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ASH CAR SALES

March 3, 2016

Witness

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

WHEELS

FM 4 0 1

L A T CAPI ays d r u t a S 9­10 am

2005 MERCEDES SLK 200K AUTO 88 000kms, auto, convertible, fsh, a/c, p/s, heated electric seats, xenons, black leather , fogs, 6 disc cd changer, bank finance available

R199 995

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, FROM RACING TO REFUSE COLLECTION

Meet the Unimog ‘King Leo’

A KZN businessman who has spend the last few years learning how to trade — as opposed to gamble — on the stock exchange, next plans to use this skill as he and his wife realise a lifelong dream — touring Africa and Europe in a go­anywhere camper. Garden City Commercial Vehicles assisted him to import a Unimog from Stuttgart, which Alu­Cab in Cape Town then equipped with every device Western civilisation has to offer, from solar panels and a satellite dish up front, to a front­loading washing machine in the rear. A spade on the back doubles as a second loo, joked the owner, who wants to remain as anonymous as his colourful rig will allow. He registered the Unimog “King Leo”. Despite the total cost of over R4,5 million he said he did not join the Ski club — for “Spend the Kids Inheritance” — with King Leo. “I created a legacy for my grandchildren to use one day,” he told Wheels. PHOTOS: ALWYN VILJOEN

The first car, a Benz Patent Motorwagen, was a two­ seater, three­ wheeler, powered by a single cylinder four­ stroke engine mounted over the rear axle.

PHOTO: NEWSPRESS

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Bodyparts and Radiator sale QUalITY PaRTs FOR all MaKes

Cars turn 130 as ‘Witness’ turns 170 ALWYN VILJOEN THE Witness will be celebrating its 170th year with a shindig at the Royal showgrounds tomor­ row night, and no other wheeled event puts this achievement of Africa’s oldest paper into per­ spective better than the annual Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run in the UK. The Bonhams Run is the world’s longest­running motor­ ing event and this year it marks the car’s 130th birthday, which dates back to when inventor Karl Benz was granted a patent on January 29, 1886.

The Witness, of course, had been publishing for 40 years by then, and eight years later, Wit­ ness editor Horace Rose was a passenger in the first car — an Orient Buckboard — that trav­ ersed the wild yonder between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.

That 90­km adventure took five hours. The members of the Vintage Sports Car Club in Piet­ ermaritzburg know all about go­ ing forwards this slowly (but fast into the past). This club is open from just after 5 pm every Friday

night, with free braai fires pro­ vided — a very congenial gather­ ing point for car and bike enthu­ siasts alike.

The club’s big event is also South Africa’s longest­running motor show, the Cars in the Park.

After decades of hosting the show at Alexandra Park in the city centre, the event last year moved to the Ashburton Train­ ing Centre. This venue is nor­ mally a 10­minute drive out of town, but such was the turnout last year that people queued for kilometres on the N3 highway to access the turn­off.

Clubs members and any own­ ers of an interesting car, bike, truck or van, are welcome to en­ ter their vehicle for the show by registering on the website regis ter.carsinthepark.net After entering your details, the club will sent you a form to place on your vehicle to gain ac­ cess to the event.

Back to the UK — this year’s Bonhams Run is open to all vehi­ cles built before 1905, so even the youngest on the run will there­ fore be more than 110 years old, and while most will be petrol­

powered, there will be some powered by steam and, proving there’s nothing new under the sun, a handful will be battery­ powered electric vehicles.

The run itself will also be cele­ brating an anniversary this year.

The very first Emancipation Run from London to Brighton was held in November 1896 — 120 years ago — and marked the passing into law of the Locomo­ tives on the Highway Act which raised the speed limit for “light locomotives” from 4 mph to 14 mph and abolished the need for the vehicles to be preceded by a man carrying a red flag.

The Benz Patent Motorwagen (patent number 37435) was a two­seater, three­wheeler, pow­ ered by a single cylinder four­ stroke engine mounted at the rear.

Ironically, its first public dem­ onstration run was not hugely successful; difficult to control, it collided with a wall.

Two years and further im­ provements later, the Mk III ver­ sion was offered for sale, becom­ ing the world’s first commercial­ ly available automobile.

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407 GReYlING sTReeT, PIeTeRMaRITZBURG PH: 033 345 2326 “The helpful guys”

2

WitnessWheels INDUSTRY MOTORING

March 3, 2016

Curbing reckless drivers Officers needed on the road 24 hours a day, every day SOUTH Africa is a signatory to the “Decade of Action for Road Safety” plan, and so too is the N3 Toll Concession (N3TC).

This company maintains and operates one of the coun­ try’s major transport links, the N3 Toll Route, between the Heidelberg interchange in Gauteng and the Cedara inter­ change near Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu­Natal.

Since the implementation of this framework in 2011, N3TC has instituted various road­ safety interventions and activi­ ties to improve general safety along the N3 Toll Route, and despite making excellent progress during the previous five years, and achieving an overall 43% (from 196 in 2011 to 112 in 2015) reduction in fa­ talities along the route, some serious concerns remain.

“These can only be effective­ ly addressed through the com­ mitment of all stakeholders, most notably that of drivers themselves and law­enforce­ ment agencies,” said Miles le Roux, transport engineer at N3 Toll Concession.

“The general attitude of South African drivers remains poor. About 70% of crashes on the N3 are due to human behav­ iour and errors of judgment.

Generally, it seems drivers show little respect for other road users and the law. They seem to be proud of breaking the law and getting away with it,” said Le Roux.

“Drivers need to be made aware of how dangerous driv­ ing actually is. They are often not skilled enough for the speeds and conditions they en­ counter on the road. The co­ operation of all road users and an overall behavioural change is essential to overcome our road­ safety challenges.”

The three most common types of crashes for 2015 on the N3 Toll Route were vehicles that rolled (27,5%), vehicles that left the road (21,9%), and

head­tail collisions (19,0%).

Crashes where vehicles rolled or left the road are single­vehi­ cle crashes where the driver lost control. “In all these situations, the driver lost control usually due to poor concentration, judgment and excessively dan­ gerous speeds,” said Le Roux.

Pedestrian crashes account for 4,3% of all crashes and are almost always fatal.

