Wheels 21 may 2015

DEZZI IS KING OF THE HILL ­ P8

CARS WANTED

May 21, 2015

Witness

WHEELS

Exotic,luxury and supercars WANTED FOR CASH must be low mileage and mint condition, email pics and brief description to ashgani@telkomsa.net

ASH EXOTICS

Dealers in Superfine Exotic and Sports Cars Tel: 033 345 1971, 033 342 4717 Fax: 033 342 2900 - www.ashcarsales.co.za 534/550 Church Street, Pietermaritzburg 3201 • Ash 083 786 3377

KZN’S MOST RIVETING READ ON BIKES, CARS, VANS, BAKKIES, TRUCKS … AND HEARSES

Share info, say mechanics Local mechanics back Right to Repair Campaign to get information on new vehicle parts ALWYN VILJOEN MORE mechanics in Msunduzi are supporting the Right to Re­ pair Campaign that wants Origi­ nal Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) to play fair when it comes to the repair of old cars.

This campaign, which was launched in SA in 2010, already has a strong foothold in many world markets, such as Europe, the U.S., Australia and Brazil.

Jens Denk of Denk’s Motors said the OEMs currently like to keep secret any technical details to a vehicle.

“The OEMs rightly say they spent a lot of money on research and development to make a new car safe and sound.

“What we are saying is that when a person buys a car, the high price they pay covers a percentage of that R&D and the new owner must get access to a workshop manual and a parts list so that they can ensure their vehicles are safely maintained at all times.

“Just imagine if the aircraft in­ dustry withheld servicing manu­

als and parts details on a plane like the OEMs are doing,” said Denk.

Striving to get this informa­ tion, the Motor Industry Work­ shop Association (Miwa) will in June hold formal meetings with the vehicle manufacturers and distributors, following a well­at­ tended conference at the recent Automechanika Johannesburg trade fair for the automotive aft­ ermarket.

Vishal Premlall, the director of Miwa said without full and fair access from the OEMs to technical information, multi­ brand diagnostic tools and test equipment, as well as replace­ ment parts and training, the inde­ pendent automotive aftermarket will no longer be able to provide South African motorists with the quality service and parts they de­ serve in the aftermarket care of their vehicles.

“This may have a direct impact on the safety of vehicles and con­ sequently other road users travel­ ling on South African roads,” said Premlall.

The reason for this campaign is that motor vehicles have be­ come more and more like com­ puters on wheels.

Premlall said the lack of access to information and the stringent framework surrounding warran­ ty, maintenance and service plans all but destroys consumers’s right to competition and gives OEMs and their franchise dealers exclu­ sive control over a market seg­ ment.

“This imbalance needs to be addressed in South Africa as it has in other parts of the world, and we will continue to champion the cause until the change is made,” Premlalls said.

Premlall said South Africa is way behind European counter­ Tinos Mandonye’s aim to service a vehicle as cheaply as possible for his clients is hampered by parts, where the Motor Vehicle the Original Equipment Manufacturers’ insistence that all information on parts are proprietal.

Block Exemption Regulation PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN (EC) 1400/2002 ensure consum­ er a choice when it comes to parts and repair sector.

He said the Euro 5 Regulation, which came into force in Septem­ ber 2009, covers access to all technical information for newly type approved vehicles.

Trent Barcroft, CEO and MD of Jeep SA, in front of an artist’s impression of the Jeep Renegade, now on sale in SA.

What’s your 2 year plan?

PHOTO: ALWYN VIJOEN

ALWYN VILJOEN TRENT Barcroft, CEO and MD of Chrysler and Jeep in South Af­ rica is a happy man.

His division finally took deliv­ ery of the Jeep brand’s smallest vehicle yet, the Renegade.

While built in Italy on a plat­ form shared with the Fiat 500, Barcroft stressed the little cross­ over ute was designed by Jeep to extend the brand’s domination to new buyers in urban areas.

With just over 17 cm of road clearance, even the 4x2 version, which was launched on Tuesday is comfortable on rough dirt roads, as Jeep showed.

The first Renegade in SA will be powered by the 103 kW ver­ sion of Fiat’s 1,4­litre MultiAir II Turbo petrol engine, which is in the same class as Volkswag­ en’s 1,4 with 230 Nm from at

1 750 rpm, mated to a six­speed manual gearbox.

An all­wheel drive and a nine­ speed autobox will arrive in Sep­ tember and makes about as much with stop/start featuring a six­speed manual transmission and 4x2 configuration.

Jeep’s boss in South Africa lik­ ened the brand to Africa, a conti­ nent which he says can grab your soul. He told Wheels Jeep had ba­ sically invented the 4x4 over 74 years ago and all the vehicles in the brand still give their drivers the freedom to get adventurous in their spare time.

While exploring rough roads in this spare time, Renegade drivers won’t feel the knocks so much, as the little Jeep is the first model behind the seven­grill bar to use Koni’s frequency selective damping that filters out vibra­ tions from uneven road surfaces.

Six airbags, ESC with Electronic Rollover Mitigation are stan­ dard.

A five­inch touchscreen links with Bluetooth to smartphones, and have voice­command con­ trol of the AM/FM radio. An auxiliary jack and USB port also enable recharging and seamless operation of portable devices.

Pricing for the Jeep Renegade 1.4L Limited starts at R375 990 and includes a standard three­ year/100 000 km warranty and class leading six­year/100 000 km maintenance plan.

The first 500 Renegades now available at dealers in SA come with optional sat nav and bigger wheels with chrome finish as standard. Jeep in Pietermaritz­ burg say they have already had calls inquiring after the Rene­ gade, and a model is ready for test drives from today.

The Audi A4 with a 2 year Guaranteed Future Value at only R 4 999 p.m.

This amazing offer lets you drive off in a stylish new Audi A4 1.8T FSI SE 125kW featuring a 2 year Guaranteed Future Value and SE package upgrade for only R 4 999 per month. In just 24 months, you’ll be free to keep your Audi A4, return it, or trade it for an even newer Audi A4, should one just happen to come along.

Finance subject to approval by Audi Financial Services, a division of Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa Proprietary Limited. An Authorized Financial Services and Credit Provider NCRCP6635. Offer on the Audi A4 1.8T FSI SE multitronic at R430 000 over 2 years, 10% deposit, 0% linked rate, prime currently at 9.25%, 63% GFV. Excludes monthly admin fee of R57. Model shown may be fitted with optional equipment. Interest rate will vary from example in this advert if price differs. Optional equipment pricing is not included in the finance amount advertised. Terms and Conditions apply.

Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg 9 Armitage Road, Pietermaritzburg, 3201.

Tel: 033 940 1382. www.audipietermaritzburg.co.za Nathi Mncube • Sharon Mpulo • Darryl Chetty New Vehicle Sales Manager: Prunella Naidoo

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2

WitnessWheels MOTORING

We do it longer in Africa — TiTi Funerals became famous with this hearse that was used in a Mandela family funeral.

