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March 17, 2016

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KZN’S BEST READ ON ALL THINGS WHEELED, FROM TRIKES TO TRAILERS

More SA karters to big leagues

ALL THE NEW BAKKIES COMING TO SA — PAGE 7

Local racers continue to impress overseas FOLLOWING hot on the heals of South Africa racers Jonathan Aberdein and David Perel, two more South African racers announced their pro­ motions to the big leagues on international race tracks.

In the U.S., Stephen Simpson is looking forward to more success in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in the U.S. on March 19 following his class win in the recent Daytona 24­hour driving.

Simpson won last month’s Prototype Challenge class in the 24­hour driving the #85 Hi­Tide Red Line JDC Miller Motorsports ORECA FLM09 with Americans Chris Miller and Kenton Koch, and Canadian Misha Goikhberg. He will once again race alongside his Daytona­winning JDM Miller team­mates in Sebring.

“This is my second Sebring 12 Hours — we fin­ ished fourth in the 2014 race and now we head into this year’s race in the lead of the IMSA Proto­ type Challenge, something we are determined to defend!” he said.

“This year sees the 64th running of the 12­hour — we had a successful two days of testing at Se­ bring two weeks back, where we spent time devel­ oping a new MoTeC ECU system that all IMSA Prototype Challenge cars must now use and which meant we has to get used to a new dash, traction control and live telemetry that the team can moni­ tor this from the pit wall. It was a good test and we are ready for the 12­hour,” added Simpson.

Former double South African karting champion Simpson won on the 2000 SA Formula Ford Championship at age 16 before moving to the UK to start his own race team the following year, where he raced for the Benetton Junior Team.

He enjoyed two strong seasons at British For­ mula Renault Championship that saw him being chosen to represent South Africa in the 2005 A1 Grand Prix World Cup of Motorsport.

In 2015, Simpson finished third at the Daytona 24 Hours, second in Detroit and put it on pole position at Lime Rock.

In the UK, local karting star Eugene Deneyssen (19) will race in this year’s BRDC British Formula 4 Championship with team SWR. “Deneyssen impressed us when he first tested for us a couple of years ago and again late last year,” SWR team boss Sean Walkinshaw said.

“He’s a capable young man and continues to show great potential — we are delighted to have signed Eugene for 2016.”

Somerset West racer Deneyssen made his kart debut in 2009, winning the Mini Max Rookie of the Year award before taking fourth in the next year’s SA Mini Max championship.

Stepping up, Deneyssen was third in the 2011 SA Junior Max title race before taking double South African and Western Province Junior Max titles in 2012.

Deneyssen also represented South Africa in the Junior Rok, Junior Max and Senior Max Karting World Finals before moving up to the main circuit in the 2014 SA Formula Ford series following that initial F4 test.

He then took a racing sabbatical in 2015 during which he prepared for a return to the UK and an­ other test before being signed as SWR’s first driver in the ultra­competitive British Formula 4 for the 2016 series.

“I do not underestimate this challenge,” Den­ eyssen admitted.

“Formula 4 is a most competitive and very tough championship and the new car is a big step forward, but I’m sure we can have a strong year.”

Deneyssen is presently in the UK testing his new and faster car for 2016 Taatus­Cosworth BRDC Formula 4 race in preparation for the new season: “Learning Silverstone and my first rest at a rainy Snetterton with snowflakes interrupting the ses­ sion has all been a really amazing experience,” he admitted.

Deneyssen’s first BRDC Formula 4 race will be at Snetterton in Norfolk, England over the last weekend of March. — Wheels Reporter.

Stephen Simpson (left) will race at Sebring in the U.S. while karter Eugene Deneyssen moves into British Formula 4. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

Heidi Collyer, palliative care manager at the Msunduzi Hospice, is one of the many care givers grateful for the reliable Nissan NP300 sponsored by CMH Nissan in Pietermaritzburg. Current dealer offers make this 2­litre lwb bakkie one of the best­value workhorses on the market. See page 7 for more on the half a dozen fashionable double cabs heading to SA. PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN

2

WitnessWheels MOTORING

March 17, 2016

The all­electric Morgan EV3 (left) goes into production in October and promises an exhilarating ride of over 300 km on a battery charge. The all­American Elio promises to build 100 units for fleet owners sometime this year, and worry about new safety rules proposed in the States. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

Trikes return to the future ALWYN VILJOEN compares three­wheeler expectations buyers have in the U.S. and in the UK BRITISH trike builder Morgan launched the electric version of the iconic 3 Wheeler at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.

Called the EV3, this trike adds to the Wheels prediction that our children’s children will buy vehi­ cles that are bespoke and hand­ crafted by the artisan on the cor­ ner to fit each whim and fancy of the new owner, even if it is a nostalgic design.

Despite the classic lines of the EV3, Morgan said in a statement the electric trike embraces new technology, delivers responsible driving excitement, all while it “continues to celebrate tradi­ tional British craftsmanship”.

Weighing less than 500 kg, the all­electric 3 Wheeler has a range of over 300 km on a battery charge.

Lightweight agility is comple­ mented by performance figures that challenge those of the petrol 3 Wheeler. The 0­100 km/h run

will take place in less than 10 sec­ onds and the trike has a top speed in excess of 140 km/h.

Encased within the tubular space frame chassis is a 20­KWh Lithium Battery and a liquid cooled 46­kW motor driving the rear wheel.

The EV3 is the first Morgan ve­ hicle to utilise composite carbon panels in its body construction.

The carbon bonnet, tonneau cover and side pods are made in the UK, and much like the re­ maining aluminium panels, are hand worked over an ash wood frame.

Taking inspiration from 1930s aero­engine race cars, classic mo­ torcycles and 1950s fantasy au­ tomatons, the face of the EV3 is designed to function.

Brass conductive cooling fins encase the batteries and an off­ centre tri­bar headlight adds to the overall asymmetry of the de­ sign.

WESTVILLE STUDENT WINS BOLT

‘Project 7 a true rarity in this era of mass produced cars’

THE social media skills of Casey Hornsby from Durban earned her a new Tata Bolt and a cash prize towards her studies in the Win­a­ Bolt national promotion.

Hornsby, a second year BCom student at Varsity College, Westville, took the cash instead of a job with Tata Motors, as she first wants to complete her studies before starting to work. But now she also has a job interview waiting when her studies are com­ pleted.

The Win­a­Bolt competi­ tion ran from October 2015 to the end of January.

Entrants were required to create their own Bolt adver­ tisement highlighting their love for this small hatch­ back, a new arrival in South Africa from Tata Motors.

The entrants had either going to a dealership or at­ tend a shopping mall acti­ vation to ensure their ad­ vertisements involved a real Tata Bolt.

PRETORIA — The most desira­ ble Jaguar F­Type of all has land­ ed in South Africa: the F­Type Project 7.

Handbuilt by Jaguar Land Rov­ er’s Special Operations team, this exclusive, limited­edition model will see production run of only 250 units. And only five South Africans are set to be proud owners of this future clas­ sic.

“Special Operations exists to develop a suite of products and services that enable our most discerning and enthusiastic cus­ tomers to indulge their passion for our cars, says John Edwards, Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations.

