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

Fancy a small SUV with a three pointed star?

 Mercedes-Benz GLA

After displaying a “teaser” at the Shanghai motor show in April, Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the production version of its new compact SUV, known as the GLA.
The GLA is the fourth member of Mercedes-Benz’s latest line-up of compact models, joining the A-Class hatchback, B-Class compact MPV and recently introduced CLA sedan in sharing a common platform structure that uses transversely mounted engines and supports both FWD and 4WD.
The external dimensions are similar to those of its key compact European crossover rivals. It has a 2699mm wheelbase - the same as that used by all latest A-Class. Other dimensions are 4427 mm in length, 1805 mm in width and 1495 mm in height.
The GLA can be ordered with a range of turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. FWD models include the GLA200 with a 115 kW 1.6 liter petrol unit and the GLA200 CDI running a 100 kW 1.8 liter diesel.
There are three four-wheel-drive models, including the GLA250 with a 155 kW 2.0 liter petrol engine, GLA220 CDI fitted with a 125 kW 2.1 liter diesel and the GLA45 AMG with a 265 kW 2.0 liter petrol unit.
A six-speed manual gearbox is standard on the FWD models, and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic appearing on the 4WD models. This transmission will be optional on all FWD.
Mercedes-Benz is not promoting the GLA as an off-roader, but the dual-clutch gearbox boasts an off-road mode, which alters the shift points and throttle mapping for smooth progress away from the bitumen, and the 4WD system defaults to a FWD under normal on-road driving conditions in the interests of fuel saving, but it can send up to 50 percent of drive to the rear wheels when the road conditions demand it. A downhill speed regulation function is standard on all models with 4WD, helping to maintain a constant speed on downhill gradients.
Official fuel economy figures are impressive and almost eco-class. The GLA200 CDI, returns 4.3 L/100 km on the combined European cycle.
The dashboard and interior features are carried over from the A-Class, B-Class and CLA-Class. Boot space is put at 421 litres, rising to 836 litres when the rear seat is folded down.
The GLA comes with many safety features, including Attention Assist to detect drowsiness; Collision Prevention Assist that operates at speeds from 7 km/h and a more advanced Collision Prevention Assist Plus function that, in combination with the optional Distronic Plus cruise control, provides full autonomous application of the brakes at speeds up to 200 km/h for impact avoidance.
There is also the usual infotainment and other electronics seemingly required in new cars these days with full smart phone integration, internet connectivity, applications such as Facebook and Twitter, and street view on the navigation system and many other options.

The history of Round the Houses

Monaco

Round the houses racing is not a new development, though there has been a resurgence in the last few years. For me, circuits around the houses offer little opportunity for cars to pass each other, and every opportunity to have a nasty meeting with a wall!
The first round the houses event for cars was in 1929, in the tiny principality of Monaco. History does not tell us whose idea it was to run the “F1” cars of the day, but it is still on the F1 calendar, even though it is now quite unsuitable for today’s F1 cars.

Bang Saen

Interestingly, the first Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco was an invitation only event, and was truly international, with Bugatti well represented, and Mercedes sent their leading driver, Rudolf Caracciola, to drive a Mercedes SSK. Another driver who competed using a pseudonym was “Georges Philippe”, the Baron Philippe de Rothschild (did he supply the champagne, I wonder). Louis Chiron, the Monegasque, was unable to compete, having a prior commitment to compete in the Indianapolis 500 on the same day, but Chiron did compete the following year, finishing second, and took victory in the 1931 race driving a Bugatti. For many years after he retired, he was to wave the checkered flag in Monaco.
While Monaco continued, it was not until 1954 that we had another round the houses event, this time in Macau. A very difficult circuit known for its demanding nature, with walls around it to catch the unwary, or the overconfident. The organizers were aware of these dangers and the narrowness of the track in places and restricted the entries to F3 cars. Monaco should have paid attention, but did not.
Then in 2007, Thailand got its own round the houses event at Bang Saen. I have raced there (twice) and it remains a difficult and dangerous track, but nevertheless, great fun!

