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

 


Pro Racing Series at Bira this weekend

 Retro racers

The Pro Racing Series meeting is being held at our local Bira Circuit (Highway 36) this weekend. This group promotes the vast majority of competitors after the raw amateurs and up to the extremely expensive Super Series with Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches.
We will be running the BBX/Acorn Retro Escort Mk 1 in a field dominated by BMW E 30’s, some with four liter V8’s under the bonnet. These may be older cars, but the drivers take their cars by the scruff of the neck and give them a good shaking!
Other categories are also racing to make it a full day of motor sport, including touring cars and pick-ups.
We are madly trying to find out where 50 BHP has disappeared to, but are confident we will find the horses and bring them back into the corral before the race weekend.
Remember that our AA Insurances/BBX/Acorn hospitality tent with burgers and beer is on the right hand side of the track after the hairpin at the end of the straight. If you barrack for our Escort, you are invited.


Definitely not Van Ordinaire

Maxus Datong

News coming through that SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) and CP (Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand owners of 7-Eleven) will be bringing another new vehicle to the Thai marketplace next year. This will be the Maxus Datong V80 powered by a 2.5 liter diesel engine.
There are future plans to build this vehicle here, provided they can create a big enough dent in the sales of the Toyota Hi-Ace Commuter. The sales figure that the conglomerate expects to reach are 1,000 vehicles in 2014 and 1,800 in 2015.
The SAIC/CP group are also producing the MG vehicles here in the Hemaraj Estate on the Eastern Seaboard with the capacity for 50,000 cars a year.
With a projected 20 new dealers for 2014 to cover these two products, perhaps we will be able to put the down payment through your local 7-Eleven.


Where are we in the global road toll statistics?

Another second place for Pattaya.

Well, you will be glad to know we are not the “hub” of road deaths, we are only second worst. The WHO has released its findings and has shown that the global road death toll has already reached 1.24 million per year and is on course to triple to 3.6 million per year by 2030.
In the developing world, where this pandemic has hit hardest, it will become the fifth leading cause of death, leapfrogging past HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other familiar killers, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) most recent Global Burden of Disease study.
The U.S. was an early pioneer in road safety standards, particularly with respect to engineering safer highways, implementing government-mandated safety standards for vehicles and enforcing strict drunk-driving laws. The number of road fatalities has been in steady decline since the early 1970s, but with 11.4 deaths per 100,000 citizens, the U.S.’s overall driving record is still poor compared to other wealthy nations.
Here are a few figures from the WHO report (deaths per 100,000 citizens): Sweden 3, UK 3.7, France 6.4, Russia 18.6, Thailand 38.1.
These are appalling figures and we already know that 80 percent of these fatalities are motorcycle riders with no helmet. The message is there, loud and clear, but we can expect lip service only, and no real application of the laws that already exist. (I do not consider the nightly check points as application of law, but rather donations for tickets to the policeman’s ball.)
Those of you who do ride motorcycles should be aware of the situation and I suggest an upgrade to a car or pick-up is a good idea.


What did we learn from the Singapore Grand Prix?

Well, we learned that nothing can stop Sebastian Vettel from winning his fourth world championship. He could pull out two seconds a lap from the chasing field with consummate ease, finally being over 30 seconds ahead of second placed Fernando Alonso (Ferrari). It was as if his car had 200 BHP more than anyone else. He is undoubtedly skilled, but is the real winning factor the Red Bull designer Adrian Newey? There is no doubt that the Red Bull F1 car is the best on the grid.
Idiocy of the weekend was the 10 grid place penalty handed down to Mark Webber (Red Bull) for catching a lift back with Alonso after his car expired (yet again). Being his third warning this year for other inconsequential demeanors led to the 10 grid place demotion. However, what we need to know is how the Red Bull team can factor in almost 100 percent reliability for Vettel’s car and almost 100 percent unreliability for Webber’s? And incidentally, with Webber leaving Red Bull, does he really care?
Even with his second place, Alonso was just the best of the also-rans. A risky strategy to keep going on his last set of tyres, rather than come in for new ones, had him driving on ice for the last few laps, but the Spaniard is a professional and drove within his capabilities and within the confines of the track.
The dour Raikkonen (“Lotus”) just kept doggedly plugging on with a workmanlike drive to end up third and 44 seconds behind Vettel. Ho hum!
A storming start by Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) was not enough to keep the German and his car up where the action was heading. Almost one minute behind the winner can hardly be called exciting.
The race was momentarily elevated to mildly interesting when the Safety Car was brought on by Daniel Ricciardo planting his Toro Rosso in the wall. Good thing the ink has dried on his signature for his Red Bull contract for 2014.
Another visitor to the unforgiving wall was Paul Di Resta (FIndia) which has done nothing to bolster his chances for the “Lotus” seat to be vacated by Raikkonen next year. Hulkenberg looks to be at the head of the queue.
McLaren continue in mediocrity, 7th and 8th from a team that has been winners in the past. Along with Williams, how the mighty have fallen.
Singapore was once again, for me, a travesty of a race where cars cannot pass each other. Sure, the ‘spectacle’ consisting of speed, sound and shunts may keep the interest of the occasional spectator, but for a true enthusiast of F1, the so-called epitome of motor sport, Singapore has become an anachronism like Monaco, and I’m not interested in pop singers and after race parties.
Vettel now has a 60 point lead over Alonso, 247 to 187, with Hamilton third on 151 and Raikkonen closing again on 149. Webber has 130.
In the constructors’ stakes, Red Bull has 377 to Ferrari’s 274, Mercedes’ 267, “Lotus” 206, McLaren 76 and Force India’s 62.
The next GP is in Korea, October 6. We can only hope it will be an improvement.


