Wheels 26 may 2016

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ASH CAR SALES

May 26, 2016

Witness

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L A T I P CA ays Saturd 9­10 am

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

2009 BMW 320D A/T [E90] 130KW DiEsEl/ AuTo Bank

ava fina ila nCe Ble

Silver/Blk leather, Only done 116 000kms with FSH at BMW agents, Xenons, Rear PDC, 16inch wheels, Speedocruise, MFS, VERY ECONOMICAL, FUEL SAVER

Contact ASH on

R169 995 083 786 3377 (PMBurg)

550 Church Street, Pietermaritzburg 3201 PO Box 8390, Cumberwood 3235

KWAZULU­NATAL’S BEST READ ON ALL THINGS WHEELED … EVEN A FLAT PACKED CAR

E INSID

What they don’t tell you about riding in the ‘tang. — Page 4.

Meet Gigi, the hinged moped that folds away like a sewing machine, but goes a lot quiter. — Page 6.

The A1 is but little outside, but all Audi inside.

— Page 3.

The SupaDrift steering racks are all set up for the twists at Dezzi’s on Saturday. — Page 8

The world’s first 3D printed wheel chair also has super grippy gloves. — Page 7.

Pre-owned

The all-new Audi A4.

Progress is intense.

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

Only while stocks last, terms and conditions apply.

Even more powerful, more efficient, more intelligent: The new Audi A4 Sedan impresses with a path-breaking synthesis of technology and aesthetics. A sedan with a new design language. Don’t explore. Pioneer.

With a guaranteed buyback, 0% deposit, R30 000 trade assistance, and complimentary class leading technology in Audi’s virtual cockpit and navigation… sounds too good to be true? The all new A4. Tailored deals starting at R7 300 per month. Come in today for this limited offer, and let us tailor a deal for you.

Offer calculated on the Audi A4 1.4T FSI 110kW Manual in standard specification over 4 years, 10.75% linked rate, R7 300 monthly instalment. Information subject to change without prior notification. All Finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. Instalment includes initiation and monthly administration fee of R57. Total Retail Price as above at a Guaranteed Future Value based on 20 000 km p.a. Volkswagen Financial Services - a division of Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa (Pty) Ltd. An Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms and Conditions apply.

Ref

Year

Vehicle Description

Colour

Mileage

Special Price

11388

2012

Audi A3 1.8T FSI quattro S tronic

White

69 000

R249 995

11395

2015

Audi S3 Cabriolet S tronic

Red

3 000

R569 995

11398

2015

Audi A3 1.6 TDI S tronic

Grey

16 500

R309 995

11399

2015

Audi A4 1.8T S 88kW

Silver

9 000

R299 995

11400

2016

Audi A4 1.4T FSI S tronic

Red

9 000

R499 995

11407

2015

Audi A3 1.4T FSI SE S tronic

Blue

30 100

R339 995

11408

2011

Audi A4 1.8T Ambition multitronic

Grey

42 000

R209 995

11410

2015

Audi A4 2.0T FSI Design S tronic

White

6 500

R499 995

11415

2014

Audi A3 1.8T FSI SE S tronic

Silver

30 200

R349 995

11424

2015

Audi A4 2.0 TDI SE multitronic

Silver

32 000

R349 995

11429

2015

Audi A3 1.4T FSI SE S tronic

Grey

35 000

R311 995

11430

2015

Audi A3 Sportback 1.8T FSI

Silver

33 000

R339 995

11431

2015

Audi A4 1.8T S 88kW

White

25 000

R299 995

11435

2012

Audi A4 1.8T SE multitronic

Silver

76 500

R209 995

11443

2011

Audi Q5 2.0 TDI 130kW

White

85 000

R219 995

11446

2015

Audi Q7 3.0 TDI V6 quattro

Beige

6 000

R939 995

11447

2016

Audi A3 1.4T FSI SE S tronic

White

6 000

R369 995

11449

2016

Audi A4 1.8T S 88kW

White

6 000

R349 995

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

BP Advertising

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

2

WitnessWheels TRANSPORT MOTORING

May 26, 2016

One of many Sprinter vans sold

by Garden City Commercials in Pietermaritzburg — this one was bought by three Rotorian clubs to provide a mobile clinic in uMgungunglovu.

PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN

Garden City global best for vans PIETERMARITZBURG’S Garden City Commercials dealer received one of the top honours at Daimler Trucks and Buses awards evening for commercial vehicle dealers at a gala event held in Dubai last weekend.

The Daimler group comprise Mercedes­Benz Trucks, Freightliner, Fuso Trucks and Buses, Mer­ cedes­Benz Bus & Coach and Western Star, as well as Mercedes­Benz Vans.

The awards were based on excellence in vari­ ous fields and proved to be highly contested.

Thanks to the sterling efforts by Garden City, Mercedes­Benz vans increased its market share by 1,3 percentage points for the large van mar­ ket and 3,8 percentage points for the mid­size market.

Nicolette Lambrechts, vice­president of Mer­ cedes­Benz Vans Southern Africa presented Gar­ den City Commercial Vehicles with the Dealer of the Year: Chairman’s Award for Best Overall Performance, Mercedes­Benz Vans.

“I can only heap praises to the Garden City Commercial Vehicles team, as their collective ef­ forts resulted in them being acknowledged to­ night.

“They have consistently met their targets and in addition, I am proud of how they did this.

They had a stellar attitude that all of us can learn from. Even when they were faced with

difficulties, they came out on top,” said Lam­ brechts. “It is very easy to notice that the en­ tire Garden City team played a part in this achievement. From the sales staff to the work­ shop and the administration team, they did so well in 2015 that I wish I was one of their cus­ tomers,” said Lambrechts.

The award for the best overall performer went to Mercedes­Benz Commercial Vehicles Cape Town.

Kobus van Zyl, executive director of Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa said it is no small feat for a dealer to be rated the very best among their peers.

“We measure the respective dealer’s perform­ ance in terms of both the soft and hard deliv­ erables which include customer satisfaction, customer relationship management, new vehi­ cles, after­sales and target performance,” said Van Zyl. Staying in KZN, Union Motors South Coast in Shelly Beach won four awards: • Most Improved Dealer for Daimler Trucks and Buses; • the best medium volume performer for vans; • the Top Brand Performance for Freightliner Medium Volume; and • Top Brand Performance for Fuso Medium Vol­ ume. — Wheels Reporter.