Gateway to Myanmar Oct - Nov 2013

Here is the latest trip for the 4WD enthusiasts, running from Singapore - Malaysia - Thailand - Bangkok - Maesot - Myawaddy - Kaithyio - Naypyidaw - Inle Lake - Mandalay - Bagan - Yangon - Mawlamyaing - Myawaddy - Maesot - Bangkok - Malaysia - Singapore.
Organized by the AEC and Automobile Association of Singapore, this is a historical caravan by self-drive overland to the Golden Land of Myanmar.
Participants from Singapore - Malaysia - will join the opening of the beautiful Golden Land of Myanmar via land route to support the coming AEC 2015 program and all participants will be welcome to explore the new adventure land route by self-drive overland convoy via the exciting off road track between Maesot-Myawaddy border town, watching the holy Golden Rock in the night time, to open wide its new capital Nay Pyi Taw and beautiful boat trip along the Inle Lake before returning back to Mandalay and the Old Bagan empire. Climb up to the top of the pagoda to watch the beautiful sunset and taste the local cuisine of Myanmar.
In Yangon, you will visit the Shwedagon Pagoda and enjoy shopping at Scott market (Aung San market) drive to Mawlamyaing, the former port town, before returning back to the exciting off road track to Bangkok Thailand. Relax with traditional Thai massage for the continuation of driving down South back to Singapore.
You need to book for this event and the following details are required: Name and surname - Passport No. - Issue and Expire date - birth date; Vehicle list with full details i.e. plate no - engine and chassis no - production year - color etc.; Radio communication list (walky talky).
Put the driver’s passport, vehicle registration book, and driving license together and use a digital camera to take a picture into A4 size which is more clear then scan and send at the latest four weeks prior to the departure.
The hotel deposit is 30 percent of the amount, one month in advance.
The contact is: Somsak Burapapipath, Managing Director, GMS Rally, 550/145 Soi Pho - Pan, Asoke - Dindaeng Road, Bangkok 10400. Tel: 081 - 513 3913 / 084 - 940 4746; e-mail : [email protected] / [email protected]
The closing date for registration is September 5 (next week)!

What did we learn from the Spa GP?

Well, we learned that it doesn’t always rain for the race, though the showers in Qualifying certainly sparked up the attempts at pole. Five different pole sitters in the last 60 seconds of Qualifying was edge of the seat stuff.
So to the race itself. The Finger (Vettel, Red Bull) passed Hamilton (Mercedes) on the first lap, as if the Brit were standing still. I have never seen such a straight line speed differential. Booster rockets perhaps? However, once Vettel hit the clear air, he just romped away and won at a canter. There was nobody near him.
A very well deserved second place for Alonso (Ferrari) to come from ninth on the grid. Storming starts seem to be Alonso’s strength these days; however, he conceded that the race was not of stellar quality, with him saying, “But today it was a little bit boring, we get second place but no threat to Sebastian Vettel and had no threat from behind.” The viewing public agreed with you Fernando. It was a processional boring race, despite two DRS zones.
Third was Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and 30 seconds behind Vettel. This was not what we expected to see of the pole-sitter and acknowledged street fighter Hamilton. Spa certainly showed up some deficiencies in all the teams, other than (half of) Red Bull.
Following Hamilton was his team mate Rosberg who seems to have reverted to his previous position of always being somewhere in the middle of the front runners but never doing anything outstanding.
So to the other (unreliable) half of the Red Bull team and Mark Webber. It is difficult not to be swallowed up by the conspiracy theorists, but once again Webber’s car was not 100 percent before the race even began, something that never seems to happen to The Finger. Webber said, “The two practice starts before the race weren’t great and so we were a bit worried about the clutch going to the start, which put us on to the back foot. We tried our best, but lost a couple of rows off the line which is not good. We then had to try and clear people on the track, which was difficult, as we had set up the top gear to race in clean air, rather than to pass. The bad start put us out of position and it snowballs from there, as you use up the tyres trying to getting to back into position.” There you are - from the horse’s mouth. The world champion constructors can get one car right, but not the other. Hmmmm!
Is McLaren back? Jenson Button’s sixth would seem to indicate that McLaren is on the way back, but not there yet. His excitable team mate, “Checo” Perez tangled with the excitable Frenchman Grosjean (“Lotus”) and came off the worst after the stewards decided he did not leave enough racing room. Personally, I think the Mexican was hard done by, but the mixture of Hispanic and Gallic will always produce fireworks.
More than one person is questioning the future of the little Brazilian Massa. Always lagging compared to his team mate Alonso, who in the post-race interview publicly skewered Massa saying, “I’m 8-3 against my teammate, I think. Yesterday was about qualifying but I was 0.6s quicker than my teammate.” Alonso obviously knows more than the Ferrari team is saying!
What else? Maldonado (Williams) is a clot, hitting Paul Di Resta (Team Poppadum) while supposedly trying to enter the pits. However, Spa should change the pit entrance so that this type of crash does not happen again (but with Maldonado, it will)!
The next GP is next week at Monza.

Autotrivia

Last week I asked which car required you to lift the engine cover to get to the fuel filler? Clue - What do you call a young bull? It was the Lamborghini Uracco, produced between 1973 and 1979, and typical of the unreliability of the Lamborghini’s at that time. The Lambo Espada was another nightmare to work on. To change the sparkplugs you had to (in order) remove air cleaners, carburetors, inlet manifolds, grind down a plug spanner, lose several knuckles, and you could then change the sparkplugs!
So to this week. What SUV came out with a quad cam, 5.2 liter V12 with six Weber carburetors?
For the Automania free beer this week, be the first correct answer to email [email protected].