European GP
Nurburgring
The (new) Nurburgring is in use this weekend for the European
Grand Prix. Up in the mountains, it is close to Michael and
Ralf Schumacher’s home town of Kerpen, so I am sure both of
them have done many laps of the famous “old” Nurburgring.
Unfortunately, the days of the old circuit through the
forest have gone, as far as F1 is concerned. Following
claims from the drivers that it was too dangerous, this new
2.882 mile circuit, with little character, was constructed
in 1984, close to the original track. It is of interest to
note that the first thing that the new generation of F1
drivers do on arrival at the circuit is to shell out a few
Deutschmarks to drive the famous old circuit, the
Nordschleife!
Nobody could ever claim to be the absolute master of the
Nordschleife, which is still used for Touring Car
categories. Any driver who has driven on the old circuit
speaks in terms of awe of what is possibly the most
demanding circuit ever constructed. I have driven it!
Totally mind blowing! A circuit that keeps you on your toes
for the entire lap. The laconic Aussie Frank Gardner, with a
total disregard for political correctness, claimed it was
designed by Adolf Hitler for Jewish drivers!
I will be watching from my perch at Jamieson’s Irish Pub Soi
AR, in front of the big screen. Join me for a meal before
the action starts at (I think) 7 p.m.
Currently the championship tables are as follows:
Drivers:
F. Alonso 36
M. Schumacher 21
K. Räikkönen 18
G. Fisichella 15
Constructors
Renault 51
McLaren-Mercedes 33
Ferrari 30
What did we
learn from Imola?
Well, M Schumacher and Ferrari were back on the top
step of the podium, and there is much talk that “Ferrari is
back!” Personally, I do not think so (yet). Alonso was
obviously much quicker than Schumacher, but Imola is another
impossible to pass circuit (like Monaco and Hungaroring) and
honestly I believe should be dropped from the calendar. (I
know Senna died there, but that’s not a good enough reason
to keep it.) There was a little interest to see if Alonso
could pass Schumacher in the final 20 laps, but unless
Michael made a mistake, there was no way he could get past.
At one stage they were lapping three seconds slower than
they had been, and that’s forever in F1 terms. Schumacher
made no mistakes and so deserved his top step on the podium.
Schumi
However, if it is mistakes you want, Honda and Jenson Button
are holding the full hand at this stage. After a very poor
showing in Australia, despite his qualifying effort, Button
and crew topped this off with a mistake by the lollypop man,
which saw Button taking off down pit lane, still attached to
the refueling rig, while his crew members did cartwheels
down the bitumen! If you want an exciting job in F1,
lollypop for Honda could give you that thrill, but ask for
danger money. Honda’s “equal first” driver Rooby Baby
Barichello made sure he got the number 2 hat again.
In the F1 paddock, it must be “Beware the Ides of March!”
And April and May. The (not so very) Super Aguri team’s
second driver Yuji Ide is not only inexperienced and too
slow, he is also dangerous, tipping Cristijan Albers into a
spectacular, low-speed multiple roll into the gravel,
bringing out the Safety Car before the cars were three
quarters of the way round the opening lap. F1 drivers are
supposed to have a “Super License” which is earned after
they have proved their worth in lower formulae. This has
obviously not been the case with this Japanese driver. Honda
used their influence to get him a start. The FIA should use
their influence and get rid of him.
The rest of the Imola race was uninspiring. Well, from what
we could see of it. The Italian TV director could only see a
red car with a Fiat badge on it, so that’s what we got. I
believe there were other cars in the race, but the glimpses
were so short, you had really no idea what was happening
further down the field. At one stage Brundle was calling for
the director to show us something else, but gave up when he
remembered the director only spoke Italian, as well as only
recognizing Italian machinery.
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week I asked which driver lost his left hand in
1965 and returned racing in 1966 using a hook? Hint – he had
111 victories and was an American.
Mel
Kenyon
It was Mel Kenyon, who lost his hand in a racing accident.
The International Motorsports Hall of Fame has this to say
about Kenyon: “One of the greatest midget car drivers in
history, Mel Kenyon started his career in modified stocks in
1955, then switched to midgets two years later. His first
title was NASCAR’s Florida midget series in 1962, but he
switched to USAC in the middle of ’62 and wound up 5th in
that series. Kenyon was second in 1963, then won the first
of his USAC titles in 1964. Kenyon had gotten a Champ car
ride in ’65, but his career was seriously threatened by a
wreck and fire in June. Kenyon returned to racing the next
year, despite losing part of his left hand. He finished
second in midgets, and also fought his way to 5th place in
his first Indy 500. Kenyon won 17 of 49 features to claim
the midget crown in 1967, then placed 3rd at Indy and won
the Midget title again in 1968. His career included 111
victories and seven USAC Midget championships.” I saw Mel
Kenyon racing in Midgets on a trip to Australia and he was a
winner there too. Extremely polished and smooth.
