Wheels3Nov2016

1904 ­ NOVEMBER 3, 2016

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KZN Honda owners in KZN heed airbag recall.

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ALL THE LATEST BIKING NEWS PAGE 6

World First! A test of a Quantum’s swerve limits, and when you should rather take the taxi.

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WitnessWheels MOTORING SAFETY

November 3, 2016

Crash test a world first UKZN students make cheap crash test dummies for unique taxi swerve test A half­empty Quantum taxi manages, just, to avert a roll over on a slick surface in a unique test.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED ALWYN VILJOEN HOWARD College students at the University of KZN last week took part in a world first test of the limits beyond which a taxi driver will lose control of a Toyo­ ta Quantum, and the results have surprised everyone.

Forensic investigator and owner and MD of the company Accident Specialists Craig Proc­ tor­Parker said the heavens opened during the tests, which saw the taxi pulled at speeds of up to 115 km/h before it was un­ hitched from the tow cable and sent into half a swerve using au­ tomated steering.

To simulate eight passengers, the taxi contained four crash dummies — one “baby” of 15 kg and three adults weighing be­ tween 65 kg and 75 kg, as well as sand bags in the same range of weights.

As is the norm in taxis, none of the “passengers” were wearing

their seat belts, but once they see how violently all the passengers flail about during a high speed swerve, it is the opinion at Wheels that even the sandbags would strap in for the next tests.

The flailing limbs of even a 15 kg baby move violently enough to damage the face of an­ other passenger.

Craig­Proctor said two factors contributed to the taxi avoiding rolling over in the apex of the high speed swerve, these being the taxi’s relative emptiness and a very slick surface on which it was tested.

The eight occupants included the driver and conductor, leaving only six passengers in the 14­ seater minibus. Then it had rained all day during the test, leaving a slick surface that did not create grip to stop the tyres as the top­heavy passenger cell stayed upright, despite at one point running on only two wheels. He said other automated

crash test experts around the world agree the data collected during the tests could be the first realistic wet weather test for a minibus taxi in the world.

What interests the crash test­ ers even more are the very low cost test dummies designed by the first­year students, led by Professor Riaan Stopforth at the Stopforth Mechatronics, Robot­ ics and Research Lab and co­su­ pervised with Dr Shaniel Dav­ rajh. The lab houses the Mecha­ tronics and Robotics Research Group (MR2G) Search and Res­ cue Division, the Mechatronics and Robotics Research Group (MR2G) Bio­Engineering Unit and Touch Prosthetics.

Stopforth told Wheels the re­ mote control of the minibus taxi and automated swerving ma­ noeuvre was a first in Africa, while the crash test dummies are the cheapest anatomically cor­ rect dummies in the world right now.

He said conventional crash test dummies that show collision trauma costs upwards of R500 000, but the groups of stu­ dent had built a realistic simula­ tor that shows tissue and bone trauma during a crash — all for about R1 500 per dummy.

The skeletons of the dummies were constructed with materials similar to human bone in terms of density and strength and were then covered with materials with similar properties to human flesh and skin. The torso of each dum­ my was equipped with a sensor that contains a gyroscope to de­ tect and record data about the dynamic behaviour of the dum­ my during the crash.

The students spent all week in an “autopsy”, analysing where the passengers were flung during the high speed swerve as well as what damage their internal or­ gans suffered upon impacting with the surrounds of the taxi.

Stopforth said the first “au­

topsies” showed ribs puncturing lungs and broken limbs.

Craig­Proctor said Toyota will be using the captured data to make the Quantum even safer.

A video is currently being edit­ ed using footage from the 10 cameras, and both experts hope it will shock those who don’t wear their seat belts into wearing them as well as forcing their fel­ low passengers to strap in.

— WR.

The flailing limbs of even a 15 kg baby move violently enough to damage the face of another passenger.

Poor vs rich country crash test reveals half the grim truth ALWYN VILJOEN IN the first test of its kind, the New Car Assessment Pro­ gramme for Latin America and the Caribbean (the Latin NCAP), and the Global New Car Assessment Programme (the Global NCAP) hosted a crash test between cars designed for poor and rich countries.

The test forms part of Global NCAP’s ongoing campaign #NoZeroStarCars, which aims to eliminate zero star cars from the global fleet and was conduct­ ed at the IIHS headquarters in Virginia, U.S., last week.

The test was unusual for NCap in that it was done at a realistic combined closing speed of 129 km/h instead of the usual 64 km/h that these tests are done at in the U.S. The Nissan Tsuru used in the test failed dismally and as expect­ ed, Nissan have announced the

The new car assessment programmes want to eradicate cars that get zero stars, like the Nissan Tsuru, but what they don’t say is that all cars get zero stars in high­speed crashes.

PHOTO: NCAP Tsuru will be taken out of produc­ tion in Mexico from next May. Reacting to the announce­ ment, David Ward, Global NCAP secretary­general, said: “This is a long overdue decision to cease production of a car that

is fundamentally unsafe. Three years ago our partner Latin NCAP crash tested the car and revealed its zero star rating.

“It has taken Nissan too long to recognise that selling sub­ standard cars is unacceptable.

“At last they have responded to the demands of Latin NCAP and Mexican consumers to with­ draw the Tsuru from the market,” said Ward.

What the Global NCap did not say is that no car — no matter

how many stars it wins in the NCAP tests, or how many airbags it has — will fare well when the collision speed exceeds 64 km/h.

The bottom line is that cars have become too fast for average drivers, as the charred body parts that paramedics pick up on a dai­ ly basis after high­speed crashes prove.

The only way to make cars saf­ er is to make them a lot slower, or to fit the systems race car driv­ ers use to protect themselves.

Clyde Victor, 2012 KZN rally champion and installer of roll cages at Ernie’s Panelbeaters in Pietermaritzburg, told Wheels the only system that makes a car truly safe at speed is a racing roll cage, deep bucket seats and wide seat belts that cover the chest.

“I don’t feel as safe in my road car at low speeds as I do in my rally car racing on dirt roads,” he said.

• alwyn.viljoen@witness.co.za

Tuning you straight For the slow hand A lifestyle of a different kind is offered by the Mercedes Benz E­class.

This is one car many young men dream of and older men regret never being able to afford.

If you are one of these it is possible that Elvis Naidoo, sales manager at Metro Cars, can solve your prob­ lem, as he has a white exam­ ple of Mercedes’ famous “Mittel Klasse”, or middle of the Mercedes range E200, on the lot for less than R250 000.

The car dates from 2010, before Mercedes decided to round off all the angles on their designs, and the so­ phisticated interplay be­ tween lines and surfaces gives the car both distinc­ tion and character.

The exterior is without a scratch and looks new.

The leather­ and wood­ panelled interior shows al­ most no wear and the leath­ er­covered, multi­function steering wheel is like new — something I have not seen before in any used car. Even a six­year­old E­class has more electronic toys than most new cars, including cruise control and Bluetooth functions. It is also a full five­ seater, with comfortable rear seating space for the long limbed. The boot is massive and useful.

