AUTO MANIA: by Dr. Iain Corness [email protected]

Indian GP this weekend

Buddh International Circuit.

TIndia unveiled its $400 million Buddh International Circuit last year. (For all those who are hoping for a Thailand GP, $400 million is about 12 billion baht, so dig deep! And that does not include removable barriers and lighting.)
The track has 16 largely medium speed corners where F1 cars lap at an average speed of 210 km/h. The back straight will let F1 cars reach 320 km/h making it one of the fastest tracks in the world. The lap record is 1 minute 27.2 seconds, held by Vettel. The grandstand with a capacity of 13,000 overlooks turns 10 and 11 giving the F1 fans an opportunity to be a part of the action.
For the future of F1 in India, let us hope this second one is a success. The owners of the three year old circuit built for the Korean GP are already making noises that they need the annual fee reduced, as they are losing too much money. However, I doubt if Bernie will be answering the phone.
Last year’s results were Vettel (Red Bull), Button (McLaren), Alonso (Ferrari) and Webber (Red Bull). The usual suspects again this year I imagine.
I will be watching from my usual perch at Jameson’s Irish Pub, Soi AR, next to Nova Park for the Grand Prix. We will be gazing at the huge screen, with the dedicated F1 channel for coverage and no breaks for adverts. Now, important - with the time differential between here and India, the race on Sunday starts at 4.30 p.m. Thai time. Qualifying on the Saturday is 3.30 p.m. Join us for lunch and a couple of jars before the red lights go out, and stay for the post-race discussions and try the Sunday specials.

EBC makes the “Super” grade but too late?

EBC V8 BMW on pole at Bira.

The motor racing world in Thailand is buzzing with the news that Three Crowns, the promoter of the top echelon of motor racing (Super Car) is withdrawing from the sport in 2013. This category was for the top cars in all classes, and they even had what was called “Super Retro”, a class we were off about three seconds a lap but expected to make that up next year.
Two of the regulars in my group are Gavin Charlesworth in the EBC backed V8 BMW E30 and Frank Teeuwin in the B-Quik M3 powered BMW E30, who decided they would put their cars up against the Super Retro cars, and came in 1st (Gavin) and 2nd (Frank).
Having proved that they have the speed (Gavin down to a 1 min 11 second lap at Bira), they were looking forward to competing in Super Retro next year. Now comes the news that the promoter is pulling out. However, I would fully expect another group to take over the reigns. Watch this space!

Mazda looking for the answer to the fuel supply

RX7 one of my favorite cars.

A new generation of the Mazda rotary engine will be trialed in a plug-in electric car in Japan from 2013. This rotary, as opposed to the previous gas-guzzlers will use hydrogen rather than petrol, and will be teamed with an electric motor and batteries to act as a range extender. The car would be able to be driven purely on electricity and recharged from a household powerpoint with the rotary engine solely used to recharge the batteries rather than drive the wheels.
The concept is of an electric vehicle with a rotary engine range extender with the rotary engine running when needed at a constant 2000 rpm to maximise fuel economy plus low vibrations and has the advantage in being compact.
Rotary engines have been known to have poor fuel economy and no low-down torque. However, Mazda is currently working on a rotary engine with bigger diameter which has bigger displacement of the eccentric shafts and looks to have future potential. Knowing Mazda, they will make it work.

Will the petrol pumps run dry?

Interesting motoring information can often be found in the finance pages of newspapers. Stumbled across a table showing the usage of fuel energy in any country versus how much fuel energy is produced in that country. If you have to import a large percentage of fuel for domestic use, your economy is not very secure.
The graph showed 25 countries and rated them as far as import to domestic production. Thailand came 24th! Apparently we import about two thirds of the oil we use.
Compare that to Mexico which exports, rather than having to import as Thailand is forced to do. Other countries that have an optimum balance are the UK, Norway, NZ, Denmark and Australia. Even the US has problems importing 45 percent of the fuel it used last year, but still not as bad as Thailand’s 66 percent.
With the majority of the European countries importing at least 50 percent of their needs it becomes rather easy to see just why the Middle East has risen to power and why so much automotive research is being poured into the electric/hydrogen/hybrid alternatives.
Unless OPEC reduce the price of crude oil (and don’t hold your breath), I expect to see electric vehicles on the roads in Thailand before the end of this decade.

