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August 11, 2016

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INSIDE

The fastest Jaguar at the time never sold much, but may yet have its day when it comes under the hammer next week. — Page 2

Above — the enemy of all petrol heads. It’s not this driverless Roboracer, but its ‘brain’ — a Nvidia Drive PX 2 super computer — that is currently learning how to drive, fast.

— Page 8

South Africa’s Bently boy Jordan Pepper won another Junior class podium before a brilliant charge in Germany’s ‘Green Hell’. — Page 8 Camden McLellan won the 85 cc Pro Mini class in round five of the South African National Motocross Championship near near Maritzburg last weekend.

Check the strict rules for the Roof on page 8.

Congratulations to Lisa Franzsen, who’s entry won four tickets to last week’s State of Stance hosted at the weekend at the Pavillion shopping mall.

Below — the petrol­head’s friend.

Yes, it will be electric.

Yes, it has only three wheels.

But the 600 kW hub motor in the fat rear tyre will leave even a Nissan GT­R standing and the roll cage makes it safer than any of today’s family sedans. — Page 5

From China, with a lot of empathy for your budget, come two value­for­money family cars, the Corolla competing C30 from Great Wall Motors (left) on page 4, and the Landwind SUV competitor from Jiangling Motor Corporation on page 3.

Pre-owned

We’ll pay for the dream.

You drive the reality.

Visit Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg today for incredible offers on a range of Audi demo models.

Only while stocks last, terms and conditions apply.

Ref

Year

Vehicle Description

Colour

Mileage

Special Price

11410

2015

Audi A4 2.0T FSI Design S tronic

White

6 000 km

R489 995

11471

2016

Audi A6 1.8T FSI S tronic

White

10 000 km

R479 995

11474

2016

Audi A4 2.0T FSI Design S tronic

Red

1 000 km

R399 995

11486

2015

Audi A6 1.8T FSI S tronic

White

26 500 km

R539 995

11494

2015

Audi A3 Sportback 1.4T FSI

Blue

36 400 km

R299 995

11495

2014

Audi Q5 2.0 TDI Q S tronic

White

80 156 km

R399 995

11496

2010

Audi S4 Q 245kW S tronic

Silver

116 000 km

R249 995

11497

2013

Audi A3 1.4T FSI 90kW

Silver

97 130 km

R199 995

11501

2014

Audi A3 1.2T FSI 77kW

Red

50 000 km

R259 995

Monthly instalment: R 5 999

11504

2013

Audi A4 1.8T FSI 125kW

Grey

86 000 km

R250 000

11513

2015

Audi RS3 SB 270kW quattro

White

18 000 km

R725 000

11522

2012

Audi A4 1.8T FSI 125kW

White

87 000 km

R220 000

Interest rate: 10.60%, GFV: 61.20% Vehicle price: R 527 500, Instalments: 36, Deposit: R 111 275

11524

2016

Audi A4 2.0T FSI S tronic

Silver

11 000 km

R499 995

11525

2016

Audi A4 2.0T FSI S tronic

White

3 000 km

R419 995

11526

2016

Audi A4 2.0T FSI Design S tronic

Grey

2 000 km

R449 995

Finance subject to approval by Audi Financial Services, a division of Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa PTY limited, an authorised financial services & credit provider NCRCP6635. Offer on the A4 110kW S tronic Sport at R 5 999 p.m. R 527 500 over 36 months, 21.09% total deposit, 10.6% linked rate, 61.2% GFV, total cost R 538 794. Includes monthly admin fee of R68 and an initiation fee of R 1 197. T’s & C’s apply.

11527

2016

Audi A4 2.0T FSI Sport S tronic

Red

1 000 km

R479 995

11528

2016

Audi A4 1.4T FSI Sport S tronic

Red

1 000 km

R479 995

11530

2011

Audi RS5 Coupe quattro

Black

77 620 km

R499 995

11532

2015

Audi A4 2.0 TDI SE

Grey

18 244 km

R339 995

The Audi A4 110kW Sport from only R 5 999 p.m.

With almost three-quarters of the deposit covered by Audi.

Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg Nathi Mncube • Sharon Mpulo • Imdaad Hoosan • New Vehicle Sales Manager: Prunella Naidoo Mandla Mkhize • Mark van Rijsbergen • Anwar Charfaray • Pre-owned Manager: Riaz Mahomed

BP Advertising

9 Armitage Road, Pietermaritzburg, 3201. Tel: 033 397 8800. www.audipietermaritzburg.co.za

WitnessWheels MOTORING INDUSTRY

2

August 11, 2016

Can every cat have its day?

Briefly the fastest car in the late eighties, the unloved XJ200 may finally fetch a high price HISTORY has generally been kind to au­ dacious supercar projects and their lucky owners.

It seems we’re fascinated by the drama and romance involved in chasing speed records, sending the value of cars like the McLaren F1 skywards the second they launch. One exception to the rule is the Jaguar XJ220, briefly the fastest car in the world. Since 1992, values of the big cat have never made it past their list price and six years after its launch, there were still cars left on Jaguar lots at the end of production in 1994.

But this could be about to change when the car returns to auction next week.

Great expectations The XJ220 was the brainchild of Jim Randall, Jaguar’s director of engineering, and boy, did he have big dreams for it.

Randall envisioned it as a halo for the Jaguar range, a car which paid respect to its ancestors but also looked to move the game on with its performance.

In 1988, an XJ220 concept was un­ veiled at the British International Motor Show promising to do all those things.

Hidden beneath the alloy body was a V12 engine sending power to all four wheels, like the Porsche 959, and the crowds in­ stantly fell in love.

Based on the overwhelmingly positive response it received, Jaguar started ac­ cepting pre­orders with a deposit of just £50 000 (about $96 000 at the time).

In the end, around 1 500 people laid down their cash, and delivery was slated for 1992.

Tweaking the formula The XJ220 might have been slated for

the original concept, it still pumped out 542 hp (404 kW) of power and 644 Nm of torque. That wasn’t enough to stop the McLaren F1 stealing its mantle in 1994.

Unfortunately, these attributes weren’t enough to save the big cat from being a big, expensive flop. Some of the buyers who’d slapped down deposits in 1988 had been hit hard during the reces­ sion of the early nineties, leaving them unable to complete the purchase. To compensate, Jaguar bumped the sticker price from £350 000 (over R6,1 million) to £470 000.

Just 281 examples were built, and some left­hand drive cars were still un­ sold in 1997, three years after production wrapped up. Some buyers, desperate to get out of their contracts, tried to sue Jaguar for making such drastic changes to the specification, but that court case was decided in the car company’s favour.

Those curves on the XJ220 don’t just look pretty, but help to keep the Jaguar stable at high speeds.

PHOTO: NEWATLAS big things, but Jaguar wasn’t going to be able to handle development on its own. Having forged a relationship with the company on the track, Tom Walkin­ shaw Racing stepped in to lend a hand.

