Wheels 2 June 2016

Catch on e v i l

s u

ASH CAR SALES

June 2, 2016

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

Witness

WHEELS

4 FM 0 1

L A T I CAP ays d r u t a S 9­10 am

BIKES FOR SALE

2015 KAWASAKI H2 SUPERBIKE, 200KM, AS NEW… ....... R329 995 2016 HONDA CBR 300R SUPERBIKE, 200 KM, AS NEW….... R59 995 2016 BMW S1000RR, BLACK, 200 KM, UPGRADED MAGS…R239 995 2009 KAWASAKI NINJA 250R, 2800 KM, 1 OWNER…......... R39 995 2012 HONDA CBR 125 SUPERBIKE, 5000 KM…................ R29 995 2014 BASHAN 250 EXPLODE SCRAMBLER, 1000 KM…....... R19 995 bank finance available • Contact ASH on 083 786 3377 550 Church Street, Pietermaritzburg 3201 PO Box 8390, Cumberwood 3235

ALL YOUR TRANSPORT OPTIONS FOR TODAY — AND TOMORROW

E INSID

The future of car selling is turning out to be very different from what we thought it would be back in 1958.

— Page 2 PHOTO: CLASSIC CAR WIKI

BANTAM BAKKIE BATTLE

— PAGE 6

Important third win overseas for Sheldon van der Linde .

— Page 8.

PHOTO: MOTOR SPORT SA

THREE CHINESE VEHICLES COMING TO SA — PAGE 3

So you want a bike? Pick the right kind with this guide.

— Page 7 PHOTO: YAMAHA Dealer legend retires, again, but this time the grandchildren will keep him there.

— Page 2 PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN

Jim McFarlane gets closer than Shain Gutzeit! — Page 8. PHOTO: DARREN TOWNSLEY

Pre-owned

The Power of One (litre).

Visit Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg today for incredible offers on a range of Audi Pre-owned models.

Only while stocks last, terms and conditions apply.

Ref

The Audi A1 from just R3,999 p.m.

A compact city car with smart looks, an impeccable interior and cutting-edge technology. This stylish little number now boasts flatter, wider and more angular headlights, a redesigned Audi single frame grille and a more sculpted front and rear end. It’s also available in a 1.0 litre engine, which offers more power with greater efficiency at 70kW and running at 4.2l*/100km respectively. Get to know this city slicker at Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg. *Fuel consumption calculated at a combined cycle. Model shown may be fitted with optional equipment.

Offer calculated on the Audi A1 Sportback 1.0T FSI S tronic in standard specification, at R368,045 over 4 years, 11.19% deposit, 10.75% linked rate. Information subject to change without prior notification.

All Finance offers are subject to credit approval from Audi 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. Audi Financial Services - a division of Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa (Pty) Ltd. An Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms and Conditions apply.

Year

Vehicle Description

Colour

Mileage

Special Price

11388

2012

Audi A3 1.8T FSI quattro S tronic

White

66 000

R249 995

11395

2015

Audi S3 Cabriolet S tronic

Red

2 277

R569 995

11398

2015

Audi A3 1.6 TDI S tronic

Grey

17 000

R309 995

11400

2016

Audi A4 1.4T FSI S tronic

Red

8 000

R499 995

11405

2015

Honda Jazz 1.2 5 Door

White

30 000

R179 995

11410

2015

Audi A4 2.0T FSI Design S tronic

White

9 000

R499 995

11431

2015

Audi A4 1.8T S 88kW

White

25 000

R299 995

11435

2012

Audi A4 1.8T SE multitronic

Silver

76 000

R219 995

11443

2011

Audi Q5 2.0 TDI quattro

White

87 000

R219 995

11446

2015

Audi Q7 3.0 TDI V6 quattro

Beige

20 000

R939 995

11447

2016

Audi A3 1.4T FSI SE S tronic

White

8 000

R369 995

11449

2016

Audi A4 1.8T S 88kW

White

10 000

R349 995

11453

2015

Audi S3 S tronic 3 Door

Blue

19 000

R499 995

11458

2015

Audi Q7 3.0 TDI 180kW

White

45 000

R499 995

11460

2015

Audi S3 Sedan quattro 210kW

White

8 000

R529 995

11461

2015

Audi A3 Sportback 1.2T FSI

Silver

10 000

R299 995

Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg Nathi Mncube • Sharon Mpulo • Darryl Chetty • 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 INDUSTRY MOTORING

June 2, 2016

KZN’S HIDDEN 4X4 GEM RATES AMONG THE BEST BUSH EXPERIENCES IN AFRICA

McCarthy Toyota recently hosted select motoring titles at KZN’s most scenic 4x4 venue, Gwahumbe Game and Spa, to experience the Toyota Hilux and Fortuner in their favourite setting — the bush. PHOTO: SUPPLIED GWAHUMBE Game and Spa near Mid­Illovo in KZN, is fast becoming quite the place to spot motoring journalists.

Already one of KwaZulu­Na­ tal’s top spots for off­the­beaten track weddings and steep MTB trails, the rehabilitated sugar­

cane farm last week hosted select motoring titles,Wheels included, to experience the new Hilux and Fortuner range in their preferred setting — the bush. Before us lo­ cals arrived, the new Top Gear crew also filmed at the site.

Off­road enthusiasts who love

Africa need not look any further.

The Ghahumbe valley is a rec­ ognised natural heritage site with rhino, hippo, giraffe, zebra, a vari­ ety of antelope and an abundance of bird life, including humming birds who join one for breakfast on the patio.

The 4x4 trail is nine kilome­ tres long and comprises a num­ ber of different trails through the game reserve. It has a grading of between one and three, and takes between two and four hours to complete. 4x4 enthusiasts wind up mountains to 700 m above

sea level from 400 m in the river valleys, while negotiating mud, slippery grasses, river crossings and a variety of interesting obsta­ cles en route.

And the scenic spot at the wa­ terfall for a braai or picnic break during your trail is one of the best

Wheels has experienced any­ where in Africa. But go there be­ fore the GP plates arrive, as di­ rector Shanon MacKenzie told Wheels that motor manufactur­ ers such as Land Rover and Hon­ da visit regularly to test their ve­ hicles here.

Future car sales vs rentals ALWYN VILJOEN asks if SA’s drivers will keep the ‘L’ sign as a status symbol in car windows?

BEHIND the rows of new cars and trucks at Key Pietermaritz­ burg, two small offices rent out vehicles sold by Key for a few hours, or a few months.

This is where I send anyone who asks me what is the best 4x4.

For unless you drive dirt roads daily, your best 4x4 is the Isuzu you can rent for those few hours that you engage a crawl gear.

For the other 364 days of the year, expensive fuel dictates that you drive in city traffic with the smallest petrol burner that meets your needs, which may even be one of the quirky bicycles with tiny petrol engines and elec­ tric hub motors already used by a few pioneering people in KZN. But they are few and far be­ tween, as South Africans don’t rent cars, preferring to own them.