PHOTO: GALLO

May 21, 2015

The Philippines is the world’s hotbed of hand­made vehicles, as can be seen in the hot rod hearse.

PHOTO: CRUISINGUNDERPOWER

Last rides around the world We all die, but we don’t all get the the same hearse, ALWYN VILJOEN explores the final drive HUMAN bodies do three things in exactly the same manner, no matter in which culture we copulate, defe­ cate and die, but our courtship ritu­ als, toilets and final rides differ al­ most from city to city.

This is especially true in India, where its seems any vehicle with space for a coffin can and is pressed into service as a hearse, from a dou­ ble­cab Tata bakkie converted into a last ride by a bling load bin; to a rather plain Tata midi­bus. Converted by Samson Motors, the midi­bus boasts a refrigerated drawer for the deceased and seating for the surviving family.

In Africa, where the ancestors are believed to linger longer, the dead get treated in the type of “eight­wheel­ er” stretched limos made famous by a Mandela family funeral. Some­ times, they seem to insist on such cer­ emony.

Senzo Ndlovu (36) of Khayelihle Funeral Services in Pietermaritzburg tells of a funeral where he suspected the ghost of one dearly departed “had done something” to stop their cheaper but always reliable “four­ wheeler” Toyota hearse in its tracks.

“Nothing we did could get that [Toyota] hearse to start again, so we moved the casket to the eight­wheel­ er and the Toyota suddenly started,” he told Wheels.

In the far east, glam and glitter continues a lifetime of face saving. In Japan a Buddhist­style Japanese hearse built on a Lincoln Town Car from the early 1980s has all the gold leaf paint the survivors can want.

No one can however beat the pomp and splendour of a royal send­ off in the far east. When King Siha­ nouk of Cambodia died in China on October 15, 2012, a 100­day funeral process preceded the final funeral procession of giant floats, each of which would have won a prize in the Rio Carnival.

In the Philippines, world capital of self­made cars, backyard­cobbled­ together mongrel cars nevertheless turn heads. Australian sailing couple Sue and Philip spotted a hot rod hearse in Quezon in the Philippines.

It combines a Mercedes­Benz grill, beach buggy fairings, a Mahindra Bo­ lero cabin and someone’s pagoda roofs on the rear.

On the isle of all things droll In England, the isle of all things droll, the dead can be delivered in an ar­ moured tank or by bicycle.

Nick Mead first converted an FV432 armoured personnel carrier into an old European­style hearse, with a glass display box.

A former tank driver, Meade turned an FV432 armoured person­ nel carrier into a fitting last ride for his late tank driving instructor.

Fit British undertakers Kate Bouckley and Tim Bartlett can lay to rest green activists in coffins made of willow, wool, bamboo or cardboard for that last word in eco­friendly funerals.

PHOTO: IANHAZELFUNERALS

When King Sihanouk of Cambodia died in 2012, a 100­day funeral process culminated in a procession of funeral floats that could have won prizes in the Rio Carnival.

PHOTO: POLITICALSTEW.COM

Motorcycle Funerals’ fleet includes Harley­Davidson, Triumph and Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle hearses.

PHOTO: MOTORCYCLEFUNERALS

A double­cab Tata bakkie converted into a hearse with a shiny­shiny bling load bin.

PHOTO: GALLO “My old mate Big Graham was rolled out of a Rolls Royce hearse and in to Tankhearse which I was chuffed about …

“The undertaker even asked if I fancied a hearse trade, and I think he was serious,” Meade explains on his website.

The reverend Paul Sinclair, owner of Motorcycle Funerals Limited in the UK, operates a fleet of motorcycle hearses and has started bicycle deliv­ eries of late tree­huggers.

The reverend’s bike fleet consists of several Triumph motorcycles ret­ rofitted with sidecar slarge enough to fit a full­sized coffin.

He also has a Harley­Davidson bike matched with a sidecar as well.

He likes to remind the surviving fami­ ly just like you won’t clothe a late Liv­ erpool fan in Everton strip, or bury a Muslim like a Christian, bikers don’t want to be seen dead in cars.

Sinclair set up his Motorcycle Fu­ nerals company in his garden shed and has since expanded to Scotland, with thousands of funerals done across the UK in proper biker style.

What goes for hard­living, fossil­ fuel­burning bikers also goes for the gentler, recycling souls who would not want to be seen dead in a fuel­ guzzling van. For them Reverend Sin­ clair started tandem bicycle hearses, the ultimate in sending your body to the worms in high tree­hugger style.

British media quoted the former Pentecostal minister and sheet metal worker as saying: “Because we did a motorcycle and sidecar hearse, every now and again we were asked to do the funeral of cyclists, because it was the nearest thing they could get to a bicycle. So in the end, I built one, a coffin­carrying bicycle. I call it a bi­ cycle made for three.”

Several funeral parlours have since imitated Sinclair to offer environ­ mentally aware deceased their last rides to the grave in coffins made of willow, wool, bamboo or cardboard for the last word in eco­friendly fu­ nerals.

Samson Motors in India converts a Tata midi­bus into a ‘hearse van’ equipped with two doors and seats at the back for the mourners, and freezer fitted box, coffin and other facilities for the deceased.

PHOTO: SAMSON MOTORS

Tankhearse’s Nick Mead turned an FV432 armoured personnel carrier into a hearse with a glass display box to give his former tank instructor a fitting last ride.

PHOTO: TANKSALOT

Saving face to the end, a Buddhist­ style Japanese hearse built on a 1980s generation Lincoln Town Car. PHOTO: WIKIPEDIA

MOTORING WitnessWheels

May 21, 2015

3

A car for the family BRIAN BASSETT stretches it in the new Volkswagen Golf SV.

This is one Golf that is as much at home on dirt roads as it is in the school parking lot.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC many of the functions relating to the car and your journey, like the cruise control, can be operat­ ed from here.

The boot space with all seats in place is a generous 500 litres.

By folding the seats flat this can be extended to 1 520 litres.

The quality interior also has a wide range of storage space to make life easier for the family.

Safety and security The Golf SV has a 5­Star Euro NCAP rating, so it is one of the safest cars you can buy.

There are driver and passen­ ger air bags, with key deactiva­ tion for the passenger bag.

The vehicle also boasts side and curtain air bags, as well as a knee air bag for the driver. Side impact bars offer enhanced safe­ ty and there are seat belts for all and anchors for child seats to Isofix standards.

Then there is also ABS, EBD, Auto Hold and a Multi­Collision Brake System.

I found the Park Assist, Paral­ lel Park Assist and the rear­view camera to be very helpful, and the passenger side mirrors with the curb­view feature adds ma­ terially to the vehicle’s safety.

