Honda Magazine 56 Autumn 2014 by Traveloscopy Editor

Issue 56 | HONDA.COM.AU

F E A T UR I N G

HONDA MAG 56

ALL-NEW CITY Your City, your space DISPLAY AUDIO Coming to a Honda near you

MotorSport WTCC, MotoGP and F1 TRAVEL Tasmania, London, Space Camp

Honda Magazine | Honda.com.au

CONTENTS I S S U E 5 6 / A U T U M N 2 0 1 4

02 NEW PRODUCT: 2014 CITY

06 NEWS: THE WORLD OF HONDA

10 TRAVEL: TASMANIA’S TARKINE

16 CAR CARE: HALF A CENTURY OF SERVICE

18 NEW PRODUCT: DISPLAY AUDIO

22 ART & SOCIETY: JAMES ANGUS

26 SPONSORSHIP: RE-INVENTING TWO WHEELS

29 TRAVEL: DISCOVER LONDON

32 sponsorship: SITTING IN FOR FRIENDS

34 HISTORY: SENNA

37 TRAVEL: SPACE CAMP

40 MOTORSPORT ROUND-UP

The Honda Foundation assists the ‘Monkey in my Chair’ program with a $5000 grant.

International F1 journalist, Tim Collings, shares some Aryton Senna insights.

Will Gray heads to Huntsville, Alabama, home of NASA’s Mission to the Moon.

The future of F1 racing, the new WTCC Racer and Marquez’s ‘WOW’ start to the MotoGP season.

45 FAN FEATURE

47 BEST CRITIC COMPETITION

What have our fans got to show us this season? A pink Jazz, the ‘legend’ Prelude and more.

Six real people test drove the all-new Honda Odyssey for a week - read the winner’s review.

“This year we will be dialling up the fun element of our products by introducing exciting new models both globally and here in Australia” - Director, Stephen Collins

Editor: Stuart Sykes; Executive Editor: Jarrod Tuck; Digital Director: Corinne Wilson; Design & Production: Megan McDermott. For general enquiries regarding Honda motor vehicle products or services, contact Honda Australia on 1800 804 954.

PRODUCT

A CLASS ABOVE: TAKE A TRIP TO THE city Think ‘City’ and what comes to mind? No space… over-crowding… hard to get around… discomfort… not the kind of place you want to be? If that’s the case, Honda has an alternative City for you… and it went on sale in Australia in April. With 2.2 million units sold in 55 countries around the world, this City can lay fair claim to being a place where Honda people definitely want to be. The new-for-2014 Honda City makes a determined attack on the light segment of our car-buying lives. In fact its combination of design, comfort and efficiency makes the latest-generation City a car that ends up being… a class above. city.honda.com.au Photography: 2014 City VTi-L in Brilliant Blue shown.

READY FOR SPACE TRAVEL? No. We’re not planning to send you beyond the confines of planet Earth – not yet, anyway. What we are alluding to is the ‘third space’ that comes with the new City. It’s the space between your place of work and your place of residence. Those are two places where other demands come rushing in to invade your personal space and time. But the ‘third space’ is the one you occupy, in all probability, for an hour or two, perhaps even more, each day of your life – the car that transports you between those two other places. So why wouldn’t you seek out a car that offers an alternative to crowding – the sort of place where you can make a personal statement? After all…

SIZE MATTERS…

Think ’50 millimetres’ and you would probably think, ‘Well, that’s not much’. You’d be right – except when that means the additional space which the longer wheelbase of the new City puts between the front and rear wheels. With subtle additional touches like moving the dash forward, it allows Honda to offer City travellers interior space that exceeds its class – and that means extra knee-room in a longer cabin as well as a boot that boast the most space in its segment. It’s especially noticeable in the roomier rear cabin, but all round the feeling is of much more room to move in a car that comfortably accommodates five adults. The City itself, taken overall, is only 45mm longer than the previous generation of the model but the impression it gives is of a much bigger package than before.

… especially when it comes to so-called smaller cars. Honda’s genius for packing a lot into a little was never better shown than in the latest City.

Photography: 2014 City VTi full dash interior shot.

POWER MATTERS TOO

convenience of your car.

And with City, there’s plenty of power as well.

Display Audio means that all the connectivity you could want is right there at your fingertips, allowing you to keep your eyes on the road and your mind on the job

The 1.5-litre i-VTEC fourcylinder engine packs an 88kW punch at 6600 rpm. It’s also a torquey unit – how about 145Nm at 4600 revs? – meaning there is low-down pull to get you up and running faster. The engine is mated to the new Continuously Variable Transmission with Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology, giving it instant responsiveness and eyebrow-raising fuel efficiency.

In a more general sense, the Multi Information Display lends the impression of a ‘floating’ cockpit that enhances the ‘premium’ feel and ambiance of the car: the look inside is as cool as the looks outside and the display features could hardly be more advanced.

* Figures quoted are for the City VTi automatic transmission and are based on ADR81/02 test results.

88kW

5.7L/100kms

(AUTO) COMBINED FUEL*

MAX POWER @ 6600RPM

145Nm

TORQUE @ 4600RPM

132g/kms

CO 2 EMISSIONS*

CONNECTING YOUR CAR Elsewhere in this issue we feature Honda’s Display Audio – and City comes complete with this next-generation technology for keeping you connected with the outside world while enjoying the comfort and

Photography: (left) instrument panel; (bottom left) media connectivity ports; (right) City VTi-L with optional Sports Pack.

CABIN CLASS It’s often a derogatory term. With City it sums up the classy surrounds. Improved seat comfort and impressive roominess live up to the car’s external appearance with its wide, low stance and the sleekness of the lines. City may be a compact sedan, but once inside that description goes, you might say, right out the window. It’s another Honda paradox: a cosy sense of well-being in the City combines with the comfort you expect in a car above its class.

What’s more, the City VTi-L is also available with the optional Sports Pack which includes Modulo front and rear under spoilers, side skirts and a rear spoiler wing as well as a Honda designed sports grille. See what we mean by A Class Above? City offers a degree of sophistication above the so-called small-car segment, a dash of verve that brings the car alive, a sense of space that’s way beyond where it should be and, not least of all, a stylish appearance that’s easy on the eye.

That secure feeling is backed

up by the raft of safety features that come as standard. Antilock Braking System, Electronic Brake Distribution, Traction Control and Vehicle Safety Assist work in harmony to make your ‘City driving’ safer than we usually imagine – especially when you add in a multi-angle reversing camera for all those awkward city spots.

city.honda.com.au

It comes in part from the clearly etched lines along the side that lend motion to the car even when it’s stationary. It comes, too, from the ‘solid wing face’ that lends immediate presence to the car. It comes, most of all, from an overall look and feel that says ‘premium’ and embraces this new City firmly within the Honda worldwide family of cars. Photography: (left) rear tail lights of the City VTi-L in Brilliant Blue; (right) front seats City VTi-L.

NEWS

THE WORLD OF HONDA 04

WHAT’S MAKING NEWS FOR HONDA AROUND THE GLOBE?

CIVIC TYPE R BLURRING THE EDGES

Photography: (left) Civic Type R at the 2014 Geneva Motorshow; (right) Civic Type R style shots - front, wheel, rear and spoiler.

Photography (clockwise): Walking Assist Device with Bodyweight Support System; Stride Management Assist Device (2012); Walking Assist Device in use. (2008)

Honda has always maintained that racing is in the company’s DNA. While it prepares to return to the pinnacle of motorsport, Formula 1, as partner to McLaren from 2015 on, Honda is also demonstrating its race-bred pedigree in other areas. So much so that the Civic Type R Concept car recently unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show is being hailed as ‘a racing car for the road’ and the most extreme example of this popular vehicle yet conceived. “Type R represents Honda’s racing spirit,” said the new car’s chief stylist Masaru Hasegawa. “It is built with a passion for motorsport.” A racing car is, in many respects, the ultimate marriage of form and function – and the Civic Type R Concept reflects that combination in dramatic style with a front spoiler to add down-force, vertical side wings and a new rear spoiler with the tail lights integrated into the rear wing itself. The car’s lines are due in part to extensive testing at one of the world’s most famous race tracks, the Nürburgring in Germany, and will give a serious clue to the looks of the new car due for European release in 2015. Honda’s European manager of motorsport William de Braekeleer underlined the car’s heritage: “The purpose of entering the WTCC [World Touring Car Championship] was to build our experience with a direct injection turbo-charged engine. This is a winning engine – and now this technology can be transferred to the 2015 Type R. This car will be really born in racing.”

watch the civic type r concept revealed: http://youtu.be/QQyiXqVlA8A

08 07

JAZZ HITS ALL THE RIGHT NOTES While Switzerland provided the backdrop for Civic Type R, motor city itself – Detroit – was the place to be to see the latest iteration of Honda’s worldwide favourite small car, the Jazz, or Fit as it is known in some markets. A ground-up reworking sees the new car reborn with enhanced dynamic lines incorporating a new grille/headlight design, a side-body character line and larger 16-inch tyres on a newly designed wheel that enhances the car’s road-hugging stance. A slightly longer wheelbase also improves the car’s handling for that ‘sporty’ Honda feel. Showcasing Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology and the familiar Honda mix of fuel efficiency and performance, the 2015 Jazz/Fit confirms the car as the sub-compact class leader.

Photography: The 2015 Honda Fit for North America.