Early on, it became clear the project wouldn’t get far in concept specification.

Power came from a modified version of the V12 featured in the Silk Cut Jaguar XJR­9, which won Le Mans in 1988, and the four­wheel drive system was fiend­ ishly complex. Neither of these factors was a problem sitting stationary on a stand in Birmingham, but proved prob­

PASSAT NOW SIPS LEAST FUEL IN SA

The Passat 1,4 on average reached over 23 km per litre on a long, hard drive across SA, to set a new petrol passenger­car consumption record.

PHOTO: QUICPIC THE new Volkswagen Passat 1.4 TSI DSG has set a new South African record for a petrol passenger­car, for driving over 2 000 km on a single tank.

The new Passat drove a distance of 2 029 kilometres from the South Afri­ can and Zimbabwean border gate at Beitbridge to Moorreesburg, which is about 90 km north of Cape Town, in two and half days.

The average fuel consumption was 4,1 litres per 100 km and the total amount of fuel used was 83,19 litres.

The average speed was 69 km/h, which shows that Rodney Kinsey from Margate, who masterminded the econ­ omy drive, was not nursing the Passat along.

“We are very excited with the per­ formance of the new Passat TSI to set the new South African record of driv­ ing over 2 000 km on a single tank.

“We always believed that the new Passat TSI engine had the capability to better our previous record of 1 941 km that we set with the Golf TDI Bluemotion in 2011,” Kinsey said.

“We filled the tank to the brim with 83,19 litres of fuel, which was 17,19 litres more than the standard capacity of 66 litres. The extra litres of fuel were important in helping us to achieve our record drive.”

Six drivers were used, who each drove for two­hour stints during the journey.

One of the official observers includ­ ed Rodney’s brother, Pinetown’s well­ known and veteran motoring journal­ ist Malcolm Kinsey. — WR.

The new Passat drove a distance of 2 029 km from Beitbridge to Moorreesburg, 69 km outside Cape Town, on a single tank.

lematic in the real world.

Instead of running with a beautiful racing­derived V12, the production XJ220 was fitted with a twin­turbo­ charged V6. Based on the engine from the Austin Rover rally Metro, the Jaguar/ TWR JV6 would be easier to package than an engine with twice the cylinders, all the while producing more power. As if that wasn’t enough, the V12 quickly proved too thirsty to meet incumbent emissions legislation, ruling it out as a viable option.

It was a similar story with the all­

wheel drive system, as it was dropped because of its complexity and cost.

Fast, sexy and unloved When it landed in the hands of reviewers late in 1991, the XJ220 was a very differ­ ent car to the one promised at the 1988 British Motor Show. Even so, the big Jag­ uar won plenty of fans with its savage acceleration, high­speed stability and impressive engineering.

Fast, as in world’s fastest, with a top speed of 350 km/h. Even though the twin­turbo V6 had half the cylinders of

Under the hammer Even though it stands out as a fascinat­ ing step in Jaguar’s history, the XJ220 has never managed to pass its original list price at auction. Thus far, the model record sits at $462 000, achieved when a 2 818 km example sold last year.

Even though it’s seen five owners, the Monza Red example that is going under the hammer during Monterey Car Week has covered just 871 km since 1993, mak­ ing it as close to factory fresh as is possi­ ble for a 26­year­old car to be.

Russo and Steele is therefore expect­ ing it to return “well over half a million dollars”. We’ll see if that prediction is correct when the XJ220 goes up for sale next week, between August 18 and 20.

— NewAtlas.com

Khumo tyre design wins excellence award KUMHO’S ground­breaking “Smash­ er” and “Sealant” tyres have been hon­ oured with 2016 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA).

With the world’s top three design ac­ colades behind it — the Red Dot (Ger­ many), iF International Forum Design (Germany) and Idea (United States) — Kumho’s design and technological capa­ bilities have now been recognised by the industry as a whole.

Kumho said in a statement that the awards for its futuristic Smasher tyre and already available Sealant tyre, have confirmed the tyre company’s ability to encompass both the future and present of tyre design.

The Smasher was evolved in collabo­ ration with the SsangYong Motor Com­ pany and attracted significant attention when unveiled on the Tivoli at the 2015 IAA Motorshow. The tyre is optimised for driving in extreme conditions and features such innovations as suction plates and grinder­shaped tread blocks.

The former enable the vehicle to as­ cend steep slopes by creating a vacuum

The award­winning tyres by Khumo — the futuristic Smasher (right) and the self­sealing Sealant. PHOTO: SUPPLIED between the tyre and the ground, while the latter permit safe driving over even the roughest terrain by crushing uneven areas that could damage a tyre.

As the name suggests, the Sealant tyre automatically seals itself when penetrat­

ed by debris, thereby preventing loss of air pressure. The Idea award is the latest accolade for this product, which has al­ ready been bestowed with the Red Dot, Good Design (Japan) and Good Design (Korea) awards. — WR.

‘F1 Schools Technology Challenge opens SANGARI South Africa, the provider of learning solutions, has launched the “F1 in Schools Technology Challenge” 2016 race season in its search for a team to represent South Africa at the world fi­ nals in 2017.

The competition aims to get pupils between the ages of 11 and 19 years, to design, manufacture and race their own miniature Formula One cars.

The F1 in Schools Technology Chal­ lenge has become well­known world­ wide as an educational competition that actively promotes science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem).

There are over 44 countries participat­ ing, making it a prestigious and fun event where the value of learning is showing exceptional results.

Pieter du Plessis, F1 in Schools pro­ gramme manager at Sangari South Afri­ ca, said teams of three to six pupils are formed, a team name is selected and pu­ pils are assigned their roles.

Teams wanting to participate in the regional competition must register their team and seek sponsorship to compete.

The process follows the same process as a real Formula One team. The teams wishing to enter the official competi­

tions on a regional, provincial, national or international level have to source sponsorships as these have different en­ try costs. Teams also need to source sponsorship for manufacturing cars, which vary from the manufacturing cen­ tre they use. Sponsors are often compa­ nies in close proximity to the school and the added benefit is that graduates from the school are absorbed into the organi­ sation, thereby ensuring a viable return on their investment.

• More on sangarisa.co.za/f1­in­schools or enter by e­mailing register@f1inschools. co.za

MOTORING WitnessWheels

August 11, 2016

Well­priced spaciousness

3

The Landwind is made for mums who just want a good­looking, spacious family car that won’t break the bank and can traverse occasional dirt roads. PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN

BRIAN BASSETT drives the JMC Landwind 5 of design cues that may derive from other similar, successful Japanese, Korean or European vehicles on the market.

The Landwind, however, ap­ pears to be refreshingly new in design, although there are those who see elements of the Ford Ku­ ga, Renault Koleos and Hyundai ix35 in its makeup.