The 1796 cc turbo petrol engine is economical but has a work­rate of 135 kW that smoothly propels this understated luxury saloon via an auto box at speed past trucks on the N3.

This is the type of car suit­ able for either a family, or for the retired person who needs to fetch and carry grandchildren in comfort and safety. This E200 is not just still like new, when it sold for R515 000, but one of the rare luxury bargains on the Metro showroom floor at half this price.

— Brian Bassett

The E200 is like new.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

‘IF YOU DON’T ALSO BUY THE LIFESTYLE, RATHER TAKE THE TAXI’

HONDA OWNERS AIRBAG CALL

ALWYN VILJOEN

WHILE Honda owners in South Africa are heeding the call to have the inflators of their Tak­ ata airbags replaced at no cost at dealers, buyers of used Hon­ da’ may need reminding to take their cars in for repair.

In the U.S. more than 300 000 used Honda owners are not heeding this call.

Worldwide, about 69 million Takata inflators have to date been recalled due to possible rupture.

In June 2016, U.S. govern­ ment regulators said testing showed that inflators in 313 000 older Hondas and Acuras had as high as a 50% chance of rupturing in a crash.

The U.S. regulators told own­ ers of the cars to stop driving

AFTER 20 years selling used cars at SMG’s BMW franchise in Piet­ ermartizburg, Alan Neave is moving a few hundred metres down the road to sell Land Rover, still for the SMG stable.

Asked what his advice is for as­ piring Beemer or Landy owners, Neave offered some unconven­ tional wisdom: “If you don’t in­ tend to embrace the lifestyle that comes with these brands, rather just take a taxi to get to point B.” Neave is not just punting the brands he sells, but practising what he preaches.

He owns a battered old De­ fender that has been to the top of most hills around Maritzburg and further afield and is keen to

Land Rovers are for people who embrace life.

PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN

lead expeditions to all the hidden delights around KZN’s capital.

“After a house and education, a car is the biggest financial out­ lay most people have. And I be­ lieve that the wheels you are pay­ ing so much money for, must make you smile each time you drive them, and of course you must make the effort to either go

to a track to experience for your­ self the BMW’s fantastic han­ dling, or offroad to see why Land Rover lays claim to be the best 4x4xfar.”

He said the Land Rover dealer in town will soon also be the local Jaguar headquarters, and invites people who want to get add qual­ ity to their lives to go test drive

the new Jaguar F­Pace SUV when the showroom opens in 2017.

As for Land Rover, Neave pre­ dicts demand for the discontin­ ued Defender will continue un­ abated, which is why used models are already holding their value so well. Wheels can recommend to anyone who want to embrace live to pay Neave a visit.

them and get them repaired.

But four months later, only 13 000 of the cars have been repaired. Last week authori­ ties said one of the Takata air­ bags ruptured and killed a Cali­ fornia woman, Delia Robles.

Her death is the 11th tied to Takata inflators in the U.S., adding urgency to the search for the noncompliant vehicles.

The inflators have killed as many as 16 people worldwide and injured more than 100.

Honda says despite all ef­ forts to communicate to own­ ers, owners of used Honda can be hard to find. The Honda dealership in Pietermaritzburg said local owners of new Hon­ das are heeding the call have their airbags repaired. — WR.

MOTORING WitnessWheels

November 3, 2016

Power that sticks THE X5 was first introduced in 1999, a year after the Mercedes M­series and became the first sports activity vehicle or SAV. This branding was used rather than sports utility vehicle or SUV, to emphasise the car’s on­road ability, despite its size. The X5 also heralded the arrival of the crossover from light, truck­based body­on­frame SUVs to a unibody chassis, which the X5 shares with the BMW 5­Series.

The second­generation X5 arrived in 2006 and had a torque­split X­Drive mated to an auto transmis­ sion. In 2009, the X5M performance model joined the range and was launched in 2010. The current model is the third generation, introduced in 2013. The vehicle is due for an up­ grade next year but, since its intro­ duction in 1999, it has been a bestsel­ ler and in South Africa — the SAV to beat.

To date some 169 000 X5s have been sold internationally, of which about 55 000 have been sold in the USA and we thank Alan Neave at SMG for lending us a test model.

Styling The South African market is one driven by badge status and design, and the third­generation X5 meets these criteria.

At the front, the car is butch with its typical BMW split kidney grille flanked by wrap­around headlight pods and two fog lights positioned lower down, with further lower grille and side grilles below the number plate.

The X5 is a great deal more svelte than the previous model, with a smooth design profile and side rib­ bing at door handle level, which un­ derlines its design profile.

The rear split tailgate allows for easy loading and is automatically op­ erated, while the wrap­around tail lights contain two high­performance LED elements, which add to the dis­ tinctive nature of the rear end, as well as promoting safety.

The vehicle is finished off with light alloy V­spoke wheels with seri­ ous 20­inch rubber.

Interior Thomas Alva Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, once said that “… even­ tually everything will be electric”.

That is certainly true of the X5 in­ terior. Just about everything is elec­ trically adjustable — the seats, steer­ ing, air conditioning, external mir­ rors, audio and communications system, as well as connected drive.

The only thing left to the driver is to raise the two rear seats, which turns this luxurious limousine into a seven seater.

Should you have a little money left over after paying for the X5, you can add television screens for rear­seat passengers to watch in case they get bored with your conversation.

The interior quality is superb and the feeling of spaciousness and com­ fort projected by the soft leather and wood finishes integrated in terms of excellent design into a quite remarka­ ble technical package, reminded me once again why this car is still the benchmark in its class.

The dash is intelligently designed and easily useable, with digital speed dial and rev counter. On command

the rev counter becomes the opera­ tional base for a range of technical aspects of the vehicle’s connectivity base.

This gives you Internet access, Bluetooth Office and the ability to create your own radio programme.

Of course, the driving experience is also comfortable and enjoyable, as well as being adjustable to your needs.

The rear seats can be folded in 40:20:40 fashion and when folded down you have 1 870 litres of packing space. If this is insufficient, the chromed roof rails will take a special­ ly designed box for the remainder of your family’s holiday clobber.

Safety and security The X5 has all of the basic safety re­ quirements, like a five­star Euro NCap rating and a great deal more besides. The usual ABS with EBD is combined with the likes of park as­ sist, surround­view rear­view cam­ era, lane departure warning, camera­ based approach warning and lane change warning.

Additions like dynamic stability control, hill descent control and the connected drive system provides a range of active protection for the driver and passengers. Adaptive headlights are also very useful in the Hilton mist and for night driving on poor road surfaces. It goes almost without saying that the car has cen­ tral locking and an alarm.

Performance and handling The best foundation for superior driving dynamics is an outstanding suspension and the X5, with its intel­ ligent xDrive four­wheel drive sys­ tem, adapts to the nature of road con­ ditions and causes the steering to do likewise. The adaptive suspension packages, available as an optional ex­ tra also assist in assuring maximum ground contact at all times, as well as the required traction, directional stability and safety, with typical BMW agility.