Many promises are being made about this futuristic truck but its makers require a $1 500 (around R24 000) deposit to (perhaps) back their claims in three to four years.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Too good to be true?

Turbine­electric truck that uses almost no fuel ALWYN VILJOEN

SCANIA JOINS ELITE SELF­DRIVING TRUCK CLUB SCANIA is following Komatsu’s example plans to develop self­driving trucks that can travel up to 90km per hour fully loaded.

Scania said in a statement it will work with with Stockholm’s KTH Royal Institute of Tech­ nology, Linköping University, Saab, and Autoliv under a government funded project called iQ­ Matic to create a self driving truck designed to handle tough environments such as mines.

The truck concept is capable of handling on road obstacle and performing tasks such as hauling and unloading gravel.

Researchers at KTH said the successful tests seek to have these self driving trucks imple­ mented in mining operations within the next one or two years.

Bo Wahlberg, professor of control engineering at KTH said, “We have come a long way with the work and have already proven with a real truck that the task is possible.”

“The truck drove itself with a maximum devi­ ation of 20cm from the road’s centre line. It performs very precisely, even at higher speeds.”

Pedro Lima, another of the researchers said the prototype, dubbed Astator, moved “softly and stably” at 90km.

The researchers spent two years creating the truck’s control algorithms to ensure reliability and accuracy. It uses Model Predictive Control (MPC) to manoeuver itself on narrow roads, en­ abling minimisation of path deviations and in­ creasing the comfort of passengers through minimising jerks caused by steering. It also ena­ bles the maximisation of fuel consumption of trucks.

“As the name implies, the model can predict the vehicle’s movements in every given situa­ tion, on the basis of information about what direction it’s being steered in, how much throt­ tle is given and alternatively how much braking force is applied,” Lima said.

He also said that its control system is able to prevent the truck from tipping on sharp turns.

The truck contains two steering axles mean­ ing its calculation model must be more resource intensive and complex. Wahlberg said that in order to accurately steer, brake or accelerate, self driving trucks require new information every 50 milliseconds.

Human drivers cannot match such millisecond reactions, which is why self­driving trucks have already boosted mining productivity in Australia.

Self­driving trucks like this are 12% more productive than humans. PHOTO: KOMATSU The Rio Tinto group, which uses a fleet of over 120 giant self­driving trucks built by Ko­ matsu at its Yandicoogina and Nammuldi mine sites, report self­driving trucks are 12% more productive than trucks steered by humans.

The giant tippers in Rio Tinto’s open cast mines are still monitored by a human, but that person sits in Perth, 1 200 kilometres away from the mine.

The trucks run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, without a driver who needs bathroom or lunch breaks, which has industry insiders esti­ mating each truck can save around 500 work hours a year. Human drivers marvel at how sev­ eral trucks using the same route follow instruc­ tions so precisely that they leave only one set of tracks.

Rio’s plans do not stop at trucks. It is also trialling unmanned trains and mining with robot drills with the aim of rolling out the machines across as many of its mine sites as possible.

Eventually most of the company’s supply chain from the pit to the port will be remote controlled from Perth.

Mr Bennett said that involves the creation of new, highly skilled positions.

“We have a whole dedicated team based in Perth that is looking at how to optimise the system, looking at maintenance, productivi­ ty...those are jobs that did not exist five years ago,” he said.

“We have got roles which are being created such as a central controller and a pit controller which are essential to running the autonomous system.” — WWR.

FROM the U.S. comes a tale that sounds a lot like South Africa’s electric car, the Joule.

Much was promised and many engineers worked very hard to create a car they are still proud of, but at the end, only one working model was built and the project revealed itself as a cynical exercise in rerouting millions of rand in subsidies.

As a result, government remains wary of anything to do with electric cars.

Now Nikola Motor Company promises to as­ semble a turbine­electric truck that uses almost no fuel while putting out more power in the next “three to four years”. The truck, which to date ex­ ists only as a screen saver, will cost $375 000 (R5,9 million), and can be leased or bought, but both options require a $1 500 deposit.

All this come with the typical hard­sell claim: “Due to high demand, the quicker you place a de­ posit, the faster you can get your Nikola One.” Nikola Motor Company even promises free fuel for the first million miles to the first 5 000 orders, It is at this point where the Wheels detector for digested matter from the male bovine’s rumen starts to make alarmed noises, but in all fairness, we will let you peruse the claims below to decide for yourself how this wonderful truck stacks up to reality.

After all, China last month showed a supercar using the same turbine­charging system — which incidentally makes the same claimed power as the Nikola trucks — so there is a chance it can happen.

Latest software like a Tesla car Nikola’s custom electric motors operate at 95% efficiency; so when it comes to hills they are quicker going up, and they save money going down. While other trucks are losing energy and riding their brakes, Nikola One is capturing energy, recharging batteries — saving brakes, noise and money.

Nikola vehicles regularly receive over­the­air software updates that add new features and func­ tionality. When an update is available, you’ll be notified on the centre display with an option to install immediately, or schedule the installation for a later time. The average software update takes one to two hours to complete.

Clean energy The Nikola truck’s turbine outputs nearly 400 kilowatts (kW) of clean energy straight to the batteries, keeping them charged — a powerhouse unlike any the world has seen before. This proprie­ tary turbine has the ability to turn on and off within seconds — another first in the transportation in­ dustry. The turbine is also fuel agnostic, allowing customers to order it in multiple versions: diesel,

gasoline or clean burning natural gas.

The turbine charges the battery bank, the batter­ ies are also constantly receiving power through ro­ tational energy via Nikola’s regenerative braking technology. With Nikola Motor, drivers receive the most efficient vehicle power system in the world.

The turbine is fuelled by 570 litres of natural gas on board to spin. Because the turbine uses so little fuel, this tank has a range of just under 2 000 kilo­ metres without stopping to fill up.

Nikola trucks take refill on natural gas from any CNG station, or can fill at one of the over 50 planned Nikola CNG stations.