“F­Type Project 7 is a perfect ex­ ample of one such product.”

The Project 7’s distinctive roadster body pays tribute to one of the most famous and iconic racing Jaguars: the three­time Le Mans­winning Jaguar D­Type, which reigned supreme at the fa­ mous French endurance race in 1965, 1966 and 1967. And this race­inspired F­Type’s name is a homage to Jaguar’s seven out­ right wins at the 24­hour race.

“We were able to secure five

The dramatic tail lift once seen on 1930s Morgan 3 Wheeler race cars has been re­introduced, sub­ sequently creating a visually for­ ward stance. This is enhanced with low slung running lights that carry through the cylindrical form of the side pods.

An entirely new dashboard ar­ rangement features a classic “magneto” switch for drive se­ lection, a digital screen, wood, brass and polished aluminium.

The EV3 will go into produc­ tion in the fourth quarter of 2016 and will be priced comparably to the petrol 3 Wheeler.

This launch coincides with an announcement that the Morgan Motor Company will receive gov­ ernment funding towards a £6 million (R132 million) con­ sortium­based project develop­ ing future hybrid and full EV Morgan vehicles.

SAFETY RULE WORRIES

In America, Elio Motors founder and CEO Paul Elio is presumably fervently hoping to get a similar million­dollar injection from the U.S. government.

Wheels has reported in the past that the continuous exhor­ tations for the American public to reserve an Elio unit while pro­ duction is delayed is starting to smell a lot like the Joule electric scheme in South Africa.

Elio last week announced it now plans to sell 100 “pre­pro­ duction” models, which are to be built at an unspecified date at its former General Motors factory that the company took over in Louisiana.

Those first 100 vehicles will go to “one or more fleet customers”, Elio said in a press release an­ nouncing the pre­production run. He said his plan was original­ ly to use the 100 pre­production models only for “internal pur­ poses”.

The group explained the trike missed an earlier production date because Elio had underesti­ mated the amount of time it would take to design and inte­ grate all the sub­systems of the new car, adding most cars take three years for conception to pro­ duction.

“The result of the delay will be a much more sophisticated de­ sign that has already gone through valuable prototype con­ sumer exposure and feedback, re­ sulting in design changes to ad­ dress consumer desires,” said a company statement on the Inter­ net. Another statement adds: “The Elio’s worth is not just measured in dollars and cents.

“We prefer to measure the Elio by the impact it will have on the lives of everyday Americans be­ cause personal transportation isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity. And with a targeted base price of just $6 800 (R104 600), Elio will put

The Jaguar F­Type project 7 unleashed in South Africa on Tuesday.

PHOTO: MOTORPRESS orders, giving a select number of customers an opportunity to own a piece of history, And Jaguar fans an opportunity to see this unique model in the flesh,” says Lisa Mallett.

“Project 7 is significant for us not only because it embodies both our heritage and our future in a stunningly beautiful car, but also because bespoke, limited­

run cars are a true rarity in this era of mass produced cars.”

With power provided by Jag­ uar’s 5.0­litre supercharged V8 engine, producing 423kW and 680Nm, the all­aluminium­bod­ ied car — which weighs just 1585kg — is capable of accelerat­ ing from a standstill to 100km/h in only 3.9 seconds and onwards to an electronically­limited top

speed of 300km/h. Power is sent to the rear wheels through Jag­ uar’s eight­speed Quickshift transmission and second genera­ tion Electronic Active Differen­ tial (EAD). Carbon Ceramic Ma­ trix (CCM) brakes, available as an option on the F­Type R Coupé, are fitted as standard on F­Type Project 7, offering power­ ful, consistent, fade­free braking.

personal transportation within reach for more Americans than ever before.”

Elio Motors did announce global vehicle company Roush was last week contracted to “help streamline Elio Motors’ vehicle­development process by providing engineering, testing, prototyping and assembly sup­ port under one roof”.

But what worries the thou­ sands of people who had reserved their Elio for $100 is a safety­rule change proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis­ tration (NHTSA) in the U.S..

If accepted, the new rule would close the loophole that currently allows the Elio trike to be certi­ fied using motorcycle safety standards and the tiny three­ wheeler would have to pass crash tests designed for big American utes before it will be licensed for road use.

• alwyn.viljoen@witness.co.za

Another standard feature is Torque Vectoring by Braking (TVbB) which, working in con­ junction with the EAD, enables extremely precise handling. Be­ spoke carbon­fibre aerodynamic aids and a unique suspension set­ up enable F­Type Project 7 to de­ liver a truly engaging driving ex­ perience.

While F­Type Project 7 fea­ tures performance­focused engi­ neering by Special Vehicle Oper­ ations, its design has been kept true to the head­turning lines of the original Project 7 concept, which was unveiled in 2013.

Key design elements include the D­Type­inspired fairing be­ hind the driver’s head, shorter windshield, new front bumper, and downforce­increasing aero­ dynamic modifications – includ­ ing a carbon­fibre front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser and ad­ justable rear spoiler.

However, the single­seater concept has been transformed into a two­seater, with rollover hoops for both driver and pas­ senger now integrated into the design – as well as a removable roof and 196 litres of stowage space. — Supplied.

MOTORING WitnessWheels

March 17, 2016

3

What makes the Etios Cross?

BRIAN BASSETT finds out on good roads and bad in the Etios Cross 1.5 Xs The Witness uses a ‘normal’ Etios as a pool car, and the rugged little hatch does not shirk from any dirt road, as the staff discover daily on their news quests.

PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN

A GOOD VALUE KEEPER

PHOTO: COLNECT.COM THE average South African mo­ torist is not having an easy time at present with a poor economy and a depreciating rand.

Many families have had to shift from two cars to one and that ve­ hicle must multi­task, serving both the family’s daily needs as well as being able to face rougher road surfaces in order to take care of holidays and bad roads.

Toyota has taken care of these needs when it built and sold the Etios Cross in India and exported the vehicle to the likes of South Africa, Brazil and Indonesia.

To date over 100 000 units have been sold in India alone.

Deon Olivier, new car sales manager at McCarthy Toyota in Pietermaritzburg, allowed us to use the vehicle for a few days and we offer him our appreciation.

Styling The Etios Cross has a chunky, no­ nonsense design intended to project the car’s toughness and all­road ability.

The front end is quite good looking with its robust grille,

outlined in steel and crowned with a centrally­placed Toyota badge.

The large, effective headlight modules flank the central car­ touche and at the lower front end there are two useful fog lights.

The sides and back are less in­ teresting as they are clad in un­ painted black plastic, which can take a beating from nature, so hats off to the designers in this case.

The rear is less bland, as it has two large light clusters and a rear spoiler. The roof has two steel rails which allow families to at­ tach a luggage carrier for longer holidays. It also reinforces the car’s rugged look.

Interior The interior is uncomplicated but not quite minimalist.

The plastics are hard, but of ex­ cellent quality and the build qual­ ity is very good.

The dashboard is dominated by four adjustable air vents, while the central dashboard, finished in piano black, is pleasantly uncon­

ventional with the rev counter and speedometer centrally placed and illuminated in blue at night, which is somehow quite comforting.