This is mainly because we South Africans travel much fur­ ther between stops, and because a car in South Africa is not viewed as a depreciating drain on the pocket, but an escape from the tyranny of the taxis.

In developed economies with their congested cities, however, teenagers increasingly say they prefer not to buy cars. and tuned­ in car builders are therefore now trying not to sell them a vehicle, but to sell the ride instead.

What the future wants A 2015 study by Penn Schoen Berland, a research company, showed why Millennial and Gen­ eration Z consumers don’t want cars.

They found: • 50% say they will save money by sharing goods and services.

• 40% like the idea of being free to try the latest model instead of being locked into a rapidly age­

“This financing will enable our team to bring Scoop to more commuters in our area and be­ yond.”

Head of BMW i Ventures, Ul­ rich Quay, said BMW Mobility Services and Scoop will together offer a practical car­pooling so­ lution to a problem facing cities, starting in the U.S.

in 1958, Ford still thought the future would see cars like this X­2000 on our roads. But today’s teens increasingly want to pay for just a bit of the car, and then only for the time they sit in them, which is why ride­sharing apps like Uber’s valuation jumped to $62,5 billion in 2015. PHOTO: CLASSIC CAR WIKI

Ford gets Smart From Dearborn, Ford said it is now implementing the Ford Smart Mobility plan, which is based on two platforms: flexible ownership and multi­modal ur­ ban travel solutions, which in­ cludes the electric Ford bicycle.

To ensure flexible ownership, Ford Motor Credit Company teamed up with Getaround in the U.S. and easyCar Club in London to test a peer­to­peer car­sharing plan which sees ap­ proved customers renting Ford credit­financed vehicles.

In London, Ford drivers can use GoDrive, a pay­as­you­go car­sharing scheme.

ing contract for seven years.

• A third just like being able to choose and use what they want when they want.

As the director of sustainabili­ ty of General Motors, David Tu­ lauskas,told the Detroit News last year: “We’ve come to the conclu­ sion that our industry within the context of today’s traditional ve­ hicles and today’s traditional business model is not sustaina­ ble in its current form.”

Which is why General Motors and Lyft have announced a stra­ tegic alliance to create a network of on­demand autonomous ve­ hicles in the U.S. GM will invest $500 million in Lyft to help the company con­

Local realities The big question all car dealer­ ships should be asking is wheth­ er SA’s long roads and develop­ ing middle class will help to keep that L sign in a new car as a status symbol on our roads for another decade.

Or will young South Africans follow Apple co­founder Steve Jobs, who argued a car is not a milestone, but a millstone?

Jobs famously rented an unli­ censed new Mercedes SL55 AMG every six months to avoid all the expenses of car owner­ ship.

At Wheels, we are banking on more people buying into the sta­ tus symbol for the next decade.

tinue the rapid growth of its suc­ cessful ride­sharing service.

In addition, GM will hold a seat on the company’s board of directors.

Three ways to Lyft with GM • Rental Hub: Beginning imme­ diately, GM will become a pre­ ferred provider of short­term use vehicles to Lyft drivers through rental hubs in various cities in the U.S. • Connectivity: Lyft drivers and customers will have access to GM’s wide portfolio of cars and OnStar services, leveraging two decades of experience in connec­ tivity.

This will create a richer ride­

sharing experience for both driv­ er and passenger.

• Joint Mobility Offerings: GM and Lyft will also provide each other’s customers with persona­ lised mobility services and expe­ riences through their respective channels.

BMW scoops car­share app GM is of course not alone in its realisation that its cars face a classic Shaka horn attack, with cities on one side heavily taxing cars and future buyers on the other side more into sharing than owning.

BMW iVentures last year an­ nounced a strategic investment in the Scoop car­pooling app

Pratt retires after 50 years of ‘not selling cars’ ONE of Pietermaritzburg’s most influential car salesmen re­ tired this month after 50 years in the business — and he says he has yet to sell a car.

Charles Pratt told Wheels he does not sell cars, he just helps people choose the right wheels.

He said this retirement — his third — looks to be permanent.

“I have four children and nine grandchildren and all my family are still in town. It is something I am really, really chuffed about and I look forward to enjoying them,” Pratt said.

A top footballer who played

semi­pro for the MFC, Pratt worked his way up from sales­ man at Collins Motors to later become a manager first at Fors­ dicks BMW, followed by McCarthy before he established Peugeot in KZN. But he was best known among the racing frater­ nity as the Clerk of the Course at the Roy Hesketh race track, where he spent 20 years of his life and helped organise the first international Springbok Series of three­hour races. These races were major events right up to the first fuel crisis in the 1970s.

Dealers from the 1980s will

however remember Pratt for or­ ganising a relay run from Johan­ nesburg to Pietermaritzburg to raise funds for charity. Fourteen dealers piled into a combi and each ran about two kilometres.

“I thought we could show we al­ so have heart,” he said.

He recalled the easiest cars to sell were Datsun 1400 bakkies and Peugeot 404s and, these days, Subarus. “We don’t sell Subarus, people come to buy them,” Pratt said, adding eight in 10 people are repeat buyers.

As for his third retirement, Pratt said it may be the end

Charles Pratt shows the only computer he can operate.

PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN of the tarmac, but the road goes on! — Wheels Reporters.

that connects co­workers and neighbours who live in the same neighbourhood and travel to the same work area.

Commuters select each trip one way at a time and choose whether to ride or drive. Scoop’s algorithm matches them to a car­ pool with neighbours and co­ workers for the most efficient commute.

CEO of Scoop Rob Sadow said the driving to and from work is the most frustrating time of the day — it’s expensive, unpro­ ductive, and stressful.

“We’ve built an app that al­ lows commuters to enjoy all the benefits of car­pooling without the hassle.

HILLCREST TOPS FOR JAGUAR THE top performing dealers in the Jaguar Land Rover South Africa network were honoured at the company’s annual Dealer of the Year Awards evening — a glittering ban­ quet held in Sandton, Gaut­ eng last week.

Wheels congratulate Jaguar Land Rover Hillcrest, who won the national Customer Service category. This award is pre­ sented to the dealership with the best parts and accessory sales and a solid track record of excellence in service proc­

esses and technical perform­ ance. Other awards went to: • Jaguar Dealer of the Year – Centurion • Land Rover Dealer of the Year N1 City • Jaguar Sales Dealer of the Year – Bryanston • Land Rover Sales Dealer of the Year – Sandton • Financial Services Dealer of the Year – East Rand • Most Improved Dealer Of the Year – Windhoek • Embracer of the Brand – Stellenbosch — WR.

MOTORING WitnessWheels

June 2, 2016

3

Chery looks at new models for SA

The three­cylinder engine of the Clio 4 comes into its own in city traffic, but is not too put out on dirt. PHOTO: CARMAGAZINE.CO.ZA

Ergonomic excellence BRIAN BASSETT discovers French styling EACH nation seems to produce motor cars that reflect its culture and ideals. So the Germans re­ lentlessly pursue technology and efficiency, the Americans size and power and the French, style.