The three­litre, six­cylinder, Twin Power, in­line diesel engine provides 190 kWs/560 Nm of torque and will take the car from zero to 100 km/h in around 6,8 seconds.

Power is expressed on road by an eight­speed automatic gearbox, which takes the car to its top speed of 230 km/h without any trouble.

While fuel consumption is difficult to estimate on a vehicle like this, ex­ pect around 6,8 litres to the 100 km in the combined cycle.

We drove the car on the Hesketh Race Track courtesy of the track manager and placed it in the capable hands of Sibonelo Myeni, presenter of Ukozi’s Vuka motoring pro­ gramme. After several laps, he emerged ecstatic about the X5’s han­ dling qualities. It is a sobering thought that this splendid car will mostly be used to transport the kids and collect the groceries.

Costs and competition The X5 xDrive 30 litre will cost you around R1,1 million and the list of ex­ tras is long.

The car comes with the extendable five­year/100 000 km BMW motor plan and a manufacturer’s guarantee.

Also look at the Audi Q7, Mercedes GLE, Lexus RX, Porsche Cayenne and Range Rover Sport.

BRIAN BASSETT treats an X5XDrive 3.0d to dirt and track

With its intelligent xDrive four­wheel drive system, the X5 adapts to the nature of road conditions and causes the steering to do likewise.

PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN

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Speak to our parts department to find out more.

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WitnessWheels MOTORING TRENDS

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November 3, 2016

Car guru’s future Murray predicts smaller cars, tiny engines and less ownership ALWYN VILJOEN From the UK, AutoCar Profes­ sional reports that Durban old boy Professor Gordon Murray’s design studio has fought off competition from across the UK to be nominated for a prestigious national innovation award.

Gordon Murray Design was one of just five companies nomi­ nated for the Innovation Leading to Productivity Improvements in Innovate UK’s Small Business In­ novation awards.

It also has a chance of winning the best of the best Inspirational Innovation award, reports Auto­ Car. “The awards celebrate pro­ jects and companies that demon­ strate the impact of innovation on business growth and driving the economy, and that inspire others,” report the magazine.

In an exclusive column pub­ lished in Autocar Professional’s 11th anniversary issue (Decem­ ber 15, 2015), Murray predicts the future of car design. He says that car sellers and car factories can expect “a new and varied product and manufacturing model that

will represent the greatest change since we began mass pro­ ducing motor cars”.

Murray says the biggest driver of change is the push towards cleaner air, with cities around the world having announced bans on diesel cars that will roll out in the next four years.

He says that while the relative real­world benefits of future fuels and future powertrain technolo­ gies are still very much a matter of debate, and although we have witnessed high levels of invest­ ment in battery electric vehicles (Bev) and hybrid technologies and platforms, there remain im­ portant issues with the speed of development of the support in­ frastructure and the full under­ standing of the true well to wheel emissions picture.

He is dismissive of the devel­ opment of hydrogen fuel cells, saying issues with the infrastruc­ ture and life­cycle analysis mean future emissions legislation will almost certainly focus on the downstream, manufacturing en­ ergy to make the gas.

Other critics of hydrogen­

powered cars say that the system requires a lot of electricity to make hydrogen to be stored to eventually make electricity again, and long­term storage of hydro­ gen, which is dubbed “nature’s escape artist” as it is the element with the smallest molecule, is very difficult at best.

Murray does see an end to the internal combustion engine (Ice), however. “Improvements are now very much in the ‘law of diminishing returns’ area and of course, the recent VW scandal has cast doubt over the diesel emissions performance,” he said in his prediction.

“The outfall from the VW sit­ uation may have a huge impact on both manufacturers’ declared emission and global emission calculations as the average dis­ crepancy between ‘official’ fuel consumption and real­world emission figures is around 25%.”

Just add lightness He predicts another area of change will have to be a reversal of the current automotive trend for ever­increasing footprint and

weight, which Murray said is cur­ rently driven by accountants and marketing departments.

“We have witnessed a trend in engine downsizing in the current decade, but with no correspond­ ing footprint reduction, this has produced a renewed interest in lightweighting, which has brought both higher product costs and higher life­cycle emis­ sions through material selec­ tions such as aluminium for body in white structures. The answer is structural composites typified by our iStream bonded compos­ ites manufacturing technology.

“A potentially large influence on product design manufactur­ ing and indeed the complete ve­ hicle ownership model, will come from new entrants into the auto­ motive sector.

“Well­funded and unencum­ bered entities such as Apple and Google have no existing model or ‘baggage’ as they are entering the sector at a time when the very core of the vehicle purchase and usage models are changing.”

He said their strategy can be developed from a freer thinking

Toyota says new batteries are safe enough ALWYN VILJOEN IT is not just Shaun Abrahams who made a sharp U­turn this month.

Toyota now says it can make electric cars that will last al­ most as long as its internal combustion engines.

Koji Toyoshima, the chief engineer for the latest Prius, told Reuters at the launch of the new Prius in the U.S. that the Japanese car giant has now tamed the volatile lithium­ion battery technology to pack more power safely at no signif­ icant extra cost.

Reuters quoted Toyoshima as saying: “Developing lithi­ um­ion batteries for both hy­ brids and plug­ins will enable us to also produce all­electric cars in the future.”

Rivals like Tesla Motors and Nissan, who adopted lithium­ ion battery technology nearly a decade ago, will be very inter­ ested in Toyoshima’s use of the little word “will”.

As a very conservative com­ pany, Toyota has to date pre­ ferred to focus on hydrogen as a source of power, despite this boiling down (pun intented) to making electricity to store hydrogen to make electricity, because of concerns over the cost, size and unproven safety levels of batteries.

Reuters reports that lithi­ um­ion batteries can be unsta­ ble and they have been blamed for incendiary Samsung

The new Prius heralds a move by Toyota towards electric cars and their batteries.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED smartphones and smoking Dreamliner airplanes.

Having Toyota endorse lithium­ion will be a fillip for the developing technology and it gives the automaker the option to produce for an all­ electric passenger­car market, which it has avoided, prefer­ ring to put its heft behind the hydrogen fuel­cell vehicles (FCVs).

Toyota says its Prius Prime, a soon­to­be­launched plug­ in electric version of the world’s top­selling petrol hy­ brid, will use lithium­ion bat­ teries with enough energy to make the car go about 60 kms when fully charged before the petrol engine kicks in. Because of different methodology in measuring a car’s electric

mode range, the Prime’s 60 km range will be listed in the U.S. as around 40 km.

“It’s a tall order to develop a lithium­ion car battery that can perform reliably and safely for 10 years, or over hundreds of thousands of kilometres,” said Toyoshima.

“We have double braced and triple braced our battery pack to make sure they’re fail­ safe ... It’s all about safety, safety, safety,” he said.

Toyota’s confidence in its battery’s safety and stability comes from improved control technology that monitors pre­ cisely the temperature and condition of each of the 95 cells in its new battery pack.

Working with battery sup­ plier Panasonic Corp, which

also produces Li­ion batteries for Tesla, Toyota has also im­ proved the precision in battery cell assembly, ensuring the battery chemistry is free of im­ purities.

