What did we learn from the final GP of 2006?
Schumi and
Massa after the race.
Well, the first thing we learned was that
Michael Schumacher still has that fire in the belly. Despite
all the cruel luck in qualifying (fuel pump failure) and in
the race (the puncture), dropping him down to 17th, to
finish 4th was a lesson in driving. Quite frankly, he made
many of the drivers look like school kids. Forget the
telly-bletherers saying the other drivers were making it
easy for Schumacher, when you look in the mirrors and see
another driver catching you, hand over fist, you don’t have
an answer to it. You must yield, or be forced to. The latter
option was the situation with Rooby Baby, Fisichella and
even Raikkonen. Schumacher’s initial fastest lap, set with a
full tank of petrol was sensational, only to be broken by
himself on the second last lap of the race. Almost three
quarters of a second faster than Massa and Alonso.
Schumacher was also very gracious in defeat, and
congratulated both Massa and Alonso. Farewell Michael
Schumacher. Your presence will be missed.
Massa has matured, and his drive to win his home GP was
without flaw. He was obviously delighted, and so was the
crowd. He starts 2007 as equal number 1 with new team mate
Raikkonen. Will he still be equal number 1 by the end of
2007?
What else did we learn? Well I might have to drop the (Not
So) nickname from Super Aguri. Yamamoto and Sato recorded
the 7th and 9th fastest laps of the race with their Honda
engined, hurriedly cobbled together, race cars, and in fact
were only 0.1 of a second slower than Barichello, who is
certainly proving he is an ideal Number 3 driver for any
team! Sato finished 10th, despite his kamikaze reputation.
Jenson Button? He did drive well to come 3rd, but I doubt if
he could have passed Alonso, who was running well within his
and the car’s capabilities. Nevertheless, Button drove well,
and seems to have learned how to stay awake for the entire
race! And not before time!
And speaking of Alonso, he deserved his second world
championship. Drives fast with maturity, but next year I
hope he stops doing bird impersonations after he wins races.
However, unless there is a huge change at McLaren, he isn’t
going to win any more races. On paper, and from this
distance, his career move to McLaren from Renault looks a
poor choice.
And mentioning McLaren, I do hope they try putting Lewis
Hamilton in the driving seat for 2007. De la Rosa just isn’t
cutting it. To finish 30 plus seconds behind your team mate
is far too great a difference.
What else did we learn? Well, Kubica (pronounced “Koobitsa”,
forget the telly-bletherers again) is certainly a new
talent, and is eclipsing Heidfeld. If I were Mario Thyssen
from BMW I’d be elevating Vettel to a race seat alongside
Kubica.
Now, what else? To punt off your team mate is the biggest
crime you can commit in any race team. Young Rosberg, step
forward. Just what do you think you were doing on the first
lap? Races are not won on the first lap, they are only lost
on the first lap, and you managed to lose the race for your
entire team, after running into your team mate Mark Webber.
The Number 1 Red Bull team could be interesting next year
with Coulthard and Webber together, now both very
experienced drivers. If the new car, designed by Adrian
Newey, is as good as is hoped, and with Ferrari engines in
the rear, this could be the surprise team to watch.
So now we have a five month break before the first GP of
2007, which is back to Melbourne. It will be an all-new
ballgame without Michael Schumacher, but the game will
continue, and new names will be up at the top. Roll on 2007!
Lotus Exige S – coming to Thailand
After chatting with the Taddeo Bonelli,
the international business development man from Lotus Cars
when he came to inspect the Bira circuit, I am more than
hopeful that the Lotus Exige S will be coming to Thailand.
These cars were designed and built in RHD form, so are
suitable for Thailand. Interestingly, Lotus are apparently
not reworking them to make them into LHD for the American
market.
Now I just love the performance figures, where the factory
claims that this is the fastest accelerating Lotus to ever
to come off the production line. It comes in weighing just
935 kg (2057 lbs), powered by a 162.5 kW (218 hp, 221 PS)
high revving supercharged engine, giving a zero to 100 km/h
time of just 4.3 seconds (0 - 60 mph in 4.1 seconds). Just
to remind you that although this is staggering performance,
the 1967 Shelby Cobra recorded 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds!
However, this Lotus is how it comes, straight off the
production line and isn’t an “aftermarket special”. It
really is one of most powerful production cars in the world
for its engine size but most importantly it has full
approval for all the markets in which it will be sold.
