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

What was new from Geneva?

Maserati Alfieri

Maserati had the star of the Geneva motor show. A 2+2 sports coupe concept car, but has all the hallmarks of becoming a production car within two years.
Called the Alfieri, after one of the original Maserati brothers, it is envisaged that Maserati would position this car to run against the Porsche 911 and Jaguar F-Type.
According to those who were at Geneva for the show, the design is well on the way to being production ready, although some of the more extreme styling items on the show car would be dropped for manufacture.
Unveiling the Alfieri in Geneva, Maserati CEO Harold Wester promised “a neck-snapping motor” and “a foot pedal that is hungry to be floored” in the new car. Giving away nothing, he said, “We are wondering if we can put this car into production,” as a teaser. This is quite common that a manufacturer will gauge the marketability of a possible design by its response at a motor show such as Geneva.
Based on the GranTurismo MC Stradale chassis with a 240 mm shorter wheelbase (now at 2700 mm), the Alfieri measures 4590 mm long, 1930 mm wide and 1280 mm high.
The concept car features the marque’s transaxle platform from the two door GranTurismo. The engine is a 4.7 liter naturally aspirated V8 engine producing 343 kW at 7000 rpm and 520 Nm of torque from 4750.
The transaxle uses a six-speed ‘MC Shift’ robotised manual gearbox fixed directly to the limited-slip differential, keeping the balance fairly close to 50:50.
The brakes are carbon ceramic disc brakes from the GranTurismo MC Stradale, with blue Brembo calipers.
Maserati says the instrument panel has a classic layout of two binnacle dials with two smaller ones in between, with the edge of each embellished with a small ‘Officine Maserati’ label.
In the show car, the driver and passengers sit on a combination of hand-stitched silk and leather, with the two rear seats folding forwards 90 degrees to open up the small luggage portal that sits behind them. It is a 2+2 after all!
“The Alfieri is being unveiled at just the right time to re-establish Maserati’s orientation in terms of design and production,” Maserati said in a statement after the concept car was displayed.
“If the new Quattroporte and Ghibli gave the impression that Maserati was becoming oriented towards sporty, premium four-door saloons, the Alfieri concept is a reminder that the brand has a remarkable racing heritage and a unique tradition in exotic GT cars. There is no doubt that the Alfieri concept represents the true essence of the Maserati brand.”
“Sportier in character than the GranTurismo, the Alfieri boasts proportions that might well be archetypal for a future Gran Sport and are certainly a hint at the brand’s stylistic intentions for the near future,” it says.
Adding weight to the idea that this concept car was a ‘toe in the water’ exercise, Maserati head of global design Lorenzo Ramaciotti said: “We wanted the Alfieri to test future design paths. The car is very aggressive yet subtle in style, forceful but understated.”
Whatever, it certainly is a great looking motor car!

Lost your car in the car park?

Now what floor again?

It is quite easy to lose your car in the supermarket, multi-level car parks. What is even worse is being left a car in the airport car parking station - you have the keys, but no idea which floor! You walk everywhere pressing the button, looking for a car somewhere to wink its lights at you!
However, according to Mercedes-Benz, finding the car is only a tap of a smartphone away when you’ve lost it in a parking maze.
Mercedes-Benz says the average age of its buyers is getting younger - but it has just unveiled technology that will help owners locate their car if they forget where they parked.
Using a similar system to Apple’s ‘Find My iPhone’, the new technology will enable Mercedes-Benz customers to pinpoint their vehicle at the supermarket.
“Customers are demanding more convenience items in their cars,” said a Mercedes-Benz spokesman at the unveiling of the technology on the eve of the Geneva motor show overnight. “They want access, they want mobility and they want to be able to find their car. People lead hectic lives these days.”
The technology is expected to be available on Mercedes-Benz passenger cars from next year, although the car maker declined to nominate which model and how much the option would cost.
The announcement of Mercedes-Benz’s ‘Find My Car’ feature coincided with the introduction of Apple’s CarPlay, which imports commonly used phone apps onto the car’s central display screen.
CarPlay will appear in Fiat, Volvo, Ferrari and Mercedes cars at first, but others will follow, the technology company says.
Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz says it is also developing improved Android and Google integration into its car communication systems.
While debate continues about driver distraction in cars, automobile manufacturers are increasingly joining forces with technology companies to reduce the number of distractions.
Last year Toyota unveiled an upgraded radio unit for the Corolla sold in Europe that could send and receive social media updates on Facebook and Twitter.

The F1 series starts this weekend, Sunday 16

Melbourne, Australia, is the host of the first F1 race for 2014. With new engines, new KERS and more, the lead up to this event has been traumatic for many of the teams, including Red Bull. The Renault engine teams seem in more doggy doo than the Mercedes and Ferrari engine teams, but we will know after this Sunday.
The race will start at 1 p.m. our time and we watch from Jameson’s Irish Pub on Soi AR, next to Nova Park. The big screen is great and the dedicated F1 channel has good commentary with no breaks and no ads. Come at noon for a meal (the Sunday roast specials are great value) and a drink and discussion and let’s hope for some real racing.

Porsche Carrera Cup Asia – 2014 Season

Porsche 911 GT3.

The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia is looking ahead to its 12th season as the leading category in regional sports car competition. The contenders in the international field from 10 countries and territories was unveiled last week, just prior to the official test at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit last weekend.
Twenty-eight of the sensational, all-new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991) racing cars will contest the prestigious 11 race, seven meeting calendar.
The more powerful 3.8 liter flat six engine produces 460 horsepower, 10 more than previously, and the six-speed sequential gearbox is operated by a pneumatic paddle shift system, yet another first for the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia.
The calendar includes support races at three rounds of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship: in Malaysia, Shanghai and Singapore. Further strengthening its ties with Porsche motorsport activities across Asia, the series will race in Japan for the first time in 2014, heading to the Fuji International Speedway in June. Double headers at China’s Pearl River Delta Region Zhuhai track, and at Malaysia’s Sepang circuit, see the region’s premier international sports car championship cross the Tropic of Cancer four times as it thunders towards the season finale at the Sports car Champions Festival in Shanghai in October.