Battery experts say increas­ ingly sophisticated systems that can track individual cell conditions are becoming closely held trade secrets.

Lower battery prices, which have fallen by about 60% in five years to around $145 (R1 958) per kilowatt hour, have also enabled Toyota to develop its more compact, ef­ ficient battery, while adding more sophisticated controls to its battery pack, Toyoshima said.

Toyota declined to say more on its costs. — Reuters.

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

Durban old boy Professor Gordon Murray.

PHOTO: FILE platform and their business model will have “different inputs and more productive outputs than our standard automotive business model and ROI [return on investment] calculation”.

Why own parked cars?

He said the final area that will have an influence on the product and manufacturing is the grow­ ing trend towards urbanisation and the resultant shift in the car ownership model.

“Factors such as car owner­ ship, self­driving cars, conges­ tion, rising ownership costs and

vehicle connectivity, with the subsequent integration of vehi­ cle, home and office, will steer the development teams and the manufacturing industry towards a new model that will see more multiniche vehicle programmes.

With all these new influences and inputs, the result will be some rapid changes in our automotive manufacturing world.

“As we move towards the next decade, we will find that the win­ ners will be the OEMs [original equipment manufacturer] that can adapt and change and the losers will be those that cannot.”

New free racing app an ‘authentic world of cars’ FRENCH gaming giant Eden Games has launched Gear.Club, a high­oc­ tane game that it says is more than just racing, but “an authentic world of cars with fully simulated engines, powertrains, suspensions and aero­ dynamics”.

The app is free on the Apple App Store and Google Play, and took a team of 30 engineers nearly three years to develop. The game debuted on Apple TV Fourth Generation as a launch­window title where it has been the number one overall app in 25 countries as well as the top­gross­ ing app in 10 markets.

In this realistic driving experience, car lovers can collect, upgrade and customise some of the most gor­ geous exotic vehicles in their per­ formance shop, and enjoy exquisite details, such as engines and interiors, in fully rendered 3D. Speaking about the development of Gear.Club, Eden Games founder David Nadal said: “We individually simulate every mechanical element relevant to how a car behaves. Fideli­ ty is key and we are proud that our game engine can reproduce subtle nuances that a true car fan will be able to feel.

“In Gear.Club, every car behaves differently; some are more agile, some understeer. This is quite rare, A screen grab from the new driving­ game app, Gear.Club, which developers say provides more than just a racing game, but ‘an authentic world of cars’.

IMAGE: GEAR.CLUB

if not unique, in the mobile space.

Furthermore, all the data you see in the game is in line with reality.”

Eden Games has a robust heritage for developing racing games, with the simulation, physics and realism of Gear.Club being a result of the company’s 20+ years’ experience in research, engineering and iterative design.

The gaming powerhouse has al­ ready achieved success with highly acclaimed games such as the V­Rally franchise, Need for Speed: Porsche and Test Drive Unlimited, among other major hits on various consoles.

To achieve the realism experi­ enced in Gear.Club, the team at Eden Games worked extremely closely with the featured car manufacturers.

The designers painstakingly repli­ cate each model, ensuring the style and original spirit of each car was up­ held and that the manufacturers can pick the design that best reflects the real­life product. “When manufac­ turers see the respect we have for their products and how meticulous we are, we can establish a very con­ structive dialogue.

“Cars are our religion and I think this transpires when they talk to us, which is why they trust us as much as they do,” said Nadal. More on www.gear.club. — WR.

ROADTRIP MOTORING WitnessWheels

November 3, 2016

5

Designed to mix the rough with the smooth, Chrevrolet’s seven­seat Trailblazer and the 1940 eigh­seat Suburban. PHOTO: FERDI DE VOS

Meet the Trailblazer’s 1940 ancestor Ferdi de Vos treks to Rustenburg to compare Chevrolet’s original Suburban with its new Sport Utility Vehicle CAPE TOWN — Mention the word Suburban and it instinctively conjures up Hollywood­esque scenes of a tight convoy of black trucks, crawling with dark­suited CIA special agents with even darker sunglasses, speeding along a desert highway in some god­forsaken third­world country…

It is quite apt too, because seven dec­ ades ago the Chevy Suburban started life as a model specifically built for the military National Guard units and semi­military Civilian Conservation Corps units in the US. At the time much of its body was still constructed from wood, and it could seat up to eight — three occupants in the front row, two in the middle row, and three at the rear — while either the side­hinged rear panel doors or a rear tailgate/lift window could be selected to give access to the cargo area and — presumably — the Tommy guns. The Suburban is also very important in Chevy folklore, as it is the longest­sur­ viving vehicle nameplate in the world.

Eight decades, 11 generations Now in its eleventh incarnation the Suburban is the longest continuous model still in production — spanning eight decades. It came into being when early in the 1930’s GM acquired the company Martin­Parry to build bodies for commercial chassis.

By 1935 Chevrolet offered a station wagon body built on the half­ton truck frame, and while initially produced for military use, the 1936 “Carryall Subur­ ban” was aimed at private buyers and became one of Chevrolet and GM’s most profitable vehicles.

Ed Welburn, who recently retired as global vice president of design at Gen­ eral Motors, described the 1936 Subur­ ban as one of the all­time great Chevro­ lets and “arguably the first sport­utility vehicle (SUV) in the world”.

The first Suburbans While the term “SUV” did not become popular until the late 1980s early sport utilities were descendants from com­ mercial and military vehicles such as the World War II Jeep and Land Rover.

The earliest examples of these longer­ wheelbase wagon­type vehicles include

the Suburban, the Russian GAZ­61 (1938) and Willys Jeep Station Wagon (1948).

The first generation was offered by Chevrolet as the “Carryall Suburban” and shared its front sheet metal and frames with the half­ton pickup models of the same year. However, it featured an all­metal wagon body differing very slightly from the contemporary “woodie” wagons.

Compared to the GAZ and Jeep the first Suburbans, being only two­wheel drive (4x4 was only available as stan­ dard from fifth generation models in 1960), perhaps did not fully comply with the modern day definition of a SUV. However, from 1942 four­wheel drive assemblies called the Power­Pak kit could be ordered from the company Napco. This kit even had a “shift on the fly” rubber mounted transfer case with a dual­range option. From 1957 the Power­Pak option could be ordered di­ rectly from GM and installed on the factory line with very few modifications to the original chassis.

In South Africa GM already in 1926 established a production facility, and from 1937 onwards started assembling the Chev Suburban in Kempston Road, Port Elizabeth. The second generation model (1940) was also produced in right­hand drive form.

While it’s not exactly clear when lo­ cal Suburban assembly stopped, de­ mand for the outsize vehicle dropped with the influx of smaller, cheaper and more frugal vehicles from Japan in the ’Sixties.

Also, stricter local content regula­ tions, the decision to only produce it in left­hand drive, and the fuel crisis of 1973 hastened its local demise.

