Witness Wheels 5 March 2015

Japanese built the ultimate braai van PAGE 6

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March 5, 2015

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KZN’S MOST RIVETING READ ON CARS, BAKKIES, BIKES, TRUCKS … AND A DUTCH WINDWHEEL

‘Wheels’ festival date change ALWYN VILJOEN

Proudly Bidvest Yamaha rider Brett Swanepoel will aim to get to the top in the fastest time for a win in E1 (200cc) Class at Creighton on Saturday.

PHOTO: DIRTRACING

Creighton double bill

THE organisers of the Hesketh Festival of Wheels, of which this supplement is the media partner, wishes to inform the public that the plans for the event have changed.

The vision is to grow the annual Msunduzi Hospice Car Fair by inaugurating an annual car picnic. The idea was that car fans and people inter­ ested in buying vehicles could be driven around the scenic old race track in Hayfields.

However, the most devastating hail storm in recorded history, on top of the costs of improving the track to comply with the Safety at Sport and Recreational Events Act, (Nr 2 of 2010) have nipped this vision in the bud.

Many of the new­car dealers in town each suf­ fered well over R1 million in damages when large hail stones hammered their new models, smashed windows and left once­smooth flanks looking like golf balls. One dealer had just had a load of new cars delivered, another was caught in the midst of the storm with 41 models damaged.

The changed plan stills entails rides and activi­ ties, but the event will be held on September 5 at the Hospice, with activities hosted on both sides of Swartkop Road in Pietermaritzburg. The Hes­

keth Motor Club, DY Performance, Msunduzi Hospice and Witness Wheels apologise for any in­ convenience this change may have caused.

CEO of Msunduzi Hospice Warren Oxford­ Hugget said the expanded Car Fair on Septem­ ber 5 remains a festival of wheels, with 4x4 rides in the latest top models, as well as active displays of the technological tricks luxurious vehicles can do these days.

The Rotarians, who boast the best­value bacon and egg burger this side of the planetoid Sedna, (which is on the far side of Pluto) will cater.

• ‘TOP GEAR’ FESTIVAL ALSO CHANGES Meanwhile, the organisers of the Top Gear Fes­ tival announced on Monday that the event will move from the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban to Johannesburg. James Cooke­Priest, COO of Top Gear Live, said they are looking for an alternative destination for a Top Gear Live event and hope to have more news very soon.

Fans who have already bought vouchers to attend this year’s event have been contacted regarding their orders and offered alternatives.

Updates regarding the alternative Top Gear Live event will be made in the press in coming weeks.

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We engineered it for the daring.

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Top bikers converge for two enduro rounds THE Myddleton dam near Creighton will on Sat­ urday and Sunday host two of the six rounds in the 2015 SA Liquorland National Enduro Motor­ cycle Championship.

The championship has new rules that include E1 (200 cc) and E2 (Open) riders starting togeth­ er, followed by High School and Senior Class competitors, with the Master Class riders behind them. Races will run on adjusted time and not real time like in the past. The use of a GPS is also compulsory for national competitors.

Correct interpretation of the new rules may yet determine which of the large number of talented enduro competitors will emerge the winner in their classes.

The new High School Class Championship has not only attracted a slew of local entries from KZN, but riders from as far as Gauteng, Richard’s Bay, Cape Town, Bloemfontein and Middelburg in Mpumalanga. Eduan Bester (KTM Centurion Liqui Moly Racing) will defend his title.

The E classes have received more than 40 en­ tries, while the Senior and Masters Classes have also received a healthy number of quality entries.

The defending E1 champion, Wade Young (Brother Leader Tread KTM), is taking a short break from his international racing and has en­ tered in the open E2 Class against the defending E2 champion, Altus de Wet, who will be riding his new Sherco motorcycle.

Other top contenders in the E2 are Louwrens Mahoney as well as his Brother Leader Tread KTM team­mate, Scott Bouverie, and Kenny Gil­ bert (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha), who finished third in E2 last year.

They will do well to look out for new riders like Tim Young (Kargo Racing Yamaha), Bronson Louw (Husqvarna Factory Racing) and Nicholas Pienaar (Husqvarna).

In the E1 class Travis Teasdale, who finished

second last year, and Brett Swanepoel (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha) will go for the top honours.

Swanepoel finished second in the 2014 Roof of Africa, but he faces a hard race from last year’s Silver Class Challenge winner, Dylan Barker (Pa Ma Racing Yamaha) and Henco Botha (KTM); Dwayne Kleynhans, who is now also sporting the colours of Brother Leader Tread KTM; and Mich­ ael Pentecost (Kargo Racing Yamaha) to name but a few.

It is interesting to see the name of the multiple SA motorcross champion, Richie van der West­ huizen (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha), competing in the national enduro E1 class this year.

Other riders who have achieved some good re­ sults in 2014, include Mauritz Meiring (Husqvar­ na Factory Racing), Kyle Flanagan (Ihobe Interna­ tional KTM) and Brandon Warwick­Oliver (Team Liquorland Racing Yamaha) who will all again be in action.

In the Senior Class for “ooms” over 38, nine­ times national champ William “Wild Will” Gillitt and Bruce May are now part of Team AgriSales Peak Yamaha and will aim to put their new team on the top step of the championship. Jody Engel­ brecht (Yamaha) will also be back in action as will Steve Landman (Team Liquorland Racing Ya­ maha).

In the Master Class for toppies over 46, Hilton Hayward (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha) will compete with multiple Master Class champ, Denzil Torla­ ge, who played second fiddle to Alfie Cox (KTM) last year. Cox will not defend his title this year.

ENDURO STAGES: Saturday, March 7: Three special stages of which two will again be used at round two on Sunday.

