AUTO MANIA: by Dr. Iain Corness [email protected]

What a big mouth you’ve got Grandma!

Aston Martin Rapide S.

Is this the ultimate expression of snobbery? A four door Aston Martin Rapide S where you can take three friends round town in ultimate (well, close to at least) luxury.
However, while Aston Martin has produced some of the best looking cars on the planet (the DBS is my favorite), this new Rapide S has the biggest mouth this side of an American TV wrestler. It was right before! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! However, Aston Martin are making positive noises, with ‘‘The Rapide S is to me, without doubt, the most beautiful four-door sports car on the market today,” said Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez.
OK, it isn’t all bad news. The 5.9 liter V12 engine now cranks out 411 kW, which is 64 kW more than before. This has been accomplished by using lighter, hollow camshafts and a stainless steel exhaust. The 0-100 kph sprint is now 4.9 seconds and the top speed 306 kph. Torque is also said to be much improved in the bottom half of the rev range, while the peak is up from 600 Nm to 620 Nm.
Bez continued, saying “It is a four-door sports car that uniquely combines luxury, style and sporting excitement in Aston Martin’s most flexible and accommodating silhouette. The car’s stunning visual appeal is now matched by a much more powerful and yet more efficient engine - our exceptional new AM11 V12 - which increases massively both the excitement and performance potential of the Rapide S.” That is all PR Speak I’m afraid. There is nothing truly “unique” about this car. It is up against the faster Mercedes Benz CLS63 and versions of the Porsche Panamera (though anything looks better than the porcine Porsche). In that league there is the BMW M6 GranCoupe and the upgraded Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG also capable of blistering performance. The Audi RS7 has a twin-turbocharged 4.0 liter V8 running a maximum 1.2 bar of boost pressure to produce 412 kW at 5700 rpm and 750 Nm of torque between 1750 and 5500 rpm.
The new BMW M6 GranCoupe’s twin-turbocharged 4.4 liter V8 also produces 412 kW but “only” 680 Nm of torque.
The CLS63 AMG will get the twin-turbocharged 5.5 liter V8 engine as that unveiled in the facelifted E63 AMG, with 430 kW and 800 Nm in the S-model package.
Translating all that into performance figures, the Audi delivers 0-100 km/h acceleration in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 305 km/h with the dynamic plus package. (Very “plus”!)
BMW claims the rear-wheel drive M6 GranCoupe is capable of running 0-100 km/h in 4.1 seconds, while Mercedes-Benz sources suggest the upgraded rear-wheel-drive CLS63 AMG will boast a 0-100 km/h time as a mind-boggling 3.6 seconds with the optional S-model package.
I honestly feel that Aston Martin, no matter how svelte the styling, is lagging in the “sports car” stakes. This is not the car to drag Aston Martin back into strong liquidity.

The definitive F1 calendar (get your pencils out)

Mar 17 - Albert Park, Australia Mar 24 - Sepang, Malaysia Apr 14 - Shanghai, China Apr 21 - Sakhir International, Bahrain May 12 - Barcelona, Spain May 26 - Monte Carlo, Monaco Jun 09 - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Canada Jun 30 - Silverstone, Great Britain Jul 07 - TBA, Germany Jul 28 - Hungaroring, Hungary Aug 25 - Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium Sep 08 - Monza, Italy Sep 22 - Marina Bay, Singapore Oct 06 - Yeongam, Korea Oct 13 - Suzuka, Japan Oct 27 - Buddh International, India Nov 03 - Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi Nov 17 - Circuit of the Americas, United States Nov 24 - Interlagos, Brazil

The Bangkok GP debate

I was sent an exclusive which had been printed in the Australian Herald Sun newspaper, in which the fee for the right to stage the Grand Prix in Melbourne was released.

Bernie E the Godfather.

The Herald Sun Melbourne stated, “Victorians are paying more than $30 million (that is around 900 million baht) a year for the right to host the Formula One Grand Prix under a top-secret deal with billionaire Bernie Ecclestone.
“The Herald Sun has seen Grand Prix documents that reveal the overall cost of Mr Ecclestone’s licence fee - kept secret by four successive state governments for almost two decades - for the five-year contract is close to $170 million.
“The documents, dating from 2010, expose an ‘escalator’ clause in the contract that sees the license fee rise by five percent annually - regardless of how the Albert Park event fares.
“In revelations that have sparked renewed debate about the race, the documents show the license fee climbs from $US31 million in 2011 to almost $US38 million in 2015.”
So, all is revealed! You want a Grand Prix? Bernie wants 900 million baht, rising to one billion baht in three years. He really is the heart and soul of generosity, isn’t he! (And where does the under the table come from?)
Remember too, that is just the fee for the rights, the actual costs in making the circuit, barriers and Singapore style lighting is on top.