Trailblazer road­trip Imagine South Africa in the early ’Forties. With only about 2 000km of paved roads in and around the major cities, it meant any trip past city limits was inevitably on rutted dirt tracks, with rocks, water splashes and a couple of farm gates thrown in for good meas­ ure.

This was the type of roads vehicles

like the Suburban had to traverse, and even a relatively short road trip could become a major trek. So, back in the day vehicles needed to be hardy and sturdy, possess a high ground clear­ ance, and also needed to be easily fixa­ ble, as service stations (not to mention mechanics) was virtually non­existent in the bushveld…

Fast forward seven decades, and our trip following the Magalies Meander through this bushveld to Rustenburg, in the very recently revamped 2016 Chev Trailblazer was routine.

The purpose of our trip? To meet up with a classic South African assem­ bled Suburban in a place close to Rus­ tenburg one can only describe as pure Chevy heaven.

You see, Philip Classics, the private collection of Philip Mostert, consists mainly of Chev vehicles from as early as 1926 to the 1980’s; most bought and restored locally, but some also import­ ed. His collection now totals 52 drivea­ ble cars, including a well­preserved dark blue 1940 Chev Suburban Carryall that caught our attention — as the Trailblazer for all intents and purposes is the spiritual successor to this model in SA. Classic encounter The 1940 model was the final version of the first generation Suburban Carry­ all and it was available with either rear panel doors, designated 3106, or with tailgate doors, designated 3116.

Chevrolet’s description of this mod­ el would not have been out of place de­ picting a modern SUV like the Trail­ blazer today: “The first generation Sub­ urban was often put to work carrying up to eight persons, plus their gear and luggage, to rugged and remote loca­ tions — where work, play or the pursuit of adventure awaited…”

Still, its 216 cubic­inch (3,5­litre) in­ line six­cylinder engine, affectionately called the Stovebolt, produced only 63 kW at 3400 rpm and 230 Nm of torque at 1200 rpm. Combined with a three­speed manual gearbox it had its work cut out to propel the 3,43­ton Sub­ urban forward.

In size it is also comparable to the

This was the type of roads the Suburban considered normal, and modern Trailblazer drivers consider fun. PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN latest Trailblazer.

It is marginally longer (4994mm vs.

4887mm) but their wheelbases are vir­ tually the same (2883mm vs. 2845mm), and in terms of height and interior space there’s also not much difference.

However, when it comes to cargo ca­ pacity the seven­seat Trailblazer has the edge (1830 litres available with the rear seats folded down). Both have as a ladder­frame chassis and independ­ ent (called “knee­action” in the Subur­ ban’s heyday) front suspension.

But the oldie’s hydraulic drum brake system, high white sidewall tyres and sealed beam headlights is replaced by an advanced disc brake system, wide lower­profile tyres and halogen head­ lights, including LED daytime running lights, for the Trailblazer.

The classic Suburban wagon shares its design cues with the 1935 half­ton pickup truck, and it still looks classy and distinguished next to its modern counterpart. The Trailblazer’s trade­ mark ‘bowtie bar’ is now wider and the grille sections with bolder horizontal slats now run the full width of the nose.

The new bonnet also has sleeker con­ tours on the leading edge.

Inside it’s another matter altogether.

In stark contrast to Chev’s latest SUV the Suburban’s interior is Spartan, with bench seats, no carpets to speak of, and no amenities such as aircon, electric windows or even a radio.

More refined and safer than before, the flagship 2,8 LTZ 4x4 auto model now has a next generation MyLink 2.0 multimedia interface and driver aids such as lane departure warning and blind spot alert.

It also has adjustable air condition­ ing for passengers in all three rows, fold­ flat third row seating, a revised sound­ deadening package, more soft­touch materials and standard leather uphol­ stery.

On the road Given its age the Suburban’s six­pot mill is surprisingly smooth and quiet, but not very powerful, and on the road patience is the name of the game…

While supposedly synchronised, the

gearbox needs to be treated in the same way as a crash ’box, matching engine revs to your shifts to ensure a smooth change.

This is quite taxing, made worse by heavy clutch action, and the steering — with no power assistance — is slow and cumbersome, and its turning circle tank­like, while the brakes, compared to the boosted systems nowadays, are vir­ tually non­existent.

To drive the old wagon takes a fair amount of concentration, while the Trailblazer is a total breeze in compari­ son. Its new power steering system, fea­ turing Active Pull and Smooth Road Shake Compensation, adds to a smoother, refined driving experience, while big ventilated discs (300mm) in front and 295mm discs at the rear, plus four­channel ABS and Brake Force Dis­ tribution, provide deadly stopping power.

Other safety features include PBA (Panic Brake Assist), HBFA (Hydraulic Brake Fade Assist), seven airbags, ISO­ FIX child seat anchors, front park as­ sist, Stabilitrak, HDC (Hill Descent Control), TSC (Trailer Sway Control) and a rear mounted camera parking as­ sistance system ­ all technology that didn’t exist seventy years ago.

With the proven 2,8­litre Duramax turbodiesel engine with 144 kW and a class­leading 500 Nm of torque, cruis­ ing on the highway or tackling tough off­road challenges are made easy.

Due to its good torque delivery, ac­ celeration is brisk (0 to 100km/h takes 10.4 seconds) and even towing a braked trailer weighing 2965kg is easy, making the Trailblazer a true “carryall”.

The LTZ 4x4 auto is now available for R613 200, which includes Chevro­ let’s Complete Care after sales package, a five­year or 120 000km warranty and a five­year or 90 000km service plan.

Actually, the first generation Subur­ ban was the original SUV trailblazer, while the new, upgraded and refined Trailblazer is more of a suburban cruis­ er. Yet, both of them still exemplify the ideal type of vehicle for extended road trips.

Philip Mostert’s 1940 Chevrolet Suburban offers more space but less comfort than its 2017 descendant. PHOTO: FERDI DE VOS

WitnessWheels MOTORING BIKING

6

November 3, 2016

Retro at its coolest Under the skin, the Bonneville hides a lot of modern comforts DRIES VAN HEERDEN THE Triumph Bonneville has been in production since 1959 and the T120’s nameplate, which in the sixties referred to its top speed in miles per hour, now indi­ cates its engine capacity.

It is part of Triumph’s current Bonneville range which includes the Thruxton R, winner of the 2016 Pirelli SA Bike of the Year award and at least one other in­ ternational Bike of the Year title.

My initial impression of the bike was that it was much smaller than I had expected. I am no stranger to modern compact su­ perbikes, but for a 1200 cm³ roadster the T120 seemed tiny — considerably lower and narrower than my own Kawasaki Z1000SX. The next thing I no­ ticed was how cleverly Triumph has disguised the bike’s modern underpinnings. Retro as the looks may be, there are conces­ sions to the modern world, such

as an LED stoplight and running lights, heated grips and digital displays in the retro chrome­ trimmed clocks. Mechanically, it is a modern bike with disk brakes, ABS and traction control. While the Bonnie doesn’t exactly han­ dle like a sports bike, the decided­ ly retro­looking suspension copes reasonably well if you ride it as Triumph positioned it — a “gentleman’s conveyance”.