BLOWING OUR

OWN TRUMPET

Faithful to its philosophy of reducing CO2 emissions and its tradition of innovation, Honda has installed and started operating two power-producing wind turbines at its plant in Russells Point, Ohio. The two wind turbines, with approximately 50m long blades installed on 80m high towers, are expected to supply around 10 per cent of the plant’s annual electricity needs, with their combined output estimated at 10,000 megawatt-hours per annum. The development has been made possible by Honda’s collaboration with a subsidiary of New York-based company ConEdison Solutions, whose CEO Jorge Lopez hailed Honda’s role in championing sustainable approaches to manufacturing in the United States. “We are proud to be helping Honda strengthen its status as a national leader in sustainability,” said Mr. Lopez. “Through the example set by Honda, the American manufacturing sector will see more ways it can incorporate renewable power into its facilities.” Further proof of Honda’s commitment is the establishment of a new production plant and wind farm in Brazil, due to start operating late this year. Photography: (main) Honda Wind Turbine Farm Render; (top-left) Honda Transmission Plant team; (from left) David Schmitt, HTM Co-Project Leader, Joe Wauben, HTM Project Leader, Gary Hand, HTM Plant Manager, Jack Bosch, Consultant to ConEdison Solutions, Michael Eckard, Project Manager at ConEdison Solutions, Chris Keller, HTM Facilities Manager; (top-right) Wind turbines at Honda Transmission Plant in Ohio.

TRAVEL

TASMANIA Beyond the RampaRts of the unknown WORDS BY RODERICK EIME. PHOTOS BY JAMES OSTINGA & RODERICK EIME.

In one of the most remote corners of the planet, home to the purest water and cleanest air, live ancient plants and animals most of us will never see. But that shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop us trying. Roderick Eime ventures to north-west Tasmania in search of prehistoric mysteries. Photography: An early morning mist creates an eerie scene along the Pieman River.

But if we, in the wealthiest country on Earth ...can’t protect something like the Tarkine, we certainly can’t ask people in Borneo or West Papua or the Congo or the Amazon to protect their forests

‘As George arrives within ten paces, the animal turns quickly round, and with flaming eyes and head covered with blood, charges straight at us. The axe…flies past the animal harmlessly. George retires gracefully at the rate of knots. The tiger is gaining on him as we spring up and rush forward, yelling at the top of our voices. The beast…turns and faces us for a moment, but evidently thinking discretion is the better part of valour makes a bolt over the sand hills…leaving George wiping the perspiration from his face, caused by — well — by his violent exertion! How provoking that we had no gun.’ This comical encounter is described, not by some over-imaginative bushwalker, but by a group of picnickers out for a Sunday stroll in the northwest of Tasmania. The year? 1893. As it turned out, it was a close call for the Thylacine, not so much for poor George. After a tumultuous and brutal beginning just after the turn of the 18th century, Tasmania was finally proclaimed an independent colony in 1825. Soon after, the ambitious Van Diemen’s Land Company began their pastoral and agricultural projects on a tract of 250,000 acres granted by King George IV “beyond the ramparts of the unknown.” This remote and inhospitable north-western corner of the island now called Tasmania has lost none of its wilderness appeal and is home to the some of the last and largest temperate rainforests on the planet. Photography: (main) Some giant ancient tree ferns like this are so old, they may pre-date European settlement; (left) Australian stamp picturing the Thylacine.

But the destructive practices of the last two centuries are not completely behind us. While logging has been suppressed in the old growth regions for now, mineral extraction still presents a threat and the contentious Riley Creek Mine is the focus of conservationists’ efforts. “It’s a critical time for the Tarkine,” former senator Bob Brown warned, “as it is for so much of the world’s environment. But if we, in the wealthiest country on Earth (according to the UN, per capita) can’t protect something like the Tarkine, we certainly can’t ask people in Borneo or West Papua or the Congo or the Amazon to protect their forests.” Controversial author and global warming activist, Professor Tim Flannery, is another staunch defender of this embattled forest region. “For as far as the eye could see, stretched a sea of virginal forest, heath and button grass plains that spreads over nearly half a million hectares; all the way from the inland ranges to the wild west coast.” CNN Travel recently ranked it number one on their list of the world’s last great wilderness areas, describing it prosaically as ‘a rarely visited, ancient and pristine forest wilderness, calling to mind myth and legend.’ Today, that corner of Tasmania north-west of Cradle Mountain is still a vast wilderness with the Savage River National Park as its centre-piece. The rest is a mixture of state reserve and conservation areas and was once abuzz with miners and loggers hell-bent on nothing but profit. 11

the village of Corinna sprang up and quickly earned a reputation as one of the toughest towns anywhere in the region

The Savage, Whyte and Pieman Rivers north of Zeehan is where their riches lay and the largest nugget of gold discovered in Tasmania was 243 ounces (7.5kg) and came from Rocky River, a small tributary of the Whyte, in 1883. In the midst of this frenzy, the village of Corinna sprang up and quickly earned a reputation as one of the toughest towns anywhere in the region â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and that was a pretty big call back then. At its peak in 1893 there were 30 buildings of one sort or another including two pubs, a post office, numerous stores and shops, slaughter yards and several residences, all supporting a boisterous population of some 2500 people. By the time Federation was proclaimed, Corinna was out of easily recoverable gold and in decline. For most of the 20th century, Corinna was home to just one family at a time, operating a small store and the ferry across the Pieman River. The last family in residence, the Polsons, sold their leasehold to a consortium of environmentally proactive businessmen in 2005. Since then, Tarkine Wilderness Pty Limited has dedicated its efforts toward creating a world-standard eco-retreat for visitors to escape the pressures of city life and rediscover a place almost overlooked by the rest of the world. In 1937, after the death of the last known Tasmanian Tiger in Hobart Zoo, the region north of Corinna for some 80-odd kilometres was proposed as a Thylacine sanctuary and many locals are steadfast in their belief that a population, however small and fragile, still exists in these impenetrable forests. Photography: (top left) classic huon pine vessel, Arcadia II, is perfectly at home on the Pieman River; (top right) Gum (boot) tree; (below) Restored cottages on the main street of Corinna.

Photography: (top) Lichens and mosses cling to trunks in the ancient rainforest; (below) Rugged shoreline near the mouth of the Pieman River.

Guests at The Corinna Wilderness Experience can indulge themselves in any number of nature-based relaxation activities. There are plenty of walks in amongst the forests where the botanically-minded will spot such species as leatherwood, celery top pine, sassafras, king billy pine, huon pine, myrtle beech, pencil pine, native laurel, soft tree fern, slender tree fern, blackwood, cutting grass, native plum, whitey wood and the commonly named ‘horizontal’. And then there’s the most amazing fungi you will ever see – great vivid and spongy plates forming bulbous lips from fallen trees – some 60 species in all. There’s a walk for every day of the week, each beginning and ending at the comfortable and convivial, but Internet-free Tarkine Hotel with its superb Tannin Restaurant, operated by chefs of considerable standing. The kitchen is currently staffed by Euan Wiseman and his partner Jacqueline who excel in the use of locally-sourced produce like Red Cow milk, Cape Grim beef, Black Ridge Farm bacon and sausages and Mathom yoghurt, all matched with a great selection of Tasmanian and mainland wines. A popular highlight is a cruise along the Pieman River almost to the ocean aboard the magnificent Arcadia II, a 17m huon pine craft built in 1939. In more than 75 years, she has had a colourful career, including war service in PNG and scallop trawling out of Coles Bay. In the late evening, after a suitably satisfying repast, just sit out on the balcony, watch the tiny wallabies fossick and listen to the minute sounds of the forest while a riot of stars and galaxies scream from the heavens. Oh, and that piercing, throaty howl from deep within the ancient timbers? It’s probably nothing…

TRAVEL

T A S M A N I A It was July 2005 when sharp-eyed Sydney-based businessman and nature lover Max Ullrich learned that his favourite Tasmanian retreat was for sale. None of this fazed Ullrich and he was soon talking to mates Ken Boundy (then CEO for Tourism Australia) and Tony Hargreaves, a builder, as well as another who was an accountant. By September of that year, Corinna was theirs. “I’ve had a soft spot for the west coast of Tasmania ever since I was there with my father in the early 1960s,” Ullrich told ABC Hobart presenter Chris Ball, “and I’d been going there with my wife since the early ‘90s. It’s that feeling of total remoteness and isolation – the clean air and bright skies. You don’t get that in Sydney.” Yet it’s been anything but a walk in the park for the four partners. Corinna’s isolation creates at least as many challenges as attractions for the management. “It’s been a huge job,” says Boundy, “Getting good staff to stay for any length of time is always a challenge. Attracting the right guests and managing their expectations is always on our minds. “But now we have the chance to take Corinna to the next level and introduce some really exciting developments like two and three-day walks into the Tarkine. This will fit perfectly with Tasmania’s profile as one of the world’s great walking destinations.” Talking to the visionary men behind Corinna, it seems their only real regret is not being able to spend more time there. “Hopefully that will change soon,” says Max with a twinkle in his eye. Photography: A boardwalk marks the start of one of Corinna’s many treks into the neighbouring Tarkine

FIND OUT MORE

CAR CARE

ALF A CENTURY OF SERVICE Some interesting events occurred in 1963. Australians could connect to the world a lot better thanks to the introduction of International Direct Dialling. Roy Emerson and Margaret Court connected with tennis balls well enough and often enough to win the Australian Open singles titles. And Elle Macpherson – aka

‘The Body’ – was born. More significantly for our purposes, in March 1963 a man by the name of Ken Bailey started working for a family firm called Baker Motors in Albury. His life would be devoted to working on bodies of a different kind… Photography: (left) Vintage art: Honda Civic 1973; (background) Vintage engine drawing; (right) Ken Bailey and his wife at Baker Motors.