Sunday March 8: Two special stages from Saturday’s rac­ ing with new stage added.

The enduro will take place at the Myddleton Dam (GPS: S 290 58’ 37.1” / E290 50’ 36.74”) outside Creighton.

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2

WitnessWheels MOTORING

Dutch Windwheel to rival London Eye ALWYN VILJOEN WHAT happens when a nation of peole who can dry out the sea set their minds to building a roller coaster with a differ­ ence?

You get the Windwheel, soon to be built by the Dutch Windwheel Corporation. (And, of course, Wheels will be the first to report on this devel­ opment in print.)

The giant wheel is to be environmen­ tally friendly, will be a tourist magnet and if the spectacular views over Rotter­ dam are not enough for the million or more visitors, the inside hosts a 3D roll­ er­coaster interactive cinema which

provides a trip through the history of Dutch water management.

This may sound like a drip, but this is a nation whose notions of water man­ agement are considered extreme hy­ draulics anywhere else on the globe.

Hence part of the ride takes the peo­ ple under water.

So far, the Windwheel is only a nice screen saver, but an alliance is already being formed between developers, in­ vestors, research institutes, operators, government agencies, energy compa­ nies and marketing organisations to build it.

Based on the current number of visi­ tors to the Netherlands and Rotterdam,

it is expected that around 1,5 million people will visit the Dutch Windwheel per year, based on hospitality research

by NBTC Holland Marketing in 2013.

The outer ring houses 40 cabins that run on rails. The innovative lighting and digital information layer in the windows of the cabins make these cabins an experience in themselves.

Built with materials from the Rotterdam region, the harbour and the surrounding steel industry, the Dutch Windwheel is designed for disassembly and reuse. A pioneering wind turbine converts wind energy with a framework of steel tubes into electricity without moving mechanical parts.

March 5, 2015

Tesla power at home Batteries from Panasonic and Tesla’s plant can costs 30% less

Hoping to attract 1,5 million tourists with a 3D roller­coaster interactive cinema and underwater tours, a Dutch consortium plans to build this giant windwheel in the harbour of Rotterdam.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

First Tesla brought the world the fast­ est­accelerating electric cars.

Now Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants to use the batteries in his cars to power homes across the world.

Musk told analysts during a recent conference that the same lithium­ion batteries made by Panasonic for the Tesla electric vehicles will be used to power a home.

Green Car reports the batteries will store excess energy generated from solar panels during the day to supply power at night.

Musk and his company, however, remained tight­lipped on the detail of the project, telling Green Car they’re not sharing any additional informa­ tion about their energy storage and home batteries for several months hence.

Musk did tell the analysts “the Tes­ la home battery, or consumer battery”, will be in people’s houses or business­ es “fairly soon”. He said the batteries could go into production by Septem­ ber. “We’re trying to figure out a date to have the product unveiling — it’s probably in the next month or two.

It’s really great,” he said.

Electric Car News expects that the Tesla home battery system will be an improvement on the home batteries Tesla has been supplying to its solar panel maker, SolarCity, in California.

Those batteries are currently avail­

able in select markets within Califor­ nia, and only through SolarCity. The new batteries would be more widely available.

Home batteries are the next big things in the U.S. domestic market, with Bosch, GE and Samsung all ready to compete against Tesla’s solar sys­ tem, while Honda has also unveiled a demonstration smart home that fea­ tures a rechargeable home battery, along with an electric vehicle, solar panels and geothermal heat pump, all driven by an energy­management sys­ tem.

Musk will compete against all of them by buying in bulk, using the giga factory which Panasonic is building in Nevada. The massive complex will come on stream in 2016 , producing 50 gigawatt hours of battery capacity each year.

The economies of scale generated by the factory will make Tesla’s batter­ ies for cars and homes cheaper by an expected 30%. Batteries are the most expensive part of solar power systems and cheaper, effective batteries will be a boon to alternative power users in the U.S. In South Africa, the rand­dollar exchange will ensure the Tesla home battery remain very expensive, unless the government makes good on its promise to reward alternative energy­ generation technologies. — WR.

AA college trains more

Megane ready to scorch the tarmac Retailing for just shy of R390 000, the new Mégane Renault Sport 265 LUX offers hot­hatch drivers a scorching 2,0­litre RS Turbo making 195 kW at 5 500 rpm, with maximum torque of 360 Nm pulling the front wheels from 3 800 rpm through a six­speed gearbox.

The zero to 100 km/h sprint clocks up to just six seconds, while top speed is limited at 250 km/h. A five­year or 150 000 km mechanical warranty plan, and five­year or 90 000 km service plans are included in the price. Service intervals are 10 000 km.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

THE Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) has expanded the premises of its AA Technical College to accom­ modate more students.

The AA Technical College, which enrols up to 1 500 students a year, has experienced steady growth and is able to attract many new students due to its training excellence in up­skilling and qualifying students in the automotive sector.

As a result, the college has expanded its training premises in Johannesburg to include two new classrooms.

These classrooms will be used for theoretical training of apprentices.

Werner Wandrey, national technical training manager and principal for the AA Technical College, said the training facilities invest in people and have a dis­ tinct customer focus. “We see our suc­ cess in the success of our students and spare no effort to give them the best possible start in the motor industry.”

— WR. • For more information on the AA Techni­ cal College, visit www.aa.co.za or call 0861 000 234.

Third­generation Mazda2 a looker Mazda has launched six models of the third generation of the Mazda2, with either a 1,5­litre SKYACTIV petrol or diesel engine. The petrol engine comes in a six­speed automatic or a six­speed manual transmission and the diesel engine only with six­speed automatic transmission.