The main controls are sup­ ported by a digital information system, which provides all the in­ formation the driver needs.

There is no multi­function steering wheel, but the tilt­type, three­spoke wheel is pleasant to handle and the controls are ergo­ nomically placed so the driver is not inconvenienced.

The interior is finished in black and is a little dark for my taste, but this is really a minor point.

The four­speaker audio system with radio/CD/USB and Blue­ tooth is quite adequate and did a good job playing the ABBA disk I used in the car for the time I had it.

The seats are very comforta­ ble, adjustable and covered in a robust, washable cloth, emboss­ ed with the vehicle name.

The driver’s seat can be raised which, combined with the adjust­ able steering, makes for easy,

long distance motoring. The cab­ in is spacious and accommodates four large adults with ease.

The doors open wide so that even those large adults who are 70 plus have no problem with ac­ cess. The boot, offers 251 litres of space — about average for a car like this, but fold down the rear seats and you almost double this.

Safety and security The Etios Cross has most of the safety features you need — driver and passenger airbags, ABS with EBD, seatbelts with safety an­ chorages and anchors for chil­ dren’s car seats at the rear.

The car has the usual central locking and immobiliser, as well as child locks on the rear doors.

Performance and handling The Etios Cross is powered by Toyota’s 16­valve, 1,5 litre petrol engine, developing 66 kW/132 Nm, which is ex­ pressed on road via a five­speed gearbox.

The short gearing makes the engine torquey and the car fun

TOYOTA launched it as a re­ placement for the much­ loved Tazz, and when it comes to second­hand pri­ ces the rugged Etios cer­ tainly sounds a sweet deal for both buyers and sellers.

When the Etios 1,5 hatch listed in 2012, it sold or R121 800. The same model is now on offer for between R80 000 and R110 000 in our sister site OLX. Buyers on a budget who cannot afford the R110k for a better condition Etios need not fear too much about the high mileage models. At the launch, Calv­ yn Hamman, senior vice president Toyota SA sales and marketing, was at pains to point out that the Etios was conceived after some of the most extensive mar­ to drive. Zero to 100 km/h comes up in about 12 seconds and fuel consumption, depending on driving style and terrain is around 7 l/100 km.

Top speed is about 165 km/h.

In town, where this car will spend most of its time, the ride is com­ posed; the steering responsive with rapid feedback, while mov­ ing around in traffic avoiding the killer taxis is no problem.

The vehicle’s size makes park­ ing easy and, in shopping centre parking, I never felt overwhelmed by the huge Fortuner parked next door. On the N3 the Etios Cross had to be restrained, climbing to 130 km/h if not watched carefully.

The Cross is, however a baby, compact crossover with rough road pretentions Firstly I took the car onto some of the bad farm roads in the Midlands and it handled these with little trouble even cruising along at 120 km/h and kicking up huge amounts of dust, while hit­ ting the occasional pothole, without losing stability.

Then I drove along the tracks

ket research yet conducted in South Africa by a motor company. “We observed ev­ ery aspect of car ownership from the standpoint of the customer, including general functions, performance, QDR (quality, durability, reliabili­ ty), and equipment. From there, we polished and en­ hanced the product offering and performance aspects that were truly needed, and eliminated any excessive specifications.

“As a result, we were able to strike the best balance between initial purchase price, running cost, perform­ ance and specification, which are all essential to a quality, affordable, value for money vehicle. After all, the Tazz left us with very big shoes to fill,” Hammon said. used by timber trucks in the Karkloof forests, rough rutted and wet from recent rains.

Once again the car punched above its weight and delivered great performance.

Alwyn Viljoen, the Witness motoring editor, and I then ex­ plored the rain­slick mud tracks around Ferncliff, with brilliant re­ sults as the high revving engine proved able to pull the light vehi­ cle over all the slippery slopes.

The Cross is a really good car in the best Toyota tradition and pleasurable to drive. It will take you and your family just about anywhere you need to go. It is al­ so good value for money and you can pass it on to your children when they leave home.

Costs and the competition The Cross will cost you around R177 000 and it comes with a three­year/100 000km factory guarantee and two­ year/30 000 km service plan. Al­ so look at the Renault Sandero Stepway and VW Polo Maxx amongst many others.

Next generation street lights in Las Vegas CITIES consume a considerable amount of energy per year on lighting. And if that city hap­ pens to be Las Vegas, you can expect the bill to be a doozy.

But a recently announced part­ nership with a New York City­ based start­up is set to bolster Las Vegas’ commitment to re­ newable energy sources. Soon enough, some of “Sin City’s” sidewalks will be illuminated by EnGoPlanet’s innovative sun­ and people­powered street lights.

Together with the city of Las

Vegas, the solar­kinetic lights will be placed throughout Boul­ der Plaza. These street lights are designed to be powered by the sun, supplemented by the kinetic energy from pedestrians’ footsteps through strategically­ placed kinetic energy tiles that are designed to turn motion in­ to useful energy.

Each time someone steps on one of these pads, up to 7 W of power is created and then stored in a battery for later use. The lights are equipped with the latest LED technology,

ranging from 25 to 75 W de­ pending on the chosen design.

Motion sensors can be incorpo­ rated so that the lights illumi­ nate only as­needed, thus po­ tentially reducing the amount of energy waste.

Additional sensors on the lights can also monitor air quality, temperature, humidity, and water, as video surveillance cameras monitor and analyse traffic, sending the data in real time to relevant offices.

WiFi also turns the lights in­ to hot spot for mobile devices,

with charging spots provided so that people have a place to sit and charge devices via USB or wireless pad.

“If you look at traditional street light poles, you will see that they are useless. They simply hold the lighting,” says Petar Mirovic, CEO of EnGo­ Planet. “With our solution, we’ve changed that by incorpo­ rating useful features into the pole and transforming it into a free service spot where people can rest, charge their portable devices, or connect to WiFi.”

The next generation street light create WiFi hot spots and can recharge digital devices. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

4

WitnessWheels MOTORBIKING MOTORING

March 17, 2016

For KTM riders only

2016 DJ RALLY TAKES HIGHER TOLL ON VETS

Exclusive Dundee event enjoyed by all as experts show riders how it’s done

RALPH Pitchford, a veteran of the Dakar Rally both as a motorcycle mechanic and a codriver in a number of cars, as well as former champion SA off-road racing co-driver, was a popular winner of the 2016 DJ Rally for post 1936 motorcycles at the weekend.

Second place this year was taken by Gavin Walton on a 1936 500cc AJS with a total error of 255 seconds, including the lowest score on the first day at 56 seconds. He is a regular top performer in regularity rallies for classic motorcycles with his successes including winning the 2009 DJ Rally.

Over the past few years, Gavin has had to overcome serious injuries to his leg when he was hit by a car when stationary while going home after the 2013 Pre-DJ Rally.

Gavin Walton’s commitment to the classic motorcycle fraternity is such that he has recently taken over the British motorcycle spare parts supply operation, which was run by Mike Lang for many years.