That minor issue aside, the de­ sign won’t overwhelm you but it does grow on you. The exterior is smooth and slick. It also does not look like anything else on the road and projects a bold, practi­ cal and solid stance, which gives it a presence even though the de­ sign is not aggressive.

The front end is quite long and flanked by swept back headlamps on either side of a three­slatted grille with centre badge. The car also has a pair of fog lamps flank­ ing a black lower grille and the rear end has a well­designed tail­ gate flanked by wrap­around tail lamps. In all, a well­packaged and good­looking exterior.

Interior The interior is light, spacious and airy. The interior arrangement is useful with about a hand width

of headroom and a huge rear seat space, which allows three adults plenty of leg room.

The dash is pleasantly unfussy and besides the many buttons for the radio/CD/AUX, it is easy to operate. There is unfortunately no multi­function steering wheel, touch screen, Bluetooth connectivity or cruise control.

But while the Landwind lacks the basic add­ons that help sell the more expensive SUVs, what it does offer are easy to operate manually.

One niggle for especially more petite drivers will be the driver’s seat, which has no height adjust­ ment. For the longer driver, the rake­and­reach adjustment for the steering wheel does help to create more knee room. Other than the height problem with the driver’s seat, the seats are well finished in a robust two­tone fab­ ric and offer comfort and space.

Hard plastics abound in this price range but the piano black trim holds the design together in a modern and fashionable man­ ner. The boot space is considera­ ble and almost doubles with the rear seat folded down. The level

of craftsmanship is surprisingly good, but the vehicle we drove had a cover for the cubbyhole that did not quite fit properly.

The steering wheel and gear lever appear to lack robustness, al­ though gear changes remain un­ affected.

Safety and security The Landwind has all of the fea­ tures needed for a safe journey.

There is ABS with EBD, park distance control, a high mounted rear brake light, child safety rear door locks and seat belts for all.

The car has, in addition, elec­ tric windows and side mirrors, as well as driver and passenger air bags. Power steering is standard and the wipers have an intermit­ tent setting, while the roof rails will take your extra luggage for the holidays.

Performance and handling The Landwind is an urban SUV and the four­cylinder, turbo­ charged Shenyang Aerospace Mitsubishi 4G63S4T engine

puts out 140 kW of power and 250 Nm of torque.

Mated to a six­speed manual gearbox it will take you from 0­100 km/h in about 11 seconds and top speed, should you need it, is around 185 km/h. Fuel con­ sumption is difficult with an SUV, but is likely to be around 10,5 l per 100 km in the com­ bined cycle.

The Mitsubishi engine under the Landwind’s hood is respon­ sive and energetic, but the engine really only livens up at around 3 000 rpm, when it has the feel its power and torque predict. The steering is quite responsive, but the car does not like being driven hard on very poor roads.

The soft springing results in some body roll but the ride on most road surfaces is pliant.

At normal speeds the Land­ wind had no problem on dirt and the 190 mm ground clearance ensures there is no scraping on very bad roads.

For mums looking for a spa­ cious SUV, the Landwind offers family transport without preten­ sions or badge clout, but with a big discount and a three­ year/100 000 km guarantee and a two­year /60 000 km service plan.

And, a bonus when it comes to servicing costs, Metro Cars’ devoted garage is notably lower in price than the competitors who do have the badge clout.

Costs and competition The Landwind 5, 2,0 MT will cost you around R290 000. Land­ wind dealers do, however, have a current offer of R40 000 deal as­ sistance, which brings the price down to R250 000 to turn this SUV into quite an attractive proposition.

This market sector is competi­ tive and you should also look at the GWM H6, Mahindra XUV 500, SsangYong Korando and Nissan Juke.

22458

THE South African vehicle mar­ ket seems to have a huge appetite for compact crossovers and SUVs, which has led to the with­ drawal of some excellent large se­ dans from the marketplace.

There also appears to be a gradually increasing acceptance of Chinese cars so the introduc­ tion of the Landwind in 2015, a vehicle first shown at the Guangzhou Motor Show in 2012, therefore comes as no surprise.

The Landwind’s design and manufacture has involved a num­ ber of distinguished names in the automotive world. The engine is a 2,0 litre Mitsubishi power plant, which once powered the Mitsubishi Evo, while Pro­Drive provided the suspension, Borg Warner the turbo charger, Delphi the electronics and Getrag the gearbox. But the Landwind com­ petes against the likes of the Nis­ san Juke, Ford Ecosport and Ma­ hindra XUV 500 — all very good buys. So we are grateful to Baboo Essa of Metro Car Sales for allow­ ing us a few days with the car.

Styling The first thing one looks for in a Chinese vehicle is the existence

M{zd NOW only from R2 599 P/M.

Model

Mazda2 1.5L Active Manual

Recommended Retail Price

R207 700

Instalment (excl R57 monthly admin fee)

R2 599

UNLIMITED KM WARRANTY & YEAR

SERVICE PLAN

NOW only from R3 399 P/M.

M{zing BT-50 Drifter Pack to the value of R25 000 free.

5 YEAR

/ 150 000 KM WARRANTY ON THE BT-50 RANGE

5

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NOW only from R4 599 P/M.

Model Recommended Retail Price

Mazda3 1.6L Original 4Dr R253 400

Model Recommended Retail Price

Instalment (excl R57 monthly admin fee)

R3 399

Instalment (excl R57 monthly admin fee) R4 599

UNLIMITED KM WARRANTY & YEAR

SERVICE PLAN

UNLIMITED KM WARRANTY & YEAR

SERVICE PLAN

Mazda CX-5 2.0L Active Manual R360 300

4

WitnessWheels MOTORING

August 11, 2016

A wolf in a sharp city suit AMIL UMRAW advises those not in the know to just think of the SRT as the Clarke Kent of SUVs IF I were to say that the vehicle I’m driv­ ing launches to 100 km/h in five seconds, wrings it wheels with 624 Nm of torque and finishes a quarter mile at 200, what car comes to mind?

A tricked out GTI perhaps?

Or maybe a first­generation Lambor­ ghini Gallardo? Well, no.

It’s a big, clumsy sport utility vehicle.

But not just any one. This one’s backside boasts three definitive letters cast in sil­ ver — SRT. A few months ago, Jeep, known for its lineage in off­road and family sized tour­ ers, announced it would be producing an abomination. They’re calling it a Grand Cherokee SRT Hellcat, or Track­ hawk (the name is yet to be confirmed), and its rumoured to be carrying a super­ charged 6,2 litre V8.

Whispers from deep within the pit where it is being forged say this behe­ moth will be measuring 880 Nm of torque and 527 kW on the wheels.

However, we don’t know if it will be arriving on South African shores.

But to celebrate such petrol­headed fun, Wheels thought it a good idea to remind ourselves just what an SRT is and got behind the wheel of the 6,4l V8 Hemi, which was launched locally last year.