NSX reborn

New NSX.

The North American International Auto Show saw a concept car from Honda shown under the nameplate of Acura NSX. Informed gossip has this as the fore-runner for a new, and long awaited, NSX which will be in the showrooms in two years time.
The original 1990 NSX with its alloy chassis and mid-engined layout was a stand-out at the time, with its 3 liter V6 all alloy engine complete with titanium con-rods.
The NSX was also the first production car to feature an all-aluminium monocoque body incorporating a revolutionary extruded aluminium alloy frame, and suspension.
With sales declining, the production of the NSX was stopped in 2005, and it looked as if the NSX was finished, with Honda stating that because of the financial downturn, there were no plans to resurrect the NSX.
However, this new concept NSX has appeared, and is as noteworthy in its technology as the original NSX was in 1990. This new concept features two electric motors at the front, one for each wheel (an in-wheel system as pioneered by Dr. Porsche in 1902), with a third motor and a V-6 engine sending power to the rear axle. This produces a unique AWD system without the bulky prop shaft running down the middle of the car.
It certainly looks like a revolutionary sports car, but it will be interesting to see what the released vehicle will be like in 2015.

Batteries not included?

Batteries included.

With the 787 Dreamliners grounded with battery failures (fires) and GM hit by a federal investigation 12 months ago after three battery fires in the Chevrolet Volt after crash tests, it certainly has not been easy for manufacturers using Lithium-ion batteries.
Honda was one of the first automakers - along with rival Toyota - to adopt a hybrid driveline. And like Toyota, Honda is expanding the use of battery-based technology with a new plug-in version of the popular Accord sedan, as well as a pure battery-electric Jazz subcompact.
Of course, Toyota and Honda are not the only manufacturers offering battery/electric technology. However, this is not a mainstream section of the auto industry. Add up all of the conventional hybrids, plug-ins and battery-electric vehicles sold in the U.S. last year and they accounted for barely 3.5 percent of the total market. The Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle saw sales triple, but still fall about 50 percent short of GM’s sales predictions, which called for selling about 45,000 Volts in the U.S. alone. Nissan also missed its target for the second year in a row with the Leaf battery car, said Nissan CEO, Carlos Ghosn.
Adding to the negative side of the battery industry, lithium-ion battery maker A123 declared bankruptcy. A123, despite opening several plants, developing highly-touted new technology, including a battery that could operate in extreme heat or cold, and signing deals with General Motors, Chrysler and India’s Tata Motors, the company never posted a profit. In August, it reported an $83 million loss for the second quarter. A123 finally reached a financing deal with Wanxiang Group for up to $450 million to help it stay afloat.
The only maker pleased with its 2012 results was Toyota, which saw sales of its Prius hybrid increase from 100,000 to 236,000 with the introduction of new models like the Prius c and v.
There are many reasons for the poor acceptance of battery cars by the public, on top of range anxiety. Price is one of the biggest, with battery cars carrying a significant premium compared to conventional, gasoline-powered models.
Nissan is attempting to jump start demand by announcing plans for a new entry model that will be about $6,000 less than the current base battery car. The existing Leaf models also will have prices cut by several thousand dollars.
When the Leaf and Chevrolet Volt programs began, a typical lithium-ion battery cost about $1,000 per kilowatt-hour, but industry analysts say the battery costs will have to reduce to something closer to $200 per kWh to be truly competitive.
Going back to the initial range anxiety, according to Nissan CEO Ghosn and others, this is still a major problem. Operating range needs to come up from the average of 100 to 160 km per charge. Tesla is offering an extended-range version of its Model S which can go 480 km - but the additional batteries make the car very expensive, even in the US.
Another problem is the lack of public recharging stations or battery replacement stations. Whilst there are many plans, there is no recharging/replacement station near you!
However, the North American International Auto Show had more electric/hybrid cars on offer than ever before. And battery technology is improving all the time. Fixing the Dreamliners will probably let Carlos Ghosn sleep a little better too.

Autotrivia Quiz

Last week I asked what did the Honda S600 and the 1913 Le Mans Mercedes have in common? (And I mean engineering design, not wheels and brake pedals!) The answer was that they both had chain drive rear axles.
So to this week. Name this car. That should be easy!
For the Automania free beer this week, be the first correct answer to email [email protected].