There is an anti­theft alarm, central locking and a rather use­ ful tow­away and tilt protection feature.

Performance and handling I drove the two­litre TDI Com­ fortline DSG Automatic,which

Not even the Fat Pack could fill up all this rear leg room.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

is equipped with a four­cylinder diesel engine putting out 81 kW of power and a considerable 250 Nm of torque via a seven­ speed automatic gearbox.

The SV is designed firstly as a family vehicle, ideal for all the fetching and carrying that goes with modern family life and the occasional time away in the Berg.

It is not a robot racer, but in town it is a pleasure to drive and easy to park, while providing a feeling of safety and security.

On the N3, the car holds the road well and the torque makes passing long loads easy, even on hills with the Fatpack on board.

I used a visit to friends who have a smallholding in the Ashburton area to drive the car over about 20 km of dirt road, sometimes at speed.

While the Golf SV is not de­ signed as an off­roader, the car put in an excellent performance and displayed absolute stability, even on sharp sandy bends.

Acceleration is not bad either, with 0­100 km/h coming up in about 11 seconds, and a top speed, should you ever need it, of 190 km/h.

Fuel consumption in the die­ sel is brilliant. According to the car, I got 5,2 l/100 km.

Costs, guarantees and the competition There are five models in the Golf SV range. The entry level manual six­speed 1.2TSI Trendline costs about R294 00, while the range­ topping 2.0 TDI Comfortline DSG is around R360 000.

The car comes with a three­ year or 120 000 km warranty and a five­year or 90000 km service plan, with 15 000 km ser­ vice intervals.

There is also a 12­year, anti­ corrosion warranty.

As to the competition, the B segment is one of the most com­ petitive in the RSA, so give your­ self the pleasure of browsing widely before buying.

It’s not just a car. It’s a Golf.

New Golf SV 81kW Trendline from R3,939* per month The New Golf SV 81kW Trendline standard features include: -

15” Lyon alloy wheel with full alloy spare wheel Decorative dashboard & door side trim inserts Dark Silver Silk-Mat ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) with Brake Assist and EDL Multi-collision brake system Model

Vehicle Price

-

Air bags: Driver and passenger Leather multifunction steering wheel Front and rear electric windows Electric and heated side mirrors Black roof rails Front centre armrest

Monthly Instalments

No. of Instalments

Interest Rate Linked / Variable

R3,939*

72

9.25%*

New Golf SV 81kW R292,500 Trendline

Deposit

Balloon Payment

10% 30% (R29,250) (R87,750)

Total Cost Incl fees & VAT

R371,387

Visit us on www.baronsvwpmb.co.za An optional cost of R900 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 9.25%. Note: Offers calculated on the New Golf SV 81kW Trendline in standard specifications.

Excludes optional extras. Instalment includes monthly administration fee of R57. Subject to bank approval.

Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. 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 30 May 2015.

Barons Pietermaritzburg 9 Armitage Road, Pietermaritzburg, 3201 • Tel: 033 845 3100 Alison Wiltshire: 082 783 8855 John Brown: 082 645 4396 Merglin Rama: 083 382 4589 Menzi Ngubane: 073 534 8545

Bahle Bhengu: 082 337 5825 Erica Neff: 082 858 7749 Thando Gumede: 078 969 8072 Keshnee Pillay: 073 372 1452

e&oe

THOSE who read this column regularly will know that I have great respect for Volkswagen.

The company has come to be the second­largest motor manu­ facturer in the world, second on­ ly to Toyota.

In South Africa the same ap­ plies, with Toyota and Volks­ wagen filling the top two spots.

The success of the Volkswagen brand is based on enduring qual­ ity and purposeful design.

The newly launched Golf SV is no different. I am grateful to Kevin Pillay, dealer principal of Baron’s, Pietermaritzburg, who has just won the Volkswagen Na­ tional Dealer of the Year award for his dealership, as well as to Alison Wiltshire, new­car sales manager for the dealership, who has also just won a national award for her work and for whom nothing was too much trouble, for making a new Golf SV availa­ ble to me for a few days.

Styling Volkswagen says that the Golf SV looks a lot like the Golf, but you have to look closely to find traditional Golf styling cues.

For my money, the new SV is larger and better looking than the Golf, although the Golf itself is no slouch in the aesthetic stakes.

The front of the SV is aggres­ sively styled with a three­slatted grill and centrally placed Volks­ wagen badge linking the swept­ back headlamps, while the col­ our­coded front bumper unfolds into sleek, contoured fog lamps.

The bonnet has two ribs, which lead your eye upwards to the steeply­inclined windscreen and high roofline traced by sil­ ver­anodized roof rails and end­ ing in a pronounced boot spoil­ er.

At the rear, the twin exhausts add an air of businesslike effec­ tiveness, while the large rear door gives easy access to the gen­ erous boot area.

Interior The interior of the SV reflects re­ fined functionality. The seats both front and rear are very com­ fortable and robustly uphol­ stered, although full leather is available as an option. The fully adjustable front seats and steer­ ing allow drivers to select a posi­ tion best­suited to their needs.

The high roofline adds spa­ ciousness to the interior and the vehicle is a full five­seater, as I found out when the Fatpack went to tea at a restaurant in the Curry’s Post area.

At no stage, even after a num­ ber of scones and cream, did the car feel full, and all four bulky gentlemen were not only quite comfortable, but also had no trouble in accessing the vehicle.

The dashboard is neat and functional.

Controls are easily accessible and at no stage did I have to take my eyes off the road to operate them.

The centrally placed eight­ inch touch screen is useful and I particularly liked the 3D map views and MP3 functionality, to­ gether with the eight­speaker ra­ dio/CD with SD card and all of the plugs needed in an electronic age.

The leather­covered, three­ spoke multifunction steering wheel is a pleasure to handle and

4

WitnessWheels MOTORING

May 21, 2015

‘We need to know’ SA motor industry stagnating because of lack of guidelines on APDP THE South African motor indus­ try is in urgent need of guidelines from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) regarding the future of the Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP). This message came through loud and clear during a conference arranged by the National Associ­ ation of Automotive Compo­ nent and Allied Manufacturers (NAACAM) at Automechanika Johannesburg on May 6.

The delegates had been hop­ ing that the DTI would announce the results of its APDP review at the conference at Expo Centre as two representatives from the government department were to have been speakers on the day.

However, the speakers, Lionel October, the director­general and APDP specialist, Roger Pitot,

declined to attend on the basis that they were still awaiting final­ ity of the document and its ap­ proval by Cabinet.

Robert Houdet, the executive director of NAACAM, said delays in the publication of the review impacted on the ability of vehicle and component manufacturers to draw up future production plans.

“South Africa is nowadays producing only 0,6% of global vehicles and manufacturers could easily move production to factories in other parts of the world if there were delays in pro­ viding details of the way the APDP was to be changed follow­ ing the review process,” ex­ plained Houdet.

