Japanese GP this weekend

Suzuka circuit

One of the greatest tracks used in Formula One today, Japan’s Suzuka circuit is a massive test of car and driver ability. Built by Honda as a test facility in 1962, the track was designed by Dutchman John Hugenholz, the Hermann Tilke of his day (but don’t let that put you off). A huge theme park was also constructed at the track, including the famous big wheel which dominates the Suzuka skyline.
At Suzuka the race has provided the scene for many nail-biting end-of-season deciders, including the infamous collisions involving Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. This week, will it be Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa (again) in the colliding business?
Suzuka includes some of the Grand Prix calendar’s most challenging corners. Among the drivers’ favorites are the high-speed 130R taken at over 300 km/h and the famous Spoon Curve taken at 140 km/h on the way in and coming out at 180 km/h.
With the results from Singapore still in everybody’s minds, will Suzuka be a firecracker or a fizzer? With a circuit that encourages passing, it would have to be a better race than Singapore, and I don’t care how many “celebrities” Bernie invites.
I will be watching from my usual perch at Jameson’s Irish Pub, Soi AR, next to Nova Park for the 53 laps GP of the 5.8 km circuit. Now, important - with the time differential between here and Japan, the race on Sunday starts at 1 p.m. Thai time. Qualifying on the Saturday is 12 noon. Join us for lunch and a couple of jars before the red lights go out.

Charity Drive next weekend

Ever wondered what it is like inside a race car? Well, on Saturday October 15, you can find out first-hand. Thomas Raldorf of the Pizza Company/CEA race team is bringing a couple of the team’s race cars to Bira, and we are joining the group with the Securitas Mk1 Ford Escort Retro race car.

The Giant-killing Securitas Mk1 Escort

Thomas Raldorf dreamed up this charity event, and all moneys raised are going to purchase motorcycle helmets for poor schoolchildren. As we all know, motorcycle accidents are very common in Pattaya, and children can be injured. Broken legs and broken arms heal very quickly, but broken brains do not. However, the severity of head injuries is so much less if they are wearing helmets.
The ‘fast taxi’ drives start at B. 500, and I can guarantee you that you will get an experience you will talk about for the rest of your life. All safety precautions will be carried out, and you will be strapped in a race seat, complete with helmet. We have run these events before, and I can assure you on the safety angle, as well as the ‘thrill’ angle. You won’t regret it, and at the same time making sure a disadvantaged child is protected.
The event takes place at the Bira Circuit on Highway 36 on the Saturday morning 8 a.m. until noon, and the kind people at Bira have donated the track hire for this worthy cause.

Sound systems explained by JBL

Ferrari 458 Italia

Many years ago, in my previous life, I owned a Porsche 911 Targa. Undoubtedly the best car I have ever owned, and I wish I had it still.
However, it had one huge deficiency - the sound system was quite inadequate. Even with the targa top in place, as you accelerated, the music from the speakers was drowned out. Jokingly I used to say that it needed a string from the accelerator pedal looped around the volume control, so that as you depressed the pedal, the volume would increase. That was 30 years ago, but this month I found out that the clever JBL people had worked out just how to do the accelerator string thing - by electronics! JBL Professional® Premium Sound System have produced a tailor-made system developed and tuned specifically for open versions of sports cars, and in this case, the Ferrari 458 Italia Spider.
Conceived for the Spider, the powerful 11 speaker system uses stiff, lightweight materials such as carbon fiber, Kevlar® and aluminum to deliver stunning audio performance, whilst achieving rigorous weight targets.

