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

Thailand looking for the number 1 position

It has been reported in the media that Thailand has the second worst road traffic deaths in the world. Having just had Songkran with its hundreds of attendant deaths, is Thailand looking for the number 1 slot?
The powers that be already know that 80 percent of the toad deaths can be attributed to alcohol, motorcycles and no helmets. Instead of rhetoric, application of the legislations already in place would halve the road toll. Let it be known that all riders without helmets will have their motorcycles confiscated and those riders over the limit in blood alcohol concentration (simple breathalyzer is all that is required) are put in jail until after Songkran is over.

Goodbye Stefano

Goodbye Stefano

As predicted in this column last week, heads would roll at Ferrari with the abysmal results so far in F1. Former world champions Alonso and Raikkonen finishing 9th and 10th in Bahrain is not acceptable. In front of Ferrari supremo Luca di Montezemolo that was enough to ensure some dynamic action.
The response to this has been Stefano Domenicali resigning as team principal of the F1 team and has already been replaced as team principal by Marco Mattiacci, the president and CEO of Ferrari North America.
Even with one of the strongest driver pairings in F1 with Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari has failed to get on the podium in the first three races of the season.
Ferrari has actually not won a title since 2007 and Domenicali, who has been in charge since 2008, said, “There are particular moments in all of our professional lives where you need the courage to take difficult and very painful decisions.
“It’s time to make an important change. As boss, I take the responsibility - as I always have - for the situation we are going through. This decision has been taken with the aim of doing something to shake things up.”
This is not the first time that Ferrari has been in the doldrums - look at the movie Rush where Niki Lauda expresses his opinion on his prancing horse! And it was Michael Schumacher who dragged Ferrari up after a winless period by bringing in Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne.
So who is next? Watch this space!

Get yer TaTa’s out!

The Indian manufacturer Tata is known for making cheap cars - including the Nano, the cheapest car in production today. However, some help from Land Rover will bring a premium modern feeling to Tata’s upcoming SUV.
Tata bought Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford eight years ago, and can use the current generation Freelander’s platform to develop a new family SUV, primarily for the Indian domestic market. The new SUV will compete with Japanese, Korean and European rivals, meaning Tata has set the bar for quality and refinement very high.
There is a new Freelander replacement due in 2015, possibly named Discovery Sport, so the Tata SUV could use the outgoing model’s architecture. This means that development costs for the platform will have already been amortized, and tooling would be readily available to be shipped to India, reducing Tata’s development costs even further.
The Tata SUV project is known as the Tata Q5, and is expected to feature 7 seats, placing the Tata SUV in competition with the Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Fortuner in India. Tata is also likely to take advantage of some of Land Rover’s ruggedness and capability to deliver a robust off roader for all terrain conditions.
The combination of a low cost, relatively modern structure, rugged capability and a premium feel should generate plenty of demand - particularly in India and other developing countries. Tata’s ambition to become a truly global company and its presence outside of India means there is a chance we could see the SUV in our local market. If so, the Tata could become Thailand’s cheapest 7 seater SUV, and become a credible offering along with the Tata Xenon.

What did we learn from the GP in China?

