Canadian GP this weekend
The first Grand Prix of the 2008 season
across the Atlantic will be run in Montreal at the Gilles
Villeneuve Circuit, constructed on a man-made island which
had been used originally in the 1967 Expo. Previously called
the Ile Notre Dame circuit the circuit was renamed in
Villeneuve’s memory after his death in 1982. The location is
one of the loveliest in Formula One since the narrow track
threads its way through lakes and parkland. It is a narrow,
medium-fast, 4.4 km circuit with 13 corners. Some corners
were eased for 1979, a new corner before the pits was added
in 1991 and a chicane was added in 1994. And, it is possible
to pass, as opposed to Monaco! However it does have a couple
of corners with some very unforgiving walls at the edge of
the bitumen.
Slow
Nick
It is also reported from usually reliable sources that
Renault are not very happy with Piquet’s performance and he
has been told to lift his game or face relegation to test
driver. Glock is in a similar position at Toyota, though he
did manage to beat Trulli home at Monaco. Quite some
incentive bonus schemes being offered in F1!
Down there in Bavaria, BMW are chatting in Nick Heidfeld’s
ear as well. Kubica is doing well, but the man once known as
‘Quick Nick’ is not coming up with the goods. You can expect
to see the other Germans, Sutil or Vettel in a Beemer soon.
With Hamilton on top of the table from the Ferrari duo of
Laughing Boy Raikkonen and Butter Fingers Massa, there will
be much at stake this weekend, so it should be an
interesting race. There is only one problem, by my reckoning
it will be starting at midnight (Sunday night or Monday
morning, take your pick). Let us also pray for rain.
I will be watching in front of the big screen at Jameson’s
Irish Pub, Soi AR, next to Nova Park, come what may. Join me
at around 11 p.m. for a couple of drinks first. The real
enthusiasts do enjoy this late night race, as we get the pub
to ourselves. I promised Landlord Kim Fletcher we would make
sure the fridge doors are closed and will lock the front
door on our way out!
Different fuels
producing problems?
I received an email from a Jerry Zaft who I
suspect lives in Europe, who wrote, “Are you aware of the
massive problems diesel car owners in Europe are having,
with massive repair bills and early dual mass clutch
failures ... so much that now auto experts are telling
people to not buy cars with diesel until they are
redesigned.”
All-electric
Chevvy Volt
I have to say I have not heard of these problems, but then
of course we are not in Europe and most passenger cars in
Thailand are not diesel. However, it would not surprise me
if there were clutch problems associated with diesel
engines, because of the increased torque, compared to petrol
engines.
However, where is Thailand heading fuelwise? The information
coming from the government departments is very confusing at
best, and contradictory at worst. We have had the push
towards diesel, because diesels go about twice as far per
liter, compared to petrol - but the cost of diesel is also
going through the roof.
We have also been exhorted to run E 10 (10 percent ethanol)
in our cars instead of 100 percent petrol, and now E 20. The
reason is to reduce our dependence on ‘foreign’ oil and we
can get the ethanol from crops grown in this country. The
concept is simple, but the ramifications are not. We are
looking at a world rice shortage, caused in part by
traditional crop fields being used to now grow palm oil. And
can we really grow enough palm oil or whatever to supply an
ethanol fuel?
And E 20 is not enough, according to the government, what
about using E 85? Since the auto industry here is just
starting to produce E 20 compatible engines, where are we
going to get E 85 engines? Volvo’s lovely little C30 coupe
is probably the only one I know of in Thailand at present.
There is another problem with ethanol based fuel is that
ethanol is not as efficient liter for liter as petrol, so
even if the fuel appears cheaper at the pumps, it does not
go as far as gasoline, thus bringing up the cost to run the
car.
Another department is pushing LPG and CNG, both fuels that
can be used in existing engines, and much cheaper. However,
long term studies are not as optimistic with several taxi
drivers saying that their engine repair bills are increasing
using gas, rather than petrol. More problems.
There is also the commitment that the government got from
the manufacturers to produce the eco-cars, and these have to
be able to use less than 5 liters of fuel per 100 km. I feel
sorry for the manufacturers with such a bewildering array of
fuel concepts being promoted.
There is also something else to consider - Mr Big Oil is
currently enjoying the greatest profits it has ever had,
with the increase in crude oil price, and the subsequent
hijack at the pumps. So Big Oil does not want to see the
prices go down. But wait, there’s more! Government taxes per
liter are even more than Mr Big Oil’s profit per liter, so
governments are raking in the tax dollars as well, and don’t
want the status quo to change.
So now where? The most obvious direction at present is to
all-electric power, with the research going into the
rechargeable batteries problem. Honestly, you can forget
hybrids, they are an interim step, and that is all. Too
expensive for the mass market as it will take you years to
recoup the initial cost from just fuel savings. And please
don’t mention the Toyota Prius. If this were the best thing
since sliced bread, why is Toyota not converting all their
range into hybrids? There is no sign of a hybrid Vios or
Yaris or Corolla, and there never will be.
Returning to the batteries, remember the first mobile
phones? You carried the battery in a suitcase. Now the whole
thing fits in your shirt pocket. That technological progress
is continuing.
What is more, there are electric cars being built right now,
which will go 160 kays on one charge and recharge overnight
from domestic power points. So why is the government not
pushing these motors for their public transport if nothing
else? Simply because they don’t get huge taxes from the
output of your home electric socket, and Big Oil gets
nothing at all, but Big Oil has the ear of governments. So
there’s your vicious circle, and we, the consumers, are
being used as pawns.
Me? Cynical? Never!
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week I asked what was the Glas S1004 of 1962
famous for? The answer was it was the first car to have a
toothed cog belt to drive the overhead cams. Commonplace
these days, but not then. By the way, first correct answer
in came from Mo Bertrand.
So to this week. Two speed rear axles are common in trucks,
but not so common in cars. Voisin had them in 1928 and
Auburn had them in 1932, but two speed rear axles were used
even before then. They were used in 1909 in a British car.
What was it? Clue - the name became well known in a British
racing car in the early 1960’s.
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first correct
answer to email [email protected]
Good luck!
Motorcycle helmets
At a committee meeting of the local Automotive
Focus Group, the subject of the wearing (or lack of it) of
motorcycle helmets came up. It was agreed that despite the
fact that there was legislation, and the occasional
policemen on street corners, the road toll was just
horrendous. Statistics taken from the recent Songkran period
showed that over 80 percent of fatal road accidents involved
motorcycles. And the medical statistics would show that the
main cause of a motorcyclist’s death is by landing on the
unprotected head.
Plastic
(useless) helmet
Undoubtedly many of the motorcycle helmets (even when worn
correctly and done up) are about as effective as wearing an
ice cream bucket on your head. But for around B. 200, I
don’t think you can expect much better.
There are some half-decent helmets for sale, but without
wearing them on the head but instead keeping them in the
basket on the front of the motorcycle to be lifted out at
traffic lights, this defeats the whole object of the
exercise.
The Automotive Focus Group will now have this issue on its
agenda and is looking for information from any companies
that have successfully tackled this problem in its
employees.
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 (June
9) 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. Many interesting debates come
from these evenings, including quite a few topics for the
Autotrivia quiz. We hope to have a representative from the
Jungle Adventure Tour company to address us. I went on one
of their two hour jaunts a couple of months ago and it was
great fun.
