convertible is for sale with an estimated value of R1,2 million.

whitewall tyres, left­hand drive and automatic gearbox.

The Thunderbird was the first two­seat Ford since 1938.

Rather than becoming a rival to the European sports cars im­ ported into the United States, Ford created a completely new market segment around the

Wilson of the Beach Boys.

“If you are just getting into the classic car market, it’s important to choose your cars carefully,” said Welz.

“Always look for the rare; you will pay a premium for it, but it will reward you with the best re­ turns. The three cars we are offer­

Thunderbird: the personal luxu­ ry car. While a performance car in its own right, the Thunderbird focused more on comfort than speed.

The T­Bird convertible was the car driven by John Travolta in Grease; its other famous owners include Frank Sinatra and Dennis

‘Star Wars’ robot roller for the fans

ing are all being sold by the same seller, a collector whose discern­ ing taste is behind every car he collects.”

These collectible cars and more will go under the hammer at the Stephan Welz & Co. Deco­ rative and Fine Art Auction in The Great Cellar, Alphen Estate,

“Always look for the rare; you will pay a premium for it, but it will reward you with the best returns.”

Kia launches own flexible loans KIA has launched FlexiFinance, which it said offers a greatly re­ duced repayment term com­ pared to other loans on the mar­ ket.

The service offers a range of short­term contracts with low minimum deposits, adjustable based on your needs and circum­ stances.

Kia buyers can also opt to fix

CHRIS WOOD ANYONE who took a few hours out at their local theatre to watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens will certainly be familiar with the new, often amusing little robot called BB­8.

Now, Ed’s Junk is providing the opportunity for fans to build their very own remote­con­ trolled, life­sized replica of the robotic character, though they’ll need some significant know­how to arrive at the finished article.

The freely­available design makes use of a single axle run­ ning through the middle of the ball with a counterweight at its base, which rolls the ball forward when turned.

The project will likely be a pret­ ty costly one for anyway interest­ ed — both financially and in time spent — with the polycarbonate spherical body alone coming in at $500, or about R7 800.

The project’s creator is also

V ANTON WELZ specialist auctioneer at Stephan Welz & Co

their interest rate, and the loan has a guaranteed buyback. At the end of the term, owners can ei­ ther hand the car back, re­fi­ nance or settle the future value to take ownership.

Kia said in a statement the service also offers special up­ grade offers during the contract so that buyers can change cars.

All offers are subject to credit ap­

proval with several terms and conditions. The first cars to be sold thus are the group’s top­ selling Rio and Sportage models.

Additional offers will be added to the programme in due course.

“The strong appeal of our vehi­ cles is confirmed by the consist­ ent level of finance applications we receive,” said Gary Scott, sales director. — Wheels Reporter.

General Motor staff donate water For the price of a used scooter, Star Wars fans can now control their own little robot called BB­8. PHOTO: SUPPLIED not quite done with the not­so­ little robot, with plans to contin­ ually improve the build, working particularly on improving stabili­ ty while rolling.

Ed’s Junk even paid attention to the controller for the replica, creating a small remote with a single thumb stick for control­

ling movement, alongside con­ trols for head movement and playing audio clips on the back and sides. Its creator calls it a “stealth control”, and it’s de­ signed for subtly manipulating the robot at public events with­ out anyone really noticing you’re doing so. — Gizmag.

PORT ELIZABETH — Employees at General Motors South Africa (GMSA) recently joined the na­ tionwide campaign to donate water to people living in drought­ stricken areas.

When the request to donate water was sent out to employees they immediately took up the challenge to assist.

A total of 1 511 litres of water were collected, in from one­ to five­litre bottles. The water was

dispatched to the Barkley East and Rhodes in the Eastern Cape.

According to Gishma Johnson, GMSA corporate communica­ tions manager, actions like these are often initiated by employees.

In this case, employee at the Struandale plant, Rene Mostert, responded to the Operation Hy­ drate campaign and arranged for transport to deliver the water to the relevant areas. “Our employ­ ees subscribe to the company’s

“We give back” ethos and are al­ ways enthusiastic to react to the call for assistance.” — Supplied.

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