If fuel consumption matters in an out and out performance
vehicle, the factory figures are an official combined figure
of 9.1 liters / 100 km (31 mpg) and ‘extra urban’ is an
impressive 7.2 liters / 100 km (39.2 mpg). Lotus believes
that there is no car on sale anywhere in the world that has
such good performance combined with such good fuel economy!
With an extremely ‘torquey’ engine and the classic Lotus
suspension set-up of soft compliant springs and firm
controllable dampers, the driving experience is an uncanny
combination of telepathic-like handling with a taught and
comfortable ride, says Lotus. Clive Dopson, managing
director of Lotus Cars said, “The Exige S represents the
ultimate ‘extreme’ production Lotus, with performance that
trumps other supercars costing twice or even three times as
much. That it does so with the fuel economy of a family
hatchback, stands as a testament to the Lotus concept of
performance through light weight. It’s an unbeatable package
and an unbeatable drive.”
The engine, which is derived from Toyota, has Roots-type
supercharger and air to air intercooler on the four
cylinder, 1.8 liter 2ZZ-GE VVTL-i engine. Peak power is at
7,800 RPM, with maximum torque at 5,500 RPM, but comes in
strongly from 2,000 RPM upwards. The engine is mated to a
lightweight C64 six-speed gearbox (with an aluminium casing)
and is fitted with the closest ratios matched to the torque
characteristics of the engine.
Lotus also claims that the aerodynamics are first class,
with almost identical downforce figures front and rear. The
rear wing is fixed with an 11.5 degree angle of attack.
The Lotus Exige S is built around the revolutionary and
award winning extruded and bonded aluminium tub, with a
light weight steel rear subframe, as used in the standard
Exige. The chassis tub itself weighs just 68 kg (150 lbs)
and has a stiffness of 10,500 Nm per degree.
Whilst this may be true, with exemplary torsional rigidity,
I personally believe the car looks as if the styling were
done by Walt Disney! Very strange. However, it certainly
follows a Colin Chapman concept in the design, with light
weight producing an unbeatable power to weight ratio. This
was the attraction of the original Lotus Super Seven, which
can still be purchased today as a Caterham.
Many years ago, Car and Driver in the US tested a Lotus
Europa, and opined that the boot space could take a change
of underwear and an inordinate amount of loose sand. British
tester Alistair Weaver said of the new Exige S, “Trunk space
is also best described as minimalist - there’s just about
room for an overnight bag, but only if you pack briefs
instead of boxers.” It seems that little has changed in the
past 40 years!
C&D also described getting out of the Lotus Europa as
requiring throwing your upper torso out of the car, and then
inching the rest of your body out, scrabbling along the
pavement with your fingers! Alistair Weaver, again wrote of
the Exige S, “Getting in and out requires the kind of
dexterity for which gymnasts are renowned. It’s tricky for a
guy and can be downright indecent for a girl. The
introduction of a supercharger has also completely
obliterated the rear view. Backing up is a leap of faith,
and the rearview mirror does nothing more than mask the
windshield.” It seems that tradition is being followed to
the letter!
However, I can’t wait to get my hands on one!
Lotus Exige S
The Ferguson lives!
Ferguson FF
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned Graham Hill in the 4WD
Ferguson race car, and it prompted this response from one of
my old mates in Australia, ace photographer John Stanley,
who emailed, “Here you are Doc, just to relive that time you
saw Hill in the Ferguson 4WD you mention in your latest
column ... I think you may have seen this one I took in the
rain at Lakeside and going by what I can remember it was
1963. Cheers and hope all is well up there. John Stanley
(Sydney)”
Just have a look at the photo. The roll-over protection
would certainly not pass any regulations these days. Already
leaning back at 30 degrees and not even braced!
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week I mentioned that I spent part of the day with the
Business Development manager for Lotus cars (see above), who
was in Thailand to evaluate the Bira circuit as a venue for
Lotus releases and testing. The ‘new’ Bira, when it is
finished its development, will be an even better motor
racing venue, and I am told that the improvements (including
resurfacing) will be finished early next year. I mentioned
that Lotus is well remembered for the first glass fiber
monocoque body in the Lotus Elite, and I asked when was the
first monocoque passenger car? And who built it? The correct
answer was the Lancia Lambda of 1923.
So to this week. Sticking with Lotus, why did Colin Chapman
choose the name Lotus for his cars?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first correct
answer to email [email protected]
Good luck!