The fourth generation Clio in­ troduced internationally in 2012 and in SA in 2013 is proof of this.

It is the first car to be designed from the ground up by Laurens van den Acker, then newly­ap­ pointed head of design at Ren­ ault, and has proved a critical and commercial success. It is also one of only two cars, the other being the VW Golf, to have been voted European Car of the Year twice, in 1991 and 2006.

Renault has worked hard at re­ establishing the brand in South Africa and we are grateful to Ven­ esh Sewsunker, dealer principal of the award­winning Renault dealership in Pietermaritzburg, for allowing us a few days with the car.

Styling The Clio IV is arguably one of the best­looking cars in the B­segment.

This sub­compact hatchback has an emotional and fresh ap­ peal generated by a stylish funki­ ness. It is longer, lower and wider than its predecessor and in pas­ sion red it is one of the most dis­ tinctive vehicles in any parking lot.

At the front the styling is ag­ gressive and dynamic, with an oversize diamond logo surround­ ed by a black oval and swept back headlights with LED driving lights beneath.

The sides show off black side boards and integrated rear door handles, which give the car a coupe look.

The rear, with its integrated high mounted spoiler and subtle wave patterns in the rear valance enhance the feeling of style and substance. Chrome streaks in the grille, sideboard and leading edge show off the 17­inch alloys.

The colour­coded side mirrors are electrically operated.

Interior As with many cars these days, the interior is a little sombre with black plastic and piano black in­

serts, but with a superb level of design and a stylish, refined cab­ in, this is easily forgiven.

The fully­adjustable front seats are good balance of comfort and support and the driving posi­ tion is excellent.

The dials in front of the driver look as though they come from the Starship Enterprise, with two angled, analogue dials for the fuel gauge and rev counter, joined by an elongated, oval, digital speed indicator.

The central stack is dominated by a seven­inch touch screen multi­media tablet with access to the integrated navigation system — a real plus in a car of this price; as well as to the radio and Blue­ tooth telephone system.

Aimed firmly at members of GenZ with their USB sticks and smartphones, there is no CD availability but you can connect to the USB port or jack sockets.

Despite only playing digital for­ mats, the Renault Bass Reflex Au­ dio System is world class.

Lower down you have the air conditioning controls and start stop button and, close to the driv­ er’s seat the switch for the cruise control system, which is operated from the tactile, fully adjustable, multi­function steering wheel.

The rear bench is adequate for two adults or three children, al­ though tall and broad people might find the rear space a little cramped for long journeys. I also performed a “sit behind your own driving position test” and found that the 60:40 rear bench was a little upright, but my bulky frame fitted without a problem.

The boot offers 300 litres with the rear seats in place and 1 146 litres with the rear seats folded.

Sadly there is no spare wheel, on­ ly a puncture repair kit. If you ac­ quire this charming and stylish car, we would advise that you also buy a full­size spare.

Safety and security The Clio has a five­star, best in class NCAP rating, which is im­ pressive and some 13 other safety features of which the main ones are four airbags, two front and two side. ABS with EBD, Hill Start Assist, Electronic Stability Control with Anti­Slip Regula­

tion, Speed Limiter and Cruise Control, ISOFIX attachments, as well as the usual seatbelts. The electronic starting card is novel, although I still kept looking in vain for a key. The alarm will wake the neighbours.

Performance and handling The Clio’s 898cc turbo­petrol engine puts out 66 kW/135 Nm, which is expressed on road by a smooth, easy to operate five­ speed manual gearbox. The run from 0­100 km/h comes up in about 12 seconds and top speed is around 180 km/h. Fuel con­ sumption is suggested by Ren­ ault to be around 4,5 l per 100 km but we achieved 6l/100 km, but then we take it for a stroll on dirt roads.

The Clio 1V is fun to drive, smooth and peppy on road. It would be unfair to expect big car performance from the little, will­ ing three­cylinder engine, but with forced induction the motor is sweet enough when worked hard.

The steering is quick, sharp and communicative, backed up by the slick five­speed box.

In town the car is a joy and even on the national road it does really well, although if you plan to pass a 60­metre truck you need to plan ahead.

On the notorious Midlands D roads the car needs to be driven carefully, but it copes with gravel and choppy areas without com­ plaint.

It is, however, in town that it comes into its own and if you are carting kids to and from school, or going to work and making oc­ casional journeys into the coun­ tryside with the family at week­ ends, this car is ideal.

Costs and the competition There are seven models in the range. The Clio 1V 66kW Dy­ namiqe we drove came in at about R240 000.

There is a 150 000 km me­ chanical warranty, a six­year anti­ corrosion warranty and a three­ year/45 000 km service plan.

Roadside assistance is also avail­ able. Also look at VW Polo, Kia Rio, Toyota Yaris and Mazda 2, amongst others.

CHERY Automobile, one of the most successful car brands in China, made a big impact at the recent Auto China 2016 motor show in Shanghai.

Chery used the opportunity to showcase new products that are the result of its internationalisa­ tion programme which aims to make the company and its vehi­ cles world competitive.

Chery has hired a number of key personnel from European motor manufacturers in recent years to work on the design, re­ search and development of new models as the company aims to extend its global reach.

The show stand was populated by 14 vehicles from 12 model ran­ ges, with four technical displays showcasing the latest power­

A FV2030 concept car shows where Chery plans to go.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED trains while the dramatic­look­ ing FV2030 concept car was an interpretation of Chery’s future brand.

The highlights of the Chery display were the two all­new models, the Tiggo compact SUV and the Arrizo compact sedan,

both powered by 1.5­litre turbo­ charged petrol engines with a six­ speed manual gearbox or Con­ tinuously Variable Transmission (CVT). Chery confirmed these two models are being considered export to South Africa in the fu­ ture. — WR.

Haval sport utes come to SA GREAT Wall Motor Company (GWM) of China is very pleased to announce that it will directly enter the South African motor vehicle market by granting distribution rights to Haval Motors South Africa (Pty) Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Great Wall Motor Company Ltd, China.

This strategic decision is confirmation of the impor­ tance attached to the long­ term future of the GWM brand in the region and is a very positive factor in ensur­ ing the sustainability of the

GWM brand.

The previous distributor, Great Wall Motors SA (Pty) Ltd. commenced distribution of GWM vehicles in 2007 and has successfully established a strong national dealer network of over 60 dealerships and sold over 50 000 vehicles into the South African market over that period.

It is the intention of the new distributor to continue to maintain and grow GWM’s po­ sition as the most successful Chinese brand in Southern Af­ rica.

“The South African market plays an important part in our international expansion strate­ gy and going forward we will continue to distribute vehicles, offer parts and service sup­ port as well as administer warranties through the already established dealer network,” says Charles Zhao, managing director of Haval Motors SA. In support of its global strategy, the parent company GWM China will next introduce the premium vehicles in the Haval stable through Haval Motors South Africa. — WR.

