Australian Grand Prix this weekend
Melbourne GP
After the season’s opener in Bahrain, the
second in the 19 event calendar will be held at the Albert
Park circuit this weekend. The questions to be answered are
- will the Red Bulls hang together, will Jenson Button wake
up, will Ferrari be lucky twice in a row, will Schumacher
get on top of Rosberg this time, will any of the new teams
finish higher than 16th? And even more
importantly, will we see anybody pass another car in anger?
The race starts at 1 p.m. Thai time, so
why not join us for lunch and a few ales before the race? We
will be watching in front of the big screen at Jameson’s
Irish Pub, Soi AR, next to Nova Park. We are also hoping for
a better race than we saw at the season’s opener in Bahrain.
At least you will see real spectators in Melbourne, and not
conveniently planted palm trees. By the way, the Qualifying
is at 1 p.m. on the Saturday.
TT Zero at
2010 TT Races
The Team ManTTx Racing Electric Bike team
is ready to build on first year achievements, and have
confirmed that they will be competing in the 2010 TT Zero
clean emissions race, which is part of the 2010 Isle of Man
TT Races.
Electric power at Isle of Man
The Manx team competed in 2009 and
recorded a lap time of 70.677 mph average speed around the
thirty-seven and three quarter mile Mountain Course and were
class leaders and second overall in the first qualifying
session. Unfortunately rider Dan Kneen was subsequently
injured and was replaced by experienced campaigner James
McBride.
The team’s machine has incorporated a
Ducati spaceframe chassis. It has dual motors with a keyed
output shaft. The powertrain is a one to one belt with a
primary drive and wire-eroded pulleys. The battery system
has 2x40 Amp/Hr and 2x31 Amp/Hr packs.
The team are currently engaged in
drivability testing at their workshop at Ramsey shipyard and
have been running dynamometer trials. This weekend they
tested at Jurby Circuit and were not only very satisfied
with the bikes performance and handling but gathered much
information for ongoing improvements.
During the 2009 race the team was going
well to Sulby but then one of the motor brushes broke and
damaged the remainder on the right hand side motor. The
resulting short circuits overheated the motor and resulted
in the bike’s retirement. However the team are confident
that they have fixed the problem and are looking forward to
competing again in 2010.
Team Manager David Craine commented, “We
are really excited about flying the flag for the Isle of Man
in this showcase event - everyone is determined to put
together a really competitive bike. With James back on board
this year we are confident that we can go well.”
Hon Martyn Quayle, MHK, Minister for
Tourism and Leisure, Isle of Man Government commented, “It
is fantastic for us to have a competitive Isle of Man team
in the TT Zero event as they very much help us to showcase
what the Isle of Man can offer the world as a centre of
technical, environmental and commercial development.”
The IOM schedule is:
Qualifying runs from Monday, May 31st, to
Friday, June 4th, 2010.
Saturday June 5th
1200hrs - Superbike TT Race 6 laps
1500hrs - Sidecar TT Race 1 3 laps
Monday June 7th
1045hrs - Supersport TT Race 1 4 laps
1415hrs - Superstock TT Race 4 laps
Wednesday June 9th
1045hrs - Supersport TT Race 2 4 laps
1315hrs - Sidecar TT Race 2 3 laps
1630hrs - TT Zero Race 1 lap
Friday June 11th
1230hrs - Senior TT Race 6 laps
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week I asked what engine was
described as having “pistons like dustbins, moving
deliberately up and down like lifts by Nogood-Waytis”? This
was in reference to the enormous displacement engines of
around 1910-20. This particular one was the 21 liter four
cylinder Maybach.
So to this week. What is the connection
between the famous aviator Louis Bleriot and automobiles?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be
the first correct answer to email [email protected]
Good luck!
Bangkok
Motor Show is open
The Bangkok International Motor Show is
open from now until April 6. This is the only
internationally accredited motor show in Thailand, and is at
the BITEC venue again. This makes it very easy for Pattaya
readers, as you do not have to go through Bangkok central to
get there, as BITEC is at Km 1 on the Bangna-Trat Road.