Pricing starts at R188 000 and tops out at R259 900.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

MOTORING WitnessWheels

March 5, 2015

3

Technology as art BRIAN BASSETT wonders which is best, to drive the BMW 740i, or be driven around in it PART of the fun of writing this column is that I get to drive a wide range of cars.

Last week you will remember I drove the inexpensive, well­designed and er­ gonomically impressive Suzuki Splash.

This week, courtesy of Allan Neave and KarinAnn Agnew of SMG, Pieter­ maritzburg, I spent a week with the flag­ ship of the BMW brand, the 7 Series, which was both enjoyable and impress­ ive.

The 740i I drove is part of a line of full­size luxury vehicles first intro­ duced by BMW in 1977 and some of these early 7­Series vehicles are still to be seen on the road today. The cur­ rent 740i is the fifth generation of this vehicle and production commenced in 2008 with some 60 000 vehicles being produced worldwide in 2014 and increasing sales in a vibrant Chi­ nese market.

STYLING AND EXTERIOR The 7 Series is a subdued, but outwardly impressive vehicle. The adaptive LED headlights are a little Eastern in design inspiration and — with the flared bon­ net — add to the powerful presentation of the front.

The colour­coded, electrically operated side mirrors have integrated indicators for improved visibility.

The rear of the car has L­shaped wrap around rear lights, a centrally placed BMW badge and distinctive chrome strips, which accentuate the width of the vehicle, while the light­alloy, 15­inch spoke wheels round off a great piece of industrial design.

In all, the 740i expresses an image of absolute power and assurance in any parking lot and no matter where I left the car during the week I drove it, I al­ ways returned to find one or two inter­ ested males discussing the car’s special nature.

At one stage, I halted at a traffic light and the driver of an old, red Mini was overawed by the 740i, to the point that when the light turned green and I oozed across the intersection, he totally forgot to move off and was hooted into action by fellow motorists.

INTERIOR Open any of the self­closing doors by one of their back­lit handles and you are introduced to a world of comfort, quali­ ty and luxury.

The interior is finished in soft, meri­ no leather, with padded dashboard and satin walnut trim.

The seats themselves are all electri­ cally operated and have heating, mas­ sage and memory functions.

The front seats have television screens at their back, in case you need to keep up with international stock mar­ ket prices on the way to the office.

control panel.

Furthermore, if I were to drive for too long a period, the 740i would tell me onscreen that I needed a break and a cup of coffee.

For those going on holiday, the cav­ ernous boot offers space for two sets of golf clubs and luggage for four.

SAFETY AND SECURITY The 740i has a host of safety features.

From the usual ABS and EBD to night vision with pedestrian recognition and a lane departure warning system which alerts the driver by a gentle vibration on the steering wheel if the vehicle is about to cross a lane marking.

There is a rear­reversing camera, as well as side cameras, which allow the driver to see what is coming from both sides at intersections — most useful during blackouts. Automatic parking is available as an optional extra.

Then there is dynamic stability con­ trol, traction control and six front, side and curtain air bags — the car also has the usual BMW deadlock and alarm sys­ tems.

PERFORMANCE AND HANDLING The 7 Series is a superb mix of comfort and driving pleasure. In town, it cruises noiselessly in traffic and is easy to park.

On the open road, it comes into its own and the power of the vehicle makes high­speed driving a pleasure.

The bi­turbo, three­litre, six­cylinder petrol engine produces 235 kW of pow­ er and 450 Nm of torque which, linked to an eight­speed automatic gearbox, will take you from zero to 100 km/h in 5,7 seconds.

Top speed is governed to 250 km/h and, driving sensibly you should get 9,5 litres/100 km.

Your consumption can be improved by engaging the ECO­Pro mode, which features a coasting function, where the car moves forward using its own kinetic energy; however, the Sport + Function will always be tempting.

The biggest conundrum in the BMW 740i is whether to be driven, or to drive it. Both rear seats have dedicated displays and a small electric refrigerator between the seats with space for two bottles of Champagne, but the front are closer to the butter­ smooth, three­litre, six­ cylinder petrol engine.

Brian Bassett decided playing chauffeur is the better option.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED and ALWYN VILJOEN Although the 740i can take three pas­ sengers at the rear, it is in fact meant for two, with a fold­down arm rest con­ taining a number of comfort­related controls and a small electric refrigera­ tor.

The car also offers full Bluetooth and USB connectivity for two cellphones.

The leather­covered multifunction steering wheel allows the operation of a wide variety of onboard functions, in­ cluding cruise control.

DASHBOARD IS A DESIGN DELIGHT The multifunction instrument display is typically BMW and covers every ele­ ment I required to see on a regular basis and a few not so frequently required.

There is a complete full­colour, heads­ up display, which means I never had to take my eyes of the road, something I found very helpful at night.

The vehicle has a screen placed at a high level on the dash, just above the central air­conditioning ducts. Operat­

HYBRID BEEMER A HIT IN ENGLAND THE BMW i8 plug­in hybrid sports car has been crowned UK Car of the Year for 2015.

Having fought off stiff competition to the ti­ tle of Performance Car of the Year, the four­ seat technological tour de force also won the overall vote. The win heralds back to back wins for BMW and its “I” car programme as the BMW i3 was awarded UK Car of the Year in 2014. The BMW i8 was also recently named as Top Gear Car of the year.

Launched in 2014, the UK Car of the Year Awards are judged by 27 of Britain’s most­read motoring journalists. The judges use their ex­ pertise to pick out the top performer in 12 ve­ hicle categories, before deciding the overall winner from their favourites in each class.

The UK has quickly become Europe’s biggest market for i8 sales with 450 registrations so

far. There is currently a nine­month waiting list for the car. The sister BMW i3 is also a sales success with the 1 860 car sold in the UK since its November 2013 launch.