Big cabin packed with luxury After asking drivers what they wanted most in a new truck, a larger cabin was one of the most sought after features on the list. By removing the diesel engine, redesigning the cab and moving the driver forward, Nikola has added nearly 30% more cabin space for optimal comfort and has a 15­inch touchscreen that controls most of the vehicle’s functions. The touchscreen displays and controls a variety of vehicle dynamics including battery lev­ els, range, wheel torque, cabin controls, navigation and vehicle data — a first for heavy duty trucking.

The driver hops aboard via a sliding mid­entry door and is treated to a rather cushy sleeper spread inside, complete with dual beds, a full­size fridge/ freezer, a microwave, a 42­inch television and 4G LTE Internet with WiFi. Torque vectoring wheels Torque vectoring is one of the most advanced fea­ tures for heavy duty trucking. It allows control of each wheel independently through drive­by­wire.

By communicating with the motors up to 30 times a second, the speed of each wheel can be adjusted while cornering, maneuvering, accelerat­ ing and braking — making it safer for drivers.

While diesel engines require high RPMs to reach peak torque, Nikola’s electric motors hit peak torque almost instantly.

Instant torque combined with all­wheel drive give Nikola One the ability to accelerate nearly two times faster than a stock diesel truck.

More payload When pulling at max capacity, every pound counts.

With around 900 kg of weight savings on the chassis, owners can throw more goods on each load. Every few kilograms after max load may be worth as much as $50. By saving up to 900 kg, owners could earn approximately $1 000 in extra revenue from every load, every day. Owners that run at full load could see up to $30 000 or more each month in revenue straight to the bottom line.

• alwyn.viljoen@witness.com

MOTORING WitnessWheels

May 26, 2016

3

A1 for away BMW BLENDS TURBOS INTO A 4,6 SECOND FUN RUN BMW HAS announced its TwinPower Turbo technology, which features not two but four turbochargers and the latest tech in common­rail direct injection.

This multi­stage turbo­ charging system was engi­ neered for the BMW 750d xDrive and BMW 750Ld xDrive, and makes 294 kW and 760 Newton metres to qualify as the world’s most powerful six­cylinder diesel engine.

Yet, BMW also claim fan­ tastic fuel consumption — a combined use of as low as 5,7 l/100 km — and very low CO2 emissions of between 154 and 149 g/km.

Bearing in mind the ongo­ ing VW and Mitsubishi emis­ sion scandals, BWM would have been very careful to have verified these figures.

BMW also claims acceleration from zero to 100 km/h in 4,6 seconds for the heavy 750d xDrive, a claim which every petrol­ head is sure to test.

BMW’s engineers said in a statement this “get up and go” is due to a new form of multi­stage turbo­ charging, “which now brings together four turbochargers to ena­ ble boost pressure to be built up even more quickly at lower en­ gine speeds and therefore prompts swift responses to throttle applications from idle”.

In normal driving, the two low­pressure turbochargers and one of the two high­pres­ sure turbos are per­ manently in action.

Only under hard ac­ celeration from idle will the two low­pres­ sure turbochargers be bypassed by means of a flap control system.

This allows boost pressure to be built up even more quickly.

The second high­pres­ sure turbocharger is brought into play at an engine speed of about 2 500 rpm.

Another new fea­ ture is exhaust gas re­ circulation for the low­pressure stage of the turbocharging sys­ tem as well as the high­pressure stage.

This increases the effectiveness of the turbochargers and of the engine as a whole.

— Wheels Reporter.

THE Audi A1 was first intro­ duced in 2010 as an attempt by Audi to strengthen its entry point to the brand.

In this it has been successful.

In 2010 some 52 000 cars were produced worldwide, with A1 production rising to 123 500 units by 2012.

Worldwide some 80% of Audi A1 drivers are new to the brand and in South Africa the car has also sold very well, with over 10 000 vehicles purchased by the marketplace.

The A1 shares the Volkswagen Group’s PQ25 platform with the popular Polo Hatch and is Audi’s offering in the light hatchback market. Loosely referred to as a supermini, the A1’s logical com­ petitor is the Mini Cooper.

Lately, however, the number of competitors has increased and we were anxious to drive what ap­ peared to be a special small car.

We offer our appreciation to Prunella Naidoo, new car sales manager at Audi Centre in Piet­ ermaritzburg, for making this possible.

Styling Like most Audis. the five­door A1 Sportback has an understated but distinctive presence.

The swept back LED head­ lights offer excellent visibility at night and driving on a Midlands

farm road on a dark autumn evening, I felt confident and in control. The rears LED lighting offers useful illumination and, as you open the boot lid; two large interior sidelights illuminate whatever is being done. As ex­ pected, the build quality is su­ perb and the car has character and substance.

Interior The A1 offers big car levels of quality and every aspect of the interior feels genuinely premium.

The seats are covered in a heavy, hard­wearing cloth and the front seats are adjustable and supportive, with side bolsters.

As a tall guy I had my doubts about fitting behind the wheel, but the driver’s seat is completely adjustable, as is the leather­cov­ ered, multi­function, three­ spoke steering wheel.

Controls are simple, and mini­ malist in character and the dash­ board has a 6,5­inch screen, oper­ ated by a master controller, which handles the audio and nav­ igation systems, as well as what­ ever connected technology with which the A1 may be equipped.

The rear seats will take two adults in comfort and three with a squeeze, but the front seats will have to be adjusted. Tall passen­ gers will also find that their heads brush the rear roof and their legs

The A1’s powerful little 1,0 is as comfortable in the city as it is on the highway. PHOTO: AUDI will need to be drawn up on either side of the front seats.

Luggage space with the rear seats in place is a small 270 litres, but with the rear seats folded down in 60/40 fashion, this rises to 920 litres.

Safety and security The A1 has a 5­star Euro NCAP rating, which makes it as safe as the driving styles of other road users and you allow. The car has over 20 safety devices, amongst which the most important are Anti­Slip Regulation, Electronic Diff Lock, Electronic Stabilisa­ tion Control, ISOFIX Child Seat Mountings on the rear seats, as well as a safety steering column.

Six full­size airbags, head, front and side, protect passengers and of course seatbelts for all.

There is also side protection and the Integrated Head Re­ straint System could save your

life. The car has an alarm and cen­ tral locking.

Performance and handling The three­cylinder, 999cc engine in the A1 is not to be taken lightly.

