Spanish GP this Sunday May 13
Spain has a long history in GP racing,
and Jerez was used for many years. However the Jerez circuit
was blighted by being too far from centers of population to
attract crowds, so the Catalunya circuit (aka Montmelo) was
built just 20 km from Barcelona. It was actually the fourth
circuit in, or near, Barcelona, which has some claim to
being Spain’s capital of motor racing.
The Circuit Catalunya was built on land owned by the Real
Automobil Club de Catalunya, and they took over the Spanish
GP. Opened in 1991, the 5 km circuit was quick and had both
a wide range of corners and excellent facilities and viewing
points. A temporary chicane was built at ‘Nissan’ (a very
shallow curve) in 1994, but for 1995, ‘Nissan’ was
straightened reducing the length of a lap to the 5 km
length.
With three drivers on equal points in the World Championship
(Alonso, Raikkonen and Hamilton) this will be a hotly
contested race. I will be watching in front of the big
screen in Jameson’s Irish Pub (Soi AR, next to Nova Park).
The race should start at 7 p.m. but I will get there early
and have some dinner from the Jameson’s carvery. Why not
join me for dinner and a chat before the race?
DaimlerChrysler brings out a Big One
Mercedes-Benz has resurrected the name G-Wagen, even if the
new one does not follow the metal box on off-road rims that
the old one was famous for. The angular Austrian-built - and
still-built - Benz 4WD was focused utilitarianism at its
Germanic best and during the 1980s was a sort of cross
between the basic simplicity of the Japanese 4WDs of the
time and the upmarket Range Rover.
Mercedes-Benz
GL320 CDI
However, if sheer bulk and ability counts for anything, the
new GL-class Mercedes is the reigning king of all that’s
excessive in the over-populated 4WD world.
Measuring the same length as Audi’s gargantuan,
bigger-than-LandCruiser Q7, but quite a bit higher, with a
longer wheelbase and approaching 100 kg heavier, the
GL-class – especially when pumped-up to its maximum
suspension height – makes the iconic Toyota look puny.
Derived from the relatively new Mercedes ML-class, the GL
comes at this stage in just two versions: the 3 liter
turbo-diesel GL320 CDI and the V8 powered GL500.
The sheer size makes the GL the first Benz seven-seater as
well, with a quite generously proportioned third-row seat
optional. And both models come as standard with the Off-Road
Pro Pack offered as an option on the ML. Among other things,
this means the suspension height can be jacked up to as high
as 300 mm, giving a fording depth of 600 mm (a tad shallower
than the Range Rover Discovery’s 700 mm) and a roof height
even a basketball player would have trouble reaching.
With just 3 liters of turbo-diesel V6, the base GL320 feels
agile enough – it gets to 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds – and is
satisfyingly easy on diesel too, with a combined figure of
9.7 L/100 km.
Mercedes-Benz
GL320 CDI
According to the Australian reports, the GL is quite an
intimidator at first sight, especially when it’s jacked up
to its full, indignant, over-the-head stance. One criticism,
the behind-spokes buttons for the sequential selectors are
all too easily activated when turning the wheel. A few times
we found the GL spinning away merrily in a lower gear than
necessary just because we had inadvertently instructed it
to.
The 165 kW V6 is a jewel, still among the quietest,
smoothest of turbo-diesels and gifted with enough torque to
lift the nearly 2.4 tonne body easily out of harm’s way.
Even for a diesel, it’s a low-revver, with maximum power
developed at just 3800 rpm, but the torque, and the barely
off-idle engine speed at which it reaches its maximum, is
exceptional. 510 Nm at 1600rpm makes Toyota’s new
LandCruiser turbo-diesel V8 look positively archaic.
Suspended on air springs provide not just extensive off-road
capabilities but also a supple, controlled and
load-compensating ride out on the tarmac.
If there’s any downside it’s that the big cabin tends to act
as a sounding board for vibrations as the GL proceeds along
the road. There’s a muted drumming that is not really
intrusive but takes away some of its otherwise quiet on-road
nature.
The GL makes a respectable fist of looking and feeling like
a Mercedes-Benz inside. The seats are big and comfortable,
power assisted at the front and use Mercedes faux leather in
a way you’d never notice.
Controlling suspension height, or selecting the drive mode
(2WD, auto 4WD or 4WD lock) is a matter of twirling serrated
knobs in the center console area, while two clearly marked
buttons between them activate or deactivate the GL’s
adjustable hill-decent control or select low-range.
Even in the GL320 there’s sufficient standard equipment,
including eight airbags, active front head restraints, front
and rear parking sensors, power front seats, climate-control
air-conditioning, a tyre pressure monitor (black mark for
the GL’s compact space-saver spare) a rear – but fixed –
sunroof and a nice eight-speaker sound system with a
six-disc CD stacker.