Not to say that hooliganism is totally out of the question,

though — with 105 Nm torque on tap (and about 90% of that available practically at idle), a good twist of the throttle will see the T120 reach highway speed with almost unseemly haste.

You can easily spin the back wheel or hoist the front if you are that way inclined, and the low­ rev torque will propel it out of corners with surprising earnest.

The bike weighs 224 kg, has a 14,5­litre tank and sells for R147 500. — Wheels24.

The Triumph Bonneville is gentleman’s cruiser that can still let the hooligan out. PHOTO: TRIUMPH

Footing it Flintstone style Wheels’s new bike tester Shaheeda Kalik’s first bike was a ‘Baby Ninja’ Kawasaki, which she bought before she even got a helmet. Now she is part of an SAPS squad on bikes who slice through traffic in pursuit of criminals. With exactly one litre of petrol in the pipes of the Honda CB150F, she this week showed new engines need to loosen up to match its factory mileage of 60 km per litre (and another tester’s 76 km/l). Kalik got just over 20 km/l and had to freewheel down the twisties from Blackridge to Prestbury to get the bike close to its stable, where she had to foot it ‘Flintstone style’ to push the bike past Prestbury’s herd of cows.

PHOTO: ALWYN VILJOEN

VELO BIKE is a high­performance, 12 kg folding bike that has been developed for the perfect urban cycling experience — even flying to get to that city. A self­locking magnet release system folds the bike quickly to fit into a Samsonite suitcase for air travel. An Integrated kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) harvests up to 100% of the kinetic energy from braking to power the 250 Watt motor. Pledges on Kickstarter starts at under R24 000 (€1 599) for a Velo bike with caliper brake and chain, disk brakes, while a carbon drive belt adds €350 to the pledge, and disk brakes and a set of Schlumpf gears send the full package to €2 239.

PHOTO: VELOBIKE

Intermot shows few electrics, a little retro and lots of old­school bikes SPIROS TSANTILAS WITH a record attendance of 220 000 visitors, Intermot offi­ cially opened the 2017 model sea­ son in Cologne, Germany.

Although the manufacturers saved some news for the upcom­ ing EICMA show, a virtual walk around Intermot’s six halls has much to reveal besides interna­ tional premieres, including the new Honda Fireblade SP, the next­generation Suzuki GSX­ R1000R and the street­oriented Ducati Supersport.

The biennial Intermot show makes every even­numbered year a little more interesting for mo­ torcycle fans, starting the new model season ahead of the annu­ al EICMA show in Milan, Italy.

European sales have been steadi­ ly picking up pace in a slow recov­ ery process from the economic

hardships of recent years, with a 3,3% increase during the first eight months of 2016.

The German show provided first­hand evidence of motorcy­ cle manufacturers’ cautious opti­ mism, with 1 133 companies from 40 countries displaying their products across Intermot’s six enormous halls, and attracting visitors from 95 countries — the record attendance bettering the previous event by 17%.

If the first major international show of the 2017 model season is any indication of market trends, that would be the contin­ uation of what we’ve seen during the last two or three years.

Sensible rather than extrava­ gant new motorcycles, focusing more on value­for­money in­ stead of power­to­weight values.

Manufacturers invest with caution, making the most out of

Miss Germany assisted in lifting the curtain over the updated and refreshed Kumpan Electric 1954L scooter PHOTOS: SPIROS TSANTILAS/NEW ATLAS

successful model platforms by generating more and more mod­ ular spin­offs.

Motorcycle line­ups today seem more compact than 10 years ago, using fewer engines to power several different variants that still keep showrooms look­ ing abundant.

Another clear trend is the re­ adjustment of the mid­capacity motorcycle classes.

Abandoning the race­replica hype of the past, Honda led the way in recent years with its super­ efficient NC700/750 and CB500 model platforms, Yamaha fol­ lowed with the MT­07 series, and now Kawasaki rolls out one ER­6 variant after another.

The middle class has evidently started to expand downwards, with the 300cc segment on a constant growth trend.

With the exception of Suzuki,

the Japanese factories are invest­ ing heavily in this category, KTM and BMW have already stepped in, and Triumph is also expected to join in soon, maybe even as soon as November at EICMA. Benelli also emerges as a very strong player, rejuvenated in Chi­ na with a new 300cc line­up, while we are expecting Indian manufacturers to unleash their westwards assault.

The constantly rising Asian markets are where the East meets the West. Models like the BMW G310R and the KTM 390 Duke can serve as both affordable en­ try­level commuters in Europe and the U.S., and as attainable top­end bikes in Asia.

There’s no doubt we have a lot more to expect on this front.

Another booming segment ef­ ficiently combines Asian market standards with European legisla­

Chinese manufacturers took one look at the prices old motorbikes are fetching at auctions and started to make replicas like this old­school design, new­school, 125­cc engine.

tion. The 125cc class is extremely popular in vast markets like those of India, Thailand and China, but it also caters for the upper legal limit for new riders in Europe (aged 18 to 21 years). Intermot hosted a large number of 125cc offerings, including several from Chinese makers that seem to have grasped how to develop mo­ torcycles with an appeal for de­ veloped markets.

Electric mobility occupied a hall of its own, yet very few actual new models made Intermot headlines.

The major manufacturers con­ tinue to appear rather indifferent to electric models and the ab­ sence of existing models or pro­ totypes did leave us with a nega­ tive impression.

Harley­Davidson, for example, didn’t bring the functioning LiveWire prototype that it dis­

played last year at EICMA, and Victory also failed to display the production Empulse TT. Even BMW didn’t bother to show the eRR concept racer in its huge booth, despite the fact that this was its home show.

Kumpan Electric was the only European manufacturer to occu­ py a big booth in the electric sec­ tion, right at the entrance of the dedicated Hall 5, hosting a world debut of its updated 1954L scoot­ er with fresh styling and richer features, like touch­screen in­ struments with smartphone app integration.

The Intermot e­motion sec­ tion also hosted the debut of the Greyp G12H electric bicycle, and included a large indoor testing track that offered visitors the chance to try out some of the electric models on display.

— New Atlas.

The new Suzuki V­Strom models (shown here is the 1000) attracted a lot of attention at Intermot 2016 — and it wasn’t just because of the beautiful model.

MOTORING WitnessWheels TRANSPORT

November 3, 2016

7

Work hard, then play New Nissan Ice half­tonner bakkies are aimed at artisans who like to relax too NISSAN South Africa has creat­ ed a special ice­cool NP200 for bakkie­lovers seeking the perfect partner for their adventurous lifestyle, while allowing them to stand out from the crowd.

The all­new Nissan NP200 Ice is the coolest half­ton pick­up to have rolled off Nissan’s Rosslyn production line to date. The new model is available now in limited numbers across Nissan’s local dealer network from R191 900.

The new NP200 Ice is decked out in Nissan’s eye­catching Star­ ling Blue or Bright Silver metallic paint finish.