AT LAST! The long awaited passenger vehicle from Mahindra

“COME TEST DRIVE TODAY”

Value for Money

Trusted Reliability and Quality

* * * * *

Diesel or Petrol Factory Warranty Service Plan ABS etc High Ground Clearance * Options May Vary

PIETERMARITZBURG 307 Hoosen Haffejee (Berg) Street.

Tel: 033 345 3692 • Shan: 082 457 4253

4

WitnessWheels MOTORING

June 2, 2016

GKN’s electric axle drive makes great engineering sense FOLLOWING news in Wheels last week of the Fever project in the UK to make a drop­in electric drive for small hatches, GKN Driveline has announced its elec­ tric axle drive, the eAxle, for the larger C­segment vehicles.

GKN said its eAxle is an evolu­ tion on such plug and play system developed specially for hybrid su­ percars.

GKN added it has already se­ cured orders for the BMW 2 Se­ ries Active Tourer PHEV and production is now under way at the company’s eDrive produc­ tion facility in Bruneck, Italy.

The company’s new electric axle drive has been optimised for compact car applications. The

lightweight single­speed design has a transmission ratio of 12,5:1, reducing the electric motor speed in two stages.

The system generates up to 2 000 Nm from zero to 14 000 rpm and endows a car with 70 kW of additional power — enough for a vehicle’s pure electric mode to achieve speeds of up to 125 km/h to accelerate considerably faster than conven­ tional mechanical AWD systems.

The entire unit weighs just 20,2 kg and has a length of 457 mm, a width of 229 mm and a height of 259 mm, facilitating packaging and installation in confined spaces.

When hybrid operation is not

required, the e­machine can be disconnected from the driveline by an integrated disconnect device, which uses an electromechanically ac­ tuated dog clutch. This minimises rotating losses at higher vehicle speeds when disengaged.

Gear and bearing arrange­ ments have also been optimised for efficiency, NVH and durabili­ ty. There is precision engineering throughout the system, includ­ ing a low backlash, high­per­ formance transmission differen­ tial and case that ensures transi­ tions between pure electric, hybrid and ICE modes are trans­

The 20,2 kg eAxle by GKN can fit comfortable onto an opened magazine and with a height of 25,9 cm, it packs easily into the front or rear of a car to make an all­wheel­drive system with 2 000 Nm at zero rpm. Yep, you read that right, 2 000 Newtons, from zero revs.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED parent to the driver.

The latest generation of GKN eAxles represents a significant breakthrough in terms of per­ formance, size and cost. For many front­wheel drive vehicle platforms, it is now simpler and

more effective to electrify the rear axle than to bolt on a hybrid module to the main transmis­ sion. eAxles transmit the electric torque directly to the vehicle’s wheels, providing more immedi­ ate response and dynamic accel­

Best of both worlds Impressive BMW X5 40e Plug in Hybrid launched in Mzansi SIBONELO MYENI AS I am driving the new BMW X5 xDrive 40e Plug­in Hybrid at 110 km/h in Johannesburg with the engine not spinning at all; yep, in full silent mode using only the electric motor, I can’t help but think of the word “oxymo­ ron”. Still on pure electric mode, my co­driver searches for the word’s meaning and his cell­ phone describes it as “contra­ dictory terms appear in conjunc­ tion”, and I feel this is one word that describes the new addition to our local BMW X5 range.

What other word describes an SUV (Green Peace nemesis) that can carry five people in comfort, 500 to 1 720 litres of carrying space, goes off­road in all­wheel drive mode but only consumes 3,3 litres per 100 km. Such figures are courtesy of BMW engineers installing a two­litre four­cylin­ der TwinPower Turbo motor with an electric motor resulting in 230 kW combined power and 450 Nm of torque.

Through the electric motor, 250 Nm of that figure is available on the go, thus endowing the X5 40e with a zero t 100 km/h sprint in 6,8 seconds and the lim­ iter halts proceedings at 210 km/ h. When fully charged, the elec­ tric motor alone can glide the X5 at speeds of up to 120 km/h for up to 31 km in Max eDrive driving mode. Should you deplete your battery power, you can switch the driving mode to save, where the engine kicks in to charge the bat­ tery, all this while doing fuss­free driving. You can also put the in­

Go kick the wheels of the X5 xDrive 40e to experience the best of both worlds, but know all that fuel saving comes at a price.

PHOTO: BMW teractive navigation on a mode that searches for roads with little or no traffic (in real time), thus saving you more fuel.

The X5 40e still retains the stylish SUV lines that have made the X5 quite a success in SA with the only addition being a charg­ ing opening on the left front fender, which easily plugs into a BMW charging station.

You can spec this X5 in three design packages — Design Pure

Experience, Design Pure Excel­ lence and M­Sport. Through BMW Individual, buyers can tai­ lor­make their X5 to their exact tastes. At the launch, there was an M­Sport model and I think it’s the perfect fit for someone look­ ing for a stylish SUV with small hatch fuel efficiency.

We drove the X5 in traffic and with an indicated fuel range of just above 900 km, the new model also encompasses com­

fort courtesy of BMWs Dynamic Damper Control, rear air suspen­ sion. Noise, vibration and harsh­ ness are noticeable by their ab­ sence with agility still ensuring that this is a proper BMW when you show it a set of bends in spir­ ited driving.

Using a cellphone app that buyers can download from the Internet, the owner of a BMW X5e can use their mobile device to check the fuel range of their

car, turn the air conditioner on while not even close to the car.

The X5 40e is the best of both worlds while delivering on op­ posing views of SUV and climate car. Nice one BMW. Green Peace, you can order your one in green.

Prices (excluding VAT) and no CO2 tax charged due to low emis­ sions.

BMW X5 xDrive 40e (eight­ speed Steptronic) costs R1 097 500.

Toyota joins research group to help mobilise the disabled

It’s a Toyota, but not one Camry and Land Cruiser drivers will recognise.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

JACKSONVILLE — Toyota Motor North America is join­ ing forces with Deka Research and Development to support mobility solutions for the dis­ abled community.

Deka was founded by in­ ventor Dean Kamen and the agreement will help the com­ pany to proceed with plans to complete the development and launch of the next generation of iBOT motorised wheel­ chairs. The iBOT is a revolu­ tionary motorised wheelchair with two sets of powered wheels that can be rotated to allow the user to “walk” up and down stairs. The wheel­ chair allows users to rise from

a sitting level to approximately 1,8 metres in height and travel in this “standing” configura­ tion, and is capable of travel­ ling through a variety of ter­ rain.

“Our company is focused on mobility solutions for all people,” said Osamu “Simon” Nagata, executive vice presi­ dent and chief administrative officer at Toyota Motor North America, who announced the agreement at the Paralysed Veterans of America’s 70th Annual Convention. “It is im­ portant to help older adults and people with special needs live well and continue to con­ tribute their talents and expe­

rience to the world.”