458 Italia interior

Accounting for the specific acoustic challenges of an open-topped car, JBL’s engineers have developed an alternative architecture to the Berlinetta derivative. By using small and lightweight technologies such the 100 mm Kevlar speakers, JBL has ensured that both the driver and passenger are immersed in authentic sound.
Powering the array of carefully positioned speakers is a Class D 640 Watt DSP amplifier. Utilizing 8 channels, JBL has extracted the highest levels of performance ensuring a premium listening experience for both occupants. Three 80 mm ALumaprene speakers are used in the doors and centre to deliver balanced frequency response. Extremely stiff, they are also highly responsive and provide excellent sound across the front of the car. The stringent demands for lightweight construction led JBL engineers to use carbon fiber for the door woofers. Highly stable across temperature ranges experienced in open topped cars and coupled with light Neodymium magnet systems which deliver virtually distortion-free bass performance in the 20 to 200 Hz range, these custom speakers offer dynamic sound reproduction often difficult to achieve in the challenging car environment. Complimenting the Kevlar speakers in the rear are a further pair of 25 mm metal matrix tweeters that deliver brilliant treble tones.
Now here is the amazing bit, the JBL engineers created bespoke equalization (or EQ) which compensates for changes in the acoustics whether the roof is open or closed. When the roof is opened, the levels across the frequency range seamlessly and automatically change to maintain the acoustic performance and compensate for the additional external noise entering the cabin.
This latest sound system continues the successful cooperation between Harman and the Italian sports car manufacturer that was formed in 1997. The Ferrari 458 Italia Spider system extends the JBL Professional offering that is already available in the 458 Italia, California and most recently, the FF.
And just in case you get lost while immersed in the sound of Beethoven’s 8th Symphony, the Harman people also equip the Ferrari 458 Italia Spider with the latest infotainment and navigation technology. All Ferrari models feature a Harman hard-disk-based GPS navigation system with map and arrow display. The hard disk offers access times which are much quicker than conventional alternatives using data on a DVD. Bird’s-eye perspectives and an automatic intersection zoom feature are included, as are dynamic route and destination calculation and extensive points of interest (POI), with verbal route guidance available in a choice of five languages (including Italian).

Natter Nosh and Noggin

The next car club meeting will be at Jameson’s Irish Pub on Soi AR next to the Nova Park development. The monthly meetings are on the second Monday of the month, so this week it is on Monday October 10 at Jameson’s at 7 p.m. This is a totally informal meeting of like-minded souls to discuss their pet motoring (and motorcycling) loves and hates. Many interesting debates come from these evenings. Come along and meet guys who have a common interest in cars and bikes, and enjoy the Jameson’s specials, washed down with a few beers. We have even had a couple of F1 scrutineers with tales from the Parc Ferme. Might even see if I can bring the Securitas Mk1 Escort Retro Racer down for the evening (if we’ve fixed the negative camber problem).

Horsepower versus handling

Classic Mercedes Fintail

Many years ago, in the early 1960’s when the Mercedes 180 D was coming to the end of its production run, we put one up against a Ford Galaxie on our (un)official test track up, around the top and down a mountain in Brisbane, Australia. At that time, the 180 D was certainly not thought of as a performance machine. The Galaxie, on the other hand had seven liters of all-American V8 up front and you could accommodate a cricket team inside, with just a little squeeze.
For some good reason (unknown by this stage 40 odd years later), we decided to send these two cars around the test track in the late hours of the night, when all good policemen were home in their beds.
The Galaxie was all tyre squeal, tyre smoking acceleration and angles of lean in the corners reminiscent of the America’s Cup yachts. It was a very large handful.
On the other hand, the Mercedes just chugged its way up, across and round and down, with no dramas and was minutes quicker than the big Ford. We could hardly believe it, but there it was on our watches. Down the mountain in particular, the Galaxie was a huge handful, while the 180 D just instilled more and more confidence as we explored its handling capabilities.
Now I know of an immaculate 200 D (the model after the 180, complete with the tail fins) for sale in Pattaya and hopefully still there. The owner tells me it has had a recent full service, new tyres, battery, and new air con units. Tinted glass, new leather seats, etc. Correct Blue book, taxed and insured. Baht 535,000 contact [email protected] or phone 081-834-3260. If you are after a real classic, give him a call.

Autotrivia Quiz

Last week I asked who invented the device to make vision safer in the rain, and when? It was the inventor Mary Anderson who is credited with devising the first operational windshield wiper in 1903. In Anderson’s patent, she called her invention a “window cleaning device” for electric cars and other vehicles. Operated via a lever from inside a vehicle, her version of windshield wipers closely resembles the windshield wiper found on many early car models. Anderson had a model of her design manufactured, then filed a patent (US 743,801) on June 18, 1903 that was issued to her by the US Patent Office on November 10, 1903.
So to this week. Which company used 21 left-over carbon-fiber tubs from a failed company to produce a supercar, of which they were only going to make 21. Clue, think of the word hedonism. That’s more than enough to get the Googlers going.
For the Automania free beer this week, be the first correct answer to email [email protected].