So to this week. The Model T Ford is usually thought of as
the first mass-produced vehicle, but this is not strictly
correct as many other manufacturers also did this (Leland,
De Dion Bouton and Lanchester). Henry Ford is also credited
as being the designer of the Model T, but this is not
strictly correct either! Who did design the Model T?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first correct
answer to email [email protected]
Good luck!
BMW’s new twin-turbo 3
Series Coupe
Another version of the new(ish) 3 Series
has come to light, but a little earlier than planned,
following the publication of leaked images on a US website
last week.
In a virtual repeat of the fiasco that saw the E90 3 Series
sedan revealed via a leaked official brochure in August
2004, the two-door version of the same model, called the E
92, was officially revealed over the weekend after breaking
cover many months ahead of its official debut at September’s
Paris motor show.
BMW
coupe
The top of the line is a new 225kW/400Nm 335i variant
powered by the new twin-turbocharged 3 liter inline six
revealed a few weeks ago in this column. Apart from being
more heavily differentiated from its donor sedan than ever,
both inside and out, BMW says the E 92 will bring new levels
of driving dynamics - thanks in part to the all-new turbo
six.
Claimed to be the world’s first twin-turbocharged straight
six as well as the first direct-injection engine to power a
BMW road car, the new all-aluminium engine is claimed to
significantly increase torque and acceleration without
increasing fuel consumption.
BMW claims 0-100 km/h acceleration of 5.5 seconds – 0.6
seconds better than the new R6-engined 330i coupe and 1.1
seconds better than the current 330i sedan – along with
average fuel consumption of just 9.5L/100 km.
This new 335i 225 kW coupe is moving closer to the current
six cylinder M5, but the next generation M5 is expected to
discard its 252kW inline six for a lightweight M5/M6
V10-derived 4 liter V8 that produces around 300 kW.
BMW says this powerful 3 liter inline six weighs 70 kg
lighter than the 4 liter V8 (such as that in the 540i and
740i), and its two small turbochargers are claimed to offer
more power and torque more instantaneously than a single,
larger turbo. In other words, turbo lag should be a thing of
the past, however, I doubt if it has been eliminated
totally.
BMW
coupe
According to GoAuto, while an all-new M3 is not expected to
surface until late next year, BMW has confirmed that apart
from the 335i, the global E92 range will comprise the 160 kW
325i Coupe, the 200 kW 330i Coupe and the 170 kW 330d
turbo-diesel, which unfortunately will probably not come
here, as BMW have steadfastly refused to bring their
brilliant diesels to Thailand.
The E 92s will have six-speed manual or automatic
transmissions, the latter claimed to be 40 percent more
responsive than before. The BMW release does not mention
whether the SMG (sequential manual gearbox) will be
available.
The entry level 325i coupe is powered by the sedan’s
magnesium-alloy 2.5 liter straight six with Valvetronic,
delivering 160 kW and 250 Nm of torque. BMW claims zero to
100 km/h in 6.9 seconds, a 247 km/h top speed and
best-in-class fuel consumption of 8.4 L/100 km.
The 330i Coupe, covers the 0-100 km/h sprint in 6.1 seconds.
The most distinctively styled 3 Series coupe ever features
unique body panels, unique lighting (including standard
bi-Xenon headlights across the E 92 range) and even unique
wing mirrors. Compared to the E 90 sedan, it has a lower
profile, wider wheel arches, new full-length upper and lower
character lines and redefined Hoffmeister C-pillar kick.
Inside, the instrument panel is dominated by horizontal
lines and is angled towards the driver, while the side panel
design flows through to the rear seatbacks and the centre
console is echoed by a new storage compartment between the
rear seats.
BMW claims the spring-strut front and five-arm multi-link
rear suspension systems are the most sophisticated in the E
92’s class, while extra floor reinforcement and specific
spring/damper tuning extracts the most from the new coupe’s
50/50 weight distribution and rear-drive layout. Since I
would imagine these vehicles will also come with ‘run-flat’
tyres, hopefully the ride will not be as compromised as it
is with the current 330 sedan.
Latest-generation DSC stability control and a lighter, more
rigid bodyshell are claimed to further raise the new model’s
dynamic ability, while a new seatbelt feeder system, similar
to that found in Mercedes’ CLK models, will be offered.
Joining the E92 coupe, the E 93 cabriolet will complete the
current 3 Series range when it debuts at the Detroit show in
January 2007 – complete with a folding metal roof for the
first time.
Natter Nosh and Noggin
The monthly car enthusiasts meeting will
be at Jameson’s Irish Pub on Soi AR next to the Nova Park
development. The car (and bike) enthusiasts meet on the
second Monday of the month, so this time it is Monday (April
8) at Jameson’s at 7 p.m. This is a totally informal meeting
of like minded souls to discuss their pet motoring (and
motorcycling) loves and hates. Bring along any magazines,
photos of old vehicles, old girlfriends or the latest
Bentley Continental GT.