At a glance, the SRT looks like any other soccer mum’s taxi and could be even mistaken for a standard model with additional exterior trims. But looking closer, you will find two flaring nostrils on the bonnet, exhaust tips you could fit your fists into and a sports suspen­ sions sitting low on 20” rims.

At first glance, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT looks like the SUV that soccer mums would drive, until it rips of its shirt and burns rubber, that is. PHOTO: AUTOEVOLUTION.COM It’s only when you start it up that you realise just how much fun you are about to have.

The SRT is a debonair adonis adorned in a tuxedo and when you plant down your right foot, it rips off its coat and

neatly ironed shirt to expose its jump­ suit apparatus underneath. Think of it as the Clarke Kent of SUVs. Unlike what’s to come, the current SRT belts out “only” 344 kW and 624 Nm of torque, which catapults the

Sound dominates the RS3’s character

muscular beast to a limited 257 km/h be­ fore you can count out the R200 notes in your wallet to refuel the tank again.

And it is not just a straight­line racer that feels bulky on the corners. Switch to the designated Track mode and the

SRT becomes a feather­weight, taking corners with composure and precision.

The eight­speed transmission, con­ trolled automatically or by flappy pedals, is your best friend for cruising long dis­ tances or rocketing between traffic lights. But all this power comes at a price.

The lowest average fuel consumption I could achieve was 18 l/100 km and at times I was all the way up to 25. It’s worth every cent, though.

Inside, the SRT does not let luxury fall away. There is a combination of pol­ ished steel, carbon fibre, leather and suede. There are simply too many stan­ dard features to mention; let’s just say it has all you need and more.

So what do you get for about R1,2 mil­ lion?

Firstly, it is a few hundred thousand cheaper than its German counterparts and offers the same value for money.

It’s an exceptional cruiser, a long­dis­ tance tourer and a full­blown racer all in one.

But then, for its price some would say they could have all three. I could buy a super hatch and an SUV for the price of the SRT. Hell, I could even buy a Skyline GTR. But then again, you can’t have a picnic for four in the boot of a GTR. Actually, I could have that picnic while racing down a drag strip in the SRT, and I’d probably win too.

So, even if we do not get the Hellcat next year, I can safely say I’m rather con­ tent with what we have in the Jeep stable right now.

GWM TOP­SELLING SEDAN TAKES ON SA’S TOP SELLERS WITH LOW PRICE

SIBONELO MYENI IF an Audi hatchback is to your taste and killer performance is part of your buying criteria, the second generation RS3 is just your car … we tested it.

The RS3 adds more design aggression over a standard A3, with the honeycomb grille complete with RS3 decal, Quattro badging on the lower air intake and side air intake with designer louvers (in op­ tional black on test unit).

Add to that the LED lights with LED daytime lights and it has a front that won’t be mistaken for anything else but a RS fettled A3 on the road.

The 19­inch wheels in gunmetal grey blended well with the silver colour of the test unit, while red brake callipers with RS badging hinted at the car’s sporty de­ meanour.

The rear is dominated by the two big­ bore exhaust tail pipes mounted on ei­ ther side of the diffuser, which even though they are less than the quad pipes on the cheaper S3, they emit a sound that dominates the RS3’s character. Viewed from the rear, the extended wheel arches mimic J­Lo from behind.

The interior has subtle differences to the cheaper A3, such as the flat­bottom steering wheel, metal­finish gear lever and RS3 decals around the cabin. The RS seats (R10 k option) are a joy, proving both comfort and support, while the similar upholstery finish for the rear seats is a particularly nice touch.

Four people can fit comfortably inside with ample boot space for family trips, while the optional panoramic glass roof adds airiness in the cabin.

The MMI with a pop­up infotainment screen allows ease of car, entertainment and navigation setting changes.

If engine noise and exhaust crackles are what you love in a car, the RS3 will definitely be in the top­10 cars in your dream garage.

The 2,5­litre, four­cylinder turbo unit makes 270 kW from 5 500 rpm and 465 Newtons between 1 625 and 5 550 rpm, with Audi’s Quattro drive­

At well over R800 k, the Audi RS3 is not a cheap hot hatch, but it comes packed with pleasant surprises.

PHOTO: IMOTOONLINE

GWM C30, which regularly sells over 10 000 units in China per month, has arrive in SA to compete with the Corolla at less than R180 000.

PHOTO: GWM

The satisfying booms with each shift and lift­off exhaust crackle can turn any man into a grinning little boy, such is the fun.

GWM’s new C30 compact sedan is now available in South Africa.

Previewed at last year’s Johannes­ burg International Motor Show (Jims), this important B­segment con­ tender will compete against such vehi­ cles as the recently released Nissan Al­ mera, in addition to stalwarts such as the Honda Ballade, Hyundai Accent and Volkswagen Vivo sedan.

“The C30 slots into a very impor­ tant market segment in South Africa,” said GWM South Africa COO Warren Olsen. “It is aimed at families who need maximum passenger and luggage space, and a good balance of power and economy at an affordable price.”

The C30 is the second GWM sedan offering to reach South Africa, follow­ ing the recent introduction of the C­segment C50. It is also one of the most popular sedan models in China, regularly selling 10 000 units or more per month in its domestic market.

Brand manager Hannes Oosthuizen said that the C30 rides on a stretched (2 610 mm) wheelbase that endows it

train and seven­speed dual clutch S Tronic gearbox putting the power into the corners. Gear changes happen auto­ matically or through paddle shifts.

If you put the gearbox in Sport, put the engine exhaust in Dynamic (on Au­ dis Drive Select) as these shifts are ac­ companied by a satisfying boom, while lift­off exhaust crackle can turn any man into a grinning little boy, such is the fun.

Using the launch­control function, Audi claims a 0­100 km/h sprint in 4,5 seconds with the top speed limited to 250 km/h, or you can opt for the limit­ er to be raised to 270 km/h.

The engine doesn’t feel 270 kW though, with a smooth delivery rather than the expected turbo lump delivery of power. In fact, it feels more like a big, naturally aspirated unit and you have to watch constantly the speed limits.

The MQB lightweight platform allied to the Quattro system results in excellent traction and agility in dynamic driving but unlike other Quattro systems which don’t major on fun (R8 and B7 RS4 aside), the RS3 enthrals the driver.

This allows the RS3 to be enjoyed over and over again, until the fuel tank runs dry, which is very possible considering we averaged 14 l/100 km, but every 95 unleaded octane drop is worth the fun.

The standard R826 000 is a bit mis­ leading as to spec the RS3 properly for enjoyment, you need to budget close to one bar, but then even at that price, the RS3 is one of the pleasant surprises we have had this year. — imotoonline.

