Bahrain GP this weekend
The F1 season arrives at the sand this
weekend. Bahrain has a Grand Prix circuit constructed in a
country with no tradition of motor racing, but with a desire
to enjoy the prestige of being host to a major international
sporting event. And the necessary financial wherewithal to
be able to do so.
Bahrain (Sakhir) is not a single circuit but a complex of
six individual tracks which includes a drag strip and an
oval test track. From the beginning Bahrain was clearly
interested in more than an annual event because it
incorporated the infrastructure to run club races and to
become a centre for motor sport in the Middle East.
The test oval suggests that Bahrain is interested in
attracting motor manufacturers who might wish to test
prototypes at sustained high speed in very hot conditions.
The drag strip suggests a use for all those supercars which
are bought by wealthy Arabs and which otherwise receive
little serious use. There is no shortage of interest in cars
in the Middle East, and no shortage of money, and no
shortage of interest in competition with camel and horse
racing being immensely popular, but until the complex opened
in March, 2004, there were no bespoke motor sport venues.
To judge from the flexibility of the complex, which cost USD
150 million to construct, Bahrain hopes to become the
driving force of motor racing in the region. Read those
numbers again - USD 150 million. That is why you will not
see an F1 track in Thailand!
The Sakhir track is quite superb, but Bahrain must sort out
issues such as hotel accommodation if it is to be taken
seriously and not merely regarded as a race-track in the
desert.
The race begins at 2.30 p.m. in Bahrain, which would make it
6.30 p.m. here, but please check your TV guides. Qualifying
is at 6 p.m. our time on the Saturday. I am setting up in
front of the big screen in Jameson’s Irish Pub (Soi AR, next
to Nova Park) at 5.30 p.m. just in case it starts early! We
watch the South African feed because there are no adverts
and the commentators are better than the UBC feed. Why don’t
you join me for early dinner, a couple of ales and some
spirited conversation?
Motor Shows and “Pretties”
The day I go to motor shows to see the
“pretties”, those inane presenters in ridiculous costumes, I
will turn in my driving boots and helmet. I go to motor
shows to look at motor cars. For goodness sake, I can walk
across the road to the shopping center and see as many sexy
girls as I like. With a stroll down any of the naughty
streets in any major city in Thailand, I can get even
closer.
I am not going to buy a Mercedes because they pay their
“pretties” B. 3,500 a day and an allowance of B. 1,500. They
had nine such creatures I am told, costing Mercedes-Benz
just short of half a million baht for the duration of the
motor show. I’d be more impressed if they had auto engineers
on the stand showing me the technical reasons why I should
buy a Benz rather than a Beemer.
But no, it seems that “pretties” are considered an integral
part of the motor shows these days, and it is a dangerous
job too, as the poor dears are subjected to groping. My
heart bleeds for them.
Mercedes
“Pretties”
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week I asked what was the first motor car to be
designed and built as a complete engineering entity, rather
than cobbled together with odd bits and pieces. Clue, it was
built by two brothers in 1895, though production models were
not made until 1900. The answer was Lanchester, and it was
one of the first cars where a part could be fitted to all
the cars of that model. This was a technique that came from
gun production!
So to this week. Which F1 world champion began his racing
career in a DKW in 1956?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first correct
answer to email [email protected]
Good luck!
Bangkok International
Motor Show 2008
This year’s motor show had some interesting
developments in car technology, some new (and old) concept
cars and whole range of motor cars which can be seen just as
easily in your local petrol station. It costs money for the
manufacturers to exhibit, so I find it amazing that many do
not try and capitalize on their investment.
Ford
Verve/Fiesta
For example, somebody in GM needs a shake-up. A large
display area with Optras, Captivas, Colorados and Aveos, but
nothing to excite the senses of the motoring public.
Goodness me, GM has concept cars all over the globe,
including the Chevrolet Volt, which Bob Lutz (GM’s car guru)
says will be in production by 2010, and we got a handful of
‘ordinary’ motor cars. No inspiration at all.
GM were not the only ones. Mazda has just won the World Car
of the Year award with the Mazda2. They are spending large
amounts of money to get the assembly line up and running to
produce these cars in Thailand in 2009 and will be exporting
from here. This is a momentous occasion. Did they have a
Mazda2 here for us to see? No. They did have some tricked up
Mazda3’s from Australia and a CX9 which you cannot buy here
and a solitary MX5.
Citroen
C6
Ford at least did have a Ford Verve concept from the New
York motor show, this being the car which will also be built
on the Eastern Seaboard and exported as the Ford Fiesta. You
could also get your nails polished. I didn’t bother, but
they did have the Verve, so I forgave them.
Yontrakit had a rather gorgeous (and expensive) Citroen C6
on their totally cluttered stand, and nobody to tell the
press any details. This car has a definite resemblance with
the CX series of many years ago, and when you opened the
door, you were met with that wonderful smell of tanned
leather, and a herd of cows must have been sacrificed in its
production. Nice car, but the press should not have to
resort to the internet to get information at an
international motor show.
A Tat Xenon
covered in spectators
The stand that did attract attention was
the Tata Motors exhibit. Their cheap pick-up Xenon range,
which will be produced in Bangkok, was exhibited well, and
the Indians did try. I am sure you would have been able to
get a suit within 24 hours if you ordered a Xenon! The
Indica sedan looked interesting too, but I believe it is not
destined for this country. At the release of the Xenon,
their GM for Thailand also indicated that Tata Motors will
be in the eco-car race as well, with what is most likely
going to be their el-cheapo Tata Nano. With Tata also having
bought Jaguar and Land-Rover, Tata will have the top and
bottom of the marketplace. As General Custer found out to
his chagrin, the Indians are coming!
Forza
Naza
Another country on the move is Malaysia, with Naza
displaying their Forza, though “Forza Naza” does not have
the melodious ring of “Forza Ferrari”. The Forza comes from
China and is assembled by Malaysia’s Naza. It was being
displayed at the Bangkok show with a price tag of 349,000
baht and you could finance it over 72 months for 4,453 baht
per month, about the equivalent of bus fares. It was
certainly getting interested potential buyers. But where was
Proton? This other Malaysian company is (reputedly) doing
market penetration exercises with appointment of dealers
throughout the Kingdom, but chose to stay away. Are they
loose a couple of screws in the ECU, or what?
More on the Motor Show next week.