Half a century on, Ken Bailey has been celebrating a half-century of service to that one firm. If the sharper arithmeticians among you have spotted a slight discrepancy, that’s because Ken left the company for six months (he went up to Coffs Harbour and worked as a hospital handyman) but soon returned and served the ‘extra’ six months that took him to his 50 not out with Baker Motors. Ken was a mechanic for 20 years, arriving back at Baker Motors just about on time to work on a new car called the Civic; he served another 26 as Service Manager and is now on the Warranty side of the business. “No more dirty hands!” he quipped when we spoke to him for Honda Magazine. He doesn’t get the kind of dirt that used to fall on him when he was crawling under cattle trucks either, but that’s another story.

to the professionals, and in any case the service intervals these days are enormous. We used to see a car every 5000 kilometres, but today’s reliability means they don’t come back to us nearly as often as that.” Ken offered some good old-fashioned advice about checking tyres, oil and water (when cold). We asked Honda Australia’s own Technical Training Manager and customer service specialist Jim Kerr to expand on what owners can do (and what they shouldn’t) to ensure their Honda stays in the best possible condition. “These tips should help Honda owners to maintain their vehicle in a mechanical sense

Asked what tips he could offer Honda owners on looking after their vehicles, Ken said: “Everything has changed beyond all recognition in my time in the business. The biggest change, I suppose, is that most things are now computerised. “Nowadays we plug in a laptop and run what they call a diagnostic check. I used to give my diagnosis like a doctor – by putting my stethoscope on and listening carefully to the heartbeat of the car!” On more than one occasion Ken would come to the rescue when an owner who was a wannabe mechanic came in with a problem – the biggest being when one sorry soul arrived with an entire engine and gearbox in bits and left it for Mr. Bailey to do the Humpty-Dumpty job and put it all back together again. Of all the Hondas he has worked on, Ken recalled the Prelude as “a car that got you thinking a bit”, with complex components like ABS brakes, but by and large modern cars are trouble-free. “I see virtually no warranty claims from Honda owners,” he told us. “Most customers have the good sense to leave things

without voiding their warranty,” Jim explained, “but also to keep their car in the best condition possible from the aesthetic side of things (body and looks). That in turn will give them the best possible chance of a good trade-in value should they wish to on sell it to upgrade to a newer Honda model. Of course all scheduled services and or repairs should be completed by an approved Honda dealer.”

SEE Jim’s guidelines - next page 16

3. All components must work efficiently: knobs, vents, also air conditioning unit bacterial smell can be treated at your local Honda dealer.

Here are Jim’s guidelines to help keep your Honda happy... Exterior: General Condition 1. On a regular basis ensure all tyre pressures are checked including the spare (most people don’t worry about the spare check). Tyre condition includes tread wear or tread depth: check visually as tread wear could point to alignment issues. 2. Check all glass for any defects that may cause the car to be un-roadworthy, mainly front windscreen for chips or cracks. 3. Always ensure that the vehicle’s bodywork is kept clean with no defects such as loose bumpers. Use the correct type of detergents and cleaners recommended for automotive cleaning as many household detergents could be harmful to the paint finish. 4. Use a good quality automotive wax periodically to maintain and protect the paint finish. 5. It is recommended that any accessories

fitted to your vehicle are Honda genuine parts. Non-genuine Honda accessories may cause vehicle reliability issues due to the electrical systems used which have not been tried and tested by Honda. 6. Poor-quality repairs have a significant impact on the re-sale of your vehicle. A quality-approved repairer should repair your vehicle to maintain its quality and reliability.

may be a possible fault with the braking system.

4. Steering wheels can wear and deteriorate with time – not a good look for resale as this is in front of your face and easily noticed by prospective buyers, therefore periodically inspect for damage and clean using the appropriate cleaners.

6. Do not mix brands of brake fluids and once the brake fluid container is opened it should not be used again as brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air, which can cause deterioration to metal components. Brake fluid on a paint surface will damage the paint finish; if spilled, wash off immediately using copious amounts of water.

5. Accessories: once again use genuine Honda components as others can take away the authentic Honda look as well as causing separate issues.

7. Oil stains: if you find any oil stains on the garage floor or driveway, have your vehicle checked by a Honda dealer as there may be a problem.

6. Smoking inside the cabin causes smells and discoloration to roof lining and trims.

8. Visually check for coolant stains, power steering leaks if applicable, check drive belts for cracks or splits, if any are evident again have these checked by a Honda dealer.

Under-bonnet maintenance: Regular Checks & Top-Ups 1. Scheduled service work as per owner’s manual should be completed by a Honda dealer as they use the appropriate test equipment for diagnosis and use only genuine Honda-approved replacement parts.

7. Windscreen wiper blades: you will notice when wearing occurs on your windscreen – use only Honda genuine blades or inserts, model-dependent.

2. Only Honda qualified technicians who receive specialised Honda training should appropriately diagnose and repair your vehicle.

INterior: General Condition

3. Check all levels, for example your windscreen washer bottle, and use only approved Honda cleaning additives as many household cleaners used as detergents could harm the paint finish.

1. All areas should be kept clean and in best possible condition, especially seats as they show most wear and tear damage.

4. Engine oil: use only the correct engine oil recommended for your engine, noting that engine oils vary from engine to engine or model to model.

2. Keep carpets clean and free of foreign material as this causes premature wear and tear.

5. Brake fluid: check for any visible leaks as there

9. Automatic transmission levels: using dip stick, check owner’s manual for best procedure, and use only genuine Honda oils recommended for your vehicle. If unsure check with your local Honda dealer. 10. If unsure of any of the points listed go to a Honda dealership for all advice and repairs. At all times should a customer or Honda owner have any issues either call the dealership for advice or take the car in for a regular service, check-up and repairs if these are required.

Tyre condition includes tread wear or tread depth: check visually as tread wear could point to alignment issues. Photography: Vintage art - Honda instrument panel.

PRODUCT

“COMING TO A HONDA NEAR YOU...”

Photography: (left) all-new City Display Audio head unit; (right, top-bottom) Phone Connectivity in the all-new Odyssey; Access your phonebook via Display Audio. #Currently only compatible with iOS mobile devices (iPhone® 5 and newer).

Readers who, like your editor, are time-challenged may remember that familiar phrase – except the word was ‘cinema’ rather than ‘Honda’ as we waited for the latest audio-visual treat. Honda owners now have it at their fingertips… It may now be the most alarming word in the English language. ‘DISCONNECTED’: it sets the nerves on edge, puts panic at the top of our personal or professional agenda, spells absolute disaster – especially in developed societies where information is like plasma: its circulation has to be non-stop. Honda is here to help create and develop a sustainably mobile society, and a key aspect of mobility these days is uninterrupted connectivity. So please say ‘Hello’ to Honda Display Audio# , an exciting step in in-car connectivity coming to a Honda model near you very soon – if it isn’t there already. Display Audio is next-generation in-vehicle connectivity which allows you to use the ultimate mobile device: your car. The best thing about it is that it brings your digital way of living right into the car while leaving your own digits exactly where they should be: in control of the car itself. As well as being intuitive and easy to use, Honda’s famous concern for safety means certain functions can only be accessed when your vehicle is stationary so that there are no dangerous distractions of the kind we see so often on our roads these days.

What is Display Audio? In a nutshell:-

»» »» »» »» »» »»

Advanced technology for today’s connected car 7-inch LCD screen with smartphone functionality at your fingertips Swipe/tap/pinch activation Hands-free calling via Bluetooth® HDMI cable connectivity Siri® Eyes Free mode when paired with compatible iPhone^ via Bluetooth®

What does it mean?

»»

Easy access – to your music, your phone, your media and… »» Honda satellite navigation and… Coming soon – HondaLinkTM App: the ultimate connection to your Honda. The world we live in revolves around one virtually irreplaceable instrument: our mobil e phone. Display Audio brings all the power of your own ‘phone into the cockpit with you, so to speak, keeping your communications seamless and the information flowing through HondaLinkTM. HondaLink is

Photograph: (main) Display Audio featuring Hondalink Navigation; (right) Display Audio head unit featuring MIXTRAX™ and HondaLink Navigation Premium AUS apps.

Honda’s connection between you and your Honda through your smartphone and Display Audio unit. It delivers a new era of infotainment. Starting with the SmartphoneConnection app*, Honda and Honda-approved smartphone apps can be downloaded onto your phone and then displayed on the Display Audio. Best of all, once connected you can use the head unit in your dash to control the apps on your phone with simple touch and swipe functionality – giving you greater flexibility to safely control an extraordinary range of new functions in your Honda. Using the HondaLink Navigation Premium AUS app#, Honda brings integrated navigation of the most intuitive kind within reach of everyone. Users will be able to pre-plan journeys on their telephone, plug in and hey presto, all the details are

available on the Display Audio screen. It will help plan the fastest or shortest route, find your way around tolls if you wish and allow you to include multiple waypoints as well. Other approved apps include MIXTRAX™ and CarMediaPlayer™, which bring new ways to access your music and media.

Later this year Honda will take this further with the HondaLink™ App, a cloud-based suite delivering the ultimate ‘middle-man’ to you and your car. Honda owners will be able to get real time diagnostic information and more.

But it won’t stop there; Honda will continue to find clever and safe ways to bring information and entertainment to the Honda driving experience.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: ^ iPhone and Siri are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S and other countries. Siri® Eyes Free is only applicable to iOS7 for iPhone 4S or newer *Compatible with iPhone 4 or newer running iOS6.1 and above # Currently only compatible with iOS mobile devices (iPhone® 5 and newer). HondaLink Navigation Premium app is a paid service available in the iTunes Store. A 3 year subscription retails at $49.99.

IN OUR MODERN, CONNECTED TIMES, IT LETS OUR FINGERS DO THE TALKING.

Siri® Eyes Free^ means that compatible iPhone® users will have voice commands at their disposal through Siri® by pressing and holding the ‘Talk’ button on the steering-wheel, so they can:

»» »» »» »» »»

Photograph: (left) Display Audio with Siri® functionality; (right) Audio and phone connectivity control mounted on the 2014 City steering wheel.