• Catch Sibonelo Myeni on Ukhozi FM on Thursday at 7.50 am for more Wheels news.

with one of the most spacious cabins in its class, as well as one of the largest boots, capable of swallowing 475­litres worth of luggage. The rear bench is split 60:40 and can fold down.

GWM’s 1,5­litre VVT­i engine deliv­ ers 71,3 kW and 138 Nm. The engine is mated with a slick five­speed manual transmission driving the front wheels.

This drivetrain’s reliability and effi­ ciency have already been proven in oth­ er GWM products, including the C10 and C20R hatchbacks.

Running costs will not only be kept low by the standard service plan and fuel economy, but also service intervals set at 15 000 km.

The C30 is available through GWM’s extensive dealership network, currently boasting more than 70 out­ lets and service centres, where it retails for R179 999. The C30 is backed by GWM’s comprehensive five­ year/100 000 km warranty and comes with two­year AA roadside assistance plan. The price includes a five­ year/45 000 km service plan.

MOTORING WitnessWheels

August 11, 2016

5

Trike for the grandchildren The super­light design and hi­tech features record several firsts for this electric car WHEELS is on record for predicting that our children’s children who want to own a car will order a bespoke set of wheels from their favourite boutique vehicle factory — and to this vision we want to add these future cars may look a lot like this Valene Black Mamba.

Released by Silex Power, the Black Mamba is a technologically advanced, super­light, unique sports car aimed at speed­ and fun­loving individuals.

Silex Power already practises what Wheels predicted will be the design pri­ cess of future personal transport: • start with a roll cage; • add seats and seat belts; • chose a hub motor; and • clad as per client wishes.

Safety On its website, Valene Motors says that driver and passenger safety were a priori­ ty during the design and development of the vehicle. The vehicle is built using strong seamless steel tubing, providing a robust protective shell surrounding the occupants. The unique seating position places the driver and passenger’s legs well behind the front axle, reducing the chance of injury in a frontal collision.

The design also delivers a very low centre of gravity, increasing the car’s sta­ bility. Roll bars installed behind the headrests reduce the chance of injury in the highly improbable eventuality of a rollover. Using composite materials with high elastic and memory properties, the body of the vehicle can sustain low speed impacts without any significant dam­ age, and at the same time, the chances of shards and fragments injuring the oc­ cupants during a high­speed impact is reduced drastically.

A choice of power The Valene Black Mamba will be availa­

ble with a range of options, starting from the entry level 107 bhp (80 kW) to the insane 807 bhp (600 kW) flagship. The 107 bhp version can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 4,2 seconds, thanks to its lightweight construction.

We won’t tell you the acceleration time of the 810 bhp version, but you can easily extrapolate its extraordinary per­ formance. With a choice of bat­ tery packs from 15 kWh, 30 kWh and 50 kWh formats, the Black Mamba can achieve up to 500 km autonomy.

Cladding and interior Thanks to its streamlined sleek design, the Valene Black Mamba offers minimal air resistance, low uplift and high down­force at high speeds.

This delivers better roadholding under high­performance driving conditions for which the car is de­ signed. The aerodynamics of the vehicle also allow passive cooling of the battery pack and electric motor via the vent at the top of

the vehicle, which directly cool the bat­ tery/electronics compartment. No fans are necessary during operation, thus substantially increasing the reliability of the vehicle.

It is equipped with an AC/DC on­ board charger and is compatible with Combo 2 DC chargers. The Valene Black

Mamba will also be the first vehicle to support HyperCharging Technology — going from flat to fully charged in less than five minutes — on all battery pack sizes!

• It is all about the fast and furious ei­ ther. The Valene Black Mamba will also be one of the first production cars to of­

fer the Clarion Full Digital Sound System as an option. Full digital signal transfer from a digital source enables direct input of high­resolution audio sources to the speakers without worrying about sound deterioration. High­quality full digital sound is reproduced with purity that’s true to the original.

High­efficiency conversion from digi­ tal signals into sound makes the system capable of delivering four times the high power output of conventional full­digi­ tal systems, while achieving low power consumption that’s only about one fifth that of analogue systems.

The occupants will experience excep­ tional sound quality while preserving the energy stored in the batteries.

Silex Power hopes to manufacture and distribute from 2017. Prices are expected to start at €35 000 (R529 958).

• Silex is also looking for international distributors. Interested parties can contact it using the relevant form on www.valenemotors.com

FINANCIAL SERVICES

REDEFINES THE ‘S’ IN SUV

Nissan breakthrough YOKOHAMA (Japan) — Nissan Mo­ tor Company recently revealed the world’s first Solid Oxide Fuel­Cell (SOFC)­powered prototype vehicle in Brazil that runs on bio­ethanol electric power.

The breakthrough model, an all­ new light commercial vehicle, can rely on multiple fuels, including ethanol and natural gas, to pro­ duce high­efficiency electricity as a power source.

Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn said: “The e­Bio Fuel­Cell of­ fers eco­friendly transportation and creates opportunities for regional energy production … all the while supporting the existing infrastruc­ ture. In the future, the e­Bio Fuel­ Cell will become even more user­ friendly. Ethanol­blended water is easier and safer to handle than most other fuels. Without the need to create new infrastructure, it has great potential to drive mar­ ket growth.”

The fuel cell prototype forms part of Nissan’s ongoing commit­ ment to the development of zero­ emission vehicles and new auto­ motive technologies, including au­ tonomous drive systems and connectivity. Nissan already sells the world’s highest volume zero­ emission car, the Leaf, and is pio­ neering intelligent mobility systems that will be deployed in a range of vehicles in future.

In this latest zero­emission de­ velopment, the e­Bio Fuel­Cell pro­ totype vehicle runs on 100% etha­ nol to charge a 24 kWh battery, which enables a cruising range of more than 600 km. Nissan will conduct further tests on public roads in Brazil using the prototype.

The research and development of the e­Bio Fuel­Cell was an­ nounced by Nissan in June in Yok­

ohama. The powertrain is clean, highly efficient, easy to supply and runs on 100% ethanol or ethanol­ blended water. Its carbon­neutral emissions are as clean as the at­ mosphere, which will be part of the natural carbon cycle.

The e­Bio Fuel­Cell offers the brisk acceleration and silent driving of an EV, along with its low­run­ ning costs, while boasting the driv­ ing range of a petrol­engine vehi­ cle. Bio­ethanol fuels are mainly sourced from sugar cane and maize. These fuels are widely avail­ able in countries in North and South America.

Due to the easy availability of ethanol and low combustibility of ethanol­blended water, the system is not heavily dependent or re­ stricted by the existing charging infrastructure, making it easy to in­ troduce to the market. In the fu­ ture, people may only need to stop by small retail stores to buy fuel off the shelf.

In pursuit of realising a zero­ emission and zero­fatality future for cars, Nissan continues to pro­ mote vehicle intelligence and elec­ trification. The brand promise of “innovation that excites” is deliv­ ered with “Nissan intelligent mobil­ ity”, which focuses on how cars are powered, driven and integrated in­ to society through a more enjoya­ ble driving experience.