Craig Thomas, UK COTY judge, said of the BMW i8: “Just as the i3 helped redefine elec­ tric vehicles, so the i8 is helping to redefine what a sports car is, in a world attempting to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.

The pairing of a three­cylinder engine and electric motor gives mind­boggling headline economy and emissions figures, while it makes few compromises in the driving department.”

Graeme Grieve, BMW UK CEO, said the i3 and i8 being named consecutive UK Car of the Year winners shows BMW’s technology strategy is being recognised as truly game changing for the car industry.” — Supplied.

ed by the I Drive controller.

This allowed me to undertake a wide variety of tasks from setting the internal climate, to manipulating data, using the telephone, operating the built­in GPS, receiving e­mails and a whole host of other functions covering every aspect of the car and the current journey being made.

There is also a magnifier function which allows the driver to magnify any element shown on the screen and in the

Off­road skateboard If you have R11 608 to pledge, industrial designer Chris Terpstra will sell you his new Gila Board on Kickstarter. The skateboard has independent suspension similar to that used in rally cars, with fully adjustable pivoting struts and a coil­over shock absorber on each wheel. Terpstra plans to sell the boards for R14 582.

PHOTO: GILA BOARDS

PAYING FOR YOUR PLEASURE The 740i will cost you about R1,2 mil­ lion new.

Remember there are always demos and year olds. It comes with the usual three­year or 100 000 km manufactur­ er’s warranty and a five­year 100 000 motor plan, which cares for everything but tyres.

The plan can be extended to 200 000 km. The 7 Series also comes in 750 and 750Li models and a 730d and Active Hybrid.

This end of the market is not exactly crawling with competitors, but you should have a look at Audi A8, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes S­Class and the Jaguar XJ.

4

WitnessWheels MOTORING

March 5, 2015

Shorter cross­country returns to Harrismith THE 2015 Donaldson Cross­ Country championship will open with the RFS Endurance Race in Harrismith over March 27 and March 28 and will bring changes to the national series.

The changes include a shorter calendar and revamped event formats and points allocation.

The changes, put forward by the South African National Off­ Road Association during the off­sea­ son, seek to cut costs and streamline the series.

In this respect, the most signifi­ cant change is to the calendar: the number of events counting for the na­ tional championship has been cut from eight to six.

The F­TYPE R Jaguar Coupé reached speeds in excess of 300 km/h on the 4,9 km runway at Upington Airport.

PHOTO: QUIKCPIC

Officially the fastest F­TYPE R Jaguar scratches the South African land speed record by seven km/h PRETORIA — The Jaguar F­TYPE R Coupé is officially the fastest production vehicle in South Africa.

On February 28, at the Upington Air­ port in the Northern Cape, a small group of Jaguar employees gathered to watch the 405 kW supercharged V8 coupé be­ ing driven into the record books. The event was the culmination of just over six weeks of planning, and saw Jaguar tapping into its heritage; recalling the forties and fifties, when it famously set numerous European land­speed records with the XK120.

“Not only do we say that racing is in our blood, we go out there and prove it,” said Richard Gouverneur, managing di­ rector of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) South Africa and sub­Saharan Africa.

“Aside from being inspired by our his­ tory of racing and land­speed records, we also wanted to show off the innovation,

performance and safety of our vehicles.

“A car that’s capable of reaching 300 km/h safely is many times safer at legal and safe speeds.”

At the hands of Dawie Olivier, national after­sales manager at JLR and a racer with more than two decades of rallying and circuit racing experience, the F­TYPE R Coupé reached speeds in excess of 300 km/h on the 4,9 km runway at Upington Airport.

For the record to be official, two runs have to be completed in both directions while timekeeping officials from Motor­ sport South Africa measure speed over a one­kilometre distance.

On the uphill section of the F­TYPE’S record­setting run, it achieved a speed of 288,33 km/h, while the complement­ ing downhill run saw it crack the magical 300 km/h mark with an officially meas­ ured speed of 301,03 km/h.

The land­speed record comprises the average of the two runs, and now sits at 294,68 km/h — besting the previous record of 287,63 km/h set in 2002, with Mike Griffiths behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT2.

“The F­TYPE R Coupé is limited to 300 km/h, but we chose not to remove the speed limiter, even though the regulations make provision for us to do so legally. The car that we used is exactly as customers can buy it off the showroom floor,” said Gouverneur. “Ultimately, we ran out of space to go even faster; howev­ er, this was the safest venue to illustrate the potential of this vehicle.”

The South African land­speed record attempts are sanctioned by Motorsport South Africa (MSA), which ensures that cars used for production vehicle record attempts are standard and within manu­ facturer specification. — Supplied.

KING OF THE HILL FOR JAGUAR SIMOLA HILL CLIMB IS FULL THE King of the Hill category for the Jaguar­sponsored Simola hill climb, to be held in Knysna, is already fully sub­ scribed.

The King of the Hill caters for a maximum of 80 entries, comprising both production cars and race vehicles, each of which is separated into small­ er classes based on engine capacity, number of cylinders and whether they

are normally aspirated or boosted by means of a turbocharger or superchar­ ger.

Last year’s winner, Franco Scribante, will be back to defend his title and record­breaking time of 41,159 seconds.

However, a change to the rules will see him defending his title in the Classic Car Friday in a Chevron B26, powered by a specially developed 3,2­litre V8

Suzuki engine.

One of the other main drawcards will be Supercar Thursday, which has been introduced for the first time.

This is a non­competitive event to give owners of these high­performance supercars a rare opportunity to push their cars to the limit. The event takes place on May 14 to May 17.