It makes 70 kW/160 Nm, which is expressed via a seven­speed tiptronic gearbox. 0­100 km/h takes about 12,29 seconds and top speed is around 186 km/h.

Fuel consumption is about 5,2 litres per 100 km. The gearbox and the engine are beautifully matched to provide a quiet, so­ phisticated and refined perform­ ance. The A1 is firstly a comforta­ ble urban runabout with respon­ sive steering, but it also shifts on the N3. With two quite meaty passengers in the car, I was im­ pressed with its performance and the gear change is silky smooth.

I also drove the car on two D Roads in the Midlands and was once again impressed by the way

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it handled the ruts and potholes and the absolute stability it re­ tained throughout the drive, sometimes at speed.

However, it must be said that the A1 is in no way an off­roader and choppy stretches of bad roads must be handled carefully.

If you are likely to need a vehicle for rough roads, try the Q3.

Costs and the competition There are 16 models in the A1 range starting at around R280 000 for the three­door en­ try model and ending at about R490 000 for the S1, Sportback Quattro. The model we drove in satisfying comfort comes in at around R305 000.

The car comes with a five­year, 100 000 km extendable mainte­ nance plan.

Also look at Alfa Romeo Mito, Mini Cooper S, Citroën DS53 and Abarth 595.

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The BMW 750d xDrive — the most powerful six­ cylinder diesel — will be on sale from July 2016.

PHOTO: BMW

BRIAN BASSETT finds the A1 Sportback is All Audi

4

WitnessWheels MOTORING

May 26, 2016

Feel the luurve

TRANSPORT LAW MEET IN DURBAN

Mustang V8: Rough and ready, but no car turns more heads

KWAZULU­NATAL hosts the second leg of the 17th annual Road Transport Legislation Workshop in Durban today (May 26).

Road traffic and transport legislation consultant Alta Swanepoel told Wheels the workshops aim to update road users on regional and national traffic and transport laws, policy developments and draft amendments to current laws affecting trans­ port and traffic.

Logistics consultant Max Braun will juxtapose current and past developments using his 60 years of logistics ex­ perience while transport eco­ nomic and policy consultant Nick Porée will say where the region is at as regards the dream to do away with cus­ tom delays on cross border routes in southern and east­ ern Africa.

Chief operations officer of the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (Aarto) Thabo Tsho­ letsane will speak on maxi­ mising the ability of opera­ tors to measure and monitor driver associated risks using Aarto. The first leg took place in Stellenbosch on Tuesday last week and the third and final leg of the workshops happens in Preto­ ria on June 7. — WR.

THE Wheels team of car nuts are grateful to Ford SA for allowing us 72 hours with the Ford Mus­ tang V8.

Not many media cracked a nod for this one and even more aspir­ ing owners are still awaiting de­ livery of their models, so it really was a rare treat. Despite this, not all like the ’tang in equal measure.

These are their views: Amil feel­the­soul Umraw Granted, the Mustang is not M5 fast, F­Stle elegantly styled, or GT­R jammed with the latest technology. But these little gaps just add to the car’s “soul”.

Oh, and the fact that it is fast enough to ram your head into the seat as it snakes from side to side.

This is not a computer driving you, but you getting a primal tes­ tosterone boost as you explode fuel in eight cylinders the way the creator intended for engines.

And who cares about elegant, sleek styling anyway? The Mus­ tang is a muscular brute on the road and everyone knows it.

What has changed is the Mus­ tang’s reputation for breaking down. Ford has in the 2016 mod­ el harnessed the spirit of the open road into a comfortable, smooth and practical vehicle into which we even shoehorned four blokes.

And that sound that comes

BE NICE, IT’S CONTAGIOUS ‘DRIVE nice, it’s contagious’ is a motto by which Eugene Herbert, from MasterDrive, lives.

He strongly believes if ev­ eryone interacted with taxi drivers in a positive manner instead of treating them as a threat, there would be fewer crashes. Herbert be­ lieves more courteous driv­ ers in South Africa would not only reduce road trage­ dy, but benefit society as a whole. “The shocking part is road crashes and fatalities cost the fiscus about R300 billion a year. If some of that was ploughed back into education or health services, think of the difference we could make to half the is­ sues today,” he said. — WR.

If you drive the Mustang V8 like this, (and to spare the rubber you can only do this once) the computer that monitors the fuel will warn you the 15 litres in the quarter tank is only good for another 41 km (inset). PHOTO: AMIL UMRAW

out of exhausts! I have yet to find the words to describe the joy it gives you. But the coupé roofline means the blokes at the back will feel a bit squashed. And don’t even think of parking at the mall.

It is too long, too wide and you can hide trucks in the blind spots.

As for the interior styling, what styling? In there you can see where the money did not go to make a Pony car those not earning dollars can afford. It’s all faux metal plastic knobs on cheap black plastic panels in there, not at all what you’d expect in a R819 900 car.

Brian it­stacks­up Bassett In my distant youth, I was very lucky in that I could buy a rusted 1969 with stick shift and drive it across America along Route 66.

This new Pony brought back those memories and I like how the designers clearly made an ef­ fort to incorporate elements from all the preceding genera­ tions. As for the comparatively underwhelming interior, you have to approach this car like an American, for whom it is all about grandstanding.

Do that, and this pony will tickle all your right spots.

Alwyn save­the­drops Viljoen Ford was quite considerate to limit the loan to 72 hours. During this time, we twice had to put fuel into the Mustang’s 60­litre fuel tank. And no, we did not drive it like we stole it ALL the time.

(It was only once, to make the little whisp of smoke shown here.

OK, so it was once and a half, but the traction control was still on so that half doesn’t really count.)

So how far can you go in the ’tang with a full tank and just a little bit of putting foot between the lights to hear that growl be­ come a bark? Between 160 and

200 km, depending on the size of your right shoe.

This is the elephant in the room that we car nuts politely ig­ nore when we sing the praises of the V8 burbling away under the hood. The bottom line is you are lucky to get three kilometres a li­ tre in the city, and about 8 km/l on the N3.

A car for Sunday cruising then.

But this is the first car I’ve driv­ en in that people actually ran aft­ er. And even Fortuner drivers make a gap for it in traffic. In a Mustang, you look like a movie star and feel the luurve.