The e­Bio Fuel­Cell will realise the concept of “Nissan intelligent power”, promoting greater efficien­ cy and electrification of cars and the joys of driving, alongside bat­ tery EVs, such as the Nissan Leaf, Nissan e­NV200 and e­Power, which is equipped with an engine housing and exclusive large­capaci­ ty motor and power generator.

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WitnessWheels TRANSPORT MOTORING

6

August 11, 2016

Land Airbus rolls, a bit Engineer Song’s vision to do something about China’s congested roads demonstrated on 300­m track ALWYN VILJOEN THE Chinese companies which in June promised to test the Land Airbus in August have delivered, with a few excited passengers even able to take a pioneering ride high above the traffic jams.

Back in May, Shenzen Hashi Future Parking Equipment and Transit Explore Bus Technolo­ gies (TEBtech) showed a scale model of their Land Airbus at the the Beijing International High­ Tech Expo.

A month later engineer Song Youzhou said a full scale version of the bus would be tested in Au­ gust. His dream to do so dates back seven years, and he would have seen the first American ver­ sion of the ideal in 1967.

Song described his transport system as working like a subway, but instead of sending trains in tunnels under the cars, his system would put the train high over the traffic, sharing the same roads.

Youzhou’s new take on the old idea was to build a bus that is al­ most five metres high to straddle gridlocked lanes and deliver up to 300 passengers per train, travel­ ling at about 60 km/h between the elevated passenger plat­ forms.

Practical difficulties — such as articulating the almost eight­ metre wide behemoth so that it could bend around even gentle corners — have delayed the dream and gave naysayers lots to blog about. But last week, report­ ed the China Xinhua News, the

The jury is still out whether the ‘Straddle Bus’ is China’s best or worst transport idea yet, but the companies behind it held a 300­metre demonstration last week, and even carried a few passengers. PHOTO: SHANGAIIST­NEWCHINA Land Airbus had completed its first tests in the port city of Qin­ huangdao. Shangaiist reported the first test­run saw one straddle bus riding in a straight line over two Chinese built VW sedans on

a controlled track that was only 300 metres long.

TEBtech told the media they were testing the braking system and power usage of the bus, and a few passengers were also al­

lowed to board. The naysayers, who pointed out that the promo­ tional video had the straddle bus flex around corners like it was made out of rubber and not met­ al, have been silenced, for now.

But it is still not clear how Chi­ nese cities with their crooked streets will accommodate the straddle bus, which needs wide highways with very gentle curves to move anywhere.

All road users will benefit from better insurance on trucks AMENDED road legislation seems to call on all fleets to be insured for the cost of repairing road infrastructure after a crash, but fleet operators are more con­ cerned with insuring their loads.

Norton Rose Fullbright senior associate Carol Holness said at a transport seminar held last week in Durban the new amendment was not being enforced, and there were many gaps in the “sloppy legislation” that would still be tested in court.

Nigel Pillay, head of corporate and business insurance at Stan­ dard Bank Insurance Brokers, said prevailing market circum­ stances were meanwhile driving the industry beyond convention­ al vehicle insurance towards poli­ cies that are written to manage the risk on behalf of transport owners.

“Besides traditional compre­ hensive coverage, many owners are opting to assume some of the risk themselves to reduce premi­ ums,” said Pillay.

“One of the most common of these policies are those that offer aggregate limit cover, which stip­ ulate the most an insurance com­ pany will pay for all covered losses over a year.

“This enables the company concerned to cap its premiums at set level to the benefit of the trucker who assumes a fair por­ tion of the risk.”

Pillay warned brokers the eco­ nomic downturn was making in­ surance cover extremely price sensitive. “As pressures to con­ tain costs have mounted, so more customers are relying on strong relationships with their insurer

Insurance companies and responsible truck operators are working hard to reduce incidents like these on the N3. PHOTO: FILE

Seven out of 10 trucks on South African roads either have inadequate insurance, or no insurance at all. or broker to keep premium and excess costs in check.

“As control of insurance pre­ miums is one of the costs that can be tailored or reduced, it is usually one of the first expenses exam­ ined when operating costs have to be reduced to maintain mar­ gins.

“Of course, one of the dangers is that values and cover can be ex­ cessively reduced, which adds substantially to costs if a major accident or disaster occurs.”

He warned clients that the con­ ventional strategy of reducing premiums by accepting high ex­ cess payments contains signifi­ cant risks for transport owners.

“They have to make sure that their cash flows are strong enough to carry the higher ex­ cesses that need to be paid.”

Pillay said lack of insurance is a major problem, with up to 70% of commercial vehicles, or seven in 10 trucks on South African roads, either having inadequate insurance or no insurance at all.

Kathy Bell, a specialist in trans­ port solutions at Standard Bank, told Wheels the voluntary adop­ tion of standards, such as the Road Transport Management System, (RTMS) can make pre­ miums lower.

Bell said the RTMS has seen a large increase in members in the past year, and all the members are truck owners who have commit­ ted their fleets to various safety and quality standards.

But buy­in from each driver is key to the success of the system, she said.

Pillay said the present eco­

nomic situation adds further complexities to a transport in­ dustry that already faces a myriad of risks whenever a vehicle takes to the road.

“The fluctuating value of the rand means that the price of im­ ported vehicles and the parts re­ quired to repair them are con­ stantly changing. Most of this risk is assumed by insurance companies.”

Most categories of routine in­ surance coverage written in South Africa usually include: • Coverage for goods in transit; • Cross­border coverage for vehi­ cles and loads travelling through sub­Saharan Africa; • Third­party liability; • Accident assistance that also covers the cost of wreckage re­ moval and environmental dam­

age caused by spilled loads that can range from oil and fuel to chemical spills; • Sasria insurance, which covers vehicles and loads for damage caused by civil unrest.

“Although these categories seem to cover most eventualities, the reality is that the industry is never free of risk — even when a majority of the fleet is parked in a controlled area.

“Additional hazards like fire can reduce a multi­million rand fleet housed in a secure site to ashes,” said Pillay.

Risks only increase when vehi­ cles take to the roads and face haz­ ards that can vary from inclement weather to crime and the fact that many drivers do not have the req­ uisite skills required to handle large rigs.

Although telematics are play­ ing a role in reducing hazards by closely monitoring driver behav­ iour, abuse of vehicles and fraud­ ulent activities, insuring South Africa’s heavy fleets — the life­ blood of the economy in the ab­ sence of an effective rail network — will always remain a challenge, said Pillay.

“Insurance companies and re­ sponsible truck operators are playing their part in the equation by working together to identify and implement strategies to re­ duce risk and therefore the costs of operating a fleet. The benefici­ aries of these actions are not only the parties involved, but South African consumers as a whole, who rely on these vehicles for many of the goods and services that are taken for granted,” said Pillay. — Wheels Reporter.