— Wheels Reporter.

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

THREE SPRINT EVENTS Sanora chief executive officer Richard Schilling explained: “We are duty bound to protect the interests of the championship and the changes are aimed at reducing costs for stake­ holders, event organisation and com­ petitors.

The changes implemented will pave the way for the growth of region­ al and national championship cross­ country racing.” The championship will have three sprint events, two en­ durance events and a marathon.

Sprint events will be 450 km, endur­ ance races of 650 km to 700 km and the lone marathon event, the Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1 000 Desert Race, will be run over 1 000 km.

All events will be run over a mini­ mum of two loops with a compulsory 20­minute service halt after the first

loop. Drivers will qualify for grid pla­ ces for sprint and marathon events that will be run over 100 km.

NEW SCORING SYSTEM While there are no changes to classes in the Production and Special Vehicle categories, the scoring of events and the allocation of points counting to­ wards the Donaldson Cross­Country Championship has also received a face­lift.

Sprint and endurance events will score single points, with single points also allocated to each of the two heats that will make up the Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1 000 Desert Race.

Points awarded to competitors in the Production and Special Vehicle categories, as well as the various classes, have been amended with 30 points now on offer for race winners.

The practice of competitors drop­ ping a score at the end of the season has also been scrapped — all races will count towards overall and class re­ sults.

— Wheels24.com 2015 RACE CALENDAR Mar 27­28 — RFS Endurance (En­ durance) Harrismith May 8­9 — Toyota Dealer 45 (Sprint) Eston June 26­28 — Toyota 1 000 Desert Race (Marathon) Kalahari August 7­8 — Nkomazi 450 (Sprint Race) Malalane September 11­12 — (Endurance Race) Vryburg October 30­31 — Atlas Copco Gold 450 (Sprint race) Westonaria.

The field has shrunk by two teams for this year’s eerily quiet Formula E racing, down from 10 last year.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Formula E grid for 2015 THE Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has announced that a total of eight teams will com­ pete in the second year of Formula E racing, down from the 10 taking part in the first season.

The competition is set to heat up during the 2015­2016 race calendar, with teams being allowed to develop the vehicles for the first time.

While Formula E racers might not compete at quite the same dizzying speeds seen in flagship Formula One racing, the all­electric cars are capa­ ble of speeds in excess of 225 km/h.

The first season included 10 races, with varying locations from Beijing to London, where the final race will take place on June 27.

Six current teams will continue to compete in year two — ABT Sports­ line, Andretti, Mahindra, Renault Sports, Ventauri Automobiles and Virgin Racing Engineering — while newcomers NEXTEV TCR and Motomatica will fill out the lineup.

While Amlin Aguri, Dragon Racing, Trulli and China Racing took part in the inaugural champi­ onship, you won’t find them on the

grid in year two. The FIA didn’t comment on why those teams won’t be continuing in the sport, but did state that it’s satisfied with quality of those manufacturers progressing to the second season.

Up until now, teams have been using the exact same Spark­Renault SRT_01E car. That’s set to change for the 2015­2016 season, with the series becoming an open champion­ ship, allowing teams to start making modifications to their vehicles.

Those modifications will be limited to the power train for the time being — specifically the gear­ box, inverter, e­motor and cooling system — but will extend to batteries from the third season onwards.

“The gradual opening up of the regulations will promote innova­ tion, while at the same time keeping costs under control,” said FIA president Jean Todt.

“The solutions chosen by the manufacturers will hopefully lead to rapid development of the future­fo­ cused technologies at the heart of Formula E.” — Supplied.

Join Barons Pietermaritzburg for the CANSA Shavathon – 7th March from 8:30am – 11:30am –

By Pieter from Maritzburg economy, as well as tailored deals that suit your budget and needs – compliments of The Bespoke Volkswagen Dealers at Barons Pietermaritzburg.

Do you dare enough to show you care? Well when it comes to cancer, Barons Pietermaritzburg do dare indeed! They have committed to taking part in the CANSA Shavathon this Saturday. For the truly daring you can go ahead and have the full-on brave shave. But if you are not quite ready to relinquish your mop, then you can still have your hair colour sprayed to help in their goal to create awareness.

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.

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Deposit

Balloon Payment

Total Cost Incl fees & VAT

Model

Vehicle Price

7.4%*

0%

R50,330

R194,275

New Polo TSI 66kW Comfortline

R221,200

-

Monthly No. of Instalments Instalments

R2,597*

15” Tosa alloy wheels Electric mirrors Alarm with ultrasonic interior monitoring 3 year / 120 000km warranty Interest Rate Linked / Variable

Deposit

Balloon Payment

Total Cost Incl fees & VAT

9.25%*

20% (R44,240)

30% (R66,360)

R253,315

72

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An optional cost of R900 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 9.25%. Note: Offers calculated on the Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW Conceptline model in standard specifications. 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. Volkswagen Financial Services a division Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa (Pty) Ltd Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms and Conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 15 March 2015.

An optional cost of R900 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 9.25%. Note: Offers calculated on the New Polo TSI 66kW Comfortline model in standard specifications. 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. Volkswagen Financial Services a division Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa (Pty) Ltd Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms and Conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 15 March 2015.