Ken Lello, the chief operating officer — SA operations, at com­ ponent manufacturer Metair, ex­

panded on the subject by saying that it was also vital the road ahead after the APDP ends in 2020 be spelt out within the next 18­24 months to enable compa­ nies to undertake long term project planning.

Lello went on to say that vehi­ cle production in SA had actually declined since 2006 and the country’s share of the global mar­ ket had fallen from 0,86% in 2006 to a current level of 0,59%.

“Total built­up vehicle im­ ports had increased to more than 50% ­ 62% in the case of passen­ ger cars. We will certainly not meet the dti’s target of producing 1,2 billion vehicles by 2020 as we are only geared up for volumes of about 600 000 units a year under the current APDP regula­ tions. There are also few real in­ centives for the component man­

ufacturers, which is of concern for the future of this local indus­ try,” he said.

There were interesting com­ parisons made between the flourishing manufacturing in­ dustry in Thailand and the fairly stagnant situation in South Afri­ ca in an address by Douglas Com­ rie, of B&M Analysts.

This followed a fact­finding mission to the Asian country in February where the differences in the results of the two country’s differing industry support pro­ grammes were highlighted.

The Thailand programme pro­ vided a high level of protection for local vehicle makers and re­ sulted in 90% of the vehicles sold in that country being locally manufactured. It also resulted in intensive human resource devel­ opment and technology transfer,

which included the manufacture of engines and transmissions.

Thailand also optimises its position as a supplier of built up vehicles and CKD components to neighbouring countries as well as utilising Thailand’s free trade agreements to provide econo­ mies of scale in production.

Comrie said that this approach had resulted in annual vehicle production in Thailand now running at 2,5 million while South African output was still in the region of 500 000 units a year after both countries had been making half a million vehicles annually in 2002.

The general consensus at the conference was that significant changes are required in the APDP to increase local production in line with the objective of increas­ ing SA’s global competitiveness.

Google’s driverless cars set to hit public roads shortly AS Delphi and Ottomatika cre­ ated a powerhouse in automat­ ed driving, Google is starting to test its little car without a steer­ ing wheel in Nevada.

Delphi’s Automated Dream Team featuring John Absmeier, director, Delphi Labs and Glob­ al Automated Vehicle Business Development at Delphi and Raj Rajkumar, CEO, Ottomatika said on a YouTube broadcast the partnership between their companies brought together in­ tellectual teams who have a long history in safety and automa­ tion.

Rajkumar said “connected automation” was the next step to develop technology to make automation a reality.

Google Incorporated will be­ gin testing its self­driving cars on public roads this summer on the streets of Mountain View, California, the search giant’s hometown.

The self­driving car will de­ pend on Google’s road maps, built specifically for the program, and tested on the company’s cur­ rent fleet of vehicles. It’s electric, and has to be recharged after 80 miles.

The Google self­driving car cannot go faster than 40 km/h and during the next phase of test­ ing the drivers will have access to a removable steering wheel, ac­

celerator pedal and brake pedal, which will let them take over if needed.

When Google announced a year ago that it planned to build a fleet of self­driving cars, project director Chris Urmson said the prototypes “won’t have a steer­ ing wheel, accelerator pedal or brake pedal … because they don’t need them”.

It turns out, however, that the prototypes will need those criti­ cal control devices after all be­ cause California requires that self­driving vehicles have manual controls during testing.

Google has long been testing its self­driving car technology with a fleet of Lexus sport­utility vehicles that have driven about 1,6 million km on public roads,

and that continue to put in 16 000 km a week.

Google recently acknowl­ edged that its self­driving car fleet had been involved in 11 mi­ nor traffic incidents.

“Not once was the self­driving car the cause of the accident. No one was injured in the accidents.

The cars had been hit from be­ hind seven times, mainly at traf­

fic lights, with a majority of the accidents being on city streets rather than on freeways.”

Traditional automakers are also pushing the envel­ ope of driverless tech with on­ the­road test­ ing of their own vehicles.

— WR.

Massive Ferrari theme park scheduled to open in Spain STU ROBARTS FASTEN your seatbelts: work has begun on the construction of the Ferrari Land theme park. Based in the PortAventura resort near Barcelona, Spain, it is described as a “take on the Ferrari myth”.

It will reference Formula 1, Ferrari innovation, traditional Italy and marque founder Enzo Ferrari.

Plans for Ferrari Land were an­ nounced last year and the first brick was laid last week. It follows in the footsteps of Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, which opened in 2010.

The park itself will cover 75 000 square metres and will apparently make the PortAven­

tura resort the resort with the highest number of theme parks in Europe — three in total. Port­ Aventura says the park will be aimed at families and fans of the Ferrari brand, and will seek for it to embody the essence of Ferrari.

With that in mind, the park will be home to a variety of themed attractions, a number of which PortAventura says will set new records. One of the biggest attractions is expected to be the “Vertical Accelerator”. At 112 m tall, it is expected to become the highest roller coaster in Europe.

Passengers will be propelled vertically upwards to the top of ride, before plummeting straight back down. The Vertical Acceler­

ator will reach speeds of up to 180 km/h in five seconds producing forces of up to 1,35 G. PortAventura describes its partnership with Ferrari as the “single most important project in the history of PortAventura re­ sort” and says it has invested nearly €100 million (R1,347 bil­ lion) in the new theme park. It expects the park to attract five million visitors and over one mil­ lion overnight stays by 2017.

Ferrari Land is scheduled to open with much fanfare in 2016 and PortAventura says it will con­ tinue to be developed over the following years.

Audi’s new motor: 2 lt power, 1 lt fuel use SCOTT COLLIE IN the face of ever­tightening emissions regulations, the world’s car manufacturers are finding innovative ways to cut fuel consumption. In its quest for greater fuel efficiency, Audi has developed a four­cyl­ inder TFSI engine that makes use of a new combustion method, resulting in what Audi claims is the most effi­ cient two­litre gasoline en­ gine in its class.

The combustion method used in Audi’s new engine is similar to the Miller cycle, and allows the 2,0 litre turbo unit to produce 140 kW, all the while returning a seriously impressive 5,0 L/100 km on the New European Drive Cy­ cle (NEDC). The engine also produces 320 Nm of torque, all of which will be available from just 1 450 rpm, making it perfect for surging into gaps in the traffic from low speeds.

To achieve these figures, Audi has shortened the en­ gine’s intake time by taking the crank angle and reducing it from 200 to 140 degrees.

Despite the shorter intake time, the engine can still achieve optimal cylinder charges thanks to higher boost pressure on its inlet side. Under the engine’s new combustion cycle, the intake valve also closes earlier than it usually would, which allows Audi to run an efficiency­ boosting high compression ratio.