Plan to stop trucks waiting at docks DURBAN’S harbour, current­ ly the stopping point for most of the 5 000 trucks that make their way down the N3 each day, is investigating ways to ensure trucks arrive just in time for ships, instead of parking off for days ahead of the ship docking.

Ristha Joga, IMS manager at Transnet’s National Ports Authority, addressed a Trans­ port Forum event hosted at the Maritime School of Excel­ lence.

Joga said the port is seeking to extend the connectivity for all the users in the ports, and to use the data collected from all the users to streamline all movements.

In a test that began this week, 20 trucks were fitted with tracking devices to detail their movements over the next 90 days.

Joga’s team will then study the big data using SAP Han­ na, with the aim of shortening turnaround times.

With fleet operators always criticising the red tape at the port gate for causing long queues, Joga said she honestly doubted the truck congestion at the port was just a Transnet problem.

She said the number of ships on or off­loading could not cause the congestion ex­ perienced. “Some trucks ar­ rive days too early, especially overborder trucks, and some [drivers] are just not willing to pay for truck stops, and would rather stay free outside the gates,” Joga told the trans­ porters at the event.

To match up truck and ship arrivals, she said the port will “tag everything so that we know where everything and everyone is”. And if trucks are early, they will have to wait in truck stops that the port is planning to build.

“We will know when trucks arrive, loiter or leave. If [the driver] arrives three days be­ fore ship, we can start aligning logistics, park them at a truck staging area.

“If a ship is late or a fleet of overborder trucks look to arrive days early after experi­ encing no setbacks en route, the port authority wants to be able to SMS all the early driv­ ers to park off somewhere.”

Joga warned the operators the truck staging areas will not provide free truck park­ ing, as the port will expect a return on this investment to create safe truck stops.

— Wheels Reporter.

Durban’s port operator is working on a plan to get trucks to arrive just in time. PHOTO: FILE

August 11, 2016

MOTORING WitnessWheels BIKING

Dual­purpose bikes This sub­category has evolved from what used to be called “scramblers” back in the day. The emphasis is on off­road capability, with minimal concessions made for on­road use.

Many dualies, such as the Kawasaki KLR 650, are popular as commuter bikes because they are light, have torquey engines and offer a high seating position.

Kawasaki KLR650.

PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM #DUALIEROUNDUP

Adventure bikes Usually equipped with long­distance­specific features such as bigger fuel tanks, extensive luggage options and sometimes cruise control, these bikes are more rugged versions of adventure tourers as they often also sport off­road equipment such as crash bars, hand protectors and spoked steel wheels. The BMW R 1200 GS Adventure is a good example of an adventure bike.

BMW R 1200 GS.

Adventure tourers Adventure tourers are bikes with an emphasis on long­ distance comfort, and often offer luxury options such as GPS navigation and heated grips and seats.

However, they are still true to the ‘adventure’ moniker with high ground clearance, sturdy frames and dual­purpose tyres.

Yamaha’s Super Ténéré is an excellent example of an adventure tourer.

Yamaha Super Ténéré.

Adventure sport bikes This category is captured well in BMW’s S1000 XR — a combination of the German manufacturer’s S1000 RR superbike engine and an adventure bike frame. Adventure sport bikes are usually better suited to soft (untarred) roads than off­road tracks, but on the road they can hold their own against dedicated road bikes in terms of handling and performance.

BMW S1000 XR.

7

Need a

? e k i b

w ne

Find the perfect match in dual­sport bikes DRIES VAN DER WALT JOHANNESBURG — In a previ­ ous article we looked at the main categories into which most road bikes fall, but the division goes further than the six categories we mentioned — each of those can be divided further.

In this article we look at the du­ al­sport category and examine its subdivisions.

Dual­sport motorcycles are street­legal bikes that are de­ signed for both on­ and off­road use. These bikes are equipped with street­legal equipment such as lights, indicators, a speedome­

ter, mirrors and a numberplate mounting so that they can be reg­ istered and licensed for road use.

In the early days of motorcy­ cling, tar roads were few and far between, so in essence all early bikes were dualies. Since the 1940s tar has become more com­ mon, and bikes gradually became heavier and faster to take advan­ tage of the better road surfaces.

Today’s dualies have come full­ circle by being equally adept on highways and dirt roads.

Four main categories However, the bike industry is ef­ fectively a game of one­upman­ ship and in an attempt to offer

something different from what the competition sells, manufac­ turers have evolved dualies into several sub­categories.

Let’s look at the four main sub­ categories: 1. Dual­purpose bikes — off­road­ capable bikes with some on­road prowess.

2. Adventure bikes — long­dis­ tance bikes that are an even mix of on­ and off­road capability.

3. Adventure tourers — which em­ phasise long­distance comfort.

4. Adventure sport bikes — bikes that combine superbike­esque performance with high ground clearance and rugged looks.

SO WHAT SHOULD YOU BUY? To answer this question, here’s a quick dual­sport buying guide.

If you spend your weekends do­ ing off­road riding but need to commute on your bike during the week, look for a dual­purpose bike.

If you need a bike with which you can cross the continent with­ out being fazed by bad or even non­existent roads, an adventure

bike will do the trick.

If you want to tour comfortably mostly on tar roads but be able to explore the odd dirt road or cattle track, consider an adven­ ture tourer.

And finally, if you like the ma­ cho look of adventure bikes but don’t want to sacrifice too much in terms of performance and han­ dling, go straight to the adventure

sport department at the dealer­ ship.

As you can see, your intended use is the best guide when decid­ ing on which bike to buy.

Dualies are true multi­purpose machines — regardless of what you settle on, you are likely to find that your bike will be able to han­ dle almost anything you throw at it. — Wheels24.

WitnessWheels MOTORING RACING

8

August 11, 2016

Koue Bokkeveld next

Rules for the Roof

National cross country bike and quad riders head to the orchards of Ceres after a long break in racing

OCTOBER 16 will be the last day for any pre­race prac­ tise in Lesotho other than at any designated area ap­ proved by bulletin to all competitors in the Roof of Africa bike race.

This is in accordance with the pre­event practise rule that forbids riders from be­ ing near or on the route for the purpose of practice or familiarisation with the course 45 days prior to the start of the Roof. Note — this includes bicycling, walk­ ing and jogging the route.

Competitors found to be practising on or after Octo­ ber 16 will be excluded.

This also applies to the Round the Houses section.

The No Go Area for prac­ tice after October 16 is de­ fined as the 50 km radius arc from St Michael’s.

Entry fees this year are R5 750 for the Gold and Sil­ ver Class or R5 250 for the Bronze Class, which includes competitor satellite tracking, GPS services, timing servi­ ces, Motorsport SA Levies, and the community levy.