This is such a big vehicle with such a wide range of
possibilities that we really need to experience the GL in
some of the other environments for which it’s designed. So
far, the GL320 is a big, friendly, versatile 4WD that makes
more sense than most.
When you combine excellent on-road manners with potentially
formidable off-road capabilities, then offer performance and
fuel consumption levels that are quite amazing for a vehicle
of this weight and size, you can only walk away, wondering
who could possibly better it.
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week I mentioned cars in movies. Everyone remembers The
Saint and Roger Moore’s Volvo P 1800, and the string of
Aston Martins run by a succession of James Bonds. However,
Toyota also built a car for a James Bond movie released in
1967. I asked what was it? It was a Toyota 2000GT for the
movie You Only Live Twice.
So to this week. What was the first racing car to have disc
brakes? Clue: it also had 4WD.
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first correct
answer to email [email protected]
Good luck!
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 (May 14) 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 Porsche for us all to drive.
There are a number of collectible cars in the glass showroom
on Sukhumvit Road. Perhaps we should visit with a brick
while someone causes a diversion?
Turning a loss into a profit
The spin doctors at FoMoCo have been working hard
over the past couple of weeks, turning a $282 million loss
into a positive piece of information. Now while a thumping
$282 million loss for you and me would be disaster, for poor
old Ford this result is actually good. Ford, which is in the
midst of a turnaround plan that includes closing 16 plants
and cutting up to 45,000 jobs in North America, posted that
“small” net loss, which compared to a loss of $1.4 billion a
year earlier is almost champagne cork time.
The improved results are reportedly through cost-cutting and
improved results from its European and luxury vehicle
operations partially offsetting weaker sales and charges for
restructuring. Ford also raised its second-quarter North
American production forecast by 5 percent, to 810,000
vehicles. “Our first-quarter results came in somewhat
stronger than expected, but there are many uncertainties
going forward,” said CEO Alan Mulally (the man they lured
from Boeing). First-quarter revenue totaled $43 billion, up
from $40.8 billion a year earlier. Global auto revenue rose
to $38.6 billion from $37 billion.
Despite these encouraging figures, Ford has forecast its
core North American operations will not be profitable until
2009. Its margins have been squeezed by intense competition
and shifting consumer tastes away from profitable (to the
manufacturer) SUVs.
In North America, Ford lost $614 million during the quarter,
before taxes and excluding special items. Those losses were
partly offset by cost savings of $500 million, including
$400 million in North America.
Ford said it had cut 18,000 jobs in North America, bringing
cumulative cost savings under its turnaround plan to $1.9
billion. The automaker has set a goal of cutting $5 billion
in recurring costs.
The European arm of FoMoCo had pretax profit of $219
million, while the Premier Auto Group posted record pretax
profit of $402 million.
During the quarter, Ford reached an agreement to sell its
British sports car unit, Aston Martin to the Middle East
consortium, with the deal stitched together by Prodrive’s
David Richards.
Local Motorsport
Calendar
Many of you ask for the local motor sport calendar, and to
be honest, it has always been very difficult to get this
information. Many reasons, some tied up in language
barriers, and others through a delightful penchant of the
promoters for changing the dates at seemingly a moment’s
notice!
I should also add that the Honda Racing Fest a couple of
weeks ago was most entertaining, and the SuperCar meeting at
the end of April was very good, and very well attended. The
next round for this series at Bira will be in September. The
next Bira event will be Saturday June 16, with the Honda
Racing Fest.
Go-kart: Thai National Championship Race series
Round 1: Saraburi February 25 (already run, results
can be found on www. kartthai.com)
Round 2: Korat April 1 (already run, results as
above)
Round 3: Bira May 20
Round 4: Bira July 8
Round 5: Saraburi August 26
Round 6: Saraburi September 30
Round 7: Bira November 18
Go-kart: Superkart Thailand Race series (Club race
series)
Round 1: Bira March 11 (already run)
Round 2: Bira April 29
Round 3: Bira June 3
Round 4: Bira August 5
Round 5: Bira October 28
Round 6: Saraburi December 9
Supercar Thailand Race Series
Rounds 1 and 2: Bira April 28 and 29 (already run)
Round 3: Squadron 206 Watthananakhon Srakaew July 8
Round 4: Bira September 16
Rounds 5 and 6: (Street Race, on provisional course)
Bang Saen Beach, Chonburi November 10 and 11
Toyota Vios and Yaris One Make Race Series
Round 1: Chiang Mai (Provisional Track at “Sanam 700
Phi”) May 5/6 (already run)
Round 2: Ubonratchathani (Street race) June 23/24
Round 3: Phuket (Street Race) August 18/19
Round 4: Udonthani (Street Race) October 20/21
Round 5: Bang Saen Beach (Street Race) November 10/11
Honda Racing Festival (note these are all on Saturdays)
Round 1: Bira April 21 (already run)
Round 2: Bira June 16
Round 3: Bira August 11
Round 4: Bira October 13
Round 5: December 15
