Motoring September 2015 by The Malta Independent

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The Malta Independent on Sunday • 27 September 2015

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Impressive Audi A6 is the complete package ontinental Cars Limited presented the latest Audi A6 to the media and esteemed guests at its showroom last Friday 18 September. Chev. Maurice F. Mizzi, President of the Mizzi Organisation had the following to say:

“Today we are presenting the new A6 – The winning car in the business class has just got better. Audi has updated this icon in the Audi range of cars – new engines, new transmission and new headlights. The A6 has good handling in either front or 4 wheel drive version. This car has the tautest responses, impressive strong brakes and the firmest sport settings – it is sweetly manoeuvrable in tight curves. A new infotainment (a term and popular buzzword for a media device or service that delivers a combination of information and entertainment) system make this car more efficient, more powerful, more attractive and more sophisticated than ever. The Audi A6 sets new standards in many technical fields: the lightweight body containing many aluminium components, powerful and highly efficient engines, a sporty chassis and an advanced assistance and multimedia systems.” Sharp lines, emphasized horizontals, athletically taut surfaces – the design of the A6 models epitomizes precision and sporty elegance. It was carefully honed as part of the model refresh, with changes made to the Single frame grille, the headlights, air inlets, bumpers, side sills, rear lights and tailpipes. Audi optionally offers headlights with LED technology or Matrix LED technology, combined with dynamic turn signals. Thanks to its intelligent composite construction concept, the body is extremely rigid and safe. Numerous components of aluminium and hot-shaped steel form the backbone of a systematic lightweight construction concept. The 2015 Audi A6 and S6 are very well-equipped at the base level, as luxury sedans. But it's the options for the lineup that will really impress passengers. From Google Earth maps, to incar wireless Internet access, to an innovative system that lets you trace out letters with your finger, this lineup goes above and beyond with tech options All engines comply with the limits of the Euro 6 emission standard, and their CO2 emissions have been reduced by as much as 22 percent. At Audi, the most efficient engines bear the “Ultra” label. The 2.0 TDI “Ultra” with 110 kW (150 hp) achieves the extremely low consumption figure – with no restrictions with respect to equipment – of 4.2 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres corresponding to 109 grams CO2 per kilometre. The new Audi A6 starts at € 49,900 for the 2.0 TDI 150 hp diesel engine with manual transmission. Other diesel options available are a 2.0 TDI 190bhp and the 3.0 TDI 272bhp Quattro” The general public is invited to test drive the car so as to experience this excellence first hand.

The Malta Independent on Sunday • 27 September 2015

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The Mdina Grand Prix Classic C with us from Thursday 8 till 11 O s late summer beckons the arrival of early autumn, the Mdina street circuit, set in the idyllic countryside beneath the imposing bastions of the Old Capital City, will be host, for the fifth consecutive year, the Mdina Grand Prix, promising a magical weekend of classic car racing on the 10 and 11 October. A variety of cultural and other activities will also be organised for the participants and their guests during the days preceding the races which will include guided tours of Valletta, Mdina and the Three Cities and also a tour of the sister Island of Gozo.

Thursday 8 October – The Thomas Smith Hillclimb A stand alone event that gives the competitors a chance to properly, shake down their vehicles in preparation for the Mdina races over the weekend. Set outside the picturesque village of Mellieha, the competitors will have to tackle the ‘Ta’ Pennellu hill, a fast 2.5 km stretch that with some ‘interesting’ bends and corners that will test the cars and the drivers’ attributes to the max.

Friday 9 October “Le Concours d’Elegance.” The Mdina Glass Concours

d’Elegance has become the premier such Concours in Malta. The organizers will be inviting selected car collectors to bring out some true automotive gems and put them on display at the unique venue that is the city of Mdina. Visitors will be able to feast their eyes on rare and fine examples of what could be classified as nothing less than automotive art.

Saturday 10 October & Sunday 11 October “Gentlemen (and Ladies), start your engines”.The challenging circuit outside Mdina’s fortified walls awaits you. An early start on both days where the demanding 2.2 kilometre street circuit will see the race cars put through their paces on a track with a combination of tight bends, sweeping curves and inclines that wind their way through the valley below Mdina. Drivers have described the circuit as ‘simply awesome’. It is fast and exhilarating and the drivers just love this atmosphere. Saturday morning includes two practice sessions to allow the drivers to acclimatize themselves with the circuit.The afternoon sees the cars let loose individually on the track so as to define the starting order for Sunday’s grid.