Polo Vivo

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

• • • • •

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

2013 2013 2014 2015 2015 2015

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

Silver Silver Red Silver White White

R132 900 R139 900 R149 900 R159 900 R159 900 R169 900

44 000 40 000 9 000 1 500 1 000 1 000

km km km km km km

2013 2013 2014 2015 2015 2015 2015

Polo 1.4 Trendline 5 Door Polo 1.2 TDI BlueMotion 5 Door Polo GTI 1.4 DSG Polo Sedan 1.6 Comfortline Tiptronic Polo 1.2 TSI Comfortline Polo 1.2 TSI Highline Polo 1.2 TSI Trendline

White White White Silver Silver Red White

R152 900 R174 900 R274 900 R249 000 R229 000 R239 000 R185 900

25 000 48 000 11 800 1 400 2 100 3 000 900

km km km km km km km

2012 2012 2015 2015

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

Black White White Silver

R299 900 R298 900 R349 900 R319 900

59 000 66 000 23 000 3 500

km km km km

2014

Amarok Double Cab DSG 132kW

White

R449 000

13 000 km

2010 2012 2014 2014 2014 2014 2015 2015

Scirocco 2.0 TSI Jetta 1.4 TSI DSG Tiguan 1.4 TSI BlueMotion Passat 2.0 TDI DSG VW Transporter Single Cab TDI 21st Century Beetle 1.2 TSI Touareg 3.0 TDI BlueMotion Tiptronic Tiguan 2.0 TDI

Silver Beige Grey White White White White Silver

R259 900 R279 000 R299 000 R329 900 R249 900 R259 900 R799 900 R339 000

45 000 58 000 6 500 15 000 7 000 5 000 1 000 5 000

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White Blue Beige Grey White White

R69 900 R169 900 R79 900 R119 900 R299 000 R379 000

160 000 km 88 000 km 127 000 km 70 000 km 44 000 km 20 000 km

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Other

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

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

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

Tough gets you across rivers and over mountains.

Amarok 2.0 BiTDI Highline Automatic 4x2 from R5,417* per month Model Amarok 2.0 BiTDI Highline Auto 4x2

km km km km km km km km

Interest Rate Monthly No. of Vehicle Price Instalments Linked / Instalments Variable

R467,700

R5,417*

72

9.25%*

Deposit

Balloon Payment

10% 35% (R46,770) (R163,695)

Total Cost Incl fees & VAT

R553,706

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An optional cost of R1600 incl VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: *Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 9.25%. Note: Offers calculated on the Amarok 2.0 BiTDI Highline Auto 4x2 in standard specifications. Instalment includes delivery, initiation and monthly administration fee of R57. Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. Volkswagen Financial Services South Africa Proprietary Limited trading as Volkswagen Financial Services an Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms and Conditions apply. All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 15 March 2015.

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6

WitnessWheels MOTORING

March 5, 2015

A home that’s also a private car showroom ADAM WILLIAMS

Proving water is a good conductor, a potato helps to spark an old Landy’s engine.

PHOTO: UK MIRROR

Potato power wins AA award THE UK Mirror carried what could yet turn out to be the weirdest car­fixing item this year.

On February 19, an AA service employee temporarily fixed a farm’s sixties’ Land Rover using a potato. Mario Papademetriou (59) had already failed to mend the condenser using tin foil and sili­ cone repair tape.

He had been called out to a farm in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire.

He said: “There were a lot of vegetables around, so I thought I’d try wiring up a potato with a cou­ ple of screws. It started instantly.

“I followed the owner to the ga­ rage and he said the vehicle had never driven so well.”

The owner made the 19­kilome­ tre journey to the garage where the ignition system was properly repaired.

Mario of Chingford, Essex, won an AA prize for the inventive repair job.

To show it was not just a coin­ cidence, the AA’s technical depart­ ment replicated the temporary re­ pair using the AA’s Series I Land Rover and it worked perfectly.

Boss Donald MacSporran said: “AA patrols work on pretty much any vehicle on the road and pride themselves on their ability to fix them.

“While they regularly go the ex­ tra mile with some very inventive repairs, we continue to invest in their training and equipment to maintain our leading fix rate.

“Although vegetables are best left on the dinner plate, Mario’s use of a potato was definitely a chip above the others — an excel­ lent example of thinking outside the box.” — The Mirror.

BJARKE Ingels Group (Big) has begun work on a luxury residence in Denmark that’s almost equal parts home and pri­ vate car showroom. Commissioned by a client with an enviable car collection, Villa Gug comprises a novel looping form that integrates the cars into the main body of the house.

Bringing to mind Poland’s Autofami­ ly House in its unabashed celebration of the car, Villa Gug is located in a rural area near Ålborg, Denmark.

Its design will polarise opinion, but appears well­suited to the client’s par­ ticular requirements. Judging from the renders provided to the press, the home appears to take its place well in the sur­ rounding landscape too.

“In Villa Gug, the client’s passion for cars plays a significant role in family life, taking up a significant portion of the housing area,” says Big. “Instead of hid­ ing the vehicles away in a basement, or a large garage, we suggest a house that smoothly turns from car to home.”

Villa Gug comprises a total floor space of 750 sq m, and is laid out as fol­ lows: the looping form serves first as a driveway and then becomes a private showroom and garage. As it slopes up­ wards, it leads into a gym and then the house proper, with kitchen, lounge, and remaining areas joined onto each other and connected by hallways. A roof­top terrace tops the structure and a library is reached by descending a staircase.

Architectural model of Villa Gug. PHOTO: BIG Although Villa Gug sports significant glazing, it’s deceptively private, and pas­ sersby won’t be able to gawk inside at

the cars as the ground floor features a large unbroken facade of what looks like concrete. In addition, the looping form

also creates an inner garden area that’s removed from prying eyes. Work on the project is ongoing. — Gizmag.com

Heart is in the right place, but their vehicles are fugly ALWYN VILJOEN THE heart of the company Kohle is in the right place — trying to make and sell bakkies that run on sunshine.

The company has been working since 1918 and is a major player in the industrial bodywork sector in France, with nearly 3 000 conversions leaving its workshops every year.