“These generally occur in ar­ eas where there are dwellings close to the N3 Toll Route and where hitch­hiking takes place.

The issue is further exacerbat­ ed by hawkers who sell their wares to truck drivers at many unsafe and illegal locations along the route,” said Le Roux.

As road safety is a primary concern for the N3TC, the company works in close co­op­ eration with the various law­ enforcement agencies along the route.

Various interventions, such as speed over distance moni­ toring, road blocks, alcohol and drug­screening tests, special­ ised training for law­enforce­ ment agencies and more, are bearing fruit.

However, despite the fact that our country has excellent traffic enforcement laws, more needs to be done to apply the law to its fullest and enforce rules and regulations govern­ ing traffic violations and the roadworthiness of vehicles.

“It would make a tangible difference on our roads if law enforcement officers were working 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and sufficient com­ mitment and manpower were available to successfully prosecute offenders,” said Le Roux.

N3 Toll Concession deploys significant resources to en­ hance overall safety along the N3 Toll Route.

“We are thankful for the sup­ port received from our various partners in this regard,” said Le Roux. — Supplied.

Kia Soul recall KIA Motors is recalling some 798 Kia Soul vehicles commencing to inspect the vehicles’ steering rack.

The affected vehicles were all assembled in Korea between 18 January 2014 and 30 September 2015. In the event that the pinion nut is not correctly secured,

there is a possibility that – on some affected vehicles – the driver might experience a knock­ ing sound when turning the steering wheel.

Owners of the vehicles in­ volved will be telephonically no­ tified.

More info on www.kia.co.za. — WR.

From left are Calvyn Hamman, senior vice president of sales and marketing; Andrew Kirby, executive vice president; Danny Govender, Thekwini Toyota Durban; Dr Johan van Zyl, president and CEO; Yu Asano, general manager Africa Division; and Hitoshi Muramoto, executive vice president and chief co­ordinating officer.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

Three KZN dealers receive Toyota awards ETHEKWINI Toyota Durban was recognised for its exception­ al performance in 2015 and awarded the 2015 Toyota Dealer of the Year. It was a first for this dealership.

“This award to Danny Goven­ der and his team at Thekwini To­ yota Durban is richly deserved.

Their outstanding performance is clear proof that strong leader­ ship and an engaged group of people make all the difference,” said Calvyn Hamman, Toyota South Africa Motors senior vice president of sales and marketing.

“While Danny is personally in­ volved with all areas of the busi­ ness, he allows his management team to lead their own depart­ ments, resulting in a very innova­ tive and highly motivated team.

Particular attention to all the de­ velopment programmes proved to be his winning formula,” said Hamman, adding that the Toyo­ ta Dealer Awards are always hotly contested and the competition is fierce.

Awarded annually, the Toyota Dealer Awards are based on a comprehensive set of metrics on which each dealer is measured throughout the preceding year.

These measurements include customer service, environmental protection, financial perform­ ance and vehicle sales.

In selecting the 2015 Toyota Dealer of the Year, Toyota identi­ fied the best­performing dealer­ ship in the small, medium, large and mega categories.

Govender and Thekwini To­

yota Durban were recognised in the medium category and re­ ceived the overall award.

Toyota also recognised the most proficient divisional group managing director and group managing director of dealer groups in the Toyota network.

Alfie Rieckhoff of the Thekwini group was recognised in the divi­ sional category, while Robert Newton of the Halfway group re­ ceived the Group Managing Di­ rector of the Year award.

On the South Coast, Brian Jones and Halfway Toyota Shelly Beach were awarded for their outstanding achievements in the large category.

On the North Coast, Kevin Murphy of McCarthy Toyota Ba­ llito received the Monitor Dealer

of the Year award.

Awards: Vice President’s Award: Vehicle Marketing — Thekwini Toyota Durban (Danny Govender).

Vice President’s Award: Customer Service — Halfway Toyota Four­ ways (Martin Klopper).

Vice President’s Award: Automark — Barloworld Toyota Centurion (Johann Folscher).

Vice President’s Award: Customer Experience: Mega: Durban South Toyota (Amiraj Rampathy).

Large: Pat Hinde Toyota Boksburg (Andre Breytenbach).

Medium: Thekwini Toyota West­ ville (Michael Koberstein).

Small: Rola Toyota Bredasdorp (Andries de Villiers).

Older drivers determined to be independent THE majority of older drivers want to continue driving as long as they are able to safely, accord­ ing to a survey commissioned by the Institute of Advanced Motor­ ists (IAM), citing independence and convenience as the main rea­ sons.

The report, called “Keeping Older Drivers Safe and Mobile”, surveyed more than 2 600 driv­ ers and ex­drivers between the ages of 55 and 101, and was writ­ ten by Dr Carol Hawley from the University of Warwick Medical School.

Although the report found 84% of driver respondents rated their driving ability as good to ex­ cellent, and 86% rated their con­ fidence as a driver as good to ex­ cellent, there were some factors that would persuade them to give up their car keys.

The survey stated: “Most cur­ rent drivers would consider giv­ ing up driving if they had a health condition or a health professional advised them to stop driving.

“General practitioners, doc­ tors and opticians/optometrists are the most influential people to give advice on giving up driving.”

Given the reasons why older people value driving, it is no sur­ prise that older people are reluc­ tant to give up their vehicles.

Some 82% said that driving was “very or extremely important” to

Top five reasons older drivers keep on driving: 1. independence; 2. convenience; 3. mobility, ease of getting around; 4. freedom; and 5. lack of public transport available.

Harry Kartz became one of Britain’s best­known drivers after he featured in a TV programme called 100 Year Old Drivers. PHOTO: ONIGERIA.COM them, and women were signifi­ cantly more likely to rate driving as “extremely important” than men. Despite their determination to keep driving, the majority were in favour of measures to increase their safety on the roads, includ­ ing retesting and checking of var­ ious aspects of driver health and competence to remain behind the wheel.

Almost 60% said drivers should retake the driving test ev­ ery five years after the age of 70, and 85% said drivers should pass an eyesight test every five years once they have reached 70, and more than half said that drivers

aged around 70 should be re­ quired to have a medical exami­ nation.