Well, we learned (if we didn’t know before) that Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) is the real deal. A dominant weekend with pole position translated into a win by 15 seconds over his team mate Nico Rosberg. It would appear that Hamilton’s win was a combination of raw talent and an excellent race car. Rosberg had the same machinery under him, but was not in Hamilton’s class at all.
Unfortunately, the Chinese GP gave us nothing of the fireworks of Bahrain, even though the long straights and the DRS was resulting in astronomical speeds, Valtteri Bottas (Williams) hit 320 km/h in the wet for example.
Third and on the podium again, was Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) who has shown amazing determination in his driving. The same cannot be said about his team mate Kimi Raikkonen who finished a lack-luster race in 8th and almost one minute behind Alonso.
Red Bull’s world champion Sebastian Vettel (formerly known as “The Finger”) has certainly been showing his true colors, after Daniel Ricciardo has been quicker than him in Qualifying and quicker in the race. When told he should yield to the young Aussie as he had newer tyres, the voice from the cockpit said, “Tough luck!” But in the end it was “Tough luck Vettel” coming in fifth to Ricciardo’s fourth.
Poor Massa is really getting the reputation of being a moaning Minnie. After a blinder of a start he banged into Alonso and he began the first of his wails. That was nothing compared to his pit stop where the Williams crew brought out the wrong tyres and then had a problem with the wheel nut for the left rear. He had gone into the pit in 6th and exited in 20th. That was definitely worth a loud wail.
One driver who needs better equipment is Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) finishing six seconds behind Vettel, with his team mate Perez in 9th and 30 seconds behind Hulkenberg. So far this year, Hulkenberg has shown plenty of talent and determination. Ferrari might like to swap him for Raikkonen?
Way down the back was Pastor Maldonado who managed to get a five place grid penalty for T-boning Gutierrez at Bahrain, then crashed his “Lotus” while trying to remember what the buttons were for on his steering wheel. He really is a clot and should not be in F1. His inclusion in the F1 circus shows everything that is wrong with having “pay drivers”. He is a laughing stock, which is sad, but he is a dangerous laughing stock. The FIA should revoke his Super License.
How do you manage to wave the chequered flag too early? The man with the flag did just that in Shanghai, and while I agree the race had become boring, that does not give the organizers the right to call it to a halt on lap 54 instead of lap 56. There is an FIA rule covering that (Article 43.2 of the FIA formula 1 Sporting regulations)
Amazingly, no contentious calls to the stewards office (for once).
The Driver’s Championship after four races stands as follows:

Rosberg	Mercedes	79
Hamilton	Mercedes	75
Alonso	Ferrari	41
Hulkenberg	Force India	36
Vettel	Red Bull	33
Ricciardo	Red Bull	24
Bottas	Williams	24
Button	McLaren	23
Magnussen	McLaren	20
Perez	Force India	18
Massa	Williams	12
Raikkonen	Ferrari	11
Vergne	Toro Rosso	4
Kvyat	Toro Rosso	4
The next race meeting is in Spain May 11.

BMW i8 spied at the Bangkok International Motor Show

BMW i8

It would appear that BMW are keen to see their sub-brand, the i series, accepted as a genuine division. The i8 on display at the motor show was just simply sensational in black, and I believe the car was one that had been displayed in Sydney the previous month, accompanied by an i3.
The i8 has a turbocharged, three cylinder 1.5 liter engine, producing 170 kW/231 BHP and 320 Nm of torque, which drives the rear wheels. It is assisted by the Plug In Hybrid electric motor which produces 96 kW/131 BHP and 250 Nm of torque to the front wheels, which when added to the internal combustion engine gives the car a staggering 570 Nm total. These, when used together, give performance figures of zero to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds and on to a speed limited 250 km/h.
Combined, power from the conventional engine and electric motor power peaks at 266 kW, while torque from the petrol engine peaks at 320 Nm high in the rev range, and the electric motor’s 250 Nm arrives almost from rest.
Being a plug-in hybrid, the lithium-ion battery can be recharged from the domestic power point, or fast-charged with a BMW-supplied wall box that increases the current and roughly halves the charge time.
The body is made from carbon fiber reinforced plastic and aluminium with the chassis also aluminium and the electric motor is fitted between the front wheels. This produces a lightweight vehicle at 1485 kg, which is significant compared to its competitor the Audi R8 at 1635 kg and gives the i8 a performance advantage over the Audi.
The doors open like the McLaren F1’s in scissor fashion and are very light to use, with just a little effort to pull them down. Again, if you’re of average height, you won’t have to hoist yourself out of the seat to reach the handle.
Australian magazines which have experienced the i8 say that the car is surprisingly spacious inside, though the two rear seat passengers could be cramped. While the driver’s seat is incredibly low, the view forward is very good as the bonnet drops away. Vision to the rear is not as unimpeded, but the reversing camera which is displayed on the standard 10.6 inch screen gets you over that problem, once you have learned to trust it!

i8 scissor doors

Autotrivia Quiz

Last week I asked what important motoring aid exploded and killed a policeman in 1869? It was the first traffic light which was gas powered, but exploded after a leak and killed the local Bobby.
So to this week. What car’s road holding was so bad that owners used to put bricks on the passenger side to even up the weight distribution. Clue: think three.
For the Automania free beer this week, be the first correct answer to email [email protected].