Tuk-Tuks to lose their characteristic exhaust note?

Solar Tuk-Tuks

Australian company Star 8 has developed a solar-powered electric Tuk-Tuk which they have called the SolarTuk.
Star 8 managing director Jacob Maimon came up with the idea of an electric Tuk-Tuk following a trip to SE Asia.
“I had taken a ride in a conventional one and when I got out I saw the driver putting only a small amount of petrol into the tank,” Maimon says. “I asked him why he didn’t fill it up and he said the cost of fuel was prohibitive and he could barely cover his daily expenses with the amount of work he picked up. It was then that I envisaged a solar-driven Tuk-Tuk which cost next to nothing to run.”
The solar cells are used as a flexible roof which houses an array of mono-crystalline solar collectors to generate power for the vehicle.
The Tuk-Tuks have a maximum speed of 50 km/h, and can cover 120 kilometers on a charge. There will be three power outputs available, and can be recharged by plugging into a domestic power point or use the sun’s rays.
Unfortunately, the Star 8 people look like building these in Cambodia, but they say they are already in contact with China, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, the Philippines, South Africa and Nigeria.
Most of Thailand’s Tuk-Tuks are LPG powered, and whilst the solar concept will satisfy the greenies, I cannot see it being welcomed by our local Tuk-Tuk drivers.


Ford moves closer to the autonomous car

The new Ford Kuga, a ‘world car’ in every sense, is notable for its huge bag of electronic assists for the driver. Here are a few of them.
Lane Guidance: When enabled, this keeps drivers between the white lines. A test driver who has experienced the Kuga wrote, “I intentionally veered towards the center line. The assist kicked in and began steering for me. At one point I took my hands off the wheel (I don’t recommend this) but it did allow me to see the computer controlled brilliance at work, turning the steering wheel for me and getting me back on track.”
Even more impressive is the electronic smarts differentiates between veering into another lane and intentionally crossing over into the other lane.
Blind spot indicators: In the Titanium option model the outside edge of the side mirrors contain an LED that is illuminated when a vehicle is in your blind spot. It’s a smart place to position the visual aid given it falls in your natural eye line when looking sideways.
Variable air ducts: The front air dam features closable vents that allow the air flow to freely pass into engine cooling and intake when at low speeds, but at highway speeds where not as much cooling is needed, these close and reduce the drag on the car, increasing fuel efficiency.
Reverse Park Assist: This bit of electro-trickery in the new Focus, but what happens is that the car just parks itself. The driver does not have to input data.
Active City Stop: At less than 30 km/h and the sensors in the front bar of the vehicle detect an imminent impact, it will prepare the brakes. At that point if you fail to react, the car will, bringing the vehicle to a stop before any contact is made. That would unfortunately not be all that good here, because the traffic does not run at 30 km/h.
Speed sign recognition: This is a European option only as their road signs can be ‘read’ by the Kluga and the driver is informed if the car exceeds the signposted limit.
The ‘smart’ electronics are on their way, and whilst these types of assists have been available only on top end cars, the Kluga heralds their adoption on the cheaper range of cars. Congratulations FoMoCo.


Autotrivia

Last week I mentioned that a fuel additive company sponsored a trial in which several outhouses were blown up with gelignite. Who did it? It was the RedX trial in Australia and the perpetrator was known as Gelignite Jack Murray.
So to this week. Why did Rolls-Royce change the color of the R-R insignia?
For the Automania free beer this week, be the first correct answer to email [email protected].


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