Sarah Sillars, chief executive officer of the IAM, said: “A driv­ ing licence is a passport to free­ dom for all ages but particularly so for older drivers.

“As grandparents, it’s about helping their family access jobs, education and childcare, as well as keeping themselves independ­ ent and mobile. The psychologi­ cal impact of giving up driving shouldn’t be underestimated.

“Reaction times and physical mobility are affected by age and all drivers need to make an in­

formed decision about when to give up. We need to make it as easy as possible for mature driv­ ers to make that choice armed with the full facts and all the sup­ port they need.

“While some might need to ac­ cept the decision they cannot keep driving safely on the road, we believe some are pushed into giving up before they need to. A professional opinion counts for a lot, and there are many organisa­ tions that offer advisory volun­ tary assessments that will give an older driver the confidence they need to enjoy many more years of motoring.” — Newspress.

MOTORING WitnessWheels

March 3, 2016

3

Perfect for dirty weekends BRIAN BASSETT proves balies can still do the Hogsback run for a long weekend, in a BMW X4 RECENTLY it was necessary for my family and me to visit the Hogsback in the Eastern Cape for a few days to attend a family wed­ ding.

Anthony Ellis, dealer principal of SMG, offered the new model X4, with 20 000 km on the clock, as the ideal vehicle for such a trip. Bearing in mind the East­ ern Cape’s infamous roads, he did make a point of asking me to return the rims in one piece, which seemed a reasonable re­ quest.

My daughter, Katherine, and her partner, Melchior, flew in from Belgium to attend the wed­ ding, which meant I got to pack the X4’s 500 litre luggage area like a young dad. After closing the boot with space to spare, I walked around the car for the final pre­ trip check of those rims and tyr­ es.

The X4 really is a handsome car, appearing somewhat like a smaller version of the X6, but with none of the apparent heavi­ ness of that vehicle.

The design is athletic and clearly a blend of lifestyle and performance, which stands out both on and off road.

Our route took us through Un­ derberg to Kokstad and Matatie­ le and then on to Mount Fletcher, Maclear, Ugie and Elliot. Once there we would turn off to Queenstown and Whittlesea.

Then through the Nico Malan Pass to Seymour, where we would take the long, winding road to Hogsback.

Sure, this is the long way round, but in a car like this, why not? We all marvelled at a part of South Africa best kept from tourists, and we made the visitors swear not to tell.

The road to Underberg, via Bulwer, is excellent with turns that made me feel quite vainglo­ rious behind the wheel. Despite the undulating tar, everyone commented on the comfort of the interior, the quiet ride, the soft feel of the leather and the ad­

While the black will show the dirt, the X4 makes light of muddy roads, turning even a 13­hour drive over the Eastern Cape’s infamous potholes into a doddle.

PHOTOS: BRIAN BASSETT

justability of the seats.

I made note how the controls and gauges are ergonomically placed, with the high driving po­ sition enabling me to see well

ahead of the vehicle.

The leather­covered, multi­function steer­ ing wheel is a pleasure to handle, although we used only the audio controls and the Blue Tooth functions.

The eight­speed tiptronic transmis­ sion is butter smooth and there are four settings for the gearbox from Eco Pro, which we used most of the way, to sport+, which makes a difference to perform­

ance, as well as to fuel consump­ tion.

The four­cylinder, two­litre, 140 kW/400 Nm engine is sporty and enjoyable in all set­ tings, even with my miserly driv­ ing.

The road to Kokstad had the occasional pothole, which was easily avoided thanks to that high seating position and the very re­ sponsive steering, which pro­ vides immediate feedback on road conditions.

We listened to music on the

six­speaker audio system and chatted in the quiet cabin. Arriv­ ing in Kokstad without incident, we learned about the other Groot Trek, this one by over 2 000 Griquas and their cattle who were led here by Adam Kok 111 after being displaced by the Voortrekkers in today’s Free State.

We crossed into the Eastern Cape and driving conditions changed completely.

Everywhere work was being done to the road. Chickens,

sheep, cattle, pigs, as well as small children and old men swarmed all over the tarmac.

Every blind rise hid danger and stop­go road works caused long delays.

The potholes seemed to open again as soon as the repair crews moved on, some big enough to crack a rim wide open.

Our progress slowed, we pressed on to Matatiele, another interesting and historic town founded by Adam Kok in 1864.

Here we discovered a coffee shop in an early stone house, which was streaming a Brussels radio station.

Needless to say we stopped and enjoyed ourselves for an hour and then pressed on to Queens­ town.

Queenstown is a city of about 60 000 people, established in 1853 and named for Queen Victo­ ria. The toy­village comes com­ plete with a stone­built cathedral complex, a university and two re­ ally good museums. Sadly we saw little of this place as we pushed on against the fading light.

By the time we turned on to the steep, winding road to Hogs­ back, the light was almost gone and we spent the next 40 min­ utes avoiding potholes aided by the X4’s fine LED headlights.

When we finally arrived at our hotel the bridegroom came out and greeted us ecstatically. “How are you all?” he asked.

“Tense,” my daughter replied.

“If it had not been for this re­ markable car we would still be driving, or dead.”

We spent four days at the re­ sort village of Hogsback, visiting the sites, where the X4 proved it is no slouch on mud.

I gave the SUV back after a re­ turn drive of 13 hours.

I felt relaxed and only my bad knee reminded me that I had been sitting in one position for a long time.

Would I do the drive again?

Yes — if I can find someone to lend me an X4!

Tucson vs Kuga: its a buyers’ market

Fluid design now does dirt roads too

New Kuga even better kitted

The Tucson is back, well, back to being called Tucson instead of the iX35, and Hyundai’s popular sport ute now boasts an advanced AWD system developed by Hyundai in conjunction with Magna Powertrain. The system has active cornering control and incorporates both Hillstart Assist and Downhill Brake Control to turn the latest SUV from Korea into a capable offroader. Dave Fall drove it on the launch and compares it against the popular Kuga in next week’s Wheels.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

The new Ford Kuga made its debut at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week. The new Kuga now offers Ford’s Perpendicular Parking technology; active collision avoidance system; adaptive lights and the hands­free Liftgate. The launch date and pricing for SA is yet to be confirmed. When it arrives, this popular sport ute from Ford will be aimed squarely at other medium­sized utes like the Hyundai Tucson, Toyota Rav4 and even Audi Q3.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

4

WitnessWheels MOTORING

March 3, 2016

Intense progress The new E­Class is the first Merc powered by the company’s frugal new diesels.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

FUTURE­PROOF DIESEL ENGINE STUTTGART — Mercedes­Benz has nailed its sails to the diesel mast with its ground­breaking new OM 654 family of diesel en­ gines.