CHINESE FRENCH ELECTRICS

Europe’s car of 2015 in the City ‘The new Opel Astra is the best hot hatch in the market,’ said Rowade Rajah, but then he would, as he is the Astra ambassador at Key Group in Pietermaritzburg.

Jabulani Nhleko, an 11­year veteran in the workshop, however, agrees that this hatch comes with everything.

Rajah is always ready to take clients on a test drive in the Astra.

Pay Key a visit and see why.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Time sharing a motorhome allows the ultimate road trips ALWYN VILJOEN BERT Loontjens has more than 50 years experience managing hotels, lodges and BnBs in several countries, but one thing he does not understand is South Afri­ cans’ love affair with time shar­ ing.

“I can tell you nowhere else on earth offer as much to see as South Africa, so why would you want to go to the same place year after year?” he asked Wheels.

Instead, Loontjens advises people to invest in a motorhome, “Look, I am Dutch and what­ ever you can think of doing in or with a motorhome, we Dutch have done it. So I can tell you the big problem with sharing a vehi­ cle is maintenance and insurance.

You have to dedicate one of the members to manage these re­

Co­owning a motorhome is the cheapest way to enjoy a family holiday, but are South Africans ready to follow Australia and England in forming syndicates?

PHOTO: SUPPLIED sponsibilities, as well as the bookings and even rentals of the syndicate’s motorhome.

“With these ground rules es­ tablished, you only have lovely

holidays waiting to happen.

Loontjens points out that syn­ dication of motorhomes is popu­ lar in Australia, and for long boats in England.

“The business practices are well established. Each member of the syndicate owns a share of the motor home, which of course means each member shares in

the cost of ownership, or receives a share of the funds when the mo­ tor home is rented out of sold.

He said there are several types of syndication. “Fifty­two people can buy into the scheme for one week a year, which they can bank or trade; there are schemes that allow members to buy into to syndicate for a fixed period, typi­ cally four years — this is popular in Australia — or three families may agree to share the costs of a motorhome, with the right to sell their share to approved fami­ lies when they want out.”

Whatever type of syndication one chooses, it remains the smartest way to enjoy an impul­ sive weekends away or cheap hol­ idays throughout South Africa.

Contact Loontjens on 076 848 4033 for more on “time sharing” campervans.

FRENCH carmakers PSA Peugeot Citroën and its Chi­ nese partner Dongfeng Mo­ tors announced a partner­ ship to jointly develop elec­ tric cars from 2019.

Building on their two­ year­old partnership, the carmakers plan to design an electric version of the com­ mon technology platform they have been developing since April 2015.

“The future e­CMP [Com­ mon Modular Platform] … will speed up the worldwide development of both of our groups, while helping us to reach the strict carbon ob­ jective set for 2020,” PSA chief executive Carlos Tava­ res said in a statement.

This future electric plat­ form (e­CMP) will deliver a worldwide offering of all­ electric, high­performance B and C segment vehicles for the Peugeot, Citroen, DS and Dongfeng brands from 2019.

PSA Group and DFM also signed a framework human resources agreement de­ signed to increase synergies to develop talent interna­ tionally.

In practical terms, the agreement will provide for temporary employee ex­ changes between operation­ al teams in the fields of re­ search and development, marketing, manufacturing, finance and human resour­ ces. Best practices will also be shared in each area of HR to identify potential are­ as of co­operation.

The plan aims to gener­ ate revenue in excess of RMB 100 billion by 2020.

— Wheels Reporter.

A Volkswagen offer to trump all Volkswagen offers.

By Pieter from Maritzburg 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.

Barons Pietermaritzburg have always done everything in their power to reduce the cost of motoring for their customers. As well as only selling Volkswagen, which equates to saving on fuel through the efficiency of BlueMotion Technology and saving on maintenance through the quality and reliability of Das Auto Engineering, they tailor their deals to suit your budget and needs.

But this year there’s more. The Bespoke Volkswagen Dealers at Barons Pietermaritzburg have started the year with an offer that trumps all offers: Buy any Polo Vivo, Polo, Volkswagen Cross up! or Volkswagen Colour up! from Barons Pietermaritzburg this month and GET YOUR FIRST YEAR’S INSURANCE ABSOLUTELY FREE! Yup, you heard correctly; a whole year of cover on your precious Volkswagen for the awesome sum of R0.00 – if they went any lower they’d be paying you!

Barons Pietermaritzburg would like to introduce Nick Vettlesen, their New Vehicle Sales Executive. Nick is a Maritzburg lad, born and raised, with five years of motor industry experience with BMW and Hyundai, and Barons is delighted to have him on the team!

New 5-door up! now with free insurance.

1 year free insurance at Barons Pietermaritzburg.

Purchase a New 5-door Volkswagen Cross up! or a Colour up! from R181,400* incl. VAT and receive 1 year comprehensive insurance.

The Volkswagen Cross up! standard features include: Multi-Point-Injection (MPI) 5-speed manual Electronic stability control (ESP) Electronic immobiliser Central locking system with remote key Air-conditioning

-

Power steering Front, side and curtain airbags (front) 16” Cross alloy wheels Height adjustable driver seat Leather covered steering wheel

The Volkswagen Colour up! standard features include: -

Electronic stability control (ESP) Central locking system with remote key Air-conditioning Power steering Front, side and curtain airbags (front)

-

Electric windows, front 17” Polygon alloy wheels Electrically adjustable & heated side mirrors Special edition Colour up! stickers on sides

Offer exclusive to Barons Pietermaritzburg.

Offer exclusive to Barons Pietermaritzburg.

Visit us on www.baronsvw.co.za

Visit us on www.baronsvw.co.za

e&oe

An optional cost of R950 incl. VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 10.5%. Offers calculated on the Volkswagen Cross up! and the Volkswagen Colour up models in standard specification. Interest rate is used for illustrative purposes only. Price excludes optional extras, delivery, licensing and registration, but includes bank initiation fee. 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. The advertised offer is only available as a finance deal through 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. This deal is only valid for 1 year.

Insurance Policy through Optimum Insurance Brokers. Insurance does not cover third party financing. Terms and conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 31 May 2016 or while stocks last.