Send texts or emails Read incoming texts or emails Access calendar entries, reminders and alarms Check the weather Use turn-by-turn navigation

To borrow another phrase from older times, the phone companies used to encourage us to use their directories – hard copies with thousands of pages – and let our fingers do the walking. What Display Audio does goes much further: in our modern, connected times, it lets our fingers do the talking… Disconnected? With Display Audio, not a chance! Display Audio is currently available on the 2014 Odyssey and 2014 City. ^ iPhone and Siri are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S and other countries. Siri® Eyes Free is only applicable to iOS7 for iPhone 4S or newer

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY FOR TODAY’S CONNECTED CAR 20

ART & SOCIETY

E N E M Y of ARCHITECTURE

S T O R Y & P H O T O S B Y J A N E B UR T O N TAY L O R Jane Burton Taylor profiles sculptor James Angus, a small-town native with big-city ideas Photography: Day In Day Out, an installation by sculptor James Angus, forms a colourfully playful counterpoint to the elegant high rise at 1 Bligh Street, Sydney.

As Sydney workers lunch at the cafe underneath James Angus’s installation Day In Day Out, they seem oblivious to the artwork, but curiously it seems to buffer them from the cool corporate towers that crowd the CBD. The wildly colourful sculpture, made of shapes Angus says were drawn from the building’s elliptical plan, is like a people’s forest. “A tangle of surfaces that refract the city,” Angus wrote about the work when it was first installed. “It should vibrate against the surrounding buildings, and other centuries, and it should mark time.” Talking about the work three years on, the artist, who divides his time between New York and the NSW south coast, muses that it was largely a reaction against the finesse of the Bligh Street building. “I felt the building itself was so technically sophisticated, extremely beautiful, well sited and so on, it needed something bright and lumpy to anchor it and bring it back down to earth,” Angus says.

“I think sculpture should almost be an enemy of architecture rather than a colleague.” Certainly the artwork is in playful contrast with the architecture and adds a sense of drama and event to the building, as well as a fun public space. It is no accident that Day In Day Out, like much of Angus’s artwork, is intimately connected with architecture. “I studied art in the Higher School Certificate and was going to enrol in architecture,” he says, “then my teacher pointed out I could go to art school, so at the last minute I changed track.” The move to New York in 2006 arguably increased the sculptor’s passion for the built environment. He, his wife and their daughter live there for part of the year, while the “shack” on the south coast is a place “to sit and think”. “I was born in Perth, a small city,” Angus says. “When you grow up in a small city it’s natural to wonder what becomes of a bigger city.” 22

Photography: In Red I-beam Knot the sculptor zooms in on the actual fabric of capitalism, twisting a piece of imagined construction waste into a delicious unlikely object.

Early on in his career he made models of iconic buildings like Rome’s Palazzo della Civilta Italiana and Le Corbusier’s 1915 Dom-Ino scheme, always reinventing the originals in some significant way. Lately, he has been zooming in for macro takes on the urban world. “I decided I wanted to start working with materials at actual scales and up those parameters,” he says. His most recent body of work, exhibited at Sydney’s Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery and Sydney’s Biennale, included chunks of carefully reconfigured industrial discards, like the unlikely tangle of steel titled Red I-beam Knot (2012) or a languid loop of yellow steel, shrouded on one side with concrete. “We see all sorts of buildings deliberately dismantled to make room for new developments. That demolition of buildings is very visible in a city like New York,” Angus says. “It is raw capitalism and it stops for no one.” Most current work is fabricated steel, the material that forms the skeleton of contemporary cities, in particular skyscrapers. But Angus’s love affair could end any moment. He likes to vary materials to fit ideas; and he is energised by shifting media. “Working with new materials can create obstacles and it’s interesting to solve

those, so changing medium is a way to keep your practice fresh.” Angus is not a conventional artist in the way he uses a studio either, following the dictum of ‘Making art makes art’. An idea can come to him anywhere and he then generally uses 3D modelling software to work out how to actually make it. “I am really not a studio artist, my studio is more like an office,” he says. “Objects come and go. But I am always thinking about the next object. [And] all that thinking really happens out of the studio.”

“Working with new materials can create obstacles and it’s interesting to solve those, so changing medium is a way to keep your practice fresh.”

A case in point is the idea for his Bugatti Type 35 (2006), probably his most familiar artwork to Sydneysiders because it is currently the first work you see when you walk into the Art Gallery of NSW. The classic blue sports car is angled impossibly, like a 3D snapshot of the vehicle distorted and flipped on its side by sheer momentum. “Ideas come into your head at the strangest times,” Angus says. “I was walking down a street in Brooklyn when I started thinking about this famous modernist photo by Lartigue of a car with a distorted wheel.” He later chose a Bugatti, because it is an icon of modernist speed, and because its designer had no formal training as an engineer.

Photography: In his work, Truck Corridor, Angus played with scale and reality by apparently squeezing a Mack truck into a too-narrow corridor at the Art Gallery of NSW.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ideas come into your head at the sTRangest timesâ&#x20AC;?

Above: James Angus

Photography: (left) Bugatti Type 35, is arguably Angus’s best known work, generally on show in the first gallery at the NSW Art Gallery, it is a cleverly distorted take on the iconic sports car.

“That is partially why the car was so revolutionary,” Angus explains. “It was the first car with aluminium wheel hubs and the lightest sports of its time.” Besides an understandable respect for ground-breaking thinkers, Angus has a serious thread in his work that the Bugatti typifies: playing with reality and making works that shift it, slightly. “[I like to] get this vibration between what I am reconfiguring and what it really is,” he says. There are many other kindred works that predate the endearing Bugatti. They include Truck Corridor (2004), a work which appeared to shoehorn a Mack truck into a NSW Art Gallery hallway and Shangri-La (2002) which uncomfortably squeezed a hot air balloon, upside down, into a foyer in the opera house, and earlier still, a life-sized

Photography: (right) Shangri-La, presented at the 13th Biennale in the Sydney Opera House, is another of Angus’s works that humorously plays with scale and purpose.

blood orange Giraffe (1997), awkwardly positioned to fit into its exhibition space. Many of these artworks by Angus were commissioned. He also has regular exhibitions in Sydney, as well as in New York and Paris. And if you are in Sydney this year for the Biennale head to the MCA to see his work there, or for a coffee under Day In Day Out at 1 Blight Street. Arguably, Angus’s more current works suggest that the artist has become more subtle with the years. But you can’t really anticipate anything too much with this Australian New York-based artist: his studio, which remember is in his mind, could lead him anywhere. James Angus shows at Sydney’s Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery. See: www.roslynoxley9.com.au for more.

“[I like to] get this vibration between what I am reconfiguring and what it really is,”

SPONSORSHIP

R E - I N V E N T I N G T WO WHEE L S Grand Prix winner Daryl Beattie doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like sitting still. In fact the call of the outback is so strong that the former Honda favourite has a new venture in the offing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and it sounds like a lot of fun. 26

Australia’s Daryl Beattie on a Honda wins the German Grand Prix, his first victory in the road-racing World Championship. Three other podiums in that memorable season carried Beattie to third place overall behind Wayne Rainey in second place and Kevin Schwantz in first. Runner-up to Mick Doohan two years later, Beattie won three Grands Prix, ground away all the toes on one foot in a very nasty accident at Le Mans, and eventually retired from competitive motorcycle racing after six seasons in the top flight. Now he is a popular television analyst – but probably not for much longer. While he will still co-commentate on this season’s MotoGP races for the Ten Network, the 43-year-old Queenslander is in the process of re–inventing himself. “I like to change what I do every 10 years or so,” he told Honda Magazine, “and this time I’m going to combine the things I love most: bikes, the outback and the bush.” Daryl Beattie Adventures is the latest example of Daryl’s determination to re-invent himself and by far the most spectacular to date. It also re-unites

Photography: (above) Daryl Beattie in action (1992); (right, top-bottom) Daryl Beattie on his CRF450X and ex-Army Unimog; Australian Outback; Daryl Beattie Adventures tour group – photo by Free Wheeling Magazine

Beattie with Honda, whose 500cc machines he rode in his full debut season of 1993 alongside Doohan. Honda has laid on eight brand-new CRF450X four-stroke off-road bikes, duly kitted out with 21-litre endurance fuel tanks and Michelin all-terrain tyres, for the patrons of Daryl Beattie Adventures to enjoy. In order to keep it simple and intimate, Beattie will limit each tour to six riders plus himself at the head of the group and a sweep rider following for safety reasons. In 2014 he will lead these small, select bands of bikers on each of seven tours into some of Australia’s most stunning areas. The first of them began on March 27 and took in a crossing of the Simpson Desert as it made its way from Birdsville to Alice Springs. Another destination is one of the tour leader’s personal favourites. “Since I stopped racing I’ve always loved to get away, go fishing and enjoy what our country has to offer,” he explains. “I’ve got to know Cape York quite well and I wanted the people who come along with me to find out why I enjoy it so much.”

Since I stopped racing I’ve always loved to get away, go fishing and enjoy what our country has to offer

R E - I N V E N T I N G T WO WHEE L S

Dateline Hockenheim, June 13 1993:

Three DBA tours will start at Cairns in 2014 and head for the tip of north-eastern Queensland; another Birdsville-Alice ride will follow the famous Finke Desert Race; but the daddy of them all will be the ride from Uluru to Broome. That trip, rated at level four toughness (out of five) as opposed to the level three for the Cape York rides, will see the party head due west to Wiluna, pick up the legendary Canning Stock Route to Halls Creek and finish on the shores of the Indian Ocean.

But off the bikes, life will be considerably less demanding: Beattie is also very keen on his tucker, so a hard day’s ride will be followed by good food, a coldie or two and the inevitable telling of tall tales. Beattie has also acquired an ex-Army Unimog which will greet the group at every stop-over so that baggage, bedding and other necessities – like a shower at the end of the day – pose no problem. GPS tracking will help them stay in touch with the outside world, while Beattie believes the social media following will be a big part of the pleasure – boosted by frequent stops to capture the sights on camera.

If you would like to be one of those others, go to: www.darylbeattieadventures.com.au for further information on how to hook up with one of our greatest riders and explore the great Australian landscape.