“Thanks to this rightsizing approach, the new engine en­ joys the consumption bene­ fits of a downsizing engine in partial load operation, while at higher loads it has the ad­ vantages of a large­displace­ ment engine,” says Stefan Knirsch, Audi’s head of en­ gine development. “The re­ sult is optimal efficiency and performance characteristics across the entire en­ gine speed range.”

The new en­ gine, which is set to debut in the next­gen­ eration A4, has also been de­ signed to spend less time in its warm­up phase, and Audi has fo­ cused on re­ ducing fric­ tion — something The frugal Mercedes mill for does with its the next Nanoslide A4. coating on PHOTO: the inside of SUPPLIED its engines.

On top of these efficiency­driven changes to the drive cycle, the new engine is also light, weighing in at just 140 kg, which should aid the new A4’s handling balance as well as its fuel consumption sticker.

The engine was unveiled at the Vienna Motor Symposi­ um. — Gizmag.com.

22Â MAYÂ 2015

The Witness

Shopper Newlife Polo Live toGTI. the full in a Polo Vivo.

Ultimate Performance = Ultimate Confidence.

m warranty 3 year / 120 000k

Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW Conceptline Exclusive to Barons on Pietermaritzburg: Pay R999 (once off payment) and you will receive 1 year insurance on your vehicle. Excludes pricing/or installments of the vehicle. Limited to the first 10 customers.

The Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW Conceptline standard features include: -

55kW @ 5,000rpm Fuel-injected 5-speed manual Air conditioning Driver and passenger air bags

-

Power steering Height and reach adjustable steering column Digital clock and trip recorder 3 cup holders (1 in front; 2 in rear console) Body colour bumpers

An optional cost of R900 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 9.25%. Note: Offers calculated on the Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW Conceptline model in standard specifications. Price excludes optional extras, delivery fee, initiation and monthly administration fee of R57. Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. 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 30 May 2015.

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Visit us on www.baronsvwpmb.co.za

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Under New Management - a home from home is reborn

Emma Barter and Victoria Memorial homes for the elderly, sit like con-joined twins, adjacent to each other, at 241 – 257 Retief Street. Yet many people drive on by, without realizing the regal and proud history that they share.

Emma Barter Home was established in 1883 in Retief Street , PMB. 21 years later, in 1904, Victoria Memorial was erected on what was then Emma Barter property. They continued in their parallel roles, together ... yet apart, for the next 108 years - separated by a concrete wall but sharing both a common boundary and a common commitment of care. Emma Barter initially provided care for independent ladies, while its neighbour, Victoria Memorial, to begin with, commenced life as an Alms House for Men. Over the intervening years the need for specialised Care Homes based on gender discrimination diminished and today both Homes now care for elderly people irrespective of their gender; although it is true to say that the majority of the residents are elderly ladies (This has something to do with the fact that God loves men more and consequently takes them from us sooner?). In 2014 the Wall separating the two homes (Pietermaritzburg’s own version of its Berlin counterpart!) was demolished. They once again became family!

On being interviewed the Manager, Henry Spencer, stressed that his tenure was a temporary arrangement, occasioned by the departure of the previous manager, who had emigrated. Spencer who is also a Trustee, has been acutely involved in care of the elderly both in South Africa and Internationally. He has held various positions including being CEO of both PADCA and TAFTA. He said that in his experience the Home is one of the most caring and friendly Homes that he has encountered, and unusual meld of care, tranquillity and fun..

Whilst it is true that certain areas in downtown PMB have deteriorated over the years - behind its garden walls, Emma Barter Victoria Home remains a sea of tranquillity nestling quietly amidst the inner city turmoil.

The merger has resulted in numerous benefits, for example immediately the separating boundary wall came down one could feel the them and us mentality start to dissipate. But more than that, a 200 strong volunteer group of committed individuals called The Friends of Emma Barter assist the Home in numerous ways and provide regular entertainment for the residents. And, the rationalisation of duplicated services such as kitchens, laundries, storage areas, and frail care services, has resulted in the creation of additional rooms – allowing the Emma Barter Victoria Home to re-open a combined manageable waiting list, providing accommodation and meaningful lives to even more elderly residents at affordable prices. Emma Barter Victoria Home is truly a home from home!

Ashburton Butchery TELEPHONE: 033 326 1301/2

MONTH-END MEAT SPECIALS

48 YEARS UNDER SAME MANAGEMENT

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2 kg ..............................

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2 kg ..............................

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2 kg (2 x 1kg) ..................

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Support The Unogwaja Challenge, with Barons Pietermaritzburg

By Pieter from Maritzburg

from Cape Town to Durban in 30 days before running the Comrades! “Unogwaja represents a message of hope for everyone and we want everyone to be able to part of it.” – from the homepage of www.unogwaja. com. How can you be a part? The team are scheduled to arrive in Pietermaritzburg at around noon on Saturday 30th May. They need local support on the last kilometres of the walk. Barons will be there! If you live in the towns and villages from Matatiele to Maritzburg, you can meet them daily or simply wave at them from your farm gate. You can also donate on their website or support the Community Chest.

Unogwaja (The Hare) was the nickname given to Phil Masterton Smith for the way he ran freely around the family farm in the Drakensburg growing up. Phil is known for having challenged the mighty Wally Hayward to run the Comrades Marathon in 1930 – finishing only 200m behind him and going on to be the youngest ever winner of the race the following year. In 1933, Phil was living in Cape Town and couldn’t afford the train to Maritzburg, so he cycled down for the race! That was the last year Phil would race; he went North with the Carbineers when war broke out and paid the ultimate sacrifice. The architects of Redsockfriday (Google it; it’s big), have created The Unogwaja Challenge as a charity fund raising event in honour of Phil Masterton.

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.

The challenge is open to Comrades entrants. They qualify and 10 are selected to walk (Yes, WALK) 1600kms

The car that takes you places.

Adventure calls.

m warranty 3 Year / 120 000k plan m maintenance 5 year / 60 000k

Take up! 55kW 3-door from R1,698* per month.

Tiguan TSI 4x2 Trend & Fun for R299,990* incl. VAT

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The Tiguan TSI 4x2 Trend & Fun standard features include:

The Take up! 55kW 3-door standard features include: 55kW @ 6200rpm 5 speed manual 4.7ℓ/ 100km

-

Monthly Vehicle Price Instalments

Model

Take up! 55kW 3-door

R129,900

Anti-locking Brake System (ABS) Power-steering Electronic immobiliser

No. of Instalments

Interest Rate Linked / Variable

72

9.25%*

R1,698*

Deposit

Balloon Payment

-

Total Cost Incl fees & VAT

14% 30% (R18,186) (R38,970)

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BlueMotion Technology 90kW @ 5 000rpm 6-speed manual Brake Assist system

Anti-Spin Regulation (ASR) 16” Portland alloy wheels Anti-roll bar front and rear Electronic engine immobiliser

R161,253 Visit us on www.baronsvwpmb.co.za

Visit us on www.baronsvwpmb.co.za

80-point mechanical check 2-year / unlimited km warranty* Vehicle History Integrity Check Balance of VW Automation Plan Professional Vehicle Reconditioning

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Live to GTI. the full in a Polo Vivo.