Deka founder Dean Kamen said: “Toyota and Deka share the same vision of making mobility available to people of every kind of ability.

“We are excited about this new relationship and excited about what it means for mak­ ing that dream a reality.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Toyota will license balancing technologies held by Deka and its affiliate for medi­ cal rehabilitative therapy and potentially other purposes.

The companies continue to engage in discussions about how Toyota can further sup­ port Deka and its technology.

eration.

Input speeds of 14 000 rpm are now possible and are expect­ ed to exceed 20 000 rpm in the next few years — far higher than is possible with hybrid transmis­ sions.

GKN launched its first eAxle applications in 2002. Apart from making the BMW 2 Series go faster, the company was awarded Official Porsche Technology Partner status for its contribu­ tion to the plug­in hybrid Por­ sche 918 Spyder programme. It launched the world’s first two­ speed eAxle in the plug­in hybrid BMW i8 and also supplies the eAxle on the Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine PHEV programme.

Massive recall by Toyota TOYOTA Motor Corpora­ tion on Monday announced a recall of almost 1,6 million ve­ hicles in the U.S. to fix the pas­ senger­side Takata air­bag in­ flators that could rupture.

At Toyota Motors South Africa earlier this week, Wheels learnt that while the local Prospecton factory also uses Takata air bags, the units are not affected in the recall.

The local Toyota plastic plant churns out a bumper, dashboard and other plastic component every 90 sec­ onds, but it ensures quality in this stream of parts by de­ structive testing of select parts once a week. The Takata air bags form part of these tests.

In the U.S, the Takata Cor­ poration obeyed U.S. regula­ tors to remove another 35 mil­ lion to 40 million U.S. infla­ tors just in case the inflators in these cars become defec­ tive. The move more than doubles the number of infla­ tors recalled to date.

Faulty Takata inflators have been linked to more than 100 injuries and 13 deaths worldwide.

Toyota said the new recall includes some but not all Co­ rolla, Matrix, Yaris, 4Runner, Sienna, Scion xB, Lexus ES, GX and IS vehicles built be­ tween 2006 and 2011.

Toyota said it has now re­ called 4,73 million vehicles in the U.S. for Takata air bags.

Last month, a spokesper­ son for Daimler AG said an­ other 197 000 vehicles in the U.S will need to be recalled, but all have been recalled for previous driver­side air­bag calls.

Last week, Takata filed re­ ports with U.S. auto safety regulators declaring nearly 14 million air bag inflators de­ fective, in the first of a series of required reports. Takata agreed to expand recalls by 35 million to 40 million infla­ tors in several tranches through 2019, adding to the 28,8 million recalled before May 4.

This is the largest recall in U.S. auto safety history. Mal­ functioning Takata air bag in­ flators can explode with too much force, sending shrapnel into vehicles. — Reuters.

Barons Pietermaritzburg make Volkswagen prices a happy pill to swallow.

By Pieter from Maritzburg They say that time flies when you’re having fun and that’s why all Volkswagen owners can’t believe we are already almost half way through 2016. See, the quality and reliability of Das Auto Engineering ensures Volkswagen owners keep the smile on their dial, whether in traffic on a Monday or spending hours in the car every day for that rep job. Plus the fuel efficiency and economy of BlueMotion Technology has them laughing all the way to the bank! What makes it even better is that The Volkswagen People at Barons Pietermaritzburg make buying a Volkswagen a very happy pill to swallow indeed; with tailored deals that suit each individual’s budget and needs.

New 5-door up! now with free insurance.

The Volkswagen Cross up! standard features include: -

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.

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

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 30 June 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 30 June 2016 or while stocks last.

e&oe

Multi-Point-Injection (MPI) 5-speed manual Electronic stability control (ESP) Electronic immobiliser Central locking system with remote key Air-conditioning

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.

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.

-

So if you wish to spend your year in the seat of happiness, head to Barons Pietermaritzburg and set the wheels in motion with The Volkswagen People – they offer service with a smile.

Polo deal of the year from prime less 3.45%.

R 144 900 R 144 900 R 149 000 R 162 900

29 500 30 000 15 000 8 900

km km km km

Black Grey White Red Black White

R 189 900 R 209 900 R 225 000 R 199 900 R 235 900 R 249 900

25 000 18 000 34 000 16 000 15 000 6 000

km km km km km km

White Silver White

R 419 900 R 264 900 R 434 900

23 000 km 13 500 km 100 km

Silver Silver Blue Silver Silver Blue White Grey Orange Silver

R 209 900 R 199 900 R 299 900 R 425 000 R 258 900 R 299 900 R 339 900 R 365 900 R 289 000 R 419 000

88 000 130 000 45 000 94 000 12 000 32 000 3 500 3 000 10 000 15 000

km km km km km km km km km km

White Gold Grey White White

R 119 900 R 174 900 R 165 900 R 319 900 R 279 900

104 000 88 000 16 000 17 000 21 000

km km km km 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 30 June 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 2014 Polo TSI Comfortline 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 GTI DSG 2015 Golf SV TSI Trendline 2016 Golf 7 GTI DSG Other VW 2012 Touran TDI DSG 2013 Amarok Single Cab 2.0 BiTDI 2013 Scirocco 2.0 TSI 2014 Touareg 3.0 TDI V6 2015 Jetta GP 1.6 TDI Comfortline 2015 Touran TDI 7 Seater 2016 Tiguan TSI 2016 Passat 1.4 TSI Comfortline DSG 2016 21st Century Beetle TSI Trendline 2016 Volkswagen CC TDI DSG Highline Other 2011 Chevrolet Cruz 1.6 2012 Honda Civic 1.8 Exec Auto 2015 Renault Megane 1.6 Dynamic 2015 Ford Focus St3 2015 Chevrolet Captiva 2.4 Auto

6

WitnessWheels TRANSPORT MOTORING

June 2, 2016

Bantam weights Suzuki’s new last­mile deliverer looking for a job in South Africa THE bakkie fans at Wheels be­ came all excited when they heard news of homologation tests for a Suzuki bakkie.

When these payload nuts then also noticed that six Jimny bakkie were sold in South Africa last month, they made the usual ass out of you and me, assuming the much­wanted Jimny bakkie has finally crossed from Namibia’s Suzuki dealers to South Africa’s keenly anticipating buyers.

But it was not the fun Jimny play bakkie, but the Super Carry that landed on our shores, im­ ported from the Suzuki plant, In­ dia. This cab­over­engine bakkie carries 750 kg and features a cab­ over design with a large load bay measuring 2,18x1,49 metres.

A ground clearance of 175 mm and a turning circle of 8,6 metres enable it to work in building sites.

