ASH CAR SALES
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.
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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
km km km km km km km
*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
Barons
Pietermaritzburg
9 Armitage Road, Pietermaritzburg, 3201 • Tel: 033 845 3100
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80-point mechanical check 2-year / unlimited km warranty* Vehicle History Integrity Check Balance of VW Automation Plan Professional Vehicle Reconditioning
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Polo Vivo 2012 Polo Vivo Sedan 1.4 Trendline 2013 Polo Vivo 1.4 Blueline 5 Door 2013 Polo Vivo Sedan 1.6 2015 Polo Vivo 1.4 Trendline 5 Door 2015 Polo Vivo GP 1.4 Trendline 5 Door 2015 Polo Vivo GP 1.4 Trendline 5 Door Polo 2013 Polo 1.2 TDI BlueMotion 2014 Polo GTI 1.4 DSG 2014 Polo 1.2 TSI Trendline 2015 Polo Gp 1.2 TSI Comfortline 2015 Polo GP 1.2 Comfortline 2015 Polo Gp 1.2 TSI Comfortline 2015 Polo GP 1.0 TSI BlueMotion Golf 2009 Golf 6 GTI 2.0 TSI DSG 2011 Golf R 2.0 TSI 2016 Golf 1.2 TSI Trendline Jetta 2010 Jetta 1.4 TSI Comfortline 2015 Jetta 1.4 TSI Comfortline Up! 2015 Take up! 1.0 55kW Other VW 2012 Volkswagen CC 3.6 FSI DSG 2015 Tiguan 2.0 TDI 2015 Cross Caddy 2.0 TDI 2015 Golf SV 1.4 TSI Comfortline 2016 Passat 1.4 TSI Comfortline DSG 2015 Golf SV 1.4 TSI Comfortline 2011 Amarok Double Cab TDI Highline Other 2006 Hyundai Tuscon 2.0 GLS 2011 BMW X1 2.0i Exclusive 2013 Renault Sandero 1.4 2013 Hyundai iX35 2.0 Executive
Mileage certified • Full Service history • 7-day exchange plan • Vehicle Customization • 24 Hr roadside assistance •
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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 Vivo 63kW Trendline model 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.
2016
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New Passat TSI 110kW Comfortline
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Visit us on www.baronsvw.co.za An optional cost of R2200 incl. VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 10.25%. Offers calculated on the New Passat TSI 110kW Comfortline model in standard specification. Interest rate is used for illustrative purposes only. Instalment excludes optional extras, but includes bank initiation fee of R1140. Offers may not be used in conjunction with any other specials service or offering. **Total retail price of R390 200 at a Guaranteed Future Value of R232 949 based on 20 000km p.a. 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.
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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.
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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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