SEE THE MAP BELOW FOR KEY TOUR POINTS

NORTHERN POINT

CAIRNS BROOME

START / END TOUR POINTS AVAILABLE ADVENTURE TOURS: 1. CAPE YORK TOUR - CAIRNS TO AUSTRALIA’S MOST NORTHERN TIP (6 DAYS) 2. DESERT TO WA COAST TOUR - YULARA TO BROOME (18 DAYS) 3. SIMPSON DESERT TOUR - BIRDSVILLE TO ALICE SPRINGS (6 DAYS) 4. FINKE DESERT RACE TOUR - BIRDSVILLE TO ALICE SPRINGS (8 DAYS)

Photography: (top-bottom) Daryl Beattie Adventures tour group – photo by Free Wheeling Magazine; Daryl Beattie on tour; CRF450X in the moonlight – photo by Free Wheeling Magazine.

ALICE SPRINGS YULARA

BIRDSVILLE

R E - I N V E N T I N G T WO WHEE L S

Beattie believes his tours, handpicked after a lifetime of travel in the outback, will be popular with competent riders with some dirt-bike experience – which Daryl acquired before heading off to his Grand Prix career and picked up again when that was over.

“This is a personal passion,” says Beattie, “and something I want to share with others.”

TRAVEL

I F Y O U R ‘A R T ’S I N I T, H E A D F O R

L O N D O N WORDS & SOME PHOTOS BY BELINDA JACKSON

PardOn the pun in our title, but the British capital is bursting with a fresh wave of creativity, with new galleries, architecture and a sense of carefree joy on the streets, discovers Belinda Jackson. Photography: (main) The Serpentine Gallery, in Kensington Gardens by John Offenbach; (right) The Arcelor Mittal Orbit sculpture in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford.

Olympics, royal babies, Wimbledon winners: London’s been served a rare trifecta of triumphs, and in 2013 had more visitors than Paris. There’s an unmissable joie de vivre on its streets and through its cultural scene, creating a rich calendar and wealth of art in public spaces. London is home to the Tate Modern, the world’s most popular museum, with more than five million visitors last year alone. It also now includes a new extension which is home to the world’s first galleries for performance and live art. The number

of Tate Modern visitor numbers will surely jump this year with the display of the $50m diamondencrusted skull by British favourite Damien Hirst; the celebrated artist is himself opening a private gallery next year in Vauxhall. Its secretive sister, the Tate Britain, has enjoyed a dramatic, £45-million facelift, with strengthened floors to accommodate gargantuan sculptural pieces and its 500-strong permanent collection of British art kicks off with Hans Holbein in 1526 and ends in a saucy take of Ronald McDonald as a totem.

Other highlights on the London art scene include the re-opening of the towering Arcelor Mittal Orbit sculpture by Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond. Commissioned for the London Olympics, the 114.5-metre engineering feat in Queen Elizabeth II Park is the UK’s tallest sculpture, with two observation platforms open to the public (arcelormittalorbit.com). Another of London’s key public works is the new Serpentine Sackler Gallery, set by the Serpentine Lake in Kensington Gardens, central London. The

white, futuristic signature curves of Zaha Hadid Architects contrast with the gentle sensibilities of the original Serpentine Gallery, a former tea garden built nearly a century earlier, on the other side of the water. Together, they present modern and contemporary art including an annual temporary summer pavilion featuring a leading architect who has not yet built in the UK (serpentinegalleries.org). 29

WALK THROUGH THE

CENTURIES Photography: (main) The Thames flows past the Shard and the rounded City Hall, beneath Tower Bridge; (below, left-right) Room with a view: sleeping high in the Shangri-La hotel; The modern Gherkin overlooks the medieval London Tower, photo by Belinda Jackson; Architect Zaha Hadid’s sinuous white addition to the Serpentine Sackler Gallery, photo by Luke Hayes.

Hardworking and industrious, the London Bridge quarter balances new glamour and old-school grit. Take the Tube or train to busy London Bridge station then follow the architecture through the centuries. Just outside the station, you’ll find the London Bridge Experience. If you’re looking for Viking London or the thousand-year-old London Tombs, then stroll west on Tooley Street for the dramatic architecture of Hay’s Galleria. Built in the 1850s, this is the place where tea clippers would deliver their exotic produce to the busy London Pool. Now packed with cafes, it’s a good stop for coffee or a sidewalk lunch.

Tower Bridge, opened 1894, for a spectacular, quintessentially London photo stop. The bridge leads across to the hulking Tower of London, which has held its own for 900 years. Its construction started in 1075, and its backdrop is of the latest London skyscrapers, including the Gherkin – aka 30 St Mary Axe, opened in 2004 – another Norman Foster project.

Continue along the river’s edge, past architectural powerhouses Foster + Partners’ skewed sphere that is the City Hall (opened 2002) and on to

Skirting the Tower’s wide, dry moat and heavy walls, follow the marked Thames Path along the river’s edge for spectacular views of the city’s newest

skyscraper, The Shard, by architect Renzo Piano of Paris’ Centre Pompidou fame. The luxury Shangri-La Hotel, located in Western Europe’s tallest tower, opens 6 May (96 Tooley St). Cross London Bridge (pausing midway for more photos of Tower Bridge and the floating Imperial War Museum, HMAS Belfast) and take a quick detour to the right into the busy Borough Markets to stock up on British produce (open WednesdaySaturday) then regroup with high tea or sunset drinks back in Aqua restaurant on Level 31 of the

Shard for a bird’s-eye view of your journey (3-5pm Monday to Friday, the-shard.com).

Open House London opens the door to more than 800 contemporary and historic buildings across the city, 20-21st Sept, 2014, londonopenhouse.org 30

DIARY DATES Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs at Tate Modern, 17 April-7 September, tate.org.uk Frieze Art Fair: for contemporary art and living artists, held in a temporary structure in Regents Park, 16-19 October, friezelondon.com Hello, my name is Paul Smith: internationally recognisable British fashion designer Paul Smith’s exhibition at the Design Museum, until June 22, designmuseum.org

Photography (clockwise): Street art on Hackney’s Chatsworth Rd; Real ales and informal dining tables put life back into the 18th-century pub; The Clapton Hart. Photos by Belinda Jackson.

EASTERN PROMISE Outside the medieval wall that once surrounded the City of London, the East End is London’s bad boy. But some of its most-maligned suburbs, such as Hackney – once a well-to-do medieval village – are also undergoing a resurgence of groove from street markets to organic cafes and galleries. In short: the stars are in the East. The first bomb of World War One was dropped from a Zeppelin into a Hackney pub, playwright Harold Pinter was a local and this is the original home of plastic, known as ‘parkesine’ after its inventor, Alexander Parkes. The demographic is a spicy mix of Turkish cafes and shisha houses (try Dom’s Place, 199 Lower Clapton

Press, where you’ll find lino-cuts, etchings and limited-edition screen-printed children’s books by local artist Liz Loveless (factorypress.co.uk).

Rd), Afro-Caribbean spice shops, cafes churning out coffee good enough for a southern Australian palette (how about Palm2, 152-156 Lower Clapton Rd) and East End markets given a slick twist: turn up hungry at Chatsworth Rd Market (Sundays 11am-4pm). Not so long ago, you wouldn’t walk down Hackney’s main street, Upper and Lower Clapton Roads, beset with internecine gang in-fighting. “It was called the Murder Mile,” says artist, resident and guide Mae Shummo. “Now the gang warfare has been cleaned up, Hackney’s been freed up for change.” Shying away from the city’s high rents (though fast catching up), the area is dotted with bolthole galleries and artist workshops, such as Factory

Hackney and surrounds are also street-art hotspots, with the world-famous Banksy working the walls in his early years. A quick internet search will give directions to his work, much of it now protected. Other addresses on the art-lover’s list should include the artists’ lab LimeWharf for design conversations and musical performances (limewharf.org ), Stour Space for month-long, large-scale exhibitions by emerging artists (stourspace.co.uk) and The White Building, where artist studios are open to the public complete with a highly rated, canal-side craft brewery and pizzeria (thewhitebuilding.org.uk).

Urban Gentry (urbangentry.com) runs bespoke art, food and fashion tours of London.

London Design Festival: with events in 300 venues across the city, headquarters in the V&A Museum, 13-21 September, londondesignfestival.com New Order: British Art Today III: at Saatchi Gallery, renowned for its ability to unearth new talent, Kings Rd, Chelsea (dates TBC) saatchigallery.com The Invisible City: a colony of giant treehouse pavilions will open in this summer by the Boating Lake in Regent’s Park. What you do in them is up to you. theinvisiblecity.com White Cube Gallery: revered gallery for contemporary art, 144 -152 Bermondsey St, Bermondsey. 25 Mason’s Yard, St James, whitecube.org More Info: visitlondon.com Belinda Jackson was a guest of Urban Gentry and VisitBritain. 31

THE HONDA FOUNDATION

the classroom, which includes, most importantly, a stuffed monkey to take the place – temporarily – of the missing child.

THE HONDA FOUNDATION SUPPORTS ‘THERE’S A MONKEY IN MY CHAIR’

The kit also comes with a backpack, an explanatory book and a companion guide for teachers so that everyone in the classroom can play a part in understanding why their young friends are no longer there in person, and how they can play a part in keeping the missing children’s spirits up. Given the clever technology we now enjoy, the program also gives online access to ‘Monkey Message’, allowing children to share photographs, documents and educational activities as if there were no gaps on the classroom benches at all. The ‘Monkey in my Chair’ program originated in the United States and came to Australia with the help of a man who knows, more acutely than most, the calamitous loss of a child.

Photography: Monkey in Tobi’s chair and Tobi in hospital with Monkey.