Ford Ranger bakkie owners will not call the following num­ bers power specs, but the work rate and torque from the little Su­ Volvo this week showed how its autonomous trucks can work in an old military aircraft hangar.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

The third competitor among South Africa’s small cab­ over­engine bakkies has arrived in the shape of Suzuki’s Super Carry.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED per Carry is sufficient, consider­ ing a no­nonsense little 1,2­litre petrol engine makes the 54 kW and 101 Nm. Power goes to the front via a five­speed manual transmission powering the rear wheels. There the load is carried by leaf springs and coils over oils.

Nothing new, in other words.

It retails at an introductory price of less than R130 000,

which includes a three­year or 100 000 km warranty to pit the Suzuki Super Carry against Ta­ ta’s all new turbo­diesel Super Ace and Daihatsu’s Gran Max. Buyers who don’t mind used can also have a look at a well­ser­ viced bakkie from either of the Korean stables. A Hyundai H100 these days lists from R119 000 on OLX, for example, and these

proven bakkies can carry quite a bit more payload and are a lot more comfy on long roads.

— Wheels Reporter.

Prices and competitors Suzuki Super Carry (54 kW/101 Nm) ............ R129 900 Da2ihatsu Gran Max (71 kW/134 Nm) ............. R154 995 Tata Super Ace (52 kW/135 Nm) ........... R159 990.

For about R400, including a smoothie, commuters in London will soon by able to partake (enjoy is such a strong word) in this rather sweaty bus­ride idea.

PHOTO: 1REBEL GYM

SPINNING WHILE ON THE BUS THE weirdest use of wheels this week goes to London­ based gym 1Rebel, which has installed 10 spinning studios in London buses. The gym’s website states the buses will travel from four pick­up points in London, finishing up at the St Mary Axe 1Rebel studio in the city, “where rid­ ers can pop in for a shower and a smoothie before work”.

Spinning classes will be

combined with high­intensity interval training with upper­ body weights.

The architects behind the installation say they are also looking at the possibility of using bikes that generate electricity and power some element of the buses.

Classes will last for 45 min­ utes and will cost £15, or some R374, for a sweaty ride.

— WR.

Robot Volvo trucks ready to start earning VOLVO has gone into partner­ ship with Swedish mining group Boliden, to develop the tech­ nology, spurred on by potential productivity gains, improve­ ments in safety and environ­ mental benefits.

CAMPER VANS AT OVERLAND EXPO WEST 2016 The Mitsubishi Delica is the Namibian tourist operators’ used vehicle of choice, which is the best introduction this 4x4 van can get. It was also one of the first vehicles to exhibit at Overland Expo West (OXW) in the United States this year. Pity we don’t get them in South Africa.

PHOTO: C.C. WEISS/ GIZMAG

The group showed the abili­ ties of the self­steering Volvo in a disused military aircraft hangar this week.

Torbjörn Holmström, Volvo Group’s chief technology officer, said Volvo builds vehicles to

make its customers more prof­ it. “The difference between us and the car industry is that we don’t just add technology for the fun of it: there has to be a business case,” he said. The au­ tonomous Volvo trucks use a

proven system of six light radar laser sensors positioned around the vehicle to generate a 3D map of the surroundings to navigate precisely past obsta­ cles or people.

— WR.

ROYAL TRUCK AND BUS Authorised Tata Dealer

cOme see us tOdaY

This 1998 Unicat U2450L expedition vehicle can be driven by all six wheels and was one of the biggest campervans on show at the Overland Expo, built by Couch Off Road Engineering (Core) in Denver, Colorado. Like Samog in Centurion, Pretoria, Core specialises in converting Unimogs, but South Africa’s Samog was the first to make fibreglass bodies for the trucks.

Retired Americans take their recreational vehicles (RV) very seriously, but none more so than those who turn a truck into a monster RV, like this Freightliner­based campervan that is larger than most bachelor flats.

Prices include dropside body. All prices include a 3-year/300 000 km roaming warranty – across 14 countries and over 100 touch points Offer valid up to 30 June 2016 * All prices exclude VAT

trucking, plain and simple 164 Ohrtmann Road Willowton Pietermaritzburg 3201

Contact Numbers: Office: 033 387 6420 Boni: 076 910 2188 Johnny: 083 691 5660 Suleman: 074 786 3602

BIKING MOTORING WitnessWheels

June 2, 2016

7

The ABC of motorcycles The high level of specialisation means it is important to choose the right bike for your purpose DRIES VAN DER WALT CAPE TOWN — “Should I go for the sleek and sexy sport bike, the rugged, macho adventure bike or the practical, economical scooter?”

Though not always an easy question to answer, the choice is an important one because the level of specialisation in today’s bike designs means that certain types of bikes can make your rid­ ing experience somewhat un­ pleasant if they are used for a pur­ pose other than what they were designed for.

There is no fixed categorisa­ tion for motorcycles, and some readers may not agree with the categories below. However, going by design features and purpose, we can divide street­legal bikes into six broad categories, each with a number of sub­categories.

There is a bit of overlap as well, since some bikes are hard to put into a specific category.

However, for this article we’ll keep it simple by focusing on the main ones, with examples of bikes that typify each of them.

1. Sport bike Example: Ducati 1299 Panigale Arguably at the top of the food chain with their extreme per­ formance and handling, sport bikes are the supercars of the mo­ torcycle world. Their designs em­ phasise performance, handling, grip and braking over comfort, practicality and economy.

Design elements that make a sport bike what it is include a comparatively high­perform­ ance engine, lightweight frame, high­performance brake pads and multipiston calipers, and large, vented brake disks.

They usually feature advanced, highly adjustable suspensions and extensive aerodynamic fair­ ings.

Perhaps the most telling fea­ ture of a sport bike is its forward­ canted seating position to enable the rider to crouch behind the fairing to minimise drag and low­ er the centre of gravity. A typical example is the Ducati 1299 Pani­ gale — it accelerates like a can­ non ball and sticks to the road like a magnet, but is not a practi­ cal, everyday mount.

2. Standard bikes Example: Yamaha MT09 These are the workhorses of the bike world. They are general­pur­ pose machines that have been de­ signed to be comfortable and practical. Hallmarks of a stan­ dard bike include no or minimal fairings and an upright seating position — foot pegs are below the rider and handlebars are high enough not to force the rider to reach far forwards, placing the shoulders above the hips in a more natural position.

Some bikes in this category have performance and handling levels that approach those of sport bikes, achieved by using (often previous­generation) sport bike engines that are usual­ ly detuned to increase torque at lower engine revolutions at a cost of high­end performance, which makes them more suitable for ev­ eryday use. A good example is the Yamaha MT09 we tested in 2015 — a practical, everyday bike that is outrageous fun to ride.