An optional cost of R950 incl. VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 10.5%. Offers calculated on the Polo Vivo models in standard specification. Interest rate is used for illustrative purposes only. Price excludes optional extras, delivery, licensing and registration, but includes bank initiation fee. 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. The advertised offer is only available as a finance deal through 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. This deal is only valid for 1 year. Insurance Policy through Optimum Insurance Brokers.

Insurance does not cover third party financing. Terms and conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 31 May 2016 or while stocks last.

e&oe

-

Purchase any Polo Vivo before the end of May and receive 1 year comprehensive insurance.

Polo deal of the year from prime less 3.45%.

R144 900 R144 900 R149 000 R162 900

29 500 30 000 15 000 8 900

km km km km

Grey White Red Black White

R209 900 R225 000 R199 900 R235 900 R249 900

18 000 34 000 16 000 15 000 6 000

km km km km km

White White Silver White

R549 000 R419 900 R264 900 R434 900

3 500 23 000 13 500 100

km km km km

Silver Silver White Grey Orange Silver

R199 900 R258 900 R339 900 R365 900 R299 900 R419 000

130 000 12 000 3 500 3 000 10 000 15 000

km km km km km km

Blue Silver Red

R148 900 R215 900 R149 900

90 000 km 86 000 km 19 000 km

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

Mastercars Sales Consultants: Laurie - 082 783 8040 • Rajen - 072 228 9834 • Sanjay - 083 639 0989 Barry - 072 235 4244 • Phumlani - 073 017 1294 Visit us on www.baronsvwpmb.co.za and find us on facebook.com/BaronsPietermaritzburg

“Voted Volkswagen Dealer of the Year 2014 & 2015”

Barons

Pietermaritzburg

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

Purchase a Polo from R2,367* p.m. and receive 1 year comprehensive insurance.

Monthly No. of Interest Rate Instalments Instalments Linked / Variable

Model

Vehicle Price

Polo TSI 66kW Trendline

R217,100

R2,367*

72

7.56%*

Polo TDI 55kW Trendline

R241,300

R2,630*

72

7.62%*

Polo TSI 66kW Comfortline

R243,300

R2,651*

72

7.62%*

Polo TSI 70kW BlueMotion

R253,200

R2,685*

72

7.05%*

Polo TSI 81kW Highline

R265,000

R2,809*

72

7.08%*

Polo TDI 77kW Highline

R272,200

R2,965*

72

7.68%*

Polo TSI 81kW Highline DSG

R281,000

R2,978*

72

7.1%*

Polo Cross TSI 81kW

R273,500

R2,979*

72

7.68%*

Polo Cross TDI 77kW

R280,700

R3,057*

72

7.7%*

Deposit

Balloon Payment

20% (R43,420) 20% (R48,260) 20% (R48,660) 20% (R50,640) 20% (R53,000) 20% (R54,440) 20% (R56,200) 20% (R54,700) 20% (R56,140)

30% (R65,130) 30% (R72,390) 30% (R72,990) 30% (75,960) 30% (R79,500) 30% (R81,660) 30% (R84,300) 30% (R82,050) 30% (R84,210)

Total Cost Incl fees & VAT

R235,552 R261,718 R263,877 R269,251 R281,761 R295,123 R298,724 R296,531 R304,314

Offer exclusive to Barons Pietermaritzburg.

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 10.5%. Offers calculated on the Polo 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. 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. The advertised offer is only available as a finance deal through 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. This deal is only valid for 1 year. Insurance Policy through Optimum Insurance Brokers. Insurance does not cover third party financing. Terms and conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 31 May 2016 or while stocks last.

New Sales Consultants

John Brown • Merglin Rama • Menzi Ngubane • Bahle Bhengu Erica Neff • Keshnee Pillay • Nick Vettlesen

Sales Enquiries: 033 940 1445

BP Advertising

White Beige Red Silver

e&oe

Polo Vivo 2015 Polo Vivo GP 1.4 Trendline 5 Door 2015 Polo Vivo GP 1.4 Trendline 5 Door 2015 Polo Vivo GP 1.6 Comfortline 2016 Polo Vivo GP Sedan 1.6 Comfortline Polo 2015 Polo GP 1.2 TSI Comfortline 2015 Polo GP 1.2 TSI Highline 2015 Polo 1.2 TSI Comfortline 2015 Cross Polo 1.2 TSI 2016 Cross Polo 1.2 TSI Highline Golf 2015 Golf 7 R TSI DSG 2015 Golf GTI DSG 2015 Golf SV TSI Trendline 2016 Golf 7 GTI DSG Other VW 2013 Amarok Single Cab 2.0 BiTDI 2015 Jetta GP 1.6 TDI Comfortline 2016 Tiguan TSI 2016 Passat 1.4 TSI Comfortline DSG 2016 21st Century Beetle TSI Trendline 2016 Volkswagen CC TDI DSG Highline Other 2012 Toyota Corolla 1.6 Professional 2013 Honda CRV 2.0 Comfort 2015 Toyota Etios Cross 1.5 XS

6

WitnessWheels CYCLING MOTORING

May 26, 2016

Meet Gigi and the Rad Sounds like the name of a new band but they are in fact the newest folding bikes on the market ALWYN VILJOEN TWO folding bikes made news this week, Gigi and the Rad. The Gigi is a Dutch take on “a better folding bike”, while the Rad is the Rad­ Mini from RadPower Bikes in Seattle, and combines an electric folder, fat bike and cargo bike “into a small, folding workhorse that can motor or pedal­as­ sist groceries, tools and other cargo wherever you need to get to”.

The GiGi Coöperatief, founded and registered in The Netherlands, teamed up with C10 Design & Development to develop an alternative to the folding bi­ cycle. Their design brief was to create an easy­to­handle, lightweight, practi­ cal, smart and contemporary Li­ion bat­ tery powered folding scooter.

The end result is the first foldable moped that folds in 10 seconds with ei­ ther a 400 Wh or 600 Wh lithium­ion battery pack than powers a 500 W Brushless PMDC motor with dual belt drive to send the Gigi 25km/h for an hour on a charge.

Front and rear 90 mm drum brakes bring the eight­inch wheels to a halt.

To recharge either of the battery packs takes 3,5 hours. * * * In Seattle, the RadMini differs from oth­ er folding bikes in offering two standard extendable racks over both four­inch wide fat tyres. The wheels are 20 inches high, giving a 750­watt rear hub motor the leverage to carry a total payload of 125 kg, using a seven­speed Shimano drivetrain to vary the ratios.

