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

Last F1 race for 2012 this weekend

The finale and what will be the decider for the World Drivers Championship is this weekend in Brazil. Will it be The Finger Vettel or the Spaniard Alonso?
Again with the time differential the race starts at 11 p.m. Thai time. I will be getting to Jameson’s Irish Pub around 10 p.m. for a bite to eat (specials are great value) and a glass or two. Come and join us for the Brazil Grand Prix. Jameson’s is on Soi AR, next to Nova Park serviced apartments and we watch the dedicated F1 telecast on the huge screen with no adverts. That’s right - no adverts!

Racing at Bira this weekend

Pro Series at Bira.

The Pro Series promoters Grand Prix International have one of their packed programs at Bira this weekend. The categories cover all the usual sedan groups right through to the Classic (Retro) cars. Our Securitas Mk1 Ford Escort will be mixing it with the Alfa GTVs and Toyota DXs.
And if you want to really make a picnic of it, join us in the AA Insurance Brokers / Sausage King hospitality tent on Sunday where we offer cold drinks, some shade, seats and a sausage sizzle courtesy of the Sausage King. The tent is on the outside of the hairpin at the end of the straight and has good views of the cars going through that corner and up the hill, then down the back through the difficult and dangerous sweeping right hander. To find us, come into the circuit via the back gate leading to the pits, about 200 meters on the left before approaching the main entrance off Highway 36 coming from the Sattahip end. Go through the tunnel under the track and then turn immediately hard right and follow the dirt road around the outside of the corner and up the incline and look for the red AA hospitality tent. Say the magic words “Securitas Mk1 Escort” and you’re in!

Electric quick charge

Volvo C30 EV.

Volvo Car Corporation is testing a new fast-charger for electric vehicles that it says operates six times faster than current onboard devices.
Along with the limited range leading to range anxiety, one of the biggest drawbacks of electric cars is the time it takes to recharge an EV’s battery pack.
Volvo claims its new system, which is billed as the world’s first three-phase onboard charger, will enable drivers to easily replenish battery power to give “more usable hours each day” and in turn make the electric vehicle industry “more viable as a commercial proposition”.
As with most current-generation EVs, Volvo’s C30 Electric takes eight to 10 hours for its 24 kW/h lithium-ion batteries to be fully recharged from a typical domestic single-phase 240 volt 10 amp power outlet, depending on the available current.
A 15-amp ‘Level 2’ charging outlet can be installed by an electrician to lower charging times, while heavy-duty fast-charge three phase electrical outlets (Level 3/4) are available at select locations.
Volvo’s 22 kW ‘flexible’ fast-charger said to be the first onboard recharging system to operate on a three-phase supply, and is small enough to be fitted into an electric passenger car.
This allows the C30 Electric to be recharged with a three-phase 32-amp 400-volt outlet to achieve an 80 km range in a claimed 30 minutes, with a full charge taking 1.5 hours for 120-150 km.
This is so much better than the regular single-phase 230/240-volt household outlet that can recharge the Volvo C30 Electric in eight or more hours.
Volvo Car Corporation’s vice-president of electric propulsion systems, Lennart Stegland, said the fast-charging unit helps cure ‘range anxiety’ since the vehicle can be more easily recharged during the day. “We know that short recharging times and extensive operating range are a necessity for potential electric car consumers,” he said.
“The user can ‘top up’ the battery pack with electricity one or more times during the day. This means that the total daily range is significantly extended, yet with the same low operating cost compared to a car with a conventional powertrain.
“Giving customers more usable hours each day means that electric cars become more viable as a commercial proposition, in both the private and public sectors,” he said.
Volvo has produced around 250 C30 Electrics to test the technology and customer reaction in real-world conditions in several European countries, plus China and the United States. China, for example, expects to have 70 different EV’s from 35 manufacturers by 2020.
With Volvo’s C30 production scheduled to end at the end of this year at the company’s factory in Belgium, the constantly evolving technology - including the onboard fast-charge system - is expected to be transferred to a full-electric version of the forthcoming all-new V40.
However, the company is still to confirm a V40 EV project, leaving the longer-range V60 plug-in hybrid as its main commercial program in the electrified vehicle arena.

From here to Eterniti?

Eterniti is now!