Express Trailers trusted with transport of classic cars for Mdina Grand Prix Participation from Australia confirmed for the first time xpress Trailers has this year been trusted again with the transportation to Malta of 10 classic cars from the United Kingdom due to participate in the fifth edition of the Mdina Grand Prix. The event, which is fast becoming one of Europe’s most interesting classic car races, will be attracting around 65 classic car owners mostly from Malta, the UK, Italy and for the first time, from Australia. Express Trailers is the largest operator to and from the UK. When it comes to car transportation, the company is a leader in the sector where it’s two car transporters are constantly completing trips to and from the UK on a weekly basis. “Being trusted with the transportation of such prestigious and priceless collectables confirms the high reputation that Express Trailers enjoys in the sector,” comments Franco Azzopardi, Chairman and CEO of Express Trailers. “The organisers are fully aware of the risks involved in transport and logistics of such vehicles but they are also aware that our business is into risk and that our job is to use our experience, our infrastructure and the expertise of our professional people to minimise this risk. The success of

Express Trailers is built on a great team and it is the combined effort that always ensures a safe and seamless delivery. This is why people want to work with us – because we don’t just deliver but we deliver trust,” added Franco Azzopardi. Josef Abela from the Mdina Grand Prix’s organising committee notes how safety remains at the top of the event’s agenda all the time. “We are constantly aware that a serious accident or mishap can jeopardise the event. From months ahead, many people are involved with the safety aspects both with the competing cars , the general public and the circuit

safety. As organisers, we carry out various risk assesments together with the relevant authorities and experts like the CPD, Red Cross, Police and the Local councils involved.” Collaboration with Express Trailers started from the very first event in 2007 with its active involvement in the logistic operations related mainly to circuit construction and dismantling. As the event evovled into an international one, Express Trailers started supporting with the tranportation of foreign participating cars to Malta. “The great thing of working with a reliable company like Express

Trailers is that we always found them when we needed them most. In 2011 for example, a number of protective hay bails wre stolen overnight from inside the circuit without which the Sunday event could not start for safety reasons. Express Trailers came to the rescue when on Sunday morning at 5:00am they transported new safety equipment in literally less than an hour from when we contacted them,” recalls Josef Abela, one of the organisers. “We know that with Express Trailers, the Mdina Grand Prix is in very safe hands. We saw this even a year later during the 2012

edition when Express Trailers successfully transported ten Bugatti racers from all over Europe including the UK , France and Italy,” added Josef Abela. Just like Express Trailers’ commitment to deliver the best service, the Mdina Grand Prix Foundation strives to deliver the highest standards especially as we keep promoting this event on the international calendar for classic car racing. In order to deliver the best possible product one has to naturally be supported by the best possible brands and service providers. Express Trailers is one such brand,” concluded Josef Abela.

The Malta Independent on Sunday • 27 September 2015 • r e v i e w •

ar event back October The real racing kicks off on Sunday. The cars are grouped into packs of 8 to 10 cars and set off around the circuit to provide a thrill for the drivers and spectators alike. The unforgiving nature of the circuit will bring out the very best of performance driving by both the drivers and their classic racing automobiles. A spectacle like no other and a chance for classic race-car owners to put their cars through their paces at a circuit in a unique location whilst offering spectators an occasion to feast their eyes on some examples of fine classic racing machinery going at speed around this fantastic circuit. The Mdina Grand Prix draws to a close with a party on the Sunday evening where the winners are announced and awarded. Parking for Saturday and Sunday will be available at Triq L Infetti Rabat with a free Park and Ride Service around the track.