The company’s engineers said in a statement exemplary efficien­ cy and emissions ensure that the premium diesel is future proof.

Professor Dr Thomas Weber, member of the Daimler Board of Management with responsibility for Group Research and Head of Mercedes­Benz Cars Develop­ ment said: “In our opinion, the die­ sel engine is indispensable in trucks and cars if we want to fur­ ther reduce the CO2 emissions from traffic.”

The modular family of engines will find broad application across the entire range of Mercedes­Benz cars and vans. There are plans for several output variants as well as longitudinal and transverse instal­ lation in vehicles with front­, rear­ and all­wheel drive. This, too, makes the new engine so signifi­ cant, because the improvements in efficiency have a direct impact on Mercedes­Benz’s fleet con­ sumption. The new E­Class E 220d is the first Mercedes­Benz pow­ ered by the engine. — WR.

MAHINDRA RELEASES APP MAHINDRA has introduced a dedi­ cated mobile phone app for its sport utility.

Developed by Mahindra & Ma­ hindra’s in­house software devel­ opment team, the app has been customised for the South African market, and support XUV 500 owners with five key functions: a cluster alert explanation, fuel records, service records, remind­ ers and a contact portal.

The “Contact Mahindra” sec­ tion of the app provides a conve­ nient and direct communication channel between the Mahindra re­ lationship manager and registered users.

The New Age XUV 500 mobi app is compatible with both iOS and Android operating systems and is free to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store respectively. Purchasers of the New Age XUV500 will be as­ sisted by their sales representa­ tives to download and set up the app on their mobile phones.

— Supplied.

Audi’s latest A4 is an ‘innovative synthesis of technology and aesthetics’ Audi says drivers of the A4 sedan can look forward to a truly high­tech experience, including a phone box which connects certain smartphones to the on­ board antenna and charges them inductively (available mid 2016). PHOTO: QUICKPIC AUDI boasts its new A4 set high­ er benchmarks for the premium sedan class, from the infotain­ ment controls that are as easy to use as a cellphone to lightweight construction.

The sedan has grown substan­ tially since its introduction to South Africa in 1994, and now requires a parking space that will fit its 4,73­metre length, but thanks to an intelligent material mix and lightweight construc­ tion it is up to 120 kilograms lighter, depending on the engine.

Up front, Xenon headlights comes standard with LED and Matrix LED technology (includ­ ing dynamic turn indicators) op­ tional.

The smooth design lines also make the A4 extra slippery through the air, with the 2016 model A4 now boasting a drag coefficient of 0,23. White hot knifes experience more resist­ ance when cutting into a frozen block of butter than the A4 does in air.

These extremely low figures are the result of complex fine­ tuning and new solutions.

The outer lines of the air inlets integrate additional openings — they guide some of the air stream over the wheel well, where it flows past wheels which have al­ so been aerodynamically opti­ mised. Details such as the exteri­ or mirrors positioned on the door sills with their small inte­ grated narrow stripes help en­ hance the aeroacoustics.

Under the hood At market launch in South Afri­ ca, the new Audi A4 will be avail­ able with a choice of two petrol engines, while a diesel and an ad­ ditional petrol quattro model will follow shortly after.

Compared with the previous model, their fuel consumption has been reduced by up to 21%, while their power output has in­ creased by up to 25%.

All engines will be offered in S tronic transmission with the multitronic CVT transmission discontinued.

Available at launch will be a 1.4T FSI engine which has a max­ imum output of 110 kW of pow­ er and 250 Nm of torque, which will be available in both manual and S tronic transmission.

It has a claimed fuel consump­ tion of 4,9 l/100 km and a CO2 emissions value of 114 g/km, making it exempt from CO2 tax­ ation in South Africa.

The second engine available at launch will be the 2.0T FSI with 140 kW and 320 Nm of torque, available only in S tronic.

Its claimed fuel consumption is 5,4 l/100 km with corresponding CO2 emissions of 122 g/km.

In addition, a 2.0T FSI quat­ tro will be introduced in April 2016, boasting 185 kW of power and 370 Nm of torque.

Thereafter towards the end of 2016, a 2.0 TDI 140 kW will round out the local offering. The highly efficient TDI engine has a combined fuel consumption of just 4,9 l/100 km.

available over these trim lines.

The interior Quiet, light, spacious — the new Audi A4 surpasses its predeces­ sor in almost all interior dimen­ sions. Shoulder width and head clearance for driver and front­ seat passenger have increased by 11 millimetres, while the interior length has grown by 17 millime­ tres and rear legroom is 23 milli­ metres larger.

The new Audi models set the benchmark in their class in these important criteria. The Audi A4 is also a leader in its class in terms of noise levels with minimal road noise evident while driving, due to compound safety glass with acoustic film on the windscreen.

The driver and passengers are

New trim lines For the first time, Audi South Af­ rica will offer three different trim lines for customers to choose from, namely Standard, Sport and Design.

The Standard line will offer the Audi A4 in its standard form, whereas the Sport and Design lines provide customers with particular differences over and above the standard equipment.

The S line exterior package is

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

faced with abundance of intelli­ gent technologies, the use of which is even more intuitive with the new Audi MMI display and control concept.

A new Audi tablet can be used as flexible rear seat entertain­ ment for media and accessing the Internet, and is also com­

pletely removable to be used as a normal tablet. An optional Bang & Olufsen sound system provides 3D sound for the dis­ cerning listener. The staff at Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg, 9 Armitage Road, Pietermaritz­ burg are eager to explain specials on all the options.

Pricing 1.4 T FSI Manual R441 000 S tronic R459 000 S tronic Sport R492 000 S tronic Design R488 000 2.0 T FSI S tronic R496 000 S tronic Sport R517 000 S tronic Design R513 000

Quattro S tronic Sport R616 000 2.0 TDI Base S tronic R517 000 S tronic Sport R538 000 S tronic Design R534 000 Prices include the standard five­ year/100 000 km Audi Freeway Plan.