The RadMini is powered by a 11,6­Ah lithium­ion battery that is good for 24 km at 34km/h on its own steam and about 80 km of range with pedal assist­ ance. Recharging takes between two to four hours with the included two­amp

The Gigi is a Dutch co­operative’s take on a folding moped and is shown en route (above) and folded (right).

PHOTO: GIGI

The RadMini differs from other folding bikes in offering to standard extendable racks over both 4­inch wide fat tyres.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

charger. * * * In Europe, the Gigi sells for €3 156 (R55 538), but can also be leased to own as Gigi Coöperatief’s members cleverly

opt to take the risk of people disappearing with the bike for the bene­ fit of getting an extra bit of interest that would otherwise have gone to the banks. * * *

In the U.S, the RadMini costs $1 499 (R23 566) and the group does not ex­ port yet, but invites clients outside the U.S. to e­mail for quotes. As shipping to Canada costs $400, South Africans can

expect more of the same.

By comparisons, Italy’s Fat Bad, a 250 Watt folding bike that stole the show at EuroBike last year, can be preor­ dered for €1 598.

World’s loudest bike alarm

Fast quads who inspire Aaron Baker (above) in the U.S. has a lot in common with Jarod Blackman in Hilton (right). Both were champion motocross riders who were paralysed in training, both set their minds on a common goal — to get mobile again — and both now help other quadriplegics and amputees to get through the despair and into the light at their specialised gyms. While Blackman races a 1000 cc two­seater quad bike with co­driver Matthew English in SA’s cross country championships, Baker built a trike on 26x4,6 inch snow tyres to take on mountain trails. His stunts on the trike easily top a five­day walk he did on canes through the Mojave desert last year to inspire people who are told they will never walk again. Blackman is first to point out that such a journey to recovery takes a long time and is mostly in the mind, but it is a journey he has made and can help others to navigate. Contact him at scimotion4u@gmail.com PHOTOS: FACEBOOK

For more information on Witness Wheels advertising Contact Avir on 033 355 1152 or 084 278 3447 Avir@witness.co.za

The Bike Mine comprises a length of titanium wire, a spring­loaded trap and a small detonator that explodes with a 150 decibel clap.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED LONDON engineer Yannick Read is raising funds on Kickstarter for what he calls “the world’s loudest alarm”.

His Bike Mine comprises a length of titanium wire, a spring­loaded trap and a small detonator that explodes with a 150 decibel clap.

He assures buyers that the Bike Mine won’t cause injury as long as the detonater points to the ground.

From the YouTube video, it seems that the flash, going off close to the thief carrying the bike, will blind or neuter a rider if stra­ tegically placed using the Velcro straps that come with the deal.

Read says the detonators used in the Bike Mine are the blank bul­ let casings used to fire salutes.

They are widely available and legal to own and use.

“There are no batteries to run down and only one moving part.

This means Bike Mine works 24/7

The maker of the Bike Mine also made the world’s smallest caravan.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED and in all weather.”

Read is no stranger to noise. He has two Guinness World Records, one of them for the world’s loud­ est bicycle horn. The other is for making the smallest caravan yet.

He promises to hand­assemble the Bike Mine himself and £49 (R1 114) buys you a set and three detona­ tors, which can also be bought lo­ cally. — WWR.

MOTORING WitnessWheels

May 26, 2016

7

Watch out for pedestrians!

LayerLab’s GO is a made­to­measure 3D­printed consumer wheelchair that has been designed to fit individuals’ needs.

PHOTOS: LAYERDESIGN

LayerLab developed the GO glove system to increase the level of grip between a rider’s hands and the wheelchair’s push rims.

Wheelchairs designed with the user in mind LONDON­BASED company Material­ ise established LayerLab this year to in­ vestigate new applications for emerg­ ing technologies and materials with the potential to improve meaningfully the quality of life.

LayerLab’s inaugural project is the GO, a made­to­measure 3D­printed consumer wheelchair that has been de­ signed to fit the individual needs of a wide range of disabilities and lifestyles.

Before design started, the studio in­ terviewed dozens of wheelchair users and medical professionals to establish how to remove the stigma associated with wheelchairs as medical devices, and create a more human­centred vehi­ cle over a two­year research period.

Philip Hudson, MD of Materialise, said the wheelchair is an excellent ex­ ample of the use of 3D printing to offer mass customisation and personalisa­ tion of products.

“An integral part of the Materialise ethos is to develop meaningful applica­ tions of 3D printing that have a positive impact on individuals’ lives, and the GO wheelchair is one of those projects with great potential,” said Hudson.

The custom form of the seat and foot bay is driven by 3D digital data derived from mapping each user’s biometric in­ formation. The resulting wheelchair accurately fits the individual’s body shape, weight and disability, to reduce injury and increase comfort, flexibility

and support. The GO app allows users to participate in the design process by specifying optional elements, patterns and colours, and to place orders.

During development of the GO wheelchair, the studio learnt that a pri­ mary concern of wheelchair users is the strain involved in self­propelling.

LayerLab developed the GO glove to increase the level of grip between a rider’s hands and the wheelchair’s push rims. This enables the user to lock into the super tactile push rims of the GO wheelchair and this delivers a greater power­to­ push ratio, which lowers the risk of injury common to wheelchair users. — WR.

WITH a staggering 61,4% of cast ballots from writers and readers, the 2016 Mazda MX­5 Roadster was named The Truth About Cars’ (TTAC) 2016 Best Automobile Today. TTAC is a U.S.­based website covering automobiles, automotive products and the auto industry.

The Mazda MX­5 was not the only Mazda to make the Top 10 Best Automobiles Today; the Mazda 3 and the Mazda 6 came in at seventh and eighth positions respectively.

The recently launched in South Africa Mazda MX­5 Roadster is the sixth model in Mazda’s new­generation line­up of vehicles featuring the full range of Skyactiv Technology and Kodo­Soul of Motion design.

This lightweight open­top, two­ seater front­engine rear­wheel drive sports car is designed to provide pure Jinba­ittai driving fun. Skyactiv is the umbrella term for Mazda’s range of next­ generation technologies, including petrol and diesel engines, transmissions, body and chassis, developed under Mazda’s vision to provide driving pleasure and top environmental and safety performance.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

22310

PEDESTRIANS constitute more than a third of all road fatalities in SA, especially at peak times.