Newlife Polo Ultimate Performance = Ultimate Confidence.

2013 2014 2014 2014 2015 2015 2015

Polo Vivo GP 1.4 Trendline Polo Vivo Sedan 1.4 Trendline Polo Vivo Sedan 1.4 Tiptronic Polo Vivo 1.4 Trendline 5 Door Polo Vivo GP 1.6 Comfortline 5 Door Polo Vivo Maxx 1.6 Polo Vivo 1.4 Trendline 5 Door

Red Silver Silver Silver White Silver Beige

R142 900 R129 900 R133 900 R132 900 R159 900 R159 900 R139 900

3 000 35 000 23 000 27 000 1 000 6 500 8 000

km km km km km km km

2011 2013 2013 2014 2014 2015 2015

Polo 1.6 Comfortline Polo 1.4 Trendline 5 Door Polo 1.4 Comfortline Polo Sedan 1.6 Comfortline Polo 1.4 Comfortline 5 Door Polo 1.2 TSI Highline Polo 1.2 TSI Trendline

Red White Red White Grey Red White

R149 900 R152 900 R169 000 R184 900 R179 900 R239 000 R185 900

62 000 25 000 58 000 21 000 23 000 3 000 1 500

km km km km km km km

2010 2012 2013 2014 2015

Golf 6 GTI 2.0 TSI DSG Golf 6 1.4Comfortline Golf 7 1.4 TSI Comfortline Golf 7 GTI 2.0 TSI Golf 7 1.4 TSI Comfortline DSG

White Silver Silver White Silver

R275 000 R184 900 R229 000 R359 900 R295 000

65 000 60 000 61 000 38 000 6 000

km km km km km

Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW Conceptline from R1,886* per month

2015

Amarok Double Cab Automatic 132kW

Grey

R439 000

2 500

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The Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW Conceptline standard features include:

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2015 2015 2015

Jetta 1.4 TSI Comfortline Jetta 2.0 TDI T5 Crew Cab 2.0 TDI Passat 1.8 TSI Comfortline DSG Crafter 23 Seater Bus Touareg 3.0 TDI BlueMotion Tiptronic Volkswagen CC 1.8 TSI DSG Move up! 1.0

Blue White White White White White Grey Red

R149 000 R199 900 R299 900 R279 900 R549 000 R789 000 R374 900 R143 000

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3 500 7 000 2 000

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Black Grey White White White

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

Height and reach adjustable steering column Digital clock and trip recorder 3 cup holders (1 in front; 2 in rear console) 3 year / 120 000km warranty

Model

Vehicle Price

Monthly Instalments

No. of Instalments

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R144,900

R1,886*

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

-

Exclusive to Barons Pietermaritzburg: Purchase a Polo Vivo 1.4 Conceptline before 30 May and we will throw in cruise control, alarm system, radio/CD and 14” alloys free.

*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 After hours: Laurie: 082 783 8040 • Rajen: 072 228 9834 Sanjay: 083 639 0989 • Barry: 072 235 4244 • Phumlani: 073 017 1294

55kW @ 5,000rpm Air conditioning Driver and passenger air bags Power steering

An optional cost of R900 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 9.25%. Note: Offers calculated on the Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW Conceptline model in standard specifications.

Installment excludes optional extras and delivery fee, but includes monthly administration fee of R57. Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. 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 30 May 2015.

New Sales Consultants

Alison Wiltshire – Sales Manager 082 783 8855 • John Brown – 082 645 4396 Merglin Rama – 083 382 4589 • Menzi Ngubane – 073 534 8545 Bahle Bhengu – 082 337 5825 • Erica Neff – 082 858 7749 Thando Gumede – 078 969 8072 • Keshnee Pillay – 073 372 1452

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Mileage certified • Full Service history • 7-day exchange plan • Vehicle Customization • 24 Hr roadside assistance •

An optional cost of R2150 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 9.25%. Note: Offers calculated on the Tiguan TSI 4x2 Trend & Fun in standard specifications. Excludes optional extras. Price excludes delivery, bank initiation, monthly administration fee of R57, licensing and registration.

Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. 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 30 May 2015.

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• • • • •

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An optional cost of R900 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 9.25%. Note: Offers calculated on the Take up! 55kW 3-door model in standard specifications.

Excludes optional extras. Instalment includes monthly administration fee of R57. Subject to bank approval.

Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. 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 30 May 2015.

6

WitnessWheels MOTORING

May 21, 2015

Twin back by year end

Brilliant bike balls Kevin Hodgson commented on BikeRumour.com that the glowing Bike Balls recently launched on Kickstarter is ‘simultaneously the best and worst bike product I’ve ever seen, sometimes something is so utterly awful it becomes genius’.

The balls were launched by two Canadian cyclists known only as Scott B. and Heather L. They say motorists notice the swaying light pattern before they see a fixed bicycle light. A pledge of R118 will secure you a set of Bike Balls, batteries and two zip ties by August. The product consists of a translucent, waterproof silicone bag containing a red LED that can be set to flash or shine with a gentle squeeze.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Honda to sell iconic Africa Twin again by December HONDA SA has confirmed that one of motorcycling’s most cele­ brated and evocative names — the Africa Twin — is expected back in South African show­ rooms in time for Christmas.

Honda SA has confirmed that the all­new CRF1000L Africa Twin will be in dealers across Eu­ rope in late 2015.

“Some motorcycles encapsu­ late perfectly what an adventure motorcycle is all about,” Honda said in a statement.

“The original 1988 XRV650 Africa Twin had four consecutive wins in the Paris­Dakar.

“It’s go­anywhere ability, rug­ ged durability, easy handling and all­day comfort made it the per­ fect partner with which to ex­ plore.”

The bike also helped to define a motorcycling segment that has now grown into one of the most popular worldwide, the Japanese bikemaker said.

“The new Africa Twin remains true to all the attributes and abili­ ties of the XRV650 and its suc­ cessor the XRV750 while adding the benefits of everything Honda has learned on and off­road over the previous decade.”

Special gearbox The coming Africa Twin will

have, as an option, the latest evo­ lution of Honda’s dual­clutch transmission — a gearbox the bikemaker says remains unique to Honda in motorcycling.

“The all­new CRF1000L Afri­ ca Twin is set to redefine expecta­ tions of what a large­capacity ad­ venture motorcycle should be ca­ pable, on and off­road, and opens an entirely new chapter in Hon­ da’s illustrious history of dual­ purpose motorcycles …”

The Africa Twin comes with the option of a new evolution of DCT which includes specific off­ road capabilities.