Its designers clearly need to get out into the sun a bit more often. They will then see that — in the bright light of day — their range of hacked­off con­ verted bakkies and vans looks a little less than alluring when compared with the original Renault Trafic or Dacia Docker.

And then there is the question of what were Kohle’s designers thinking when they took a big tin opener to the Dacia Docker to turn the mini van back to a bakkie, complete with jutting C­pil­

How not to shape a bakkie or van: Until Kohle’s designers got hold of it, both the Trafic (left) and the Dacia Docker mini van had a sleek, modern look thanks to Renault’s elegant designers. Now they look gap­toothed.

PHOTO: KOHLE lars to accommodate the rear lights?

Especially as Dacia had replaced the 2008 Logan Pickup, which we still buy and trust as the Nissan NP200. At the

current euro to rand rate with taxi in­ centives added, Kohler could have shown a profit just by importing the bakkies made in Rosslyn to fit the Ren­

ault Zoe’s drivetrain to it. Instead, we have another ugly half­ton electric bak­ kie to join the ranks of this breed buzz­ ing around airports and warehouses.

Japanese has ultimate braai van, complete with selfie drone ALWYN VILJOEN THE Japanese seem determined to adopt South Africa’s culture. First it was our soccer, then rugby and now it is our braa­ is.

Char of the Japanese Barbecue Associ­ ation Gejo Tamio, collaborated with so­ cial­media project editor Osamu Suzuki­ san and carmakers Nissan to make the “ultimate smart BBQ car”.

Called the Ultimate BBQ vehicle, the project is only partly tongue in cheek in response to a challenge to design the ulti­ mate smart BBQ car that is ecofriendly with zero emissions and waste.

Based on the electric Nissan NV200, the braai van comes with a mobile kitchen that slides out on rails in the rear, a roof that rolls out from the side with a water mister as well as other luxuries the Japa­ nese consider essential braai aids, like a selfie drone that broadcasts pictures via a cellphone to the car’s windscreen, a kar­ aoke system and, of course, sub­sonic acoustic mosquito repellents. The elec­ tric braai has a 1 500­watt grill.

Answering the question “why an ulti­ mate smart BBQ car” in the electric car?

The makers said that the potential of elec­ tric vehicles is infinite.

“They do not pollute the air, are quiet

and comfortable and ride very comforta­ bly. And in a disaster, will also be an im­ portant power supply device.” The fun­ loving geeks behind the BBQ say they need just another Yen 10 000 (R978 771) to finish the project on crowd funding.

The Japanese Barbecue Association’s ultimate braai car. It features essentials such as a selfie drone and a chrome caster to broadcast the drone’s photos via a smartphone onto the car’s windscreen.

SCREEN GRAB: YOUTUBE

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WitnessWheels MOTORING

March 5, 2015

Guns, shots and 4x4s SAIM SAEED discovers how Pakistanis race cross­country at the Cholistan Desert Jeep Rally I COULDN’T have imagined that the first time I would see someone in Pakistan drinking openly in public it would be in the Bahawalpur Desert.

Yet, there it was. The man was young, wearing a red shalwar kameez, with an unmistakable green Murree Brewery beer can. He caught me staring and offered me one, and I graciously accepted, still dumbfounded.

There were whiffs of narcotics too, but the strong wind blew them away intermittently. We were stationed at a particularly sharp corner along with hundreds of spectators on the second day of the 10th Cholistan Desert Jeep Rally, watching massive 4×4s struggle with the treacherous sand as they came in to the turn.

MOUSTACHES AND ASSAULT RIFLES There wasn’t much in the way of barriers; just two border troops with sticks yelling at spectators as they transgressed the imaginary line the troops had made around the turn.

Every time a car got stuck in the sand, which was often, spectators swarmed around the car yelling instructions to each other. They pushed and pulled, and when the driver revved the car, he spat more sand on all the people trying to help, before eventually racing away trying to make up for lost time.

Most spectators looked seasoned.

They brought umbrellas and dust masks and rugs and ice boxes. They sat on fold­ ing chairs, and wore big moustaches.

Many had assault rifles lazily leaning next to them. There wasn’t a woman in sight.

It was my first time. I had met a par­ ticipant at the rally through a mutual friend who invited some friends and me to attend the rally, also known as “Paki­ stan’s largest motor sport event”. Two days before the qualifying round, I took a bus from the southern port city of Kar­ achi to Bahawalpur to check it out.

A LOCKED DERAWER FORT Pakistan’s tourism industry has seen a spectacular collapse over the past dec­ ade as its security situation deteriorat­ ed. Hotels across the country have been targeted (most spectacularly the Islamabad Marriott in 2008 that killed 58 people), and so have foreign embas­ sies, diplomats, and tourists.

In 2009, the Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked, shutting out Pakistan from hosting any international cricket.

In 2013, gunmen dressed in army camouflage killed 10 foreign mountaineers on the Nanga Parbat base camp. And then just last year, a Spanish tourist cycling through Pakistan was attacked in Balochistan; six policemen in the convoy assigned to protect him were killed.

Tour guides, hoteliers, and hustlers were left to pick up the pieces, and they started with the natives.

While international tourism might have slowed to a trickle, local tourism continues to thrive.

There was ample evidence of that at the rally, where nearly 100 000 people showed up.

Fans of cross­country racing speak the same language about the same topics everywhere, but in Pakistan the drivers have bigger moustaches and automatic assault rifles than anywhere else.

(Left) Go figure, the historic Derawer fort was locked tight during the biggest tourism event of the year. (Top) Indian wrestlers compete in bouts of kusti.

PHOTOS: SAIM SAEED There was plenty on offer, too.

The race took off in front of the centuries­old beautiful Derawer Fort.