The MMI control concept in the cen­ tre console is also a newly designed feature and acts as the main control element. The top­ end infotainment system, has an 8,3­inch monitor and touchpad in the rotary controller to zoom in and out and to enter char­ acters. The entire MMI control logic is similar to that of a smartphone and in­ cludes an intelligent free­text search function.

BELOW: The option­ al virtual cockpit features a 12,3­inch LCD screen that displays high­resolu­ tion graphics.

PHOTOS: QUICKPIC

Barons Pietermaritzburg hosts a CANSA Shavathon

By Barons Pietermaritzburg

Max out your features with a limited edition maxx.

your hair sprayed bright pink instead (a more temporary option).

Regular readers of this little “column” of mine know that I take great pride and pleasure in Pietermaritzburg’s sense of community. To the rest of the country we may be a “sleepy hollow”, but Maritzburg (and Hilton and the surrounding communities, of course) has a vibrant and sharing community.

Barons Pietermaritzburg is proud to be associated with such a worthy cause. That’s why they’ll be hosting a CANSA Shavathon at their premises at 9 Armitage Road this Saturday (the 5th of March) from 8am to 1pm. It’s guaranteed to be a fun day and event for the whole family, and its all in a very good cause indeed. So why not pop into Barons this Saturday and show your support?

Find out more about the night market at http://www. dunrobin.co.za/night-market.html.

What brings a community together? Sometimes it’s a big event, or a celebration… but sometimes it’s a worthy cause instead. Cancer is one of those causes.

It affects so many people in our community; so many of us know someone, or know of someone, who’s battled cancer. Perhaps that’s why events like the CANSA Shavathon touch a chord.

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.

For those who don’t know the Shavathon, it’s an initiative where you can have your head shaved to show solidarity with cancer patients, who often have to deal with hair loss. Of course, not everyone can shave their heads, so there’s always the option to have

Purchase a Polo Vivo 1.6 Maxx from R191,400* incl VAT. The Polo Vivo 1.6 Maxx limited edition features include: - Lowered suspension - Leather seats - Front spoiler

- Mudflaps - Sports seats - 17” Budapest alloys

Exclusive to Barons Pietermaritzburg: Only 3 available.

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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 1.6 Maxx model in standard specification. Interest rate is used for illustrative purposes only. Price excludes optional extras, delivery, licensing and registration. 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.

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WitnessWheels MOTORING

March 3, 2016

First Civic Type R makes its way to Dundee Honda’s new Type R is generating excitement all over the world.

The 2­liter VTEC turbo generates 228kW and 400Nm and can do the 0­100km/h run in less than 6 seconds.

Top speed, so they say, is 270kmh and all you need is R590 000 to make this car your own.

In this hot hatch Honda again combined raw power and polished refinement to make one of the finest cars of its kind in the world.

Pictured here on the left is Henry Semelowitz of Honda Pietermaritzburg handing over the car to the first buyer to acquire one in the greater Midlands area, Neeran Ramnarain, a businessman from Dundee.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

The XV has just retouched its make­up outside, but now offers big Subaru value on the inside.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

Prettier fine print Subaru now offers longer maintenance plan on new XV SUBARU has given the XV a re­ vised look, with a larger chrome split wing on the front bumper and a longer spoiler at the back, but its under the roof and in the fine print where the real changes benefits await.

Under the hood, all is still as it should be, with the same award­winning 2.0­litre Boxer that makes 110kW of at 6,200 rpm and 196 Nm from 4,200 rpm mated to a six­speed man­ ual transmission or a Linear­ tronic continuously variable transmission that delivers a claimed average of about 8l/100km. Subaru will, howev­ er, offer and extended five year or 120 000 km full mainte­ nance plan until 31 March 2016.

The XV’s also still rides a class­leading 22 cm high, but the 17­inch dual­tone alloy wheels with black inlays and sil­ ver spokes that have now been slightly turned to convey a sense of movement to the over­ all design.

Interior enhancements While the exterior changes are more akin to touching up the lipstick and mascara, the interi­ or changes now puts the XV on par with some of its larger and more expensive siblings.

The steering wheel has changed to match the one found on Legacy and Outback models with satellite controls for audio, voice recognition, cruise control and use of the Multi­mode trip computer.

A new visual tweak of the wheel is the addition of bold or­

ange stitching that is also car­ ried into the rest of the cabin.

This youthful touch extends to the seat and headrest sides, the central and door armrests as well as the gear shifter boot giving the roomy cabin a fresh appeal.

Silver paddle shifters on the steering wheel have now been re­introduced on the CVT models for easier use of the manual transmission mode.

Also awaiting Subaru XV drivers is a revised Entertain­ ment interface. Offered as stan­ dard on the new XV is a variety of connectivity options includ­ ing BlueTooth integration, USB and auxiliary ports. An all­ new feature that is now stan­ dard across the range of Subaru models is Siri Eyes­Free, which connects to the already stan­ dard voice recognition system.

And it all works without rat­ tles, as the latest Consumer Re­ ports from the U.S. shows.

The reports are produced by an independent US­based re­ search organisation that scores aggregate road­test perform­ ance, vehicle reliability, passive and active safety, performance and owner satisfaction to rate car brands. Subaru this year placed second overall out of thirty car manufacturers, up from an already impressive fifth place in 2015.

Subaru Pietermaritzburg says new owners can experience all this in the three XV models, starting from R338 000 and topping out at R395 000.

Facelift Rav4 adds aggressive modernism THE launch of the new Hilux has temporarily eclipsed most things at Toyota, but the recent update of the best­selling Rav4 for 2016 is important, given the fact that the company moves around 500 units a month.

The front has acquired LED headlamps and the grill and bumper have been redesigned to give the vehicle a sleek and ag­ gressive look.

At the back the tail lamp clus­ ters have lost a little weight and the back bumper has been rede­ signed. The vehicle kindly made available to us by Deon Olivier, new car sales manager at McCarthy Toyota, Pietermaritz­ burg also had alloy wheels in a new design, which adds to the Rav’s feeling of aggressive mod­ ernism.