Third place in the 2016 DJ Rally was filled by Tony Lyons-Lewis, riding a 1928 500cc overhead camshaft Norton, with an error of 270 seconds. He also won a special award for completing his 34th DJ Rally.

This year’s event attracted an entry of 90 riders with 82 starting from Hillcrest and only 62 finishing, which was a higher rate of non-finishers than usual.

Among the riders to retire was Samantha Anderson, who was riding the oldest motorcycle in this year’s event — a 1909 500cc Humber pedal cycle. Soon after leaving Newcastle on the second leg of the rally the fuel tank tap came adrift, drenching the hot engine in fuel, which ignited immediately.

Samantha suffered burns to her leg but the motorcycle will require a lot of work to get it back to its previous state as a regular finisher on the DJ Rally. The oldest motorcycle to compete this year’s event was a 1913 1,039cc Matchless ridden by Hans Coertse, who finished 61st.

The year-long restoration of this classic machine, which dates back to the first Durban-Johannesburg race, was completed shortly before the start. Organising the DJ Rally is a big task and already Claude Stander, who was chief marshal this year, has been announced as clerk of the course for the 2017 DJ Rally.

He was chief scorer this year. — Roger Houghton.

KTM South Africa has re­ launched the KTM Festival con­ cept in the country after a six­ year absence.

Led by the core values in mind, organisers say they picked Dun­ dee as the venue not yet used by mainstream motorcycle events where extreme routes could be plotted to challenge the rider and highlight the performance of their purpose­built bikes.

Planning for this important event started in September of 2015, when KTM engaged long­ time associates Adventure riders SA, led by the SADEC Adventure tour guru, Treffon Smith.

The event was hosted at the Battlefield Country Lodge & Sports resort just outside Dun­ dee and half way between Dur­ ban and Johannesburg.

Only KTM riders could at­ tend. Three routes of varying dif­ ficulty on a reversible 65 km En­ duro loop were plotted by local extreme enduro rider Craig Van Heerden and Adventure Riders SA co­founder Mark Taylor. For the kids, KTM created a moto­ cross track.

Instructors included the 2016 Red Bull KTM Motocross team and the McLellan brothers as well as multiple SA MX champ Kerim Fitzgerald.

As part of the festivities, a do­

KZN biking legend Alfie Cox at last week’s KTM festival in Dundee.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC nation of R25 000 was made to the Domino foundation and an auction was held to raise them further money from the happy and tired KTM fans, showing just how big their hearts of are.

After the event, MD of KTM South Africa Franziska Brandl

said clients and dealers alike were impressed by the event.

“Our KTM Festival in Dundee was a huge success and we’ve laid the path for growing this event in the future. It brings like­mind­ ed people together allowing them to chose which rides they

want to go on for the weekend.

By catering for all skills levels we can give everyone the opportuni­ ty to be part of our KTM Family, starting from junior riders to the experienced Enduro or Adven­ ture rider.”

KZN biking legends Alfie and

Hazel Cox attended from Cato Ridge and gave their special thanks for “a lovely weekend with lots of laughs”.

Brandl thanked all who took part in this year’s event and said plans are already afoot to host the 2017 KTM Festival. — WR.

Seller gets title defence back on track at a wet Phakisa A MASSIVE storm overnight threatened to sink the second round of the 2016 SuperGP Champions Trophy at Phakisa Freeway on Saturday, March 12 but a huge effort by everyone in­ volved got the pits dried out and the circuit in a condition suita­ ble to race on.

Clint Seller (NeoLife Africa Yamaha R1) didn’t let the delay put him off his stride, taking two comfortable wins in the Su­ perGP category while Steven Odendaal (Petra Yamaha R6) and Adolf Boshoff (NeoLife Af­ rica Yamaha R6) shared the Su­ per600 wins.

When the flag dropped to sig­ nal the start of the first SuperGP heat of the day Seller immedi­ ately took the lead which he held until the flag.

Scholtz pushed as hard as he could but had no answer to the defending champion. Behind the leading duo, Isaacs and Michael White (Consortium Shipping Yamaha R1) were in­ volved in a race­long battle for the final podium position.

Isaacs just managed to hold on, crossing the line just a couple of bike lengths to the good.

Gildenhuys won the Kawa­ saki contest taking fifth place ahead of Harran in sixth.

In race two Scholtz arrived on the grid missing a knee slider that had come off during the warm­up lap. While the slider was easily replaced, it ended his race in a most unfortunate fash­ ion. Scholtz managed to find the missing knee slider with his front wheel and crash out leav­ ing Seller with an easy race vic­ tory. White got a great start and, with Scholtz out, had an un­ troubled run to second.

All the action happened be­ hind the leading pair. The fight for the final podium position

Michael White, Clint Seller and Lance Isaacs on the podium at a very wet Phakisa Freeway.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED was a nine­way struggle that saw the lead swap almost every lap.

Isaacs eventually emerged on top taking third from Daryn Up­ ton (Turnskill Engineering BMW S1000RR), Dean Vos (Trolan Bikes Kawasaki ZX10R) and Gildenhuys.

Seller’s double win, combined with Scholtz’s second race mis­ fortune, narrows the gap at the top of the championship log.

Scholtz still leads but with a much reduced margin. White’s consistency sees him move up to second ahead of Isaacs with Sell­ er not far off in fourth.

SuperMasters Both races in SuperMasters cat­ egory, run in conjunction with the SuperGP heats, went the way of Isaacs. Jade Gutzeit (Dez­ zi Raceway Yamaha R1) took sec­ ond on both occasions while Da­ mion Purificati (Amalgam Welding Shop Kawasaki ZX10R) just managed to keep

Justin Gillesen (LIR BMW S1000RR) behind him in both heats, the gap less than a couple of bike lengths each time.

Super600 Boshoff and Odendaal contin­ ued the battle that started at the opening round in Friday’s quali­ fying, Boshoff emerging on top by just over a tenth of a second.

Blaze Baker on the Uncle Andy Suzuki GSXR600 was third ahead of team­mate Darien Kayser. Dylan Barnard (Kawa­ saki ZX6) was fifth with Nicole van Aswegen on the Women in Motorsport Triumph 675 in sixth.

In race one Odendaal got the better start and grabbed the lead, which he held until the flag.

Boshoff was on his back wheel the whole way but just could not find a way through. Behind the Yamahas it was the Suzuki pair of Baker and Kayser who fin­ ished in third and fourth respec­

tively. Van Aswegen managed to hold off Dorren Loureiro (Fami­ ly Fotness Centre Triumph 675) by just 0,013 seconds to claim fifth.

Boshoff turned the tables on Odendaal in race two despite making a mistake that dropped him to second for a while. He fought back and regained the lead, going on to win by almost two seconds. Baker claimed his fourth podium finish of the sea­ son ahead of Barnard, van Aswe­ gen and Byron Bester (Hi­Tech Elements Kawasaki ZX6).

Odendaal and Boshoff are still tied at the top of the cham­ pionship log with Baker in third.

SuperJunior In the SuperJunior category, where riders compete on identi­ cal KTM RC390 machines, Aid­ en Liebenberg showed that he meant business with his move into the national category. He took a comfortable pole posi­

tion from Tyreece Robert and Camron Hackart. Luca Coccio­ ni, Dominic Doyle and Chase Hulscher filled the second row of the grid.