No prices have been fixed yet for the bike’s arrival in December.

— Wheels24.

The Africa Twin is back.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

Amid 2015 cancelled THE Association of Motorcycle Importers and Distributors (Amid) has announced that it has decided to cancel the Amid Expo in 2015. This follows the withdraw­ al of a number of members from the expo this year.

“Amid is sad to see the show go, but this is a reflection of the times we are living in” said Amid national director Lachlan Harris.

“Members feel that their mar­ keting spend would be more effec­ tively used on more focused activ­

ities for the time being, and as such will be pursuing a number of independent initiatives”.

More than 21 000 people who have booked tickets for the Amid show will be refunded.

The announcement follows the cancellation of the Johannesburg­ se International Motor Show (Jims) for the same reason.

Local motorcycle sales has de­ creased by 20% in the first four months this year, compared to 2014. — Wheels Reporter.

A V8 motorbike that’s very bad for tar roads LOZ BLAIN AUSSIE petrolheads love their V8 engines.

And with production wind­ ing down on the last of the great V8 Commodores and Falcons that have been a staple of Aus­ tralian roads since the late 1960s, one small team have de­ cided to keep the tradition alive by creating the PGM V8 motor­ cycle that is fit to tear up tarmac like the best of Brocky’s super­ cars.

The PGM V8 motorcycle is an absolute brute.

Its whopping 1 996 cc, 90­ degree V8 engine spins to 12 800 rpm to smash out 334 hp (249 kW) at the countershaft sprocket, while torque is a mas­ sive 214 Nm (158 ft­lbs).

This thing will go through rear tyres like you and I go through clean underpants.

Wet weight, fully fuelled, it is 242 kg, which is an impressive feat given the gargantuan en­ gine.

To achieve this weight, the bodywork is 100% carbon fibre, the bike runs twin titanium 4­in­ to­2–into­1 exhausts custom­ built by Akrapovic, and the

Fit for Mad Max: That big air­filter feeds a V8 engine that makes 249 kW at 12 800 rpm.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED frame in a combination of chrome­moly trellis at the front and a machined aluminium sub­ frame at the rear.

The PGM V8 isn’t the first Australian V8 motorcycle — Ian

Drysdale and Barbarian have been making V8s for a number of years now, although the Bar­ barian team used a 5,7­litre Chevy engine, while PGM painstakingly purpose­de­

signed its engine for motorcycle use.

That’s about all we know at this point, but we’ll try to get in touch with the PGM team to learn more. — Gizmag.com.

QUADRO WILL ADD FOURTH WHEEL TO THREE­WHEELER IN SA LONDON — The Quadro4, which Swiss bikemaker claims is the “first four­wheel tilting scooter”, is heading to SA. The company also said its new

four­wheeled wonder was the first vehicle of its kind to employ an hydraulic tilt system.

The four wheelers stands 1,3 m tall and measures 2,1 m in length

with a seat height of 770 mm.

Production will start in May 2015 and Italmoto SA, importer of the new brand, confirmed units would arrive in South Africa

later in 2015.

The Quadro3 — a three­ wheeled tilting version is already on sale in SA in 350S and 350D guise. — Wheels24.

No more folding for top­end e­bike WITHIN an increasingly crowd­ ed electric bicycle marketplace, it takes a special something for an individual e­bike to stand out.

The Mando Footloose does so, however, in that it has neither a chain nor a belt drive — plus, it folds.

Mando has now announced a more affordable non­folding ver­ sion of the bike, known as the Footloose IM. Pricing start at €2 690 (R36 145), making it also cheaper than the Footloose, which sells for just shy of R53 400 in the UK.

First teased in prototype form at Eurobike 2013, the Footloose IM utilises the same unique driv­ etrain as the original Footloose.

Instead of being transmitted along a chain the rider’s pedalling power is used to charge the bike’s 36­volt, 8,2­Ah lithium­ion bat­ tery via an alternator in the crank.

That battery in turn powers the 250­watt rear hub motor.

While the loss of the ability to fold might seem like a detriment, it does mean that the IM is sleek­ er, lighter and shorter (the latter of which might or might not be

a good thing) than its older sib­ ling. Some of its other features include the ability to remove the battery for charging; a polished aluminum alloy frame with a pro­ tective plastic coating; built­in rear flashers; and a removable HMI (human­machine inter­ face) bar­mounted LCD control unit.

Along with displaying infor­ mation such as speed and battery charge level, that HMI also allows users to choose between differ­ ent levels of electric pedalling as­ sistance, varying from none to

throttle­only — as an added bo­ nus, the bike won’t work when that unit is removed.

Depending on how much as­ sistance riders use, the IM can re­ portedly cover up to 60 km on one charge of its battery.

It has a maximum speed of 25 km/h, and tips the scales at a little over 21 kg.

The Mando Footloose IM is available now (in a choice of five colours) in the UK, France, the Netherlands and Germany.

It should be headed to else­ where in June. — Gizmag.com.

Folding bikes are popular in Cape Town, thanks to a prompt bus service.

The new Mando Footloose doesn’t fold, but this does make this e­ bike cheaper.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

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8

WitnessWheels MOTORING

May 21, 2015

Mahindra shows its mettle Eighteen­year­old ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia comes within half a second of Indian maker’s first Moto3 win MAPFRE Team Mahindra rider Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia claimed a fine, fighting third place in a thrilling French Grand Prix — taking a leading role in a fearsome front pack, and miss­ ing his and the only Indian marque’s first Moto3 victory by less than half a second.

The 18­year­old Italian had qualified on the front row for the first time, and he didn’t put a wheel wrong throughout a pun­ ishingly competitive 24 laps of the 4,185 km Bugatti circuit at the legendary French motor­rac­ ing venue.

Pecco started strongly, battled for the lead in the early laps, then played it cool in an eight­bike brawl, saving his strength for the closing battle. The new 2015 Ma­ hindra MGP3O again showed its strength at the highest level, with Bagnaia particularly strong at the crucial corner­entry overtak­ ing points.With four laps remain­ ing, the Italian attacked again. He moved up to second, then took the lead as they started the last lap.

Now it was a four­way scrap, won by inches by Romano Fenati (KTM) and Enea Bastianini

Mapfre Team Mahindra rider Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia celebrates his third place in the French Moto3 Grand Prix at the weekend.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

(Honda). Championship leader Danny Kent (Honda) was fourth.

Bagnaia proved that Mahin­

dra’s luck seems to have turned and the hard work paid off. Two more MGP3O riders finished in

the points. Second Mapfre Team Mahindra rider Juanfran Guevara was a brave 12th, less than a fort­

night after surgery for a broken collarbone; rookie Stefano Manzi claimed his first point at 15th.

The next race is the Italian GP at Mugello, in two weeks.