The new Hilux now has the same trailer sway control offered by the RAV4. PHOTO: QUICKPIC The Rav 4 2.0 GX Manual which we drove is probably the best value of the five­model Rav 4 range and Toyota have upgrad­

ed the cabin build quality and the materials used.

There is a little discreet fid­ dling in the cabin to offer some

extra storage space, but by and large most design features re­ main the same.

The infotainment touch screen has grown to seven inches and a third 12 V power plug is available to those in the third row of seats.

In terms of safety the Rav 4 now also has a Trailer Safety sys­ tem, which helps to control trail­ er sway, particularly at speed.

For the rest the Rav4 remains as it was, one of South Africa’s most popular SUVs and the good news is that the price remains the same and has not risen in line with the current round of price increases.

The entry model comes in at R330 000 and the range­topping AWD VX 2,5­litre petrol will cost you around R460 000.

Sunlight and water can fuel cars and trucks ALWYN VILJOEN THE Fischer–Tropsch process is infamous for aiding the Nazi war effort and enabling Sasol to print money by turning coal into fuel since 1950.

Now a group of scientists at the University of Texas has refied a photothermochemical process for driving the alkane reverse combustion (ARC) reaction to produce the C1 to C13 hydrocar­ bons in a single operation unit.

“If the process was driven by the sun to provide both photons and heat, a solar photothermo­

chemical alkane reverse combus­ tion (Sparc) process could be achieved in one step.

“If the Sparc reaction could be optimised to predominantly pro­ duce liquid hydrocarbons, and these products were derived from atmospheric CO2, a sustainable and carbon­neutral liquid fuel cy­ cle could be realised,” their report states.

In other words, they want to use focused sunlight from para­ bolic mirrors to turn the overa­ bundance of carbon­dioxide mixed with water into an inex­ pensive hydrocarbon fuel, using

the intense heat and ensuing high pressure from the sun, The group of biochemists and mechanical engineers was led by Brian Den­ nis, UTA professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and co­principal investigator of the project.

Dennis said their process uses both light and heat to synthesise liquid hydrocarbons in a single stage reactor from carbon diox­ ide and water. Frederick Mac­ Donnell, UTA interim chair of chemistry and biochemistry and co­principal investigator of the project said their process also has

an important advantage over bat­ tery or gaseous­hydrogen pow­ ered vehicle technologies.

“Many of the hydrocarbon products from our reaction are exactly what we use in cars, trucks and planes, so there would be no need to change the current fuel distribution system,” said MacDonnell, adding their next step is to develop a photo­cata­ lyst better matched to the solar spectrum. “Then we could more effectively use the entire spec­ trum of incident light to work to­ wards the overall goal of a sus­ tainable solar liquid fuel.”

KZN can get more licence fees by asking less

The interior of the XV has been enhanced with toys from the bigger stablemates, but still show the AWD in action.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

SATURDAYS between 9 am to 10 am, Witness Wheels co­hosts the morning car show on Capital 104 fm, broadcasting to the Msun­ duzi Municipality.

Car enthusiast Brian Bassett most recently had as his studio guests veteran car club member Fred Racher and Wheels editor Al­ wyn Viljoen.

Viljoen stated KZN has the highest licensing fees in South Af­ rica, adding many fleet owners are

opening offices in neighbouring provinces to register their fleets there, thus losing the province mil­ lions in revenue, and urged the provincial government to lower li­ cense fees so that fleet owners will spend local.

Racher told how a friend saves R2 000 a month by registering his vehicles in Mpumalanga.

Viljoen called on the provincial government to stop being so rapa­ cious and drop the fees.

Pack spare tyres Racher told how he once had two blowouts on new tyres driving through the Eastern Cape’s pot­ holes.

His Jaguar did not come with a full size spare, but being a veter­ an driver he packed one, as well as the “Marie Biscuit” wheel.

He urged everyone on 19­inch rims with low profile tyres to en­ sure they have full sized spare tyr­ es when going away.

New Hilux, same legend Viljoen discussed the new Hilux, which has been for several years the overall best selling vehicle in South Africa.

He said the new bakkies offer a much smoother ride than what the 12­year­old Hilux was known for but still give lots of power at low revs.

He advised listeners to test drive the new ute at McCarthy PMB.

ELECTRIC MOTORING WitnessWheels

March 3, 2016

7

Cheaper electrics by 2020 Elon Musk was right when he said hydrogen cars are bulls**t in 2013, explains ALWYN VILJOEN TESLA CEO Elon Musk may one day be remembered best for his prophetic summary that hydro­ gen electric cars are bulls**t.

Here at Wheels, we agreed with Musk’s statement in 2013 and not just because the tiny hydro­ gen molecule will eventually leak from any tank, as Toyota found out in Florida, where H1 drivers are not driving because they can­ not get fuel.

Our anti H1 stance is mainly based on the double labour re­ quired to get hydrogen cars to go.

For those who don’t know, making hydrogen requires lot of electricity from dirty, coal pow­ ered plants, and this hydrogen is then stored until such time as it can be used to generate electrici­ ty again, (if the little molecules have not all leaked out, that is).

As BMW stated, instead of build­ ing new hydrogen fuel stations, just use the existing electric in­ frastructure to recharge batter­ ies. This means every lamp pole out there is a potential charging point.

Then there is the fact that elec­ tric cars have fewer moving parts than hydrogen cars. Fewer mov­ ing parts means less servicing, which means lower running costs. To put a number to this, the UK government and indus­ try­backed Go Ultra Low cam­ paign points out UK motorists can save an average of £306 (over R6 800) a year in workshop fees by switching to a new electric car.

Return of the milk float The problem to date has been the cost of batteries that can last the distance and the source of the en­

Citroën’s says its DS E­Tence concept car will use the company’s Formula E motor that makes 516 Nm of torque from zero revs to silently shoot up to 100 km/h in less than five seconds. It can also cruise for 360 km on its batteries in the city using a 53 kWh lithium­ion battery pack. PHOTO: SUPPLIED ergy. To solve the first, all hydro­ gen haters, Wheels included, pointed out building better bat­ teries to store that first batch of Amps should be the focus of all auto engineers.