The Malta Independent on Sunday • 27 September 2015

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The PEUGEOT 308 Racing Cup: Bred to race PEUGEOT SPORT’s engineers have been busy focusing their attentions on the PEUGEOT 308 and the fruit of their know-how and expertise is the 308 GTi by PEUGEOT SPORT, the most radical model in the brand’s range. Not satisfied with this successful outcome alone, they decided to go even further by conceiving a racing version of the car. And this step from the road to the racetrack has led to the creation of the PEUGEOT 308 Racing Cup! A sleek, racy silhouette ts stance, curves and aerodynamic finesse offer the first hint to the model’s pedigree breeding. Based upon the PEUGEOT 308 GTi by PEUGEOT SPORT, which is widely acclaimed for its assertive character, the 308 Racing Cup adds its own distinctive muscular look. For its wider wheels to fit, the arches have been widened,

endowing the PEUGEOT 308 Racing Cup with an unmistakable athletic look. This is most notably suggested by its larger overall width which has been extended to 1,910mm – 106mm more than the 308 GTi by PEUGEOT SPORT. The spoiler that will adorn the rear of the car takes its inspiration directly from the WTCC regulations. The front and rear bumpers and front splitter are specific to the 308 Racing Cup and enhance its aerodynamic efficiency with an aggressive touch. Similarly distinctive are its 18-inch wheel rims which can be fitted

with either slick or wet weather tyres (27/65).

On-board technology The 1.6-litre THP engine is derived directly from the powerplant which drives the 308 GTi by PEUGEOT SPORT. The brand’s engine specialists at Vélizy have further honed its performance to head off an increasingly high level of competition in the motorsport arena. In this way and by incorporating the turbo used for the 208T16, the PEUGEOT 308 Racing Cup has already surpassed the 308-horsepower threshold.

Ongoing development work will offer the opportunity to produce even more potent and radical performance. The PEUGEOT 308 Racing Cup similarly borrows elements of the suspension from its road going counterpart, such as the pivots and rear beam. In other areas, in order to adapt the car for the racetrack, the brand’s engineers have opted for a number of specific parts, such as six-piston brake-callipers. Meanwhile, the six-speed sequential gearbox benefits from steering wheel-mounted paddleshifters. The weight of the PEUGEOT 308

Racing Cup was also a priority in its design and will be restricted to between 1,000kg and 1,050kg.

An international career ahead The PEUGEOT 308 Racing Cup will be available from the end of 2016 to customers all around the world. It is intended that it will succeed the RCZ Racing Cup in both single-make championships and saloon and sportscar racing series such as the VLN in Germany, CER in Spain, CITE in Italy and BGDC in Belgium, or even endurance championships like the 24H Series.

The Malta Independent on Sunday • 27 September 2015

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Opel’s European sales increase by almost 13% thermore, Opel took second place on the Spanish passenger car market in August. One of the reasons behind Opel’s success in the first eight months of the year can be credited to the light commercial vehicle section. Sales are up by 25.4 %to 65,350 units compared to the same period of last year. The market share increased by more than 0.5 percentage points to around four percent. All three light commercial vehicle models recorded

• Opel outgrows the market more than threefold in August • Sales increase of around 4% in the first eight months • New registrations up in more than 19 European countries pel added another chapter to its ongoing success story in August with strong growth across Europe. According to preliminary numbers, the Rüsselsheim-based carmaker increased sales in August by more than 7,300 vehicles, or 12.8% compared to the same period of 2014 to around 64,500 units. Opel therefore outgrew the overall European vehicle market (plus 4.1%) more than threefold. Opel’s market share is up by more than 0.4 percentage points to 5.71%. The overall result for the first eight months of the year is also positive. From January to August, the brand sold over 735,000 vehicles – around four percent or 27,300 units more than during the same period of last year. This is equivalent to a market share of 5.83%. Opel posted an increase in volume in more than 19 European

markets for the first eight months of 2015 including Germany (+3%), the UK (+3%), France (+6 %), Spain (+17%), Portugal (+18%), Poland (+18%), Italy (+20%) and Turkey (+34%). Opel recorded its highest market share for August on its home market Germany since 2011 – with a 7.2 percent share of the overall vehicle market and a 7.5 percent

share of the passenger car market. Opel also achieved its best market share for August since 2011 in the Netherlands (5.8 %) and in the Czech Republic, the company recorded its best market share for August since 2001 (5.31 %). The brand with the Blitz claimed top spot on the Hungarian passenger car market in August with a market share of 12.31 %. Fur-

an increase of sales. Movano sales were up by around 32%, Vivaro sales by more than 34%and the Combo posted an increase of around 14%. Opel is represented in Malta by Cars International in Mdina Road, Qormi. To have a first-hand experience of any Opel car and book a test drive send an email to opelsales@cil.com.mt or call 2269 2122. You can also visit opel.com.mt or the Facebook page Opel Malta.