All entries must reflect in the Roof organiser’s bank within 48 hours of the entry being placed. Competitors will not appear on the entry list until full payment of en­ try is received. It is up to the competitor to ensure his or her entry appears on the entry list and that it is confirmed as paid.

The number of entries will be limited to 300 riders for the Gold and Silver classes and 150 riders in the Bronze Class. Once these limits are reached, waiting lists will be opened for the various classes and compet­ itors on the waiting list will be incorporated into the en­ try if places become availa­ ble due to withdrawal of entries. — WR.

CHARMAINE FORTUNE AFTER a nine­week break in the 2016 SA National Cross Country Motorcycle and Quad Champi­ onship, riders head next to the Koue Bokkeveld 400 in the Ceres area for the fifth, penultimate round in the championship.

Many competitors welcomed the long break after a tough To­ yota Kalahari Botswana Desert Race where they completed the best part of 1 000 km over three days under gruelling conditions, and not competing at national level for just over two months, would see them preparing for the final onslaught.

Only motorcycle and quads will compete in round five of the SACC KB400, which will be combined with the Western Cape Regional Championship.

The sixth and final round, the Atlas Copco race in Westonaria on October 28 and 29, will again be combined with the Donaldson Cross Country Motor Racing Championship for production and special vehicles.

To get to the fifth round, com­ petitors had to take on a variety of terrain, including the dusty and rocky Kalahari at Vryburg, the Battlefields in a cold KwaZu­ lu­Natal and the iconic three­day marathon event in Botswana’s desert.

At this stage of the champion­ ship, the title contenders will know how important it is to play it safe while aiming for a rich haul of points.

They will also be fully aware of the fact that it is of vital impor­ tance to keep an eye on the num­ ber of entrants as a minimum of 10 starters per class is required at each event for the champion­ ship to be valid at the end of the season.

Strong local competition Regional off­road racing is alive and well in the Western Cape and

Caledon rider Wilhelm Schönfeldt (BCR Arrow Yamaha Racing) is hoping to win one point to lead in the 200cc championship.

PHOTO: ESTELLE NIENABER the national events are normally well supported by “local” com­ petitors.

This year, quite a number of Cape riders competed in the na­ tional series. The KB400 also counts towards their regional championship and allows them the opportunity to shine in front of their home crowd, while more valuable points can push them closer to a coveted South African national title.

Caledon rider Wilhelm Schön­ feldt (BCR Arrow Yamaha Rac­ ing) is currently second in the OR3 (200cc) motorcycle cham­

pionship (only one point behind the leader) while another Cape rider, Calvin Wiltshire (Droom­ ers Yamaha), is fifth in this class.

Schönfeldt’s team­mate, Altus de Wet, who is from Montagu, won this event in 2010 and another victory would not only look good, but the points would im­ prove his current third position in the OR1 (Open Class) Cham­ pionship.

Riki Mans (Droomers Yama­ ha) is leading the Ladies’ Class in the motorcycle category while husband and team­mate Izak is third in the 125cc Class D Chal­

lenge — a mere eight points be­ hind the leader.

Durbanville youngster Troy Sullivan (KTM) has also moved up after the two Botswana events and is now fourth in the High School Class Championship.

On the quads In the quad category, Bracken­ fell’s Dewald Theron, who led the standings earlier this year, has dropped to fifth in the Open Quad Championship after not competing in Botswana.

The participation of local quad competitors, who have not com­ peted at national level this year,

could see some interesting re­ sults in this championship.

Racing in their “backyard” will also contribute to the confidence of the local riders and the “North vs South Challenge” will add to the excitement of the event as will a contingent of Namibian competitors.

The race headquarters, the start/finish and the designated service point for the SACC KB 400 will be located at a central point from where a time­trial will take place on August 26 to deter­ mine the starting order for the next day’s racing.

Pepper spices up The Green Hell

The end is nigh The metered taxi drivers in Johannesburg who stoned the cars of Uber drivers were totally misguided. For it won’t be Uber’s lowly paid informal drivers who will make official taxis redundant, but the ‘brain’ in this robot race car, called Roborace. The brain is a Nvidia Drive PX 2 super computer, which can process a tsunami of raw data from the sensors, cameras and lasers mounted around the car at lightning speed. The huge scoops in the nose collect air just to cool this computer. Roborace will next be tested in the current Formula E season around the world. It is still in the Beta phase and is not expected to win a race … yet. But as soon as it does, the Nvidia can and will take over the taxi drivers’ jobs too.

PHOTO: ROBORACE

SOUTH Africa’s Bentley Boy Jor­ dan Pepper continued his recent top German ADAC GT Masters form with another Junior class podium. This before a brilliant charge through the field to end 11th in the second race of Nürbur­ gring’s fifth championship round last Sunday.

Pepper, who qualified the big yellow Deutsche Post Bentley Continental GT3 in fifth for the first heat before he and German team­mate Daniel Abt drove the car to fourth overall, was delight­ ed with the second Junior class podium, following a second over­ all in Austria two weeks before.

“We lost a bit of track time on Friday, so fifth in qualifying in a car that is not all that well­suited to certain aspects of the Nurburgring is a huge result for us. This circuit has very little grip and that caused us to struggle to put the traction down,” said the young driver, who hails from Edenvale, Johannesburg.

“And fourth in the race with a Junior podium on Saturday?

“I’ll take that — especially against the Porsches, which real­ ly were quick on the day. The car felt great in the race and I’m hap­ py about that,” Pepper said.

On Sunday morning, Pepper

Reason to smile: SA’s Jordan Pepper after Nürburgring.

PHOTO: MOTORSPORT said the whole grid was mixed up, with “all the other cars that were in the front on Saturday were also struggling”. He took over the car from team­mate Abt, who had qualified it in eighth, in 21st posi­ tion at mid­distance and by the time the pitstops had panned out, he was up to 15th overall in Sunday’s second race.

Pepper then charged hard to put the yellow Bentley into 11th by the time the chequered flag flew, albeit a little frustrated not to haul another significant points score. “Overall I’d say the week­ end was good for me,” he said.

“The second race could have been better, but now we go to

Zandvoort even more motivated in two weeks’ time.”

The Dutch round is the penul­ timate in the 2016 ADAC GT Masters championship, with Pepper sitting eighth in the Jun­ ior title race in spite of a difficult first half of the season.

The forested track at Nürburg­ ring lived up to its nickname “The Green Hell” for South Afri­ ca’s German Formula 4 rookie Jo­ nathan Aberdein, who endured a tough weekend’s racing at the sixth round of the ADAC cham­ pionship.

Although the Cape Town driv­ er scored a top­10 finish in the middle of the three races of a hec­ tic meeting, he admitted “it is a bit difficult to say something positive about the weekend that we had”. He lies seventh in the ADAC Formula 4 Junior champi­ onship with two races still to run.

— WR.

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