The latest Bloomberg New En­ ergy Finance report shows call has been heeded.

By 2020, predicts Bloomberg, electric vehicles will become cheaper than petrol or diesel cars in most countries and by 2040, sales of electric vehicles will hit

41 million, with one in three of new light duty vehicle sales, like the milk floats of yore.

Salim Morsy, senior analyst and author of the Bloomberg study, said the forecast is based on the crude oil price recovering to $50, and then trending back up to $70­a­barrel or higher by 2040. “Interestingly, if the oil price were to fall to $20 and stick there, this would only delay mass adoption of EVs to the early 2030s,” Morsy said in a state­

ment. While oil pundits currently predict low crude prices for at least the next four years, even smaller vehicle sellers like Citro­ ën and Honda expect oil will go back up again, and are turning to electric vehicles that are not like milk floats at all.

Citroën last week managed to turned even die­hard V8 petrol­ heads with an artist’s impression of the DS E­TENSE, which will be launched at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.

This electric­powered super­ car will be sold under the umbrel­ la of Citroën’s newly established luxury brand, DS Automobiles, and will reportedly make 300 kW and 516 Nm — all quietly and with zero emissions.

Honda makes a U turn But the big surprise was from Honda’s new CEO Takahiro Hachigo, who told a specially convened press conference last week that the Japanese automak­

er is changing its focus from mak­ ing hydrogen cars to making elec­ trics.

By 2030, said the new gun Hachigo­san, Honda plans to sell a third of its fleet as electric cars.

Not that commuting and de­ livering the milk in quiet electric vehicles will save the world from climate­changing greenhouse gases.

For while the world still creates its electricity by burning coal, even this author’s electric scoot­ er has very big and dirty exhaust pipes at the end of the power line indeed.

Two independent studies pub­ lished in the journals Environ­ mental Research Letters and Envi­ ronmental Science & Technology underline that charging electric cars overnight at home will lead to coal­fired power plants emit­ ting greenhouse gases around the clock, leading to more pollu­ tion by night, with an increase of 50% in health costs.

Which is why, alongside better batteries, the next challenge is better voltaic cells for the sun to trickle charge those batteries to create vehicles that make more energy than they use.

Impossible?

Not so, as the students at the Delft University has now proven with Stella Lux, a road­legal, so­ lar­powered family saloon that does make more Watts than it needs.

As a proof of concept, Stella cost well over R20 million to de­ velop, and the tree­huggers at Wheels can but hope Moore’s Law will result in a more afforda­ ble version within our lifetime.

Drone helps refuse­collecting robot find bins STUDENTS from three univer­ sities have collaborated with the Volvo Group and the waste recy­ cling company, Renova.

The result is a robot that au­ tomatically collects and empties refuse bins. A drone on the roof of the refuse truck scans the area and helps the robot to find the bins.

When it is time to begin waste collection, the driver of the refuse truck presses a button.

This starts the robot, and the drone simultaneously lifts from the roof of the truck.

Flying through alleyways, the drone quickly finds the location of the refuse bins and communi­ cates their positions to the ro­ bot.

This is followed by automatic waste collection and emptying by the robot. In the cab, the driv­ er is able to monitor the exact location of the robot and the emptying process.

The Roar project, Robot­ based Autonomous Refuse han­ dling, is a collaboration between the Volvo Group, Chalmers University of Technology, Mä­ lardalen University, Penn State University in the United States, and Renova.

The objective of Roar is to demonstrate how smart ma­ chines will soon be able to com­ municate with each other to fa­ cilitate everyday life in a large number of areas.

“We predict a future with more automation,” says Per­La­ ge Götvall, project manager for

vo Group’s Academic Partner Programme, a network of 12 uni­ versities with long­term re­ search and recruitment collabo­ ration with the Volvo Group.

It took students and research­ ers from the three participating universities only four months to design and build the prototype robot that automatically col­ lects and empties the refuse bins. — Supplied.

It can only happen in Sweden. ‘Rory’ the automatic wheelie­ bin collector, is steered above by a drone and has sensors to stop moving when it detects humans. PHOTO: VOLVO robot development in the Volvo Group.

“This project is intended to stimulate our imagination, to test new concepts that may shape transport solutions of the future.”

In technical terms, a prerequi­ site for the robot’s work is that it already knows the neighbour­ hood in the form of a map of both the manoeuvrable area and likely bin locations.

The robot then uses a number of different sensors to keep itself positioned within this map, ena­ bling it to automatically per­ form its tasks.

The sensors include GPS, Li­ DAR (a system similar to radar but using infrared light instead of radio waves), cameras, and IMU data, which uses acceler­

ometers and gyroscope for navi­ gation as well as odometry, where motion sensors measure the position changes over time.

“For us at the Volvo Group, the safety aspect forms the basis of everything we do,” says Göt­ vall. “Accordingly, many of the robot’s sensors are also used to ensure safety.”

One example is an emergency button, which immediately stops the robot if, for example, a child or a dog runs out in front of it. Another example is a cam­ era on the truck that detects if someone comes too close while the bins are being emptied. If this occurs, the process auto­ matically stops.

The students who worked on the project are all from universi­ ties that are included in the Vol­

V PER­ LAGE GÖTVALL project manager

‘This project is intended to stimulate our imagination, to test new concepts that may shape transport solutions of the future.’

Swedish gearmakers GKN Automotive plans to sell a lot of its new eTwinster gearboxes by 2025, giving electric cars truck engine power. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

OVER 2 000 NM OF TORQUE FROM NEW ELECTRIC GEARBOX GKN AUTOMOTIVE is testing a torque vectoring electric drive system at the company’s Winter­ test proving ground in Sweden.

Called the eTwinster, the gear­ box is meant to offer automakers a combined solution for hybrid and plug­in all­wheel drive plat­ forms.

It’s a combination of the eAxle technologies GKN provides for companies like Volvo, Porsche and BMW, and the twin­clutch torque vectoring features the company created for vehicles from Ford and Range Rover.

GKN built a prototype vehicle for testing based on a premium SUV. The prototype uses a 240 Nm electric motor and gaso­ line engine.

With ratios, a total production of 2 400 Nm of torque is sent

through the dual­clutch eTwinster system. Vehicle dynamics experts from several leading automakers are currently test driving the pro­ totype vehicle.