These two colours were cho­ sen, not only for their popularity among NP200’s extensive col­ our palette, but also the way the special Ice decals, various brushed aluminium fittings and dark tinted windows are con­ trasted.

It is not only colour that makes Nissan’s latest bakkie stand out.

All the aluminium features fitted to the NP200 Ice are uniquely created for this model. This in­ cludes the custom­designed 15” alloy wheels that are only availa­ ble on the Ice model and the spe­ cial aluminium nudge bar with a brushed finish.

The brushed treatment gives the nudge bar a distinctive tex­ tured look, uncommon on styl­ ing pieces and adding to the Ice’s ability to turn heads.

The NP200 Ice is also fitted with an aluminium sports bar, which has undergone the same

Looking cool with those 15­inch alloy rims, a roll bar and trendy stickers, the limited­edition NP 200 Ice. PHOTO: MOTORPRESS premium brushed treatment. As well as creating a sporty appear­ ance, the sports bar adds addi­ tional functionality to the large load bay. This is especially true if you opt for the fitted moto­ cross or mountain bike stand or want to tie down a couple of surf boards using the optional roll bar protector and standard 16 anchor points in the load bay.

The bay is also rubberised as standard helping to protect against water corrosion, impact and possible abrasive damage from certain loads. Nissan has al­

so added a fitted tonneau cover, which is fastened by the popular side­rail method, and rear step plates fitted below the Ice decals on the rear bumper.

The NP200 Ice also features Nissan­approved dark tinted safety film. This treatment of the side and rear windows not only enhances the sporty look of the NP200 Ice, but it serves a func­ tional purpose by protecting the driver and the passenger from potential smash­and­grab inci­ dents.

Rounding off the comprehen­

sive exterior updates are factory­ fitted day­time running lights.

This option is not available to any other NP200 model in produc­ tion and it makes the NP200 Ice a highly sought­after addition to the pick­up range.

Inside the cabin, the NP200 Ice is equally unique. The special edition features eco combination leather upholstery and rubber carpets, which are easy to clean following those sporting esca­ pades. The luxury interior trim, combined with the special enter­ tainment system, with hands­

free Bluetooth phone connectivi­ ty and audio streaming and a USB connection, makes the cab­ in a very inviting place to spend time.

Occupant safety is also well taken care of with two air bags and ABS brakes as part of the standard Nissan safety package.

In the engine bay, the NP200 offers a choice of petrol and die­ sel engines. At R191 900, the 8V 1,6­litre petrol engine offers the most affordable entry into the NP200 range. This engine deliv­ ers 64 kW and 128 Nm of torque and uses only 8,1 litres of fuel per 100 km in a combined usage cy­ cle. The diesel option is fitted with Nissan’s acclaimed 1,5 dCi turbodiesel engine, which deliv­ ers 63 kW and 200 Nm and uses only 5,3 litre per 100 km in a combined cycle. This model is available for R204 900.

The Nissan NP200 remains SA’s best­selling half­ton pick­ up. The model range offers buy­ ers the most affordable entry into the bakkie market, while the size of the load bay — at 1,8 m long and 535 mm deep, its 800 kg pay­ load and additional 300 litres of storage space behind the seats make the NP200 a practical choice for buyers in this segment.

The NP200 Ice is sold with a massive six­year or 150 000 km warranty, which remains best in its class.

A service plan is optionally available on purchase.

— WR.

A NAVARA BY ANY OTHER NAME: The new Nissan Navara can soon also be ordered as the Renault Alaska or, for those ‘trend­conscious individualists with an affinity to premium products’, a Mercedes­Benz bakkie. Now, before you shake your head in wonderment, bear in mind the top­heavy Hilux is South Africa’s bestselling vehicle. Not just bestselling ‘bakkie’ or bestselling ‘double cab’, but our bestseller vehicle overall among some 3000 models. So there is a huge demand for doublecabs. And all double­cab buyers are at least as fashion conscious as they are practical. (Otherwise they’d all just be driving a spacious van, right?) So expect a lot of sales for all three brands. The Navara is coming soon, but those hankering after the Renault or Merc will have to wait until late 2017 at best, for production for the European, Australian and South African markets only starts next year at the Nissan plant in Barcelona. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

Otto’s robot lorry delivers beer through town

FUTURE MINI­BUSES: The Toboxi is the latest in a line of self­driving electric mini­ buses that show where urban transport may be heading in the near future. Apart from having no driver and a low floor for easy access, there is space for 12 standing passengers.

The Toboxi was designed by Ashish Thulkar, a freelance vehicle designer at the Indian Institute of Science, and maverick designer Charles Bombardier to recharge using inductive chargers built into the bus route.

PHOTO: IMAGINACTIVE

SELF­DRIVING trucks have proven they’re able to drive clos­ er together than their human­ controlled counterparts, and they have the potential to create big fuel savings, but there’s still one crucial test for the technolo­ gy: can it deliver beer?

Otto, a subsidiary of Uber, has answered that question by deliv­ ering a shipment of Budweiser in Colorado. Loaded up with 51 744 cans of Budweiser, a Vol­ vo kitted out with Otto’s self­ driving hardware made the trek from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs, via downtown Denver.

The truck used its onboard cameras, lidar and radar sensors to navigate the entirety of I­25 without any input from the su­ pervising human driver.

The retrofitted self­driving hardware cost around $30 000 (R404 602), and can be fitted to any truck with an automatic gearbox. Otto is currently test­

TOP AGRI SA FARMERS GET HILUXES TOYOTA South Africa Mo­ tors has sponsored two covet­ ed awards in the agriculture industry.

The Agri SA Toyota Young Farmer of the Year and Toyo­ ta New Harvest of the Year awards were presented to the winners at a gala event held in Johannesburg on Thursday last week. Each winner drove away in a new Toyota Hilux.

The vehicle is worth just un­ der R400 000.

Jacques Beukes, a table grapes and pear farmer from the De Doorns region of the Western Cape, received the 2016 Agri SA Toyota Young Farmer of the Year award.

André Cloete, a farmer from the Overberg area in the Western Cape, won the 2016 New Harvest of the Year award. The New Harvest competition recognises the most promising young farm­ er from a previously disad­ vantaged background. All entrants are nominated by various businesses or associa­ tions in the agricultural sec­ tor.

Beukes farms with table grapes and pears in the De Doorns region of the Western Cape.

He has also purchased sev­ eral farms in the Hex River valley area since 2012, which he has optimised to their full potential. He uses a dripper irrigation system with elec­ tronic scheduling systems as well as various energy­saving mechanisms, underground drainage systems and the use of environmentally friendly products.

Cloete was nominated by the Western Cape branch of the African Farmers’ Associa­ tion of South Africa.

He has 28 years of practical farming experience, started as a farm manager until he en­ tered into a rental agreement with the Klein Ezeljacht to farm and manage the land himself.

After this change, Cloete introduced a few changes to the farm, including a revised irrigation system as well as a new crop protection strategy.

The farm’s main pear varie­ ties are Forelle and Packham’s Triumph, while the apples in­ clude Golden Delicious and Royal Gala.