Liebenberg didn’t have a great start in race one but it didn’t take him long to work his way into the lead and he slowly pulled away, taking a comforta­ ble win from Hackart. Doyle and Robert fought it out for the final podium position, Doyle clinch­ ing it by a tenth of a second. Coc­ cioni and Brandon Staffen rounded out the top six.

Race two also went the way of Liebenberg but the action was behind him. Doyle and Robert, with Coccioni keeping a watch­ ing brief just behind them, fought it out throughout the seven­lap race with Doyle claim­ ing the runners­up spot by a bike length.

Northern Regions Racing Thomas Brown (Ducati) had two relatively comfortable wins in the BOTTS class in the open­ ing round at Red Star but on this occasion he had to settle for sec­ ond place in both heats behind Ivan van Niekerk on a similar Ducati. Jason Wessels (Moto Rentals KTM) took third in both heats ahead of Shaun Jubber (RAD Moto KTM).

Class A in the SuperMasters Regional category went to Brown on both occasions with Brian Bontekoning (Jaguar Pow­ er Porducts Kawasaki ZX10R) in second ahead of Ewald Vorster (Hyundai Commercial Vehicles BMW S1000RR) in the first heat.

In heat two Bontekoning had to settle for third behind Kyle Robinson (Uncle Andy Racing Ducati). Johan Otto (TK Im­ ports KTM) claimed both Class B wins. — Supplied.

Winner of the 2016 DJ Rally Ralph Pitchford.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Barons Pietermaritzburg: A ‘fitting’ choice

By Barons Pietermaritzburg

If you are looking for Volkswagen deals that are tailored to perfectly suit your budget and needs, then you need to pay your local Bespoke Volkswagen Dealer a visit. And for anyone living between Durban and the Drakensberg, that’s Barons Pietermaritzburg.

Barons Pietermaritzburg conveniently offer the complete range of Volkswagens, right on your doorstep. As your local Bespoke Volkswagen Dealer, they’ll be able to bring Das Auto Engineering and BlueMotion Technology in to your life, seamlessly. So, want to don yourself in quality, feel the confidence that comes with wearing a brand renowned for reliability, and

Live the High-Line life.

enjoy more of what life has to offer thanks to the economy of the brand combined with unbeatable tailored deals? Get to your local bespoke Volkswagen Dealer.

Barons Pietermaritzburg – they’re the ‘fitting’ choice!

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.

Golf GTI from prime less 2.22%

Polo hatch from R2,999* p.m. Golf GTI from R4,995* p.m.

Vehicle Price

Monthly No. of Instalments Instalments

Polo TSI 70kW BlueMotion R248,000 Polo TSI 81kW Highline

R259,300

Interest Rate Linked / Variable

Deposit

Balloon Payment

Interest Rate Linked / Variable

Balloon Payment

Total Cost Incl fees & VAT

Model

Vehicle Price

Golf GTI 162kW TSI

R446,600

R4,995*

72

8.03%*

16.25% 35% (R75,573) (R156,310)

R515,918

R5,184*

72

8.09%*

16.25% 35% (R75,173) (R161,910)

R535,131

8.18%*

15.5% 35% (R74,803) (R168,910)

R564,065

R2,999*

72

9.93%*

20.52% 30% (R50,890) (R74,400)

R290,353

R3,157*

72

9.94%

20% 30% (R51,860) (R77,790)

R305,126

Golf GTI 162kW TSI DSG R462,600 Golf GTI 169kW TSI Performance Pack DSG

R266,100

R3,237*

72

9.94%

20% 30% (R53,220) (R79,830)

R312,902

Polo TSI 81kW Highline DSG R275,300

R3,345*

72

9.94%

20% 30% (R55,060) (R82,590)

R323,423

Polo 1.4 TDI Highline

Monthly No. of Instalments Instalments

Total Cost Incl fees & VAT

R5,488*

72

Exclusive to Barons Pietermaritzburg: First 5 customers receive a free panoramic sunroof.

Exclusive to Barons Pietermaritzburg: First 10 customers receive a 6 year / 90 000km service plan.

Visit us on www.baronsvw.co.za

e&oe

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 hatch models in standard specification. Interest rate is used for illustrative purposes only.

Instalment excludes optional extras, delivery, licensing and registration, but includes bank initiation fee of R1140.

Offers may not be used in conjunction with any other specials service or offering. Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. Offers only available through Volkswagen Financial services South Africa Proprietary Limited trading as Volkswagen Financial Services an Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms and conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 02 April 2016 or while stocks last.

R482,600

Deposit

An optional cost of R1100 incl. VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 10.25%. Offers calculated on the Golf GTI models in standard specification. Interest rate is used for illustrative purposes only. Instalment excludes optional extras, delivery, licensing and registration, but includes bank initiation fee of R1140. Offers may not be used in conjunction with any other specials service or offering. Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. Offers only available through Volkswagen Financial services South Africa Proprietary Limited trading as Volkswagen Financial Services an Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms and conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 02 April 2016 or while stocks last.

e&oe

Model

Up to R80,000* trade-in assistance.

R144 900 Polo Vivo GP 1.4 Trendline, 26 500km

R156 900

R149 900 Toyota Corola 1.6 Professional, 91 000km

Polo Vivo GP 1.4 Express, 3 500km

Tiptronic

R159 900 Polo GP 1.4, 26 000km

R395 000 Passat 1.4 TSI DSG, 2 500km

R179 900 Polo Vivo GP 1.6 Maxx, 4 500km

R545 000 Golf GTI 2.0 DSG R, 3 700km

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

Mastercars Sales Consultants: Laurie - 082 783 8040 • Rajen - 072 228 9834 • Sanjay - 083 639 0989 Barry - 072 235 4244 • Phumlani - 073 017 0294

Visit us on www.baronsvwpmb.co.za and find us on facebook.com/BaronsPietermaritzburg

Barons

Pietermaritzburg

9 Armitage Road, Pietermaritzburg, 3201 • Tel: 033 845 3100

Purchase a Volkswagen CC, Passat or Touareg during the month of March and receive up to R80,000* trade-in assistance.

Visit us on www.baronsvw.co.za An optional cost from R2200 incl. VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 10.25%. Offers calculated on the Volkswagen CC, Passat and Touareg models in standard specification. *Trade-in assistance dependent on chosen model. Interest rate is used for illustrative purposes only. Offers may not be used in conjunction with any other specials service or offering. Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. Offers only available through Volkswagen Financial services South Africa Proprietary Limited trading as Volkswagen Financial Services an Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635.

Terms and conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 31 March 2016 or while stocks last.

New Sales Consultants

Alison Wiltshire – Sales Manager • John Brown • Merglin Rama Menzi Ngubane • Bahle Bhengu • Erica Neff • Keshnee Pillay

Sales Enquiries: 033 940 1445

BP Advertising

Volkswagen Take up! 55kW, 3 500km

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R143 900

WitnessWheels MOTORING

BIKING

6

March 17, 2016

Expanding bike frames BEN COXWORTH extends his reach on frames from Hickman and Brooklyness TWO bike frames from opposite ends of the Atlantic displayed frames that promise to fit all hu­ man body shapes at the recent North American Handmade Bi­ cycle Show in San Francisco.