It’s time to own up. If you are a parent, how often have you thought ‘You little monkey!’ when one or other of your brood got up to mischief? If you are a teacher, how often have you gazed out at your classroom and seen, not attentive kids, but so many little monkeys looking for a bit of fun at your expense? If you were truthful in your answers to the above, then you may be intrigued to know that monkeys really are starting to play a role in the classroom and in the lives of children across Australia. In January this year The Honda Foundation announced a grant of $5000 to assist a program called ‘Monkey in my Chair’, whose

aim is to make children aware of their friends’ absence when illness strikes and the boy or girl affected can no longer be physically present in the classroom. All right, we admit it: they’re not real monkeys, but their presence is proving as beneficial as the mischievous animal in question might be. ‘Monkey in my Chair’ puts a monkey kit into

Ren Pedersen’s live-wire daughter Amy was stricken by one of the most aggressive forms of cancer known to mankind, DIPG – a cancer of the brain stem – and lost her battle with the disease at the age of just nine. Ren then let trusted lieutenants run his crane hire business as he started the fully independent Australian chapter of an organisation called The Cure Starts Now, his aim being to co-ordinate fund-raising activities to help drive research into the disease that had taken his daughter.

Now took on the task of introducing the program to Australian schools. “Our intention was to create some goodness from the sad situations that many children are confronted with,” Mr. Pedersen explains. “In Australia we have the special advantage of using what works from overseas experience.” But he is at pains to point out that ‘Monkey in my Chair’ is aimed at all children affected by disease and illness. It is not cancer-specific, even though the statistics concerning paediatric deaths from cancer make terrifying reading.

“It’s a far bigger net we’re throwing,” he insists. “That’s why it’s so important.” At the time of writing, ‘Monkey in my Chair’ was in its Australian infancy, so to speak – only around 20 kids had been taken on board. One of the most recent was five-year-old Tobi Duggin, from St Clare’s School in Townsville. Tobi was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of three. His Mum Kristy was happy to go along when the school called her in towards the end of last year to suggest the ‘Monkey in my Chair’ program to help her and her family. “I was more than happy to see what they had to say,” Kristy told us, “and now I would definitely recommend the program to families in a similar situation.” “Tobi went in for chemotherapy last week and had the little guy with him; we spoke to his

When ‘Monkey in my Chair’ was founded in the USA some four years ago, The Cure Starts 31 32

class at assembly and being in the program will keep him linked in with them; Monkey will sit in his chair any time Tobi has to be out of school.” The good news: Tobi is due to come out of IV chemotherapy in December and finish oral treatment next January. As Ren Pedersen said on meeting Tobi, “The sparkle in that little boy’s eyes was so good to see.” One of the reasons for Mr. Pedersen’s delight at the grant from The Honda Foundation was that it signalled a shift in awareness. “It’s only recently that we have begun to see some corporate recognition of our efforts,” he told us, “and that is what makes The Honda Foundation’s generosity so significant. Now we are seeing some interest from Ronald MacDonald House as well, which would be a massive thing for us.” The grant from The Honda Foundation will allow Mr. Pedersen to acquire a further 50 ‘Monkey in my Chair’ kits from the overseas supplier; in addition, it will cover delivery costs to any part of the enormous Australian continent. “But it’s far more than 50 individuals that will benefit,” he points out. “Immediate and extended families, school staff and many other people will be directly touched.” Ren Pedersen calls himself a DIPG foot-soldier.

illness in general. But his crusade goes beyond that obvious ambition. It may interest readers of a certain generation to know that Ren Pedersen is a self-confessed Johnny Cash nut. One of the reasons, he will happily tell you, is that the Man in Black’s life was governed by some fundamental principles. One of them was, as Mr. Pedersen puts it, “going in to bat for people who have no voice”. And that means kids.

“Children don’t vote, so all they can usually score is a 90-second sob story in a news bulletin,” he adds. “We are obsessed with so-called celebrities, and our children are not celebrities, are they? I should say in passing that the late Neil Armstrong had a child whose life was taken early – I wish that he had been more outspoken about it, which would have highlighted the problem for many people.” More than anything, ‘Monkey in my Chair’ represents one strand of a busy life led, more than ever, in Amy Pedersen’s cause. “I often think that if someone, many years ago, had championed this cause then my daughter might be here today,” says Mr. Pedersen. “I promised Amy that I will not give up, so we must keep on rolling that boulder up the hill. This is my life’s work…”

The work he and his associates carry out is essential, he says, because so often parents are too fatigued, mentally and physically, to carry on with the perpetual sadness that is DIPG advocacy in particular and childhood

33 31

HISTORY

SENNA ~

Mr Honda himself had a very soft spot for one of the men who drove cars powered by his peerless engines. In 2014, as Honda prepares for its F1 return, it is 20 years since the sport took the great Brazilian Ayrton Senna da Silva from us. International F1 journalist Tim Collings enjoys some rare insights.

“A

Photography: Senna at the 1990 Mexico GP.

yrton Senna da Silva: is the man’s legacy to be recalled in mere statistics or in meaningful memories? Numbers on a page or emotions stirred? Sporting supremacy – or rare humanity?

for drivers’ safety and the humility that was so visible with children and ordinary motor racing fans confirm the passion and personality of a man whose death 20 years ago, in 1994, was to be remembered again so vividly, on May 1.

The stories of his on-track talent, the utter determination and all-consuming passion are well chronicled. Indeed, 161 Grands Prix, 64 pole positions, 87 front row starts and 41 victories reflect all that.

That afternoon, at Imola, capped a black weekend at the San Marino Grand Prix, where Senna started his final race from pole position. Saturday’s qualifying had brought the brutal death of Austrian Roland Ratzenberger, a shock that sent a shudder of apprehension and misery through the overcrowded paddock. Sunday delivered more.

Ninety-six of those races and 35 wins were with the McLaren Honda partnership (to be rejoined in 2015). His rivalry with Alain Prost, his concern

“Consumed by passion for racing, he embodied that spirit which Honda has always articulated for the sport” But in this anniversary year, as Honda prepare their comeback, it is Senna the man that many, including this correspondent, will remember: the smiles, jokes and kindnesses that were a part of his unique charisma. Yes, the memory plays tricks on us, but not when so many remember the same things at the same place. In a rush at the Hungaroring in 1987, he stopped to answer a question with a serious frown. In Lotus overalls, he smiled and then ran on to catch lost time. Later that year, at Monza, he shuffled in slanting late-summer sunshine as he stood with Prost at a McLaren gathering to announce the formation of a dream team – Prost and Senna, McLaren and Honda. In Paris, when the sport’s ruling body celebrated 500 Grands Prix, he agreed to sign a menu printed for the occasion. ‘Joshua? How do you spell that?’ he asked after mistaking the name for George, more common in English at the time. He duly signed and remembered. Another private moment lives in the memory. After another championship season was over, passions spent, inside the David Jones department store in Adelaide, your scribe walked into a scene to behold – Senna, who had been at the centre of a stormy season, contemplating a pile of stacked trunks in the luggage area. ‘Hey, you again!’ he grinned. ‘I don’t always agree with you. But I respect what you write and your opinion, your view.’ A warm handshake and even warmer smile followed. ‘So, how is J-o-s-h-u-a?” Photography: Senna driving the MacLaren MP 4/4.

The memory and the self-mocking way he spelled out my son’s name endorsed the man’s kindness. ‘What are you doing? What do you want all these trunks for?’ he was asked. By way of answer, he produced a list of names and shoe sizes. It was a very long list, including the identity of at least 75 people who worked for him in his organisation to help the poor and unprivileged people of São Paulo. ‘I need these big cases,’ he explained. ‘To pack the shoes for my people. I come here myself and choose the shoes. They are put in them and then we send them back to Brazil. Everyone has a pair chosen by me.’ He smiled again. Not at his own satisfaction, but at the prospect of delighting a compatriot on the other side of the world. It was a simple story of Senna’s way of living, an insight into the man and a memory that has helped construct a lasting legacy of his individuality. He cared. And that is why at other times and other places, he was seen to boil with rage, pour forth profanities, take risks that others could not understand or drive with such sublime sensitivity and speed that he appeared untouchable, unequalled. Consumed by passion for racing, he embodied that spirit which Honda has always articulated for the sport. Consumed by compassion, in other parts of his life, he is still remembered by some of us for that most important quality. Senna cared. 35

H o n d a b r o c h u r e s for ipad j a z z , a c c o r d

c i v i c e u r o ,

s e d a n ,

c i v i c

h a t c h , a c c o r d,

i n s i g h t ,

o d y s s e y , c r - v , c r - z , c i t y

TRAVEL

TIME TO GO WALK ON THE MOON STORY AND PHOTOS BY WILL GRAY Will Gray heads to Huntsville, Alabama, home of NASAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mission to the Moon, to discover the secrets of the space race and to get a taste of how it feels to be an astronaut. Photography: The heart of Space Camp is a full-size mock-up of part of the International Space Station.

TIME TO GO WALK ON THE MOON Photography: Will Gray tries out the Manned Manoeuvring Unit in Space Camp’s simulation area.

“Do you get sick?” asks the boiler-suited boffin strapping me into what looks like a high-tech human hamster ball. Well, as all good astronauts would concur, there’s only one way to find out. Sitting in a metal seat with my wrists strapped tightly down and a five-point harness sucking all the air out of my lungs, I am about to be put through the kind of training space legends Armstrong, Collins and Aldrin experienced before their Apollo mission to the moon way back in 1969. As the motors whirr I tip slowly backwards, a gentle introduction to what will soon be a wild ride. The multi-axis trainer quickly gets into full swing: my body is spinning around faster and faster, my eyes starting to lose focus as the NASA sign attached to the frame flies past my face at what seems like the 100th different angle. “How you feeling?” I hear the controller shout, the direction from which it came lost in a blur. “Yeah, pretty good,” I lie. “Great. We’ll take it up another notch then.” Eugh. Really? After five minutes, but what seemed like five hours, the human gyroscope coasts to a halt. My eyeballs settle. I am, I think, back up the right way. “OK,” calls the boffin. “Time to go walk on the moon.”

Photography: A rocket at the________.

Huntsville holds legendary status in America’s obsession with space. It was here at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Centre where engineers designed and built the rockets for the Apollo programme in the 1960s and 1970s. This is now the place from which the USA manages all the activities of the astronauts on the International Space Station.