Through his many changes and consistent hard work, Cloete now exports his fruit through Tru­Cape and deliv­ ers fruit to Elgin Fruit Juices.

— Wheels Reporter.

Jacques Beukes.

PHOTO: MOTORPRESS

A Volvo kitted out with robot­makers Otto’s self­driving hardware being tested in the U.S. PHOTO: SUPPLIED ing the software on a fleet of big­ rigs in the Bay Area.

This is in line with what Otto promised earlier this year. Un­ like the Mercedes Future Truck 2025, which looks to a day where

drivers won’t be needed in the cabin, Otto’s system is designed to lighten the load during mo­ notonous highway miles, before reverting back to a person when things get a bit trickier in town.

The shipment of Budweiser is the first to be delivered by a self­ driving truck, a fact celebrated by a small note on the bottom of all the cans in the shipment.

— New Atlas.

Andre Cloete.

PHOTO: MOTORPRESS

WitnessWheels MOTORING RACING

8

Sub 10s the aim at Dezzi Extra bite on take­off will see drivers record best times yet THE Dezzi Raceway at Mar­ burg on the South Coast on Saturday hosts the first drag racing event in the province to run on a prepared track.

The first 18 metres of the Dezzi South Coast Raceway drag strip will be prepared with track bite for drivers.

Organised by KZN Drag Rac­ ing and Gas Magazine, the event provides the optimal sur­ face for serious competitors to attempt eight and nine­second passes, or to break the infa­ mous 10­second barrier.

“Usually, we have track bite on the burn­out area. This is the first time that 19 metres will be covered. We believe it has never been done before in KZN,” said Darren Lewis of KZN Drag Racing.

The organisers also promise a racing field that includes new­ model vehicles racing along­ side modified older cars.

“You’ll see cars like an E36 M3 powered by a 1 000­horsepow­ er Toyota 2jze, race against 800 hp Skyline GTR. It will be thrill­ ing!” said Prethiven Naidoo of Gas Magazine.

Interest in the event has reached across the country, with requests to race South Af­ rica’s record­breaking vehicles at the event.

“Rob Green Motorsport will be bringing their VW Golf 7R that amassed an 11­second flat run in Johannesburg.

“They’re hoping the track bite and sea level will help them break the 10­second barrier,” said Naidoo.

This is KZN Drag Racing and Gas Magazine’s fifth drag rac­ ing event at Dezzi South Coast Raceway since the drag strip was complete in June of 2016.

The fastest time recorded yet at Dezzi South Coast Raceway was an eight­second pass by a purpose­built rail car.

The fastest time recorded for a roadworthy vehicle was 9,1 seconds by NXgen.

Both records were set racing without any track preparation.

The event in November is sure to impress fanatics and those new to the sport.

“Seeing cars drive that fast across 400 metres is certainly something to tick off the buck­ et list,” said Lewis.

“And if you’re just looking for a fun day out, we’ve part­ nered with Dunlop Zone Tyres 2 Go to give public prize givea­ ways throughout the day.

“It’s going to be action packed on and off the track” he concluded.

The event offers a family­ friendly day out and is run un­ der Motor Sport South Africa’s rules and regulations.

On­site facilities include full amenities, catering (including halal), shade and grand stands.

• Tickets to the event cost R90 for adults, R45 for pensioners R45 and under 12 enter free. No cooler boxes, gazebos or chairs, and no pass­outs.

More information on www.kzndragracing.co.za

V DARREN LEWIS, KZN Drag Racing

‘The event provides the optimal surface for serious competitors.’

Chris Visser and co­driver Ward Huxtable in action in the Atlas Copco Gold 450.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC

Punctures have the final say in Class T title COLIN MILEMAN GLENHARVIE — It was a case of so tantalisingly close yet just a stretch too far for Pietermaritz­ burg’s Neil Woolridge Motor­ sport Ford Performance, as the team’s Class T title challenge ended today by a losing margin of just 68 seconds after the hard­ fought season was wrapped up at the Atlas Copco Gold 450 race on Gauteng’s West Rand.

Heading into the final round of the 2016 Donaldson Cross Country Championship, Chris Visser and co­driver Ward Hux­ table were tied for the lead of the Class T Production Vehicle cate­ gory along with Jason Venter and Vince van Alleman (Toyota), re­ sulting in a winner­takes­all showdown.

This was a truly commendable effort considering the team suf­ fered a devastating fire at its Piet­ ermaritzburg workshop in July.

Accordingly, the scene was set for a thrilling season finale, and so it proved on an extremely hot and dusty weekend in Gauteng’s gold mining region.

With tyres and punctures hav­ ing played a significant role in this year’s championship, the team adopted a conservative ap­ proach for the 101 km qualifying loop on Friday, but any caution Visser and Huxtable had shown during qualifying was thrown out the window on race day.

Indeed, they were in flying form and set the fastest times through eight of the 10 timing segments, only losing out to Woolridge/Dreyer, who snatched two fastest sectors before picking up their first puncture.

As predicted, the rocky condi­ tions ultimately threw a spanner in the works, with all three top crews suffering punctures on the second loop as the pace heated up to match the searing 34°C ambient temperature.

Sadly, Visser and Huxtable’s single puncture cost them dearly, taking longer than anticipated to fit a spare wheel.

This handed the advantage back to Venter and Van Alleman in the closing stage of the race.

With the championship poised on a knife edge, it was ulti­ mately decided in the Toyota crew’s favour by a desperately narrow winning margin of 68sec

CV Joint speCialists

Dezzi Raceway hosts new boys vs old school on a freshly prepared 18­metre take­off strip that may see a sub­10­ second run over the quarter mile on Saturday.

PHOTO: KZNDRAGRACING.CO.ZA

November 3, 2016

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

341 GReYlinG stReet Pmb. 033 342 9174/75

over third­placed Visser/Huxta­ ble. This gave the experienced NWM Ford Performance crew a hard­earned second place in the season­long Class T title battle.

Woolridge and Dreyer notched up their second consec­ utive runner­up finish 47 seconds behind the winners.

This was enough to secure fourth in the championship, de­ spite missing a race when their race car was extensively damaged by the fire.

Team principal Neil Wool­ ridge said of what could only be called a crazy season: “We’ve had

a great fight with Jason Venter the whole year, and were leading the championship after the Bot­ swana Desert Race, which was great for the team.

“Unfortunately, the fire was a major setback, and we competed at the Lichtenburg race just a week later with a borrowed and hastily prepared car for Chris. It’s been a battle to claw back points through the remainder of the championship, and it’s a testa­ ment to the hard work and dedi­ cation of the team that we arrived at the final race of the year tied for the lead.

“I’ve said the whole year that this championship will be decid­ ed by punctures, and so it proved on this event. We set out to com­ plete the race without making mistakes, but were clearly too cautious during qualifying.”

Woolridge said the team did really well and the racing Rangers cars have been brilliant with a 100% finishing record this sea­ son. “I’m very proud of what we achieved. As a team, we truly ap­ preciate the support and encour­ agement received from all our sponsors and supporters throughout the year.”

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