The Malaysian GP is on this weekend but the Driver’s
Title is already sewn up, with Michael Schumacher taking the crown at the
Japanese Grand Prix, to be 12 points in front and cannot be overtaken. The
Ferrari team is, however, only 13 points in front in the Constructor’s
Championship, and with 20 points up for grabs they will be trying to make
sure they carry off the double. Schumacher’s title was the first for
Ferrari for 21 years.
The race begins at 3 p.m. Malaysian time, which (I
think) is 2 p.m. our time. Join me in Shenanigans for the race in front of
the big screen. Suggest you get there early, as the good seats go first!
Have lunch and settle in to watch the show!
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week I asked which vehicle was made in 1986,
featured 4WD, could top 200 kph and returned 7 mpg. It had a 318 litre
fuel tank to keep it running between service stations. The engine gave 450
bhp and was a V12. What was it?
It was the outlandish Lamborghini LM 002. A go-anywhere
vehicle, designed to out Hummer the Hummers. Almost 5 metres long and 3
tonnes in weight, it had the Countach V12 up front. It also cost more than
a Countach. You had to be an oil sheik to afford one (and have your own
oil well to be able to feed it).
So to this week. And it’s another, What car is this?
The vehicle was released in 1991 and featured a V12 engine delivering
around 550 bhp and had 60 valves and four turbochargers! It was launched
on the 110th anniversary of the founder’s birth. The claimed top speed
was 341 kph. What was it?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first
correct answer to fax 427 596 or email [email protected].
New or Second-hand?
Always a vexed question. With a new vehicle, you get a
perfect car, you get a warranty, and you get a vehicle that has had no
accidents because it hasn’t been on the road yet. Well, that’s the
theory, but having been around the motor trade for 30 years, let me assure
you that firstly, no car is ever “perfect” and just because the car
hasn’t been round the block many times, doesn’t mean to say it
hasn’t had an accident. If that were the case, the dealers and
manufacturers would not need a “Rectification” shop. And they all have
one. No matter how straight the body was when it left the assembly line,
there is always the apprentice who backs it into a pole - or another
vehicle, also a new one. So the all-over baked enamel finish you think you
have paid big money for has a sprayed enamel rear end, which will fade
quicker than the rest of the car.
With second-hand vehicles, you get a car that isn’t
perfect, because it has been run, parked in supermarkets, started in gear
and the seat belt has been jammed in the door several times. It may have
been used to derail the Bangkok-Phuket express, but it may have also sat
in a dry garage for the past three years. It is also appreciably cheaper
than the new model.
So is second-hand the way to go? Are they all bargains?
Well, of the 70 + motor cars I have bought in my life, only one of them
was new. The vast majority were less than five years old when I bought
them, and the vast majority were great cars and I paid less than half
price for them, including a near new Mazda Miata (MX5) and a Porsche 911.
The trick to it all is to choose wisely. The phrase
“Caveat Emptor” should always be remembered when buying anything
second-hand - and especially motor cars!
Second-hand Test
After
speaking with Martin Moeklin of Intercar on Sukhumvit Road (between
Pattaya Klang and Pattaya Nua) we decided that each month I should do a
test on a selected second-hand vehicle from his yard. In this way, you can
get a chance to see what can be bought for your money these days. And of
course, second-hand makes the money go a lot further!
These
tests are also not designed to see what any particular vehicle can do -
rather the concept is to see just how well or otherwise, the car has stood
up to its years on Thailand’s roads. Is the test car one that I could
live with?
The first car chosen was a 1994 Volkswagen Vento. Now
these are no longer available, but were around 1.2 million baht from
memory. Six years down the track, this car was being offered at 399,000
baht.
Originally a sound four door vehicle, the test model
was in silver-grey with dark fleck upholstery. Fitted with the 1.8 litre
engine this was mated to a 3 speed auto transmission. The shift lever also
does allow you to select the ratio you want, so you can play “semi”
manual tunes on the gearbox.
These cars were never designed to be “exciting”
sports vehicles - but were designed to be good solid and reliable daily
transport. So how did this particular Vento stand up?
Body-wise the car was excellent, and did not appear to
show its age at all. The panels were straight and there was no evidence of
major accident damage, or any damage, for that matter, in retrospect. The
interior was also clean and damage free, although there were some magic
gold squiggles on the roof lining that had been inscribed by some monk 6
years previously.
All instrumentation and ancillary controls worked,
including the left sided direction indicators, this being a European car.
The radio worked, including the self-seeking option, though I did not try
the cassette player. The electric mirrors and fast glass functioned
properly, as did the central locking. The engine started first pop and
idled smoothly and the hand brake operated efficiently. Seat belts were
fitted correctly and retracted smoothly as well.
Driving the Vento was quite impressive. Even after six
years, the Volkswagen body was as tight as a drum. No rattles and felt
completely solid. The brakes were efficient and pulled the car up in a
straight line, steering was precise, even if somewhat “stodgy” at low
speeds (though they were always like that). Road noise was absolutely
minimal, the VW engineering being excellent at reducing noise and
vibration harmonics. There was a slight transmission “hum” in drive,
but this was not intrusive and was not noticeable with the radio playing
at normal levels. The air-conditioning was just fabulous and never needed
to be on full bore. In the torrential rain last week, the cabin remained
absolutely as dry as a bone, so VW got that right too - and it’s still
right, six years later.
In summary, the vehicle does appear to be a low
kilometre car, and the general condition would agree with that. It drives
well, with the only down side from my point of view being the boxy and
heavily Teutonic styling. Of course, this is always a matter of personal
opinion and from behind the steering wheel, who cares what it looks like?
Considering you do not get much for under 400,000 baht
these days, other than a bottom of the range pick-up with rubber floor
mats and brakes as an optional extra, the second-hand VW Vento would
appear to me to be a very inexpensive way to move into a “better”
class of vehicle.
I could live with it in my garage - though I’d still
hate the styling!