It is also home to Space Camp, a globally unique training centre designed to feed the passion and aspirations of wannabe astronauts both young and old. The buzz begins on arrival, when visitors are welcomed by a 36-storey Saturn V rocket model that towers over the interstate highway at the entrance and a fully assembled Space Shuttle launch craft sitting beside the car park. But that’s just the start. The US Space and Rocket Centre museum is NASA’s original visitor centre and still its most impressive, housing more than 1,500 articles of space memorabilia. The whole story of space exploration to date is laid out in a detailed timeline along the two flanks of a real, genuine Saturn V rocket restored to its former glory after being found rusting on site and now suspended 10 feet above the gallery. It all started when Dr. Werner von Braun, the German-born creator of the V2 rockets used in World War II, was taken to America as part of a top-secret operation in 1950. He was deployed to what was then a tiny Alabama town as director of the newly-formed space centre, where he put his combat rocket concept to more positive use in the Gemini and Saturn rockets that put the first US satellite into orbit and sent the first men to the moon. 38

TIME TO GO WALK ON THE MOON It all grew from there: Huntsville engineers developed power for the space shuttle, designed and built modules for the International Space Station and are now working on the next generation spacecraft Ares I and Ares V. From giant rocket thrusters to tiny wind tunnel models, the whole story of the US space programme is told through a journey around the museum’s exhibits. The biocapsule that took ‘monkeynaut’ Baker to space and back sits a few hundred metres from her gravesite, where she was buried in 1984 after living here to the age of 27; there are Apollo crew suits and Apollo Mania toys; replicas of the Lunar Rover and Lunar Lander; various examples of genuine moon rock; the charred Apollo 16 command module and casts of the hands of the three men on the moon. You can even see samples of the dried meals eaten by the Apollo astronauts...not to mention a fecal collection system. It’s all very hands-on, and you can clamber into the tight confines of the cabin from the Apollo Command Module Mission Simulator, stroll through the Apollo 12 Mobile Quarantine Facility and look around the training centre for the first-ever space station. But it’s the Space Academy that really delivers the full space experience. Initially focused on children, the facility was started in 1982 with the aim of promoting maths, science and technology. There is now everything from a two-day try-out to full two-week courses – and it’s available for adults too.

The tailored programmes are focused on space mission role-plays and include elements such as model rocket construction, space station living and, of course, the space flight simulators. Which is why I am now strapped into a small seat suspended from the ceiling of a giant hanger, bouncing along a crater-filled floor as I try to walk in the conditions found on the moon. This feat is far more difficult than it looks. The 1/6th gravity chair, like the multi-axis trainer I had tried earlier and the manned manoeuvring unit which replicates the space arm astronauts used on the Shuttle are all real tools used in the training of real astronauts. The multi-axis machine was created for the Apollo missions to replicate a spacecraft going into a flat spin – one of the biggest dangers of space flight in the early days. When used for real, it had mini rockets the astronaut would try to fire to counteract the wild ride and bring it back to stability. Some of the more advanced courses, and the associated fighter jet pilot courses, even have use of a microgravity-simulating underwater flotation tank and a centrifuge that simulates the super g-force levels experienced on lift-off or on high-g aircraft turns. Given its heritage, there is no better place than Huntsville to play with these big boys toys while understanding why they were so vital for the development of the space race. And even if you went in a space sceptic, you’ll come out a space nut.

Note: This story was also published in the Daily Telegraph UK earlier this year. Photography: (top) Huntsville is the only place you can see the Space Shuttle complete with genuine fuel tanks and booster rockets; (below) The outdoor Rocket Park tells the story of the development of space rockets.

MOTORSPORT Photography: Exhibition at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.

MOTORSPORT ROUND-UP

were denied a 100% winning record only when a driver with no F1 experience took out the race-leading Honda of Ayrton Senna at Monza that year. “We feel that the environmental technology and F1, the pinnacle of motorsport, are converging to create this new racing,” said Honda’s Yasuhisa Arai when the return to F1 was announced in May 2013. “It is this good, positive direction that inspired us to come back.” For Arai-san and his colleagues the real challenge of the new engine era lies in understanding and mastering the energy management systems that are part and parcel of the modern turbo-charged world. With fuel loads limited to 100 kilograms per car per Grand Prix, and fuel flow – the trap that caught Ricciardo out – also limited

NOT MUCH SOUND - PLENTY OF FURY “When you go to a night-club you don’t expect to hear Chris de Burgh singing ‘Lady in Red’, do you?” The speaker: 13-time Grand Prix winner turned television pundit David Coulthard, commenting on the sound – or absence of it – made by the new generation of Formula 1 cars that appeared in public for the first time at Melbourne’s Albert Park in March. The major promise to emerge, as far as Honda was concerned, was the revitalised state of health of the McLaren team itself. When you are seeking to rekindle the passion that led to eight World Championships and 44 victories together, it’s good to know the other half of the equation is travelling well. Veteran Jenson Button – the lone race winner for Honda in its last F1 era earlier this century – and one of the new faces of F1, young Dane Kevin Magnussen, were both on the Melbourne podium, so Honda can rest assured the drivers are ready to

make the most of what the team can give them. But getting back to DC’s comment, the major talking-point around the sport in general was the eerie quiet. It may have been good news for residents of the surrounding suburbs, but some F1 die-hards felt the sound from the new-generation, turbo-charged, single-exhaust ‘power units’ was distinctly underwhelming. Further disgruntlement came when local hero Daniel Ricciardo, the man usurping retired F1 driver Mark Webber’s place in Australian hearts, was excluded from the results because of an alleged over-stepping of the very stringent fuel regulations that are central to F1’s new look.

to the exhaust turbine of the pressure-charging system.“The energy management system in particular is something that is placed upon the automotive manufacturer as a challenge to solve,” added Arai-san. “F1 gives us a new challenge to balance the speed with achieving these environmental technologies.” Dire warnings of unreliability in the relatively untried new machinery seemed to have been borne out within moments of the start of practice for the Australian Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes coasted to a halt with sensor failure. But by the end of the race itself three days later it was Hamilton’s teammate Nico Rosberg who won with Mercedes power – the engine technology that Honda must supplant at McLaren when the new partnership begins next year. Honda anticipates that heat recovery technology in particular will eventually transfer to production cars, while the hybrid technology in which the company has played such a pioneering role with its production cars will be invaluable when it comes to similar systems for its race cars.

to a peak flow of 100 kilograms per hour, teams will need to harvest and re-use the considerable electrical energy now available from more developed recovery systems.

This goes to the heart of the matter for Honda as it seeks to create a ‘power unit’ capable of rivalling the ‘old’ turbo-charged engine’s feats in the McLaren cars of the late Eighties.

The ‘power unit’ consists of six elements, each of which will have to interact flawlessly with all of the others: the V6 engine, the turbo-charger, the Energy Recovery System (ERS), two Motor Generator Units (MGU) and the Energy Store.

In 1988, for example, McLaren Honda claimed 15 of the 16 Grands Prix on the calendar – and they

One MGU, the MGU-K, is an electrical unit linked to the drive train; the other, the MGU-H, is linked

To finish where we began, Honda CEO Takanobu Ito, speaking at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show in November, came out with a very reassuring statement:

“Just the other day our new F1 engine under development was fired up for the first time,” he said. “

“Please look forward to hearing the ‘Honda Music’ for the new era.” Photography: (left) Australian Grand Prix; (right) Exhibition at the press conference of the participation in the FIA Formula One World Championship.

41 43

Photography: (main) Senior Vice President, Honda Motor Europe, Phillip Ross, speaking at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show; (right) all new Civic WTCC Racer at the Geneva Motor Show.

MARRAKESH EXPRESS STARTS WTCC BALL ROLLING Come on, admit it – you remember Crosby, Stills and Nash warbling on about the Marrakesh Express, don’t you? In the modern version the music of WTCC cars was due to be heard in Morocco as a new WTCC season got up and running. Three victories and a Manufacturers’ world title: Honda will find it hard to surpass their excellent achievements in 2013 when the new World Touring Car Championship cranks up this year. The series visits 12 venues, with two sprint races of 60 kilometres each scheduled at every round for a total of 24 races. Starting in Morocco, the WTCC takes in 12 different countries between April and November. Driver Gabriele Tarquini (who celebrated his 52nd race and who will be 38 mid-year), along with Norbert Michelisz has been retained in the

official works team again campaigning a Civic for Zengo and Proteam, bringing in Moroccan Mehdi Bennani in another privateer Civic. New regulations for 2014 have seen aerodynamic changes to the Honda, prepared by J.A.S. Motorsport. They are most obvious in larger, 18” wheels, wheel-arch extensions and an extended rear spoiler. Still running to Super 2000 technical specifications, the cars’ weight has been reduced by 50 kilograms to 1100 kg, but there is an extra 50-60 horsepower on tap this year.

On the sporting front there is a small but significant change as well. A new qualifying segment, Q3, will take the top five of the 12 drivers from Q2 and give them one single flying lap each to determine the front five starting positions on the grid for Race 1 at each event. As before, the top 10 in Race 1 will be reversed to provide the first five rows of the grid for Race 2. Another important change is that rolling starts are a thing of the past, with standing starts now the norm for every race.

William de Braekeleer, Motorsport Manager Honda Motor Europe, was quick to point out the challenge that lies ahead when he accepted the 2013 manufacturers’ trophy. “We achieved four victories and sixteen other podium results, something that gives you a real sense of pride for a first year in WTCC,” he said. “And obviously our aim is now to do even better in 2014!” Tarquini, one of the world’s most experienced and versatile campaigners behind the wheel, said pure race speed had been the real key to Honda Civic WTCC’s 2013 success – but cautioned that it’s all about to change for 2014.

42 44

Photography (left): all new Civic WTCC Racer at the Geneva Motor Show; (right) Gabriele Tarquini at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show infront of WTCC Racer.