3. Dual­sport bikes Example: BMW GS 1200 Ad­ venture “Dualies” are true multipurpose

Yamaha’s new Tricity sees big changes in the details The Tricity 155 looks almost identical to the 125 cc model, with the big changes hidden beneath what the eye can see. Yamaha has employed a new liquid­cooled 155 cc engine with a variable valve actuation system, built according to the company’s new Blue Core initiative — marketing lingo for the latest generation of Yamaha engines that target the magical combination of maximum efficiency with minimal environmental impact. The 155 has a slightly bigger fuel tank that holds 7,2 litres, compared to the 6,6 litres of the 125. It also offers more under­seat cargo space and runs on a larger 13­inch rear wheel, which is one up from the 125.

Most of the running gear is identical in the two Tricity scooters, including suspension and brakes, as Yamaha adorned the latest model with ABS and a unified braking system, a new LED headlight and a parking brake lever that sits on the left side of the handlebars. The bad news is that the new model now weighs in at 165 kg , or nine kilograms more than the 125.

The new Tricity 155 will be manufactured by Thai Yamaha Motor Co, Ltd and is expected to hit European showrooms in September, at a retail price of €4,499 (R79 258).

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

machines, equally at home on and off the road. These bikes are typified by their rugged appear­ ance, tall stance, high ground clearance, long­travel suspen­ sion and torque­biased engines.

Adventure bikes, which are ex­ tremely popular in the South Af­ rican market, are bigger and heavier than pure off­road ma­ chines, and some models offer touring capabilities that come close to that of dedicated touring bikes.

The off­road capabilities of dual­sport bikes differ greatly, with some being well­suited to cross­country riding while oth­ ers are limited to soft (gravel) roads. A good example with which to illustrate the versatility of bikes in this category is the BMW GS 1200 Adventure, re­ nowned for its combination of long­distance comfort and off­ road prowess.

4. Touring bikes Example: BMW K 1600 GTL Bikes that are designed exclusive­ ly for touring emphasise comfort and luggage space over other de­ sign considerations. Tourers are usually big, heavy machines with extensive fairings and luxury trimmings such as built­in high­ end sound systems, adjustable air vents and in some cases even air conditioners.

They also provide ample and comfortable pillion passenger seating to make two­up long­dis­ tance riding almost as comforta­ ble as a luxury car.

The so­called full­dress tour­ ers are fully faired and offer re­ movable panniers and top boxers that will easily accommodate two people’s weekend luggage.

The BMW K 1600 GTL is an ex­

ample of a top­of­the­range tour­ er. It is big and heavy, but bris­ tling with luxuries such as be­ spoke audio and satellite navigation, and is comfortable enough to cross continents on.

5. Cruisers Example: Harley­Davidson Softail Slim S Cruisers are the linear descend­

ants of the choppers that emerged shortly after World War 2, when returning U.S. sol­ diers began to modify standard bikes to make them more suitable to the United States’s long and mostly straight roads.

These machines typically fea­ ture raked front forks for greater stability, and tall handlebars for

a slightly backwards­canted seat­ ing position. Cruisers often have very limited ground clearance, which makes them unsuitable for twisty roads, and short­travel rear suspensions, often offset by high­profile rear tyres for added comfort.

Cruiser manufacturers (and buyers) seem to favour high­

Peugeot joins scooter add­on Peugeot teamed up with Micro to design the e­Kick, which is an electrically assisted scooter, to meet the challenge of a constantly evolving urban environment. Like the Audi skateboard launched at the recent Beijing Motor Show, Peugeot’s e­Kick aims to make the ‘last­mile’ of any journey faster.

Unveiled during the launch of the new Peugeot 3008 SUV, e­Kick will be sold by both Peugeot and Micro, starting in the last quarter of 2016.

Peugeot said the brand started out as a bicycle builder and the electrically assisted scooter will offer an active, natural and flexible user experience, ‘created to optimise intra­city journeys by adapting to any circumstances and desire’.

PHOTO: PEUGEOT

torque V­twin motors with en­ gine capacities that approach (and in some cases surpass) two litres.

A prime example of a cruiser is the Harley­Davidson Softail Slim S we recently tested, a 1,8­li­ tre retro­styled brute that accel­ erates like a steam locomotive and fairly oozes attitude.

6. Scooters Example: Yamaha T­Max 530 Scooters are easily recognised by their enclosed, step­through bodies, made possible by under­ bone frames (frames that have no spar or fuel tank between the base of the seat and the head­ stock).

This design allows scooters not only to have a low floor suita­ ble for a rider wearing a dress, but also a cubbyhole on the head­ stock.

Scooters often have additional under­seat luggage capacity.

Most modern scooters have con­ stantly variable transmissions (CVTs), which make them easier to ride by disposing of the need to operate a clutch and change gears. They can range in engine size from 50 cm³ to 850 cm³ and can offer surprising levels of per­ formance and handling, as we have found in our test of the Ya­ maha T­Max 530. As we’ve men­ tioned at the start of the article, not all bikes fit neatly into specif­ ic niches. As a result, many of the main categories can be further sub­divided. Check back for our follow­up articles where we will look at some of the categories in­ dividually, and explore their sub­ categories to explain the differen­ ces between (for example) super­ bikes, supersports and sport tourers. — Wheels24.

8

WitnessWheels MOTORING RACING

June 2, 2016

Photo finish for McFarlane Fleet of 32 drivers boils down to a tight fight for proximity between just two precision steerers CHAD LUCKHOFF WHILE the year may be partially done, the South African National SupaDrift Series is only gathering momentum now. With only two rounds under the belt, the series made its first stop in KZN for 2016 this past weekend, once again visiting the picturesque landscape and the scenery that is Dezzi Raceway.

Using the notorious roller­ coaster section of the circuit, drivers climbed the hill to the first right hander, prompting a blind initiation into a long double right hander before cresting the hill and making their way down through the corkscrew, into the bowl.

Exiting out of the right­left combination, the drivers faced another blind right­hand corner, taking them back onto the straight and into a long left before the finish line. Fast and demand­ ing, the circuit would separate those that could, from those who were too scared to.

A total of 32 drivers went in front of the panel of judges for qualifying, hoping that one of their allotted two passes would be worth a placement in the Top 16.

A myriad straight­line errors and spins ended the day prema­ turely for some while others im­ pressed suitably. Most notewor­ thy was the drive from GT Logis­ tics’ Brendan Puren in his Toyota 2JZ­GTE­powered E46 BMW,

In the tussle for top eight, the judges twice called for a One More Time as SA’s top drifters relished the fast, tight corners at the Dezzi Raceway in Marburg.

PHOTO: SA DRIFT

who managed to secure a well­de­ served sixth spot.

This was also enough to see him claim the Driver Of The Day award later on for a stand­out performance.

Top 16 While some Top 16 battles were easily decided with severe straight­line errors and spins, a handful of the tussles came down to a single point.

Such was the case with the bat­ tle between brothers Brendan

and Gavin Puren, with Brendan emerging victorious. It was a sim­ ilar story with Paolo Gouveia’s first­round battle against Zein Hussein.

It was Hussein who narrowly pipped Gouveia to secure a spot in the final eight.