There was a mausoleum next to fort embellished with the blue tiles south Punjab is famous for, a mosque made very much in the Mughal style of the Taj Mahal and the Badshahi Mosque.

But in typical fashion, both the fort and the mausoleum were closed on the day we went.

There were no guards to tell us why, just a big lock on the gates and some barbed wire that encircled the area. One would have imagined that when the whole point of the rally was to boost tourism, they would open the doors to the tourist sites on offer, but perhaps inevitably in Pakistan, politics came first. Last year, the fort was closed by its owner, Faizul Rashid Abbasi, for not being involved in the administrative committee of the race.

Abbasi is the heir of the last Nawab of Bahawalpur before the former prince­ ly state was fully absorbed into Pakistan, and simply observing the abject state of disrepair the fort had fallen in can make an argument for nationalisation.

While technically Abbasi isn’t in government, he’s an influential political figure in the region.

Our camp was wedged between the highway that led to the fort and his hunt­ ing grounds. This year, Abbasi did orga­ nise the rally but the fort was still closed.

Many residents simply didn’t have an answer. One said: “There are too many people,” and another said darkly: “Secu­ rity.”

ALCOHOL AND POLITICS While it was supposed to be all fun and games — kabaddi tournament, bikers doing wheelies and tricks, concerts, ice­ cream trucks in the desert, circus performers, fireworks, drugs, alcohol, sex workers (some from as far as Russia, attendees told me, though I didn’t see any) and, of course, the cars, politics was inescapable.

The armed forces already had a strong presence in the region because of its proximity to India.

A paramilitary force called the Punjab Rangers does border patrol, and the authorities called in extra troops to ensure security around the track and the

event. Although they couldn’t have been that good at their jobs, as a driver told me all the foreign liquor was smuggled from across the border. They also beefed up security in Bahawalpur city, an hour away.

Earlier, when we were entering the city, a policeman stopped our car and asked us for identification and registration papers.

Upon asking why we were stopped, the policeman smiled sheepishly and said the army people told him to, and subtly pointed to the truck standing about 40 metres away.

“I’m just following orders,” the policeman said, telling us everything we need to know about civil­military relations in the country.

One of the origin stories I heard of the Cholistan rally was that the army organised the rally in 2004, but the results were rigged.

“Brigadier this won this category.

Colonel this won that category. It was all a sham, so the civilians decided to do their own thing,” a driver told me.

BIG­BELLIED DRIVERS

The participants, for the most part, had comparable wealth, which made sense.

It would be disingenuous to say the Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab sponsored the event when so much of the rally was funded by the participants themselves.

Only a giant, inflated neon Mountain Dew gave any indication that the race had corporate sponsors.

Most participants funded their own rally cars, mechanics, transport, accommodation and food.

I was lucky to have accommodation in a private camp.

Most spectators and journalists were only given a tent on a few square feet of the parking lot, where they were to pitch it. A big watering hole next to it was the makeshift shower area for the thousands in attendance. Many were forced back to Bahawalpur city for the night. Just the registration fee was $350.

And looking at the vehicles they were driving, the expenses were much, much higher.

The race cars were massive, roaring supercharged monsters — the most obvious extensions of their masculine owners. The drivers wore cowboy hats and Harley Davidson shirts that were stretched by big bellies.

Any discussion over the dinner table inevitably was about the suspension, the drive, that race from three years ago when the car overturned.

Essentially, I was amid a subculture with its own hierarchy of drivers, me­ chanics and cars, their own vocabulary and lexicon (putt was a patch of flat, dry ground upon which cars could acceler­ ate; teep is a sand dune; khaadir is a series of bumps; the front of the car floats), their hopes and their rivalries.

BUT A SAD RALLY The day of the rally was a disappoint­ ment. There were no cameras at any stretch of the 220 km course, so the spectators were resigned only to watch the cars leave from the starting point and arrive at the finishing line.

If they were charitable, the drivers would do a few donuts to excite the crowd. The sand was blowing so fiercely, it was difficult to see the cars from the stand.

After the excitement of watching the first few cars leave subsided, the audience moved over to the television that was screening the India­Pakistan World Cup match.

For obvious reasons (Pakistan lost), interest in the match also soon subsided.

Some dancers and drums kept the day alive for some time before they, too, packed up their bags and left. We left before the prizes were awarded, a $1 500 financial reward.

But even before the winners were announced, the gunfire had already started. I looked up and realised that there was no roof above me, and I really couldn’t hide anywhere when the bullets came down, so I gave up and enjoyed the fireworks instead.

— Republished from the Europe and Africa edition of the Quartz Daily Brief.

• Follow Saeed @saimsaeed847.

INVITE TO U15s TO ENTER TOYOTA DREAM CAR ART CONTEST THE ninth annual Toyota Dream Car Art Contest has officially opened and will run until March 16.

The contest is held once a year, with Toyota affiliates around the world conducting a national compe­ tition in three age categories name­ ly: under eight years old, eight to 11 years old and 12 to 15 years old.

The top five contestants win prizes on a national level and the top three are entered into the interna­ tional competition which is judged in Japan with Akio Toyoda.

This year’s theme is “Your Dream Car”.

All contestants are encouraged to showcase their imagination and

draw the car of their dreams. The car could fly, clean, dive and even save lives, no dream is too small for this competition.

The competition will be judged by a panel, which includes the To­ yota South Africa’s creative team and creative directors from Johan­ nesburg Advertising Agency, FCB.

Entry forms will also be delivered to selected schools across the country. All information, including the poster, entry form, question­ naire and the terms and conditions of the competition as well as the list of schools, can be found on the Toyota website at www.toyota.co.za — Supplied.

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