Interviewed after the race third­placed Bagnaia said: “This was for sure the best race of my career. I fought a lot with the oth­ er two Italian riders, and that was great. In the remaining two laps, I tried to take first position, and I could make it. But it was so diffi­ cult, a real fight. I gave my best, and this third place is the result.

I’m very happy, because the team and Mahindra have been working a lot. This is a good reward. Now we have to continue.”

— Supplied.

Now for the 40­second barrier, says Gutzeit, King of the Hill HE does not like to be called KZN’s humble king of motor­ sport, but after his weekend win, Desmond Gutzeit is now official­ ly the King of the Hill.

Gutzeit raced his 1 000 kW Nissan GT­R fastest around the twisty 1,9­kilometre track, riding on 16­inch Avon tyres which he described “as sticky as hell”.

The 61­year­old KZN busi­ nessperson powered his machine up the hill in just 40,14 seconds, to lower the Jaguar Simola Hill climb record by a full second. As in all racing, tyre choice makes or breaks the podium. Gutzeit Sen­ ior had set the tone throughout the two days of intense competi­ tion in his explosive 1 400 hp (over 1 000 kW) Nissan Skyline

R32 GT­R, tussling during the practice and qualifying sessions with son Jade in the newly built Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7.

The Port Shepstone­based duo dominated the six qualifying rounds spread over Saturday and Sunday, with Des leading the charge on 40,210 seconds, blit­ zing Franco Scribante’s existing 2014 record of 41,159 seconds by almost a full second.

Jade was second overall in the qualifying with a time of 41,366 seconds. Both fastest qualifying times were set on Sat­ urday afternoon. More than 12 000 spectators — a record to­ tal — attended the three days of adrenaline­fuelled racing, in­ cluding Classic Car Friday. Those

that made it to the Jaguar Simola Hill climb on Sunday in particu­ lar were treated to plenty of thrills and even a couple of spills.

Des continued to set scintillat­ ing times, but unfortunately Jade only completed one Sunday qual­ ifier at full tilt before the clutch packed up on his second run in the 800 hp (600 kW) Evo 7. He and the rest of the Dezzi crew worked feverishly to remove the engine and gearbox in order to replace the clutch, finishing just in time for the class finals after a truly exceptional team effort.

Toby Venter had his best run of the weekend to cross the line on 42,098 seconds to qualify third in his Porsche 911 GT2RS Le Mans — a time matched by

Darron Gudmanz in the Nissan R35 GT­R. Reigning champion Franco Scribante (Chevron B19) took fifth on 42,215 seconds, ahead of Sav Gualtieri (BMW 335i) a tenth slower and Jacki Scheckter (Nissan R35 GT­R) on 42,699 seconds. Duane Galloway (R32 Nissan Skyline GT­R) quali­ fied eighth on 44,181 seconds, just ahead of Craig Czank (Nis­ san R35 GT­R) on 44,237 sec­ onds, while another Gutzeit, Jade’s younger brother Shane, rounded out the top 10 in his R32 GT­R with 44,244 seconds.

What next for the king?

“I’m not sure if I can go any faster, but next year we’ll defi­ nitely try to break the 40­second barrier,” Gutzeit said. — WR.

Second time lucky, Dezzi Gutzeit is a happy man after he took a whole second off the Simola Hill climb record.

PHOTO: ROB TILL/MOTORPRESS

Ford team make it three in a row and look to cook in Bela­Bela ANOTHER dominant perform­ ance by the Ford Performance team of Mark Cronje and Robin Houghton saw the pair chalking up their third consecutive victory in the 2015 national rally champi­ onship by winning the inaugural Secunda Motor Rally in their Ford Fiesta S2000.

They led from start to finish, winning the first five stages of the rally on the trot, and but for a slow puncture in stage nine after they clipped a fence and lost the Fiesta’s roof vent and rear wing, it was plain sailing for the Ford crew. Cronje said afterwards: “It was quite slippery out there this morning, which made it difficult for us as we were first on the road, but we kept it clean and it paid off.”

For Henk Lategan and Barry White (Volkswagen Sasolracing Polo) it didn’t work out so well.

At the restart they were 26.9 seconds behind the Ford pair and quickly made up over 10

seconds in the opening stages, but their charge was ended when they clipped a gate post 5 km into stage nine which broke the right rear wheel of the Polo.

With their retirement Giniel de Villiers/Carolyn Swan (Cas­ trol Team Toyota Yaris) moved up into second place, but were under pressure from Hergen Fek­ ken and Pierre Arries in their re­ turn debut for the Volkswagen Sasolracing team.

Fekken/Arries slowly closed the gap on the Dakar champion, but in stage nine a broken wheel scuppered their chances of a good result, while team­mates Gugu Zulu/Hilton Affray, who lost 30 seconds due to a time penalty when the gearbox on their car was changed, were now up to third — their podium to­ gether, with Poulter/Coetzee a distant fourth.

In the S1600 class Guy Botter­ ill and Simon Vacy­Lyle (Yato Tools Toyota Etios S1600) deliv­

Ford Performance team driver Mark Cronje and Robin Houghton on their way to a third consecutive win in the 2015 national rally champs at Secunda last weekend.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC ered an impressive performance — winning the class in style, more than a minute ahead of their closest opponent, and fin­

ishing a fine sixth overall.

Richard Leeke Jr and Rikus Fourie (ATS Ford Fiesta R2), ly­ ing fourth in class at the over­

night stop, capitalised on the problems Chad van Beurden/Ni­ co Swartz (Beurden Transport VW Polo) and Ashley Haigh­ Smith/ Damian van As (Castrol Ford Fiesta R2) experienced.

Van Beurden retired with a blown engine in stage eight, while Haigh­Smith did the same as a precautionary measure be­ fore stage nine since the engine of his Fiesta was misfiring badly.

Third in class and eighth over­ all was Matthew Vacy­Lyle and Schalk Van Heerden (Fragram Toyota Etios) after a steady run, while Andrew Heine/Robbie Coetzee (VW Polo) retired with a broken shock after stage eight and AC Potgieter/Tommy du Toit (RickyB Transport and Plant Hire VW Polo) went out on stage 11.

Marko Himmel/ Francois Schoombee (VW Polo R2), who competed under SupeRally rules today, showed some good sports­ manship by stopping in stage sev­

en to assist Nico Higgs/Etienne Lourens after their VW Polo caught fire — leading to their re­ tirement.

The only classified NRC4 team at the end of 12 gruelling stages were Theuns Joubert and Mari van der Walt (Toyota Auris) and the winners of the NRC2 challenge was Jaco and George Baker in their Toyota Tazz.

• The next round of the 2015 South African rally champion­ ship, the Bela­Bela Rally, will take place on June 19 and 20 in and around Bela­Bela area in Limpo­ po province. — SA Rally.

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