Eterniti Motors, the London-based boutique luxury carmaker, officially launched its production-specification version of its first model, the Artemis Super-SUV. (The Artemis was previously shown as an engineering prototype at Beijing’s Auto China 2012 international motor show in April.)
The Artemis is the world’s first “Super-SUV” - a term created by Eterniti for a new class of vehicle providing the higher levels of luxury, performance and exclusivity demanded by today’s wealthy car buyers. It comes to the market ahead of projected luxury SUVs from Bentley, Lamborghini and Maserati.
The Super-SUV has a limousine-like rear cabin featuring standard-setting legroom, twin reclining rear seats with heating and cooling, iPad-ready holders with electronic reveal, and a drinks chiller with crystal glasses. This satisfies a specific and growing demand, particularly in Asian markets, for a car suitable for chauffeured transport and also for driving for pleasure. Unlike a conventional limousine, an SUV can offer excellent handling and driver appeal, and the ride height and ruggedness are suitable for poor road surfaces which can make limousines and conventional high-performance cars completely impractical. With all these attributes in one package, the Artemis is projected as the ultimate crossover.
The interior is lavishly handcrafted in Britain, with a specification also including the finest leathers, quilted floor coverings and boot trim, lambs wool rugs, veneers including natural woods, piano black and carbon fiber, and the no-cost option of starlight roof lining. Thousands of combinations of exterior and interior trims mean that every car can be made unique.
The body panels are carbon composite and also hand-built, and finished in a large choice of paint colors, complemented by different chrome trim styles. Ultra-low profile 315/25 tyres sit on dedicated 23" super-lightweight forged alloy rims in a variety of styles.
The 4.8-litre twin-turbo V8 engine comes from Porsche and produces at least 600 bhp (441 kW) and 750 Nm (553 lb ft) torque, can accelerate from 0-100 kph in 4.5 secs and can exceed 290 kph, making it the fastest large SUV available. Performance and handling have been developed by a race-bred British engineering team led by Alastair Macqueen. Macqueen previously developed the Jaguar XJ220 to production, then the world’s fastest road car, and has engineered three outright Le Mans 24 Hour race wins for Jaguar and Bentley.
Although Eterniti is basing its business case around meeting market needs, its people have a passion for cars. The team has extensive experience in retailing some of the most prestigious British and European luxury and high-performance car brands, including Aston Martin, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Bentley and Ferrari, in markets from the UK to Asia-Pacific.

What did we learn from the US GP?

Well, we learned that the Americans have built a cracker of a circuit out there in Texas, and we also learned that the F1 circus put on a cracker of a race.
Man of the meeting has to be Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) who just piled on the pressure, first to Mark Webber (Red Bull) and then to Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), with Vettel returning to childish shouts that “he (Hamilton) passed too close” (although Vettel later claimed his remarks were for Karthikeyan who was being lapped). Whatever, Hamilton deserved his win and we were spared the erect finger gesture.
So Vettel had to be content with second place, and with Alonso (Ferrari) third, the German did not manage to pull off the WDC with one race to go. Probably more than enough reason for The Finger to start throwing his toys out of the pram (again).
Some (unnecessary) discussions as to the legality or otherwise of Ferrari breaking the gearbox seal on Massa (Ferrari) to demote him five places, but this resulted in bringing Alonso forward and on to the faster side of the track for the start. F1 is a team sport and the decision to do this to help WDC contender Alonso was the correct one. It was also one that had financial implications. Huge financial implications.
From calling for Massa to fall on his sword earlier in the year, Massa certainly raised his game and he deserved his fourth place, and incidentally, his contract for 2013.
A good drive from Button (McLaren) on a different strategy from most of the others. With getting the tyres to work being the most important feature of the Pirelli tyres on the new Circuit of the Americas asphalt, he drove better than his 5th place result would indicate.
The “Lotus” twins, Raikkonen and Grosjean were next home, and whilst Raikkonen gave a dogged, though unspectacular drive, Grosjean was his usual superfast but unreliable self. I do not expect to see him next year in the black and gold livery once made famous by Colin Chapman.
Nico Hulkenberg in the Force India showed he was faster than his car, and will be a welcome addition to the Sauber team next year.
The final points went to the Williams team of Maldonado and Senna. Maldonado is a very aggressive driver, but since he sits on a 46 million dollar sponsorship package, he will be right for 2013. Senna, who has been trading on his surname, and does not have a 46 million wallet to sit on, will be out of a drive next year.
For once, Webber had a good start, but as usual he was dogged by mechanical problems with KERS giving out and the alternator failing yet again. One has to wonder why the mechanical unreliability in the Red Bull team is always to Webber’s car. Does Helmut Marko have a magic red button to hold the Aussie back, just in case he challenges the golden haired boy?
The WDC will be decided on Sunday 25th, with it being fought out by Vettel and Alonso. Alonso rates his chances at 25 percent. Vettel is practicing his finger exercise trying to make it look a little humble. We all await the outcome!

Autotrivia Quiz

Last week I asked what car had six wheels with 4 wheel steering and boasted 4,800 BHP from two V12 engines. It was the Land Speed Record car driven by Captain George Eyston in 1937 and called the Thunderbolt.
So to this week. Which Thai-built pick-up has just won the European International Pick-up of the Year award? You may have to do some digging to find it!
For the Automania free beer this week, be the first correct answer to email [email protected].