The show covers both cars and
motorcycles, and I will have motorcycling expert Alan Coates
with me to cover two wheels while I cover four. There are
also displays of classic cars and some of the car clubs will
also have stands at the show.
Lexus LFA
to take on the ‘Ring
Lexus
is heading back to the legendary Nürburgring this spring to
challenge for glory in the 24 Hours endurance race with its
LFA supercar.
Lexus LFA
It
will be the first time the production LFA is seen in
full-blooded competition, taking on one of the world’s most
challenging circuits in a marathon test of speed, handling
and durability. In two previous outings in the event,
development versions of the LFA were raced primarily to help
hone performance and handling. This time the LFA will line
up as a prime challenger in standard production car guise.
It’s a
formidable proposition: with its advanced, lightweight
composite construction and 552 bhp mid-mounted V10 engine,
it will reach 100 kph in just 3.7 seconds and race on to a
top speed beyond320 kph.
Gazoo
Racing will prepare and field the two LFAs in the event,
which takes place from 13 to 16 May. Led by Toyota master
test driver Hiromu Naruse, the team will include four
Japanese and three German drivers who between them boast
outstanding GT and endurance racing experience.
Mazda2 the schizophrenic sports sedan
Last week I spent 24 hours with the new
Mazda2 sedan, or as Mazda likes to call it, the sports sedan
version of the hatchback. It was an amazing little car, very
responsive on the road with adequate room for front and rear
seat passengers, even when the driver’s chair was racked
back to the end of its adjustment. For a small passenger
car, it was ‘almost’ excellent. For a Sports Sedan it was
also ‘almost’ excellent, to the point where I began to
wonder just where Mazda thought this car should lie in their
line-up.
Test Drive
It shares much in the body with the five
door hatch, but with a boot tacked on in the rear. The
somewhat funky looks were able to absorb the extra boot area
without it appearing as an ‘add-on’ and this gives a usable
450 liters of boot space. The rear seats are also split
60:40, so longer items can also be carried.
The driver’s seat was adequate for most,
but with the description of ‘sports sedan’ I would have
preferred more lateral support. The gauges were set out
simply, and with large circular dials, were easy to read.
The controls, for the most part, are simply rotary dials
which are so much more user friendly than drop down menus
and repetitively stabbing a touch screen.
Driving around Pattaya’s goat tracks,
otherwise known as ‘roads’ the firmness of the suspension
becomes very noticeable, to the point of being intrusive at
times.
Mazda2 dash
The suspension and chassis dynamics were
best explored off the public roads and I took the car to the
Bira circuit to explore its limits. And the limits are very
high. The Mazda2 sedan sticks to the track like it was
painted on it. This car is excellent as far as road holding
is concerned. It would be difficult for the average motorist
to find him or herself in a situation where the car would
not be able to stay on the blacktop. Suspension-wise, this
Mazda2 really is a sports sedan. However, remember that
physical laws still have to be obeyed, no matter how good
the apparent road holding.
It was on the Bira circuit that a
deficiency as far as being a sports sedan was very evident.
The 1500 cc engine develops 103 bhp at 6,000 rpm and 135 Nm
of torque at 4,000 rpm and this was not enough. To be able
to utilize the chassis, the engine needs at least another 20
bhp, and this would need a 1600 cc engine, to which Mazda
has access through its global networks.
Sporty Mazda sedan
So here lies the schizophrenic nature of
the Mazda2 sedan. It has the interior space and very sharp
turning circle of a family sedan. It takes 91 octane fuel,
or E10 or even E20, and it has the gentle nature of a family
chariot. Yet it has a chassis which delivers totally
dedicated sports sedan performance. The question which was
still unanswered when I handed it back was just should the
spring rates be softened to make it a more comfortable
family car, or should the engine be uprated to make it into
a performance sports sedan?
The five door hatches come in some
wonderful colors, like a wild iridescent green for example.
The Mazda2 Sports Sedan as tested came in a drab grey,
hardly sporty at all.
We should not forget the price. Entry
level (and manual transmission) is THB 535,000, going up to
THB 675,000 (higher spec cars all auto gearboxes). That puts
it right amongst the Honda Civic / Toyota Vios grouping. If
you are contemplating either of these cars, you should also
consider the Mazda2 sedan.