From the UK, frame­builder Mike Hickman created the Hick­ man Bike, which Hickman says will fit any rider off the shelf, and will also be able to adapt to dif­ ferent types of riding.

Sections of the frame tele­ scope or pivot over a wide range and the handlebars move for­ wards or backwards.

Only the head tube angle, chainstay length and bottom bracket drop cannot adjust.

The frame is made from TIG­ welded chromoly steel. Hickman is asking £2 000 (over R43 000) for a frame, without wheels or saddle.

In the U.S., New York City­ based Brooklyness built a Uni­ versal Bike for the one­frame fits all solution.

When they first get the bike, riders start by entering their height and weight, along with the length of their legs, arms and torso, on the Universal Bike app.

The tiny clip­on helmet wiper sells for just over R1 000.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

BRIT MAKES A WIPER FOR HELMETS ALWYN VILJOEN

TOP: The British­built frame from Mikle Hickman visibly extends horizontally and vertically, while the American take on this idea (right) from Brooklyness hides all the extensions in a carbon fibre frame. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED They can also select their de­ sired ride style, from a list that includes road, touring, urban, fixie, comfort, pista and hybrid.

The app responds by display­ ing the numbers that the bike’s frame length, seat height, seat angle, handlebar height and fork

angle should be set to.

The bike itself features a car­ bon fibre frame and fork, 24­ inch wheels, and the buyer’s choice of a Shimano Nexus rear hub transmission (in three or seven speeds) or a single­speed/ fixie configuration. The make of

most of the other components is unspecified at this point.

The whole thing weighs a claimed 6,8 kg as a single­speed, or 8,6 kg with the Nexus hub.

Brooklyness is currently rais­ ing production funds for the Universal Bike on Kickstarter.

Assuming the financial goal is met and things go according to plan, a pledge of U.S.$895 (over R13 600) will get you a single­ speed, with $1 195 for a three­ speed and $1 695 (over R25 800 for a seven­speed.

— Gizmag.

DELIVERING DOWN UNDER

Hemp and bamboo frame moves four loads

OSCAR Fehlberg calls the delivery bike he designed EsCargo, French for “snail”, but it is anything but slow.

The industrial design stu­ dent at Royal Melbourne In­ stitute of Technology in Australia said his EsCargo is an agile solution that aug­ ments localised delivery, but has the range to ride across town.

An electric motor, big battery pack and unique, cable­operated double­ knuckle steering handling al­ low the delivery bike to cut through congestion.

The strong ladder frame can handle loads up to 200 kg and the design easi­ ly adapts to suit many jobs, whether it be delivering mail, consumer goods or fresh foods. — WR.

BEN COXWORTH

EsCargo carries 200 kg.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

CALFEE Design is well­known as a builder of bamboo bikes.

One of the company’s latest creations is a bamboo e­bike, packed with enough features that it could quite literally take the place of a car — hence its nick­ name, the Car Killer.

Although the specific bike that we saw at the recent North Amer­ ican Handmade Bicycle Show is a one­off design concept, a very similar model was built for a cli­ ent in San Francisco.

He uses that bike on a daily ba­ sis, in his job as a contractor.

As can be seen, the Car Killer has a strong­yet­forgiving all­ bamboo frame, joined together by lugs made from a mix of hemp fibre and epoxy resin.

Pedal­assist power is provided by a 500­watt BionX D Series rear hub motor, protected by a carbon fibre wheel cover.

Users can select the amount of pedalling assistance, along with checking parameters such as bat­ tery life, via an LCD control mod­ ule on the handlebars. There’s no word on battery range.

Because it’s a working bike, the Car Killer has plenty of cargo space.

The basket in front is large enough to carry a European­ standard beer crate, while two steel boxes in the back can carry a wide variety of tools.

Already proven in daily use, the Car Killer frame is made from bamboo and hemp, provides four cargo spaces with an odometer and LED lights front and rear, plus an electric motor to help pedal the load.

PHOTO: GIZMAG

There’s also a shallower cargo compartment between those two boxes, for things like jackets and work gloves.

Besides its motor, some of the Killer’s other electronic features include an audible alarm that

goes off if the bike is moved while parked, high and low­beam LED headlights, and dual tail lights.

Those lights shut off once the bike’s electrical system is pow­ ered down, so there’s no chance of accidentally leaving them on

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

and draining the battery. If you’re thinking that you wouldn’t mind a Car Killer of your own, compa­ ny founder Craig Calfee tells us that it would probably sell for about U.S.$8 000 (over R121 700). — Gizmag.

ADAM Aarons lives just out­ side London and the rainy city has inspired him to do some­ thing about his rain­smeared helmet visors once and for all.

The result is the Rainpal, a clip­on wiper blade that runs off a battery and, in Aaron’s words, wipes away the rain with maximum efficiency and minimum effort.

The wiper works on all curved full­face, flip, bandit and open visors and will not impede vision, as it measures less than 1,3 cm in height and width.

Aaron says his invention (patent pending) works well in slow city driving condi­ tions, when the drizzle does not run off, and delivers a far clearer vision than what wa­ ter repellents achieve.

His invention comes with two attachment options — a glue or suction cups.

The glue strip bonds with the helmet and measures 1,2 cm, which is taken up by an adhesive strip and mount­ ing plate, finished in either black or white to match the Rainpal colour. You can then attach your Rainpal to this mounting when it rains, or leave Rainpal on continuous­ ly and detach the wiper with the one click detachment sys­ tem.

For pedal bikes not going over 25 km an hour, three suc­ tion cups can be mounted in­ side the helmet.

Rainpal also comes with an optional water reservoir and a connection for a large exter­ nal reservoir to clean the visor on dry days.

A handy side effect of cleaning water of the visor, states Aaron, is that it also re­ duces fogging inside the visor by reducing the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the visor A removable battery pack provides 90 minutes of con­ tinuous wiping and recharges through a USB port.

Aaron provides two years fully comprehensive warran­ ty. The device can be ordered in several colours online from fundrazr.com at $69, (R1 050) excluding shipping.

100s riding diary THE friendliest motorbike club in the Midlands, 100s, will be hosting a pre­registration bring and braai and lucky draw at VSCC, 121 Oribi Road, tomorrow from 6.30 pm. En­ try for the draw is R20.

The Buff Rally to Mosselbay de­ parts on March 18. Interested par­ ties contact Minnesh Harrican.

He reminds there is no ride in April, as it is the 100s awards and

social evening on April 16 at the VSCC. The next big event after this is the Africa Bike Week from April 28.

Riders interested in going on a day ride can call Harrichand at 082 421 4560.

For the Boyz weekend at the Dragon Rally at Ifafa Beach, con­ tact Leon Jooste at 079 323 9066.

— Wheels Reporter.

MOTORING WitnessWheels TRANSPORT

March 17, 2016

Spot the difference: The new Nissan Navara promises a soft ride on a multi­link rear suspension, as will its bolt­on clone, the new Mercedes­Benz bakkie. The main difference between the two will be the cladding inside — and the price for the badge.