Today’s answer to the Daihatsu Mira

You may not have heard of the Dacia brand from Romania, but it is owned by Renault and manufactures inexpensive motor cars. The latest offering is being billed as the UK’s most affordable new car, from STG 5,995.
This is called the Sandero and there are three versions to choose from: Access, Ambiance and Lauréate.
The models are not bare-bones transport either, with options including a 7-inch touchscreen MediaNav and leather upholstery, two accessory packs, a choice of three frugal engines, including new three-cylinder 0.9 TCe 90 petrol and 1.5 dCi 90, both with ECO mode. Five- and seven-year extended warranties also available.
From humble beginnings, the Romanian brand has gone from strength to strength since Renault bought it in 1999 and transformed its fortunes. For the last eight years in a row it has been the fastest-growing automotive brand in Europe, rising from under 5,000 sales in 2004 to shipping a mighty 350,000 last year. And the final piece of the jigsaw is the UK. Sadly, in spite of adding ever more factory capacity, Dacia hasn’t been able to produce right-hand-drive cars for the UK, until now.
Far from being Spartan, even the entry-level version offers plenty of features, including 15" steel wheels, power assisted steering, a 60/40 split folding rear seat and even daytime running lights.
The usual suite of acronyms are present with ABS with Emergency Brake Assist, ASR traction control, ESC (Electronic Stability Control), driver, passenger and front side airbags and ISOFIX points in both outer rear seats.
For only £600 more, the mid-level Ambiance offers such niceties as radio CD player with fingertip remote controls, USB and AUX input, Bluetooth™, remote central locking, electric front windows, body colored bumpers and 15" ‘Colorado’ wheel trims.
The top-of-the-range Sandero versions are called Lauréate. Dacia expects up to two thirds of buyers to plump for them. With three available, starting from only £7,995, just £2,000 more than the entry version, it’s not hard to see why.
This top of the line has air conditioning, heated and electrically adjustable door mirrors, cruise control and electric rear windows as standard. In this guise, Sandero really does offer big car features for small car prices.
Not only will Sandero be affordable to buy, it will also be economical to run. The choice is of three frugal engines. The first, the 1.2 16V 75, one of the Renault Group’s most tried and tested engines, is on offer with every trim level. The even more frugal, yet powerful, TCe 90 and dCi 90, can be had with both Ambiance and Lauréate.
Proving that modern-day motoring can be inexpensive, the four-cylinder 1.2 petrol delivers 47.9 mpg on the combined cycle.
The second engine for Dacia’s new supermini is the TCe 90. It is new to the brand after debuting in the Renault Clio with the added bonus of Stop/Start technology. In Sandero, the 0.9-litre three-cylinder turbocharged unit is capable of 109 mph, with fuel economy of 54.3 mpg. Rounding off the series of modern engines is the new dCi 90. Belying its 1.5-liter diesel size, it delivers 74.3 mpg.
The two top engines also boast gearshift indicators and an ECO mode to limit engine torque, both to help you eek the most out of your tank - by 10% - and save you valuable pennies at the pumps.
But don’t think for a second that just because it’s incredibly affordable, that it won’t stand the test of time, or, that it’s using engines and technology from many moons ago. It’s not. Firstly, Dacia is renowned for its quality and reliability. After all, its models are designed, engineered and built to cope with the rough stuff and weather extremes everywhere from Brazil to Russia. It recently came top in a survey of 30,000 customers in five Western European markets, as Europe’s most reliable car brand. Secondly, thanks to its parent company, Renault, it also has access to the latest powertrains as well.
Will we ever get it here? Entry level at 300,000 baht would make it attractive, but add on freight and duty. I don’t think we will ever see it, though if it did come, I’d be ready to trade the mighty Daihatsu.

Autotrivia Quiz

Last week I asked what classic racing car had a tapered, hollow beam axle at the front? Clue: painted blue. It was the Bugatti Type 35. Too easy!
So to this week. Another too easy one. What does the green traffic light mean?
For the Automania free beer this week, be the first correct answer to email [email protected]