Mathys Naude and Richat Kahn were sent back to the start line twice. A strong conviction from Kahn in their final battle had him claim the win and a spot in the final eight, where he would face top qualifier Shane Gutzeit.

Top eight Unfortunately, Kahn was unable to rejoin after his struggle with Naude and this gave Gutzeit an easy passage into the final four.

Hussein and Van Zummeren held each other to a tight result, with the judges calling for an OMT (One More Time) but a damaged Skyline for Van Zum­ meren ended his day in the quar­ ter finals.

Hussein was thus awarded the semi­final spot by way of retire­ ment.

Top four In the semi­finals, Gutzeit found himself paired with My­ burgh in the LS­powered Silvia S14A. The first pass saw Myburgh run wide and clip the first rear clipping point, rendering him a zero score for the pass. Myburgh called for a five minute time out to effect repairs on the Silvia but was unable to do so within the allotted time. Gutzeit found him­ self in the finals after only one pass.

Hussein was paired against Jim McFarlane, who had more than just a rough day. After a coming together with Gavin Puren in practice, McFarlane’s team worked furiously to rebuild the steering system on the LS­pow­ ered Nissan 350Z in time for qual­ ifying.

Success was had as Hussein spun out in their first pass, plac­ ing McFarlane in a good position for the battle win.

McFarlane’s luck changed and he was able to defeat Hussein, se­ curing himself a spot in the finals alongside Gutzeit.

The final turned out the way a final should, with pin­point pre­ cision from both drivers and an angry charge.

One of the best runs of the day transpired and in a graceful dis­ play of car control, the two driv­ ers fought it out clean and fair, with McFarlane demonstrating a more controlled aggression and desire to win with closer proximi­ ty to Gutzeit.

If drifting were ever to come down to a photo finish, this run would be the prime example.

Gutzeit had to settle for sec­ ond spot at his home venue and Hussein took third, with Driver Of The Day going to Brendan Puren.

• The SupaDrift Series is sup­ ported by Achilles Tyres, Turn 1 Wheels, Greensky.co.za, Speed and Sound, Chevrolet, Liqui­Mo­ ly, Red Bull, GoPro, Jonnesway tools and Lyoness. — SA Drift.

VAN DER LINDE TAKES IMPORTANT THIRD WIN SOUTH Africa’s Audi Sport TT Cup sensation Sheldon van der Linde continued his winning ways when he took his third vic­ tory out of four in the second race at the Nurburgring on Sat­ urday.

“I enjoyed a great dice with Dennis Marshall, but this win is extremely important for me,” Sheldon said, The 17 year­old Dainfern driv­ er won both races on his series debut at Hockenheim earlier in May and his Nurburgring victo­ ry now sees Sheldon open a six­ point championship advantage over Marshall.

The weekend was not with­ out its challenges, however, when the series rookie pushed

Sheldon van der Linde made it three wins out of four Audi Sport TT Cup starts at the Nurburgring.

PHOTO: MOTORSPORT SA too hard on cold tyres and left the track early in the first race,

but still he fought back from 12th to seventh.

“I just took too much of a risk too early,” said Van der Linde.

“My rear tyres were not prop­ erly up to temperature and I slipped off the track and dropped back to 12th, but I man­ aged to fight back to seventh, which was enough to defend my overall championship lead.

“I must thank my brother Kelvin, who helped me tremen­ dously at the Nurburgring this weekend,” Sheldon said.

“His support has been price­ less.”

The Audi Sport TT Cup now heads to the series’ home round at the Norisring from June 24 to June 26. — Supplied.

BOSCH E­KART ‘ONLY TO SHOW POTENTIAL’ BOSCH has announced an all­ electric motorsport kart proto­ type concept developed in partnership with the German Motorsport Association and Mach 1 Kart.

The kart makes 300 Nm from zero revs, can reach a top speed of 130 km/h on those tiny wheels and will ac­ celerate from zero to 100 km/h in under five seconds.

Power goes to the rear wheels from a 48­volt electric boost system, which makes 20 kW alongside the 300 New­ tons.

Dr Klaus Böttcher, vice pres­ ident at Bosch Motorsport, said tests of the e­kart con­ tinue and they are actually testing electric systems for road­going cars. When it goes into production next year, the

The 300 Nm kart from Bosch goes from zero to 100 km/h in less than five seconds. PHOTO: SUPPLIED road­going version of this sys­ tem, known as the Boost Re­ cuperation System (BRS), will provide an extra 15 kW (20 hp) and 150 Nm (110 lb.ft) to compact petrol­powered cars during acceleration. Ac­ cording to its creators, the ex­

tra power is backed up by a 15% drop in fuel use and CO2 emissions.

Bosch was coy about plans to race the e­kart, stating it is building it only to demon­ strate the potential of electric power. — WR,

The starting line­up at the first Indianapolis 500 motor race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, in 1911. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES ARCHIVES

America’s biggest race turns 100 ALWYN VILJOEN A CAPACITY crowd was on hand last weekend when Ameri­ ca’s favourite form of racing turned 100 during the 2016 Indy 500.

Named after the distance of the race — 500 miles (805 km) that test endurance and bravery along every centimetre of the track — the race takes place at the end of May at the four­kilo­ metre­long rounded rectangle that is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The track is the oldest of its kind and the largest sport­ ing venue on Earth.

Last weekend, a capacity crowd of over 350 000 attended the race and millions followed on various types of screens. Before a road course in the track’s infield took away seating capacity, the track could host 400 000 fans who went to watch drivers and mechanics combine their talents to make machines that averaged over 385,052 km (May 10, 1996).

These days, only driving talent

separates the 33 drivers in cars that are all identical, apart from the sponsors’ logos. The various limits to ensure safer racing have brought the average speeds down to “only” some 321 km/h on the steeply banked track.

At this speed, the centrifugal force constantly tries to launch the car to the moon, while the camber tries to force the car to the pits, causing all kinds of con­ tradictory over and understeer­ ing inputs that the driver has to fight just to keep straight, all the while as 32 other drivers cause slipstreams and perhaps rub bumpers as they jostle for posi­ tion. All the cars are the same and weigh in at 701 kg.

Honda provides the 2,2­litre turbo­charged V6s engines as well as air intakes and spoilers that create much less downforce than for the heavier Formula 1 cars.

The drivers have 410 kW in tap but can boost this to 429 kW up to 10 times during the race, press­ ing what they call the “push to

pass” button.

Firestone sells the tyres, with the teams going through over 5 000 tyres in a season. To help counter the opposing forces on the track, each tyre is made of a different compound.

Rally car drivers like to scoff at the predictability of the Indy 500 track, but they go very quiet very quickly when they hear about the prize money.

The winners take home over $2 million, (last year’s winner Ju­ an Pablo Montoya won $2,449 million. He crashed out this year), while the total purse is usually over $13 million, de­ pending on, among others, ticket sales, sponsorships and TV deals.

CV Joint speCialists

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

341 GReYlinG stReet Pmb. 033 342 9174/75