Unfortunately, many pedestrians don’t always follow the rules of the road, and the results are often catastrophic.

In January, Minister of Transport Di­ puo Peters said that up to 35% of all fatalities on the roads during the Decem­ ber 2015 festive period were pedestrians.

“Road safety needs to begin at a young age, and it needs to include education on how to be a safer pedestrian,” the Au­ tomobile Association said.

The AA said although it is illegal to walk on national highways (except under certain conditions such as when your car has broken down), enforcement of this law is poor, leading to risks and danger.

Tips to ensure better road safety for motorists: • pedestrians may be distracted by elec­ tronic devices, making them unpredicta­ ble — always be on the lookout; • be careful when driving in areas with schools; • take care when passing a taxi or a bus as passengers may be alighting; and • in poor visibility, be especially mindful that pedestrians may be on the road.

Some tips for pedestrians include: • make yourself as visible as possible; • don’t cross national highways; • always be aware of your surroundings; • don’t drink or use drugs before walking on the road.

The AA urged all road users not to take chances because their actions im­ pact on others. — Supplied.

Mazda sweeps the ‘best’ title

NOW only from R2 499 P/M.

Model Recommended Retail Price

Mazda2 1.5 Active Manual R198 500

Instalment (excl R57 monthly admin fee)

R2 499

Freestyle Cab only from R330 600.

Double Cab only from R391 000.

YEAR YEAR

NOW only from R3 199 P/M. Model Recommended Retail Price

Mazda3 1.6L Original 4Dr R238 600

Instalment (excl R57 monthly admin fee)

R3 199

YEAR

YEAR

NOW only from R341 000.

YEAR

While stocks last. Offers are valid until 30 April 2016.

8

WitnessWheels MOTORING RACING

Shell Economy Run 2016

May 26, 2016

SupaDrift in KZN ALWYN VILJOEN

Since 1985, the Shell Eco Marathon has pitched student teams against each other to see who can travel the furthest using the en­ ergy from one litre of fuel (or its equivalent). From Singapore came the NTU Venture 8, a 3D­printed electric car powered by hybrid solar panels and batteries. Built around a carbon fibre shell, the NV8’s body is made up of 150 individual panels that took three months to print and assemble. The silicon solar cells on the roof are sliced into strips with a high­speed saw, then wired up to form a module. Un­ like the designers of the more traditional one­seat­only contender in the background, the students behind the Venture 8 hope their car can become licensed and as useful as the 100% solar powered car from the Eindhoven University, the Stella Lux, which has now proven itself around the world.

THE SupaDrift Series 03 returns to Dezzi Raceway in Marburg on Saturday, provid­ ing drifting fans with the most affordable spectacle on the coast tomorrow and on Saturday.

Tickets at the gate cost R80 per adult and R50 for children.

After a wet and slippery leg at Killarney in Cape Town, the 2016 championship is still wide open and much of that will be decided upon during the weekend’s battle on what the racers all agree is the most scenic racetrack in SA, if not the world.

Mikey Skelton, XS Promotions market­ er of the SupaDrift Series, said a driver who wins on Saturday is set to stay on top of the log for the rest of the series.

This means drivers like Zanil Satar her­ alding from Mozambique and Gauteng’s Jim McFarlane will bring the fight to local rider Shane Gutzeit.

But Gutzeit will be competing on the track his father built, and while he said he has a massive respect for his competi­ tors, he is quitely confident.

Zein Hussein smokescreens Shane Gutzeit at the SupaDrift 02 event at at Killarney in Cape Town. PHOTO: DARREN TOWNSLEY Zein Hussein said all the drivers will push as hard as they can on the tight, tech­ nical track.

“No one can afford to rest, it’s the most competitive drift season yet and anything can happen; the initiation zone on the

WHEN YOU WANT TO EXPLORE. La Joliviere’s entry makes Laval University’s 1 099 km/litre car look a bit thirsty, having achieved a crazy 2 551,8 km/litre in last year’s Rot­ terdam Eco Marathon. Rather than competing with petrol­powered cars the Microjoule gets its power from compressed natural gas, but a petrol­powered version of the car holds the all­time record at a scarcely believable 3 771 km/litre.

Look away now if you’re not comfortable with Ikea furniture, because Aston University’s creation, which competed in 2012, is a flat­pack car. Made of a combination of sustainable wood and cardboard, even the tyres are made of an eco­friendly bio­resin infused with hessian fibres. The car (if you can call it that) is hydrogen powered, and can be flat­packed after use for easy shipping and storage. All up, it weighs 170 kg, and can eke out the equivalent of 4,7 l/100 km. The next running of the Shell Eco Marathon will take place in London, starting on June 30.

PHOTOS: SCOTT COLLIE — GIZMAG

Kalahari Speedweek ORGANISERS of the annual Kala­ hari Desert Speedweek confirmed to Wheels the iconic desert is back on track this year, thanks to 25 mm of standing water on Hakskeenpan near Mier in the Northern Cape.

“We have started planning the 2016 event and the year started with some fantastic news — the pan has flooded. This is great news as we have not received this much rain for the past two years,” they revealed.

When the water dries out, the salt flat, where the Bloodhound jet car from the UK will attempt a Land Speed Record run, will be as smooth as nature can make it.

The organisers now await provin­ cial go­ahead to stage the event in the last week of September, to see ol’ rusted jalopies race with the Blood­ hound for its Land Speed Record at­ tempt. Inquiries: 076 387 2314.

— Wheels Reporter.

CV Joint speCialists

for CV joints, ball joints, tie rod ends, wheel bearings.

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For over 65 years, we have built vehicles that redefine automotive standards and capabilities.Tackle adventure head-on by joining the Land Rover family today.

Visit Land Rover Pietermaritzburg at the iconic Royal Show between 27 May and 5 June 2016 and we can tailor make a bespoke offer for you on your new Land Rover.

Call us today to book a test drive.

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‘rollercoaster’ is blind and off camber, we will have to be on point to impress the judges and keep the competition at bay … but when you get close to other compet­ itors; anything can happen!” said Hus­ sein.