“Next year will be totally different,” said the Italian. “We must build a new engine and car because the regulations will change completely. But everybody will start from zero and our competitor will be more or less the same as this year.” Andrea Adamo, Chief Designer, J.A.S. Motorsport, summed up the technical changes succinctly: “The new Civic WTCC does not have much in common with last year’s Civic”, he stressed. “Everything is new: the chassis, the engine, the suspension, the aerodynamic parts, even the size of the tyres has changed!” “Considering we started the project in September 2013 and were able to perform a shakedown of the new Civic WTCC in January 2014, our staff really have done an incredible job in a short amount of time.”

The full schedule of events in 2014 is as follows:

As Tarquini added, however, one of the most significant changes is among the driving personnel – the arrival of a multiple World Rally Champion among the opposition ranks. “We will have another very strong team coming in,” Tarquini underlined. “The Citroën manufacturer team will enter with Sébastien Loeb (a man who has achieved nine consecutive titles in the World Rally Championship). Everybody is waiting to see his performance on circuits. We too are also curious about his performance”. “I think their car will be very competitive. In development, we are not behind other teams, but Citroën has the advantage because they have been testing their car since August. In any case, I’m really optimistic about next season and I think our team will be able to do even better than this year.”

»» 13 April - Marrakesh (MAR)

»» 22 June - Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)

»» 20 April - Le Castellet (FRA)

»» 3 August - Termas de Río Hondo (ARG)

»» 4 May - Hungaroring (HUN)

»» 14 September - Sonoma (USA)

»» 11 May - Slovakia Ring (SVK)

»» 12 October - Shanghai (CHN)

»» 25 May - Salzburgring (AUT)

»» 26 October - Suzuka (JPN)

»» 8 June - Moscow Raceway (RUS)

»» 16 November - Macau (MAC) 43

ROUND ONE: QATAR »» City: LOSAIL »» MotoGP Laps: 22 »» Lap Distance (km): 5.380

RESULTS »» 1 - Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team »» 2 - Valentino Rossi, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP »» 3 - Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda Team

WINGED MARQUEZ TAKES FLIGHT IN QATAR Six weeks after breaking his right leg in a training mishap, Honda’s Marc Marquez stunned his MotoGP rivals by claiming victory in the opening round of the 2014 World Championship in Qatar. “I didn’t expect this.” That was Spanish sensation Marc Marquez’s reaction when he defied injury – and the determined challenge of the man he idolises – to win the first of 18 races in the 2014 MotoGP series at the desert circuit of Losail in Qatar. Marquez was unable to walk just five days before the event got under way, but by Saturday evening the 21-year-old was on pole position. It was his 10th. After early leader Jorge Lorenzo crashed out on the opening lap of 22, it was his Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi who carried the fight to Marquez – whose bedroom walls are adorned with posters of the Italian maestro. It was on lap 14 that Marquez made his definitive move to the front, but on the penultimate lap he and Rossi swapped positions several times before the Honda edged away to win by just 0.259 of a second.

Third place for Dani Pedrosa completed a splendid start for the Repsol Honda outfit on a night when Honda celebrated their 250th remarkable milestone. “The 25 points are important,” said Marquez, “but it’s also been an important race because I was coming back from an injury that caused me to miss most of the pre-season. Also this weekend there were a lot of riders up at the front, all with a great pace, and seeing how the race went, this win is a big one.”

SPANIARD’S BREAK-OUT SEASON HONOURED

Photography: (left) 2014 RC213V; (right) Marc Marquez racing in Qatar March 23, 2014; Marquez recieving the Laureus World Breakthrough Award,

Pedrosa, nearing the veteran stage himself, was happy with a strong result on a track where he has never won. “Third place is a positive result,” said the 28-year-old Spanish rider.

The remarkable Marc Marquez has received the Laureus World Breakthrough Award for 2013 at the prestigious Laureus Awards gala, held in Malaysia on the eve of the second round of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship.

“We’ve finished on the podium at a circuit that’s difficult for me because it isn’t well suited to my style. So it’s a good way to start.”

Last season Marquez, in his first year with Repsol Honda in the premier class of the MotoGP World Championship, became the youngest World Champion in history, winning six Grands Prix on his way to the title. Fittingly, the young Spaniard received his trophy from another Honda star, Australia’s five-time World Champion Mick Doohan.

MotoGP returns to Australia for round 16 at Phillip Island on the weekend of October 17-19.

“It’s very difficult to explain how I feel,” commented Marquez, who won the opening round of the season in Qatar in March. “This is one of the most important awards I have received.” 44

FAN FEATURE

1991 CR-X – THANKS MICHAEL!

‘05 JAZZ VTi-S – THANKS ROHAN!

S200 MEET – THANKS DaRIUS!

FAN FEATURE FACEBOOK PHOTOS We love to see what you love so send us your pics on Facebook and you might see them here!

Civic VTi-l, ‘mulcher’ mower and jazz WITH IAN, SUE & ROSIE (THE SPOILT DOG) - great family PHOTO!

facebook.com/HondaAustraliaCars twitter.com/Honda_Australia youtube.com/HondaAustralia pinterest.com/hondacars

HAVE YOU GOT A HONDA JOY? WE ASKED FACEBOOK FAN LACHLAN WHY HE LOVES HIS HONDA...

1992 PRELUDE: LEGEND STYLE. “I love this car because it has amazing handling, power and is fun to drive. It has timeless styling and a unique dash which always grabs peoples‘ attention....it is truly a legend to its own.”

SOCIAL MEDIA @ HONDA: 46

COMPETITION

REAL

reviews

“An example of excellence in innovation as well as careful consideration of family needs. ” ~ Robin Brown

Instead of using a professional car reviewer

“Loading hordes no

to critique the all-new Odyssey, we challenged

longer requires contortionism.

real people to be the critics instead. With the

~ Kylie Orr

”

keys to a sexy new Odyssey VTi-L in their hands, these real-life reviewers headed straight for the streets, putting it through a week of everything from school runs to chip crumbs. There were six in the mix, but only one

“Only a truly thoughtful car can practically park itself.” ~ Denny Prussian

could be our best critic and win an Odyssey of their very own.

“We all know mums have eyes in the back of their heads. So does the Odyssey.” ~ Jennie Jean-Pierre

“The Odyssey can handle bumps and bends better than a pre-natal yoga class.

”

~ Penelope Bartlau

See next page for the winner’s review

50 47

Photography: Lucky 2014 Honda Odyssey Winners – the Eddey family.

“It’s a sexy head-turner that scores some serious cool points.”

But the sleek styling doesn’t stop on the outside. The sunroof, elegant dash, classy leather trim, two adjustable Captain’s chairs with armrests and built-in ottomans feels more like a limo minus the white gloves. The tri-zone climate control ensures the kids can adjust their own temperature from the second row, while I keep my cool in the driver’s seat. And with front row seat warmers it’s now possible to have a hot rear end, even after childbirth. With its super-low floor and generous headroom, the Odyssey comfortably transports the kids, their friends, grandparents or even seven full-size sweaty blokes with enough cargo space for scooters, boogie boards and a pram or three. But when the third row seats mysteriously fold into the floor space, you’ll be surprised to discover a mini dancefloor back there, with enough room to do the Nutbush. Unloading kid’s sports equipment, my music gear, the grocery shopping or hubby’s overzealous purchases at the hardware store is easy with the high opening tailgate.

WINNER

LOUISE EDDEY Sexy, smart, comfortable and stylish. And I’m not talking about my favourite pair of heels. I’m talking about a people mover. Yes, a people mover. Our family spent a week test-driving the Honda Odyssey VTi-L, and the results were impressive. If you thought people movers were the automotive equivalent to a pair of trackies, you haven’t seen the all-new Odyssey. With its sleek lines, low-to-the-ground stance and stunning front chrome grille, it’s not only a practical

37, MUM OF 2 AND BAND MEMBER

family vehicle but a sexy head-turner that scores some serious cool points. Being a mum of two young kids and also a musician, flinging open those dual power doors felt just as rock ‘n roll at the school gate as it did arriving at my gig - enough to unleash any mum’s inner Beyonce. The power doors create a spacious opening to load the kids safely in and out the curb side door on busy roads, and no more worrying about my excited little cherubs flinging open their door onto that Porsche parked next to me.

The Odyssey not only has beauty, but brains to match. The Display Audio System integrated seamlessly with my Smartphone, allowing me to receive or make hands-free calls and stream music. Audio control from the steering wheel ensures no-one messes with my ABBA. The only negative was the Sat-nav app is only currently compatible with iPhone® 5. The Smart Parking Assist and multi-view camera was my favourite feature. In addition to increased safety and visibility, there were no more kerb mountings in front of crowded cafés while attempting that tricky

parallel park. Tight spots were a breeze, and morning lattes no longer came with two sugars and a dash of embarrassment. When taking the Odyssey on a family road trip, I was pleasantly surprised that it handled like a sedan. It felt solid and clamped to the ground, with the blind spot indicators being handy for safe lane changes. And once the kids had laughed, sang, then tantrumed themselves to sleep, I could fully appreciate the Odyssey’s ultra-low road noise. Bliss. If you think a car with seven seats would go through fuel like bottles of chardy on a girls’ weekend, you’d be wrong. The fuel economy is impressive, ensuring my shoe budget remains intact. Overall, the Odyssey offers cleverly designed versatility for large families or those wanting the flexibility of carrying extra passengers and lots of cargo. The large interior space gives the Odyssey the edge over SUVs, while still turning heads. As a family we’re looking for space, comfort, agility and tech smarts all in one sexy package. And like the most fabulous pair of heels – the Honda Odyssey is the perfect fit.

iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

HONDA MAG 56 If you have any feedback send us an email DIGITALMARKETING@HONDA.COM.AU

Honda Australia Pty. Ltd. ACN 004 759 611 ABN 66 004 759 611 95 Sharps Road, Tullamarine, Victoria, 3043. Freecall 1800 804 954 honda.com.au/cars