7

From the Renault­Nissan stable comes this French bakkie.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

Many more bakkies for SA Even a van­man like ALWYN VILJOEN can get excited about the six new double cabs coming to SA I MUST confess to not under­ standing the whyfors behind double cab bakkies.

I get that they look so beauti­ fully butch and can see a need for a 4x4 dropside for very slippery terrains just because a 4x4 van is that much more expensive.

But as a transport writer, when I get asked which is the best bak­ kie between, for example, the new Hilux and Ranger, I honestly have to answer neither one.

For the best bakkie is always a van — any van.

The askers are always owners of one of these double cabs (no disrespect intended on calling them “askers”) and they always look nonplussed at my answer.

I then explain the best bakkie is always going to be a van be­ cause I like my wheels to earn their keep by carrying loads with the lowest outlay for the most se­ curity.

Vans meet these criteria.

Bakkies do not.

This immediately leads to sev­

eral “ja buts” around the fire from all double cab owners.

“I can load our bikes and go cycle in the mountain,” an oke with legs like Hercules tells me.

“So can a Hyundai H1, Merc Sprinter, Ford Transit, VW Transporter and even a Maxus, with a lot more security for your pricey mountain bikes,” I retort.

“I enjoy the high seat posi­ tion,” pipes up a petite female driver.

I tell her I can look down and admire her shapely legs from my even more commanding height in the panelvan’s seat.

“I must have big wheels for the potholes,” says an oke in khaki.

I tell him budget cars like the Toyota Etios, Tata Bolt and Dat­ sun Go were all designed for the many, many more people buying cars for much rougher roads in Thailand, India and South Amer­ ica.

“I farm cattle on a hilly farm, can’t do without a 4x4,” counters another oke, as he sips his lager

The short Duster bakkie, which Dacia developed for Romania’s OMV Petrom oil and gas group, will be popular in SA and Brazil IF Renault exports it. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

Show and shine in Moab Each year during March 4x4 fans in the U.S. gather at Moab in Utah for a gigantic show and shine. Jeep is always there with concept models, like this Comanche bakkie, based on the Jeep Renegade.

It has a 2,0­litre diesel mated to a nine­speed automatic with low range.

PHOTO: JEEP

with narrowed stare.

I sip my stout right back at him with an even narrower stare and tell how I farmed sheep on a flat farm that was black muddy bog all the way down, and a Mahindra 4x2 with a set of snow chains on the rear wheels went anywhere.

May as well talk to charcoal I may as well be talking to the dead charcoal for all the impact my pragmatic views on working wheels have at these braais.

For the bottom line is there will always be drivers — many of them petite and female — who love the look of a big bakkie and just have to have one, the extra outlay be damned.

For them there is good news and better news, for not one, but a slew of totally new bakkie brands are heading to South Afri­ ca to enliven the pot.

Top of this list is the new ver­ sion of the original butch bakkie, the Nissan Navara, which is com­ ing back bulkier than ever, and it

now has a Mercedes­Benz bolt­ on clone.

In the sleek corner the new Mitsubishi Triton has sadly toned down its daring tear drop shape, but it is offering a Fiat Full­ back one­tonner sibling on the same platform.

And from way outside the box both Renault and Hyundai have now rewritten the style book for butch bakkies with lines so sleek they made even this van man look twice.

Half a dirty dozen coming These six new bakkies are ready to compete with Toyota’s Hilux for minority share of the growing double cab market, all offering “car­like comforts” and rides of varying softness and ability.

Expect the Navara, which now boasts a multi­link rear suspen­ sion instead of leaf springs, to again set the standard for a smooth ride over rough roads.

There is no news yet when Merc’s version of the Navara will

arrive in SA, but Mercedes­Benz commercial vehicle spokesper­ son Sibusiso Mkwanaze did con­ firm to Wheels the bakkie is on its way.

In the Renault­Nissan alliance corner there are two bakkies aimed against Toyota’s global bakkie dominance. In a country where Hilux is often the best sell­ ing vehicle overall, it comes as a surprise that Renault is the top light commercial vehicle brand in Europe, thanks to the likes of the no­nonsense Kangoo.

Renault’s main Hilux­fighter is called the Alaskan and this con­ cept bakkie is as far removed from its sparse Kangoo sibling as it is possible to get, with a design and sleek extras that promise to warm the cockles of double cab admirers around any fire.

The new global model, a larger one­ton pickup previewed by the Alaskan concept, will extend Renault’s pickup presence out of South America, helping it grab a piece of a worldwide pickup seg­

ment it identifies as one­third of the light commercial vehicle market At the recent São Paulo Motor Show, Renault also experimented with a sporty pickup version of the Dacia Duster SUV, showing how the platform could haul five people and offer a small load bed.

From Korea, Hyundai is finally filling its gap between sport utes and small delivery trucks with a luxury bakkie with the Santa Cruz Crossover.

This truck concept was un­ veiled at the North American In­ ternational Motor Show in De­ troit last year and is reportedly designed small enough to be move through city streets and cramped parking lots during the week, but big and versatile enough to ferry cargo on the weekends.

Hyundai aims this concept at those askers around the braai.

Only, the company calls them the “urban adventurers”.

• alwyn.viljoen@witness.co.za

The Fiat Fullback (left) was launched at the 2015 Dubai Motor Show and will be built on the bones of the current Mitsubishi Triton, the latest of which (above) no longer has that daring tear­drop cabin.

Delivering bread fresh NEW truck and trailer combina­ tions recently built by Serco for Pioneer Foods are now being used to deliver thousands of loaves of bread every day all over KwaZulu­Natal, the Western Cape and Gauteng.

The combinations comprise van body trucks, drawbar trailers and stepdeck trailers.

Built at the Serco plant in Cape Town, the vehicles are designed to carry the maximum possible number of crates of bread for Pio­ neer Foods daily from the baker­ ies to depots around the country.

Although Serco has built a va­ riety of vehicles for Pioneer Foods previously, this was the first order for complete trailer combinations.

A feature is that the drawbar trailers have concertina front doors which allow the bread to be loaded through the rear via a ramp into the van body trucks which significantly speeds up the loading process.

The technical manager: vehi­ cles at Sasko Bakeries, Arno Lourens, said the new Serco vehi­ cles were now operating all over the country and proving to be worthy acquisitions to Sasko’s fleet.

Lourens said he was impressed with the high quality of work­ manship on the vehicles, which is something he had come to ex­ pect from Serco after doing busi­ ness with the company for the past three years. — WR.

WitnessWheels MOTORING RACING

8

Seen at the Thrill Seeker KZN 4x4 Challenge Rob Pollock of SMD Group in Ballito shows why the 130 Landy is still king of the muddy hill as he tows a fellow competitor out of trouble during the first Thrill Seeker 4x4 Challenge held at Shakaskraal over the past weekend. Drivers had to find the shortest route to flags on the highest point of the farm, reverse through a tight obstacle course and race a mini­rally stage.

Organiser Andre Karrim told Wheels the next challenge will be open to all drivers who want to have fun in their 4x4 vehicles.