The high amounts of torque mean that the prototype receives more propulsion power from the electric motor than it does the combustion engine.

The company says that the eTwinster will be ready for produc­ tion vehicles within the next three years and predicts that by 2025, about half of all vehicles produced will have some fort of electrifica­ tion (hybrid, plug­in).

To that latter end, GKN is devel­ oping a range of electric­drive sys­ tems meant to augment or boost the power produced by the elec­ tric motors in hybrid and plug­in vehicles. — Wheels Reporter.

WitnessWheels MOTORING

RACING

8

March 3, 2016

Hybrids also climb the Hill Large number of entries for Classic Car Friday and King of the Hill, including first Formula 1 car COLIN MILEMAN KNYSNA — Visitors to this year’s Jaguar Simola Hillclimb, taking place in Knysna from May 6­8, 2016, are in for a real treat, with the most exciting pro­ gramme and the most expansive and exotic line­up of cars yet in the award­winning event’s histo­ ry.

Aside from the largest number of entries yet for Classic Car Fri­ day and King of the Hill, this year’s edition of South Africa’s premier motorsport event is set to include a dedicated SuperCar Shootout, an intriguing new cat­ egory for hybrid­powered vehi­ cles, and the first­ever Formula 1 car to take on “The Hill” — all of which is sure to excite and de­ light the more than 15 000 fans expected to make their way to the famous Simola Hill over the course of the weekend.

“The SuperCar Shootout adds an exciting new element to the Jaguar Simola Hillclimb, as it al­ lows supercar owners to compete against one another for Hillclimb glory,” says Geoff Goddard, the hillclimb’s sporting director.

This event runs alongside and uses the same format as King of the Hill during the Saturday and Sunday, including the practice and qualifying runs, leading up to the class finals. The top 10 competitors then proceed to the final SuperCar Shootout — which precedes the King of the Hill Top 10 Shootout — to deter­ mine the overall SuperCar win­ ner. “Drivers that elect to com­ pete in the SuperCar Shootout will not be eligible for the King

King of the Hill Dezzi Gutzeit from the South Coast will defend his title against all comers at the Simola Hillclimb in May, but this time, he told Wheels, he will be using a parachute to stop his 1 000 kW Nissan GT­R, as he is not getting any younger.

PHOTO: LEBING.CO.ZA of the Hill Top 10, so it becomes a stand­alone event in the pro­ gramme,” Goddard explains.

Qualifying entries for the Su­

perCar Shootout have to be pro­ duction­based, showroom­spec cars using standard road tyres — all of which fall under Class A reg­

ulations for road­going vehicles.

The fastest entries are likely to come from four of the Class A categories: A4 which includes the

likes of the four­wheel drive tur­ bocharged Nissan GT­R and a Noble M400; Class A6 with the Porsche 911 GT3; A7 that encom­

passes the evocative Ferrari 458 Italia and screaming Lamborghi­ ni Aventador; as well as Class A8 with a McLaren 650S and, natu­ rally, the Jaguar F­Type R Coupé with its mighty five­litre super­ charged V8 that produces a thun­ derous 405 kW of raw power.

Another interesting addition for the 2016 Jaguar Simola Hill­ climb is the new Class A9 for hy­ brid­powered vehicles. At least one BMW i8 is destined for the start line, and is sure to be a major talking point throughout the weekend. Relying on a high­tech combination of a 1,5­litre three­ cylinder petrol engine synchro­ nised with an electric motor, it produces a combined output of 266 kW and 570 Nm of torque.

It will be fascinating to see how this lightweight plug­in hybrid fares against its more conven­ tional rivals.

Motor racing purists will be delighted to witness the first­ev­ er Formula 1 car to be unleashed on the Jaguar Simola Hillclimb.

Owned and driven by Andre Bez­ uidenhout, one of SA’s most fer­ vent motorsport enthusiasts and competitors, the 1989 Dallara is powered by a Cosworth­Ford V8 and currently holds the lap record of 58,839 seconds for the 2,4 km Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria.

Is it capable of blitzing Des Gutzeit’s current Hillclimb record of 40,148 sec notched up last year with his explosive, high­ ly modified 1 400 hp Nissan GT­R, or will the road course be its undoing? All will be revealed at the beginning of May. — Supplied.

Trike drags and drifts like a boss

The Can­Am Spyder F3 Turbo Concept is a one­off turbo­charged three­wheeler that loves the track. PHOTO: SUPPLIED BEN COXWORTH LOVE it or hate it, Bombardier Recreational Products’ Can­Am Spyder Roadster is definitely a unique vehicle. Recently, howev­ er, BRP introduced a one­off model that’s a little more unique than all the others — the Can­Am Spyder F3 Turbo Concept Vehi­ cle. Unveiled this Thursday at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway, the F3 Turbo was on hand to help start BRP’s sponsor­

ship of the upcoming Can­Am Nascar racing season.

The vehicle features a 150­hp, 1,330­cc turbocharged and inter­ cooled Rotax engine.

That powerplant takes the F3 Turbo from 0­100 km/h) in 4,3 seconds and does a quarter­mile (0,4 km) in 12,3 seconds.

There’s also a Sport mode, which allows for controlled rear tire drifts when engaged.

“BRP’s Rotax engineers chal­ lenged themselves to develop a

turbo version of the Can­Am Spyder F3 engine, which resulted in this high­performance vehi­ cle,” says Rénald Plante, director, Can­Am Spyder engineering.

“This concept showcases the advantages of a Y­frame design, such as a lower centre of gravity, the ability to drift, and superb tire grip during aggressive corner­ ing.”

There are no plans to bring the F3 Turbo to production.

— Gizmag.

Another Gutzeit from Port Shepstone who is no stranger to winning on various race tracks, Shane last week won the first round of the Supadrift national series. His is now the first on the inaugural Riaz Alibhai floating trophy after he raked in more points than Gavin Puren at the Red Star raceway. Puren took driver of the day and second place, Richat Kahn was third, with fellow Mozambican Zanil Satar in fourth. Inset: Shane Gutzeit and Jim McFarlane tussle for the line.

PHOTOS: SADRIFT.CO.ZA

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