“Our goal is to create opportunities for 4x4 owners and their families to compete and have fun with standard everyday 4x4s,” said Karrim.

Ashi Baniparsadh has competed in many 4x4 rock crawling events and told Wheels she really enjoyed the mini­rally.

The fastest Hilux in the west howls with a V8 and belongs to Reece Williamson from Pietermaritzburg.

LEFT: Team Durban’s Francois Mare placed second for Team Used Spares in their Mahindra Thar. RIGHT: Third overall went to Nicolas Pirthipal of Team Nictal Engineering in their Ranger. The day’s fun will be aired on the Thrill Seeker show on Ignition DSTV channel 189 in June 2016. The next Thrill Seeker fun challenge looks set to be in Howick. For more details, check the Thrill Seeker Facebook page or call Karrim at 083 996 1303. PHOTOS: ALWYN VILJOEN/SUPPLIED

Brazilian crews enter SA endurance race CHAMRAINE FORTUNE TWO Brazilian crews will add a little Latin American flair to an already tasty feast at the RFS En­ durance, the opening round of this year’s Donaldson Cross Country Championship, in Vry­ burg in the North West province on April 1 and 2.

Two highly experienced crews from Brazil will compete in the new FIA Class in Ford Rangers designed and built by Pieterma­ ritzburg­based Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM).

The FIA Class allows Donald­ son Cross Country Champion­ ship teams to run cars to FIA Group T1 specifications, and will compete alongside the cur­ rent Class T and Class S cars in the Production Vehicle catego­ ry.

“Apart from allowing South African teams to develop vehi­ cles for the FIA Cross Country World Cup and the Dakar Rally, the FIA Class has also opened up the possibility of interna­ tional teams competing in South Africa,” said Sanora chief executive officer Siegfried Rous­ seau. “It has quickly borne fruit, and we are excited about the

prospect of other international teams competing in South Afri­ ca during the course of the year.”

Brazilian brothers Cristian and Marcos Baumgart will team up with co­drivers Beco Andre­ otti and Kleber Cincea on the RFS Endurance event. The Cris­ tian Baumgart/Andreotti and Marcos Baumgart/ Cincea com­ binations have a long list of suc­ cesses to their names in the Bra­ zilian Cross Country Rally Championship and other inter­ national events.

Both teams are veterans of the Rally dos Sertões, which runs over nearly 3 000 kilome­ tres in Brazil. The Baumgarts finished second and third in last year’s event and both crews have recorded wins on the Paulista Cross Country Rally.

“We are delighted to have the Baumgart brothers competing in South Africa in cars we de­ signed and built,” said NWM operations manager Lance Woolridge. “The cars are full FIA specification Rangers, and are the ones in which the broth­ ers competed in last year’s Ser­ tões Rally.

“The appearance of the Bra­ zilians is a boost for the Vryburg

event and the Donaldson Cross Country Motor Racing Cham­ pionship, and NWM is happy to be a part of what is an exciting development.”

Two other cars, the factory Toyota Gazoo Racing SA Toyo­ ta Hilux entries, will also be out in the FIA Class. They will be crewed by reigning South Afri­ can champions Leeroy Poulter and Rob Howie, and former champions Anthony Taylor and Dennis Murphy.

The RFS Endurance race will be run in conjunction with round two of the Northern Re­ gions Cross Country Champi­ onship, and the first round of the South African Cross Country Motorcycle and Quad Champi­ onship. It is the first time in nearly three decades that the cars and motorcycles will share the same stage, although they will race along different routes.

Three all­female crews In other cross country news, South African co­driver Sandra Labuscagne will compete in the international Sealine Cross Country Rally, round three of the FIA Cross Country World Cup, in Qatar from April 17 to

March 17, 2016

Msanzi riders are best Team SA crowned champions at the BMW Motorrad 2016 AFTER seven days of intense, yet friendly competition, nearly 1 400 kilometres of memorable riding and a whole week’s worth of unforgettable daily Special tests, the GS Trophy Southeast Asia 2016 reached its conclusion with Team South Africa crowned the deserving winners by a mar­ gin of 31 points.

The trio of John Harris, Byron Coetsee and Charl Moolman had led the competition since its sec­ ond day and although they were pushed hard by both Team Ger­ many and Team UK until the very last Special on the final day, they kept their cool under considera­ ble pressure and in so doing, took the trophy home to South Africa for the first time.

In a historical first for the GS Trophy, two teams were tied for second place — Team Germany and Team UK. “I speak for the entire BMW Motorrad community when I say that we are absolutely delighted and very proud of Team South Africa’s victory.

“The International GS Trophy is a showcase of riding skills and team spirit and Team South Afri­ ca rose to the challenge.

“We have always performed well at the Trophy, but this victo­ ry confirms that the calibre of South African riders is world­ class,” said Alexander Baraka, general manager of BMW Mo­ torrad South Africa.

Having come close to trophy honours several times before (second place in 2010 and 2014), Team South Africa were delight­ ed winners: “Relief is the first emotion, then happiness,” said Byron Coetsee.

“South Africa’s track record in the event has been seconds and thirds, we even missed out on the win in 2010 by as little as one point, so to finish like this, it’s like

the weight of the world is lifted off our shoulders. We share this achievement with our previous GS Trophy team riders.”

The final Special test took place at a neighbouring moto­ cross training track, much to the delight of the teams, who made it their business to show exactly how a big adventure bike like the BMW GS can be hustled around a tight, twisty track with a skilled rider at the controls.

With crowds of enthusiasts lining the circuit and cheering the teams all the way from their Le Mans­style starts through bumps, turns and whoops to a challenging steep uphill finish, it was an exciting and apt way to end the riding part of the Trophy.

The big GS motorcycles held up remarkably well considering the extreme hard use they were subjected to over the seven days and more than 1 300 kilometres of competition.

Despite being dropped off “broken bridges”, dragged through boulder­strewn river crossings, hauled over huge logs, and ridden hard across every type of terrain and obstacle imagina­ ble, there has been hardly any damage at all to the fleet of over 100 bikes. A few tyres were changed due to punctures, a cou­ ple of clutches and coolers re­ placed, as were a few mirrors and levers, but there were no techni­ cal failures at all. — WR. BMW Motorrad top 10: 1 South Africa 299 2 Germany 268 2 UK 268 4 CEEU 254 5 Latin America 244 6 Brazil 242 7 China 234 8 USA 229 9 France 208 10 Italy 200

Sandra Labuscagne.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED 22. The experienced Labuscag­ ne was chosen to attend a train­ ing camp organised by the FIA Women in Motorsport Com­ mission and Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation in Qatar in November last year.

She will partner with Spanish driver Christina Gutierrez­Her­ rero in Class T2 on the 1 650 kilometre event as one of three all­female teams.

The other members of the team are New Zealander Emma Gilmour and Lisette Bakker, of the Netherlands, and French­ woman Charlotte Berton and Jordanian Yasmeen Elmajed.

— Wheels Reporter.

Teamwork on display during the BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy in Southeast Asia.

The GS Trophy Southeast Asia 2016 reached its conclusion with Team South Africa winning the technical challenges over 1 300 km with a margin of 31 points.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

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