Nitto 3K race meeting at Bira this weekend

Retro grid Bira circuit

The ‘club-style’ atmosphere of the Nitto 3K meetings returns to Bira this weekend. Many of the races are in categories loosely described as “Run wot you brung”, and there is always excitement through inexperience. I imagine that the Daihatsu Mira club will be there again, and some of the old Daihatsu’s are immaculate.

There are also strong representations from the ‘Retro’ group, with Henk Kiks (B-Quik) Porsche 944 sporting a 400 BHP engine built in America, Gavin Charlesworth’s EBC Brakes E30 BMW (250 BHP), Mark Titterington’s Toyota DX (280 BHP) and Urs Schonenberger’s E 36 BMW (350 BHP). We will be there with the Securitas-backed 160 BHP Mk 1 Escort, but it’s all for fun and not for money. (What money?)

Gavin Charlesworth BMW E30

The best place to watch the races is the outside of the hairpin at the end of the straight, where you can watch the cars coming into the corner and then up the hill, and then coming down through the sweeper behind you. To get there, come in the ‘back gate’ entrance (200 meters before the main entrance) off highway 36 heading towards Pattaya. You then go through the tunnel under the track and turn immediately right and park where you can near the big trees. If you come on the Sunday, look for the red AA Insurance hospitality tent. Come and say Hello. Some cold drinks will be available. Our races for the Securitas Escort will be around 11 a.m. and again around 3 p.m., though they never seem to get the timetable right.

New BMW M3 in testing

New BMW M3

The rumors are flying about the new BMW M3, the performance version of the new 3 Series. The engine for the new car is most likely a six cylinder and may even have triple turbochargers for aspiration. This is understandable with other marques such as Lexus and Audi upping the performance stakes with every new model.

It is also suggested that the new M3 will not be in a two door body shell, but will be offered as a four door only. If this is the case, the mooted M4 will be the model with the two door shell.

The uncertainty also goes with the specification of the engine. Most informed sources state it will be a six cylinder, but BMW is being coy about whether this is an in-line 6 or a V 6.

There is already a new tri-turbo which produces 444 bhp is the leading contender to power the new M3 (or could it be M4) which will appear after the new 2012 3 Series due for launch later this year.

The BMW community is throwing its collective hands in the air because they see downsizing as raking the soul out of the M Series, a six does not sound as good as a V8, and turbocharging is not universally popular. And to really upset the breed, there is talk of a three-turbo diesel engine. An oil-burner in an M Series. Gott in Himmel!

The new 3.0 liter diesel unit develops 395 bhp and even more torque, will first appear in the X6 xDrive 50d which debuts in March 2012. This engine will also be found in the facelifted 2012 7 Series 750d and possibly the 550dx with M-Sport package.

However, BMW is keeping its cards close to its chest, and after the fact that there will be a new engine for the M Series, the rest is pure conjecture.

What did we learn from the Indian Grand Prix?

Well we learned that Vettel in his Red Bull truly is a prodigious talent, and currently there is no-one to touch him. Another pole position, another led all the way and another fastest lap. What more can you ask for?

Jenson Button in the McLaren showed he is a class act, but not near enough to challenge Vettel. However, he has again shown he is the team leader at McLaren, as Hamilton, yet again, runs into Massa and ends in seventh. This time the drive-through penalty was given to Massa (Ferrari), a decision which is unfathomable. Hamilton’s front wheel hits Massa’s rear wheel - so who was in front? Personally I think the stewards were just afraid of it looking as if they were picking on the poor boy, whose career seems to be going the way of Tiger Woods…

Third was Fernando Alonso in another sterling (peseta) drive to come in third with the Ferrari. He kept it between the kerbs, away from other cars and a deserved podium. Alonso has been very impressive this year, even more than during his world championship years.

There has been, and will be, much hype about this, the first GP in India. From my side of the viewing screen it was unfortunately a boring race with very little of the wheel-to-wheel action touted beforehand. The surface of the track was the Sahara desert, even worse than Abu Dhabi, and the haze was such that I began to think they would need running lights down the sides of the straight.

Mark Webber (4th), in the second Red Bull, has dropped his bundle again, just as he did last year. Shame, as he used to be a very good driver, but now I think age has caught up with him, being 10 years older than his team mate Vettel. Number 2 again for 2012, and that will be the end of his career.

After a poor qualifying session, which saw him 12th on the grid, Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) came 5th and once more out-drove the young pretender Nico Rosberg who ended 6th. Those results look encouraging until you look at the fact that Schumacher was over one minute behind Vettel at the finish. Ross Brawn and his new team of designers will have to start with a fresh piece of paper if they are going to seriously challenge Red Bull and its designer Adrian Newey.

Talk in the paddock of Kimi Raikkonen returning to F1 to drive for Williams. Somebody must be smoking funny tomato plants. Why would an ex-F1 champion return to the most under-performing team in the F1 circus?

The only Indian driver on the grid, Narain Karthikeyan (HRT), finished 17th and third last of the runners. I hope the sponsors who put up the cash for his drive think they got their money’s worth.

Personally I feel that we will see a second Indian GP, but after that there will be much Indian tailor shop bartering with Bernie with offers of a free suit, silk shirt and tie if he will lower the price. With two American Grands Prix coming into the calendar, India has no hope for a reduction, and they will end up like Istanbul. Despite the hoo-hah after this one.

What to do with F1

I came across an interesting article the other day which had been printed in the British Times newspaper. There were around 10 suggestions to make F1 less processional, and I present some of these for your opinions as well.

The first suggestion was a Handicap System to add weight to the cars according to finishing places. This would mean that consistent front runners would have to carry more weight, which would then slow them down. This has been used in other formulae, and even in horseracing. Has some merits.

The second suggestion was to ban in-car technology, including reducing the size of front and rear wings, have metal brakes and not carbon fiber, ban “ship to shore” communications and bring back manual gearboxes. Turning the clock back a bit, but would undoubtedly help, in my opinion.

Another suggestion involved not only just one tank of fuel, but also just one set of tyres. There is much merit in this. Obviously a punctured tyre could be replaced, but not all four. With the official tyre suppliers providing tyres that can only run for 10 laps this is truly silly, as well as being a poor advert for their product.

Another suggestion was that all drivers should be prepared to fight all through the race, and not expect that back markers have to move over when being lapped. The concept being if the driver was that good to get a lap in front, he’s good enough to show us how he can pass slower cars.

What about reverse grids? One reader suggested that the results of this week’s GP are reversed for the next one. I like the basic idea, but it is not workable in that format. What would be better, I believe, is to give points for qualifying, but the grid positions of the top 10 are then reversed. This way there would be no ‘sand-bagging’ as points would be at stake.

Other ideas included limiting the number of engines and gearboxes per season, restricting the final qualifying run to one flying lap only and drivers ballot for whatever car they get. The last one interesting, but hardly practical, I feel.

And did you know when these suggestions were sent in? 2002, almost ten years ago. The problem with lack of excitement and passing action is not new. Shame that the FIA still hasn’t worked out how to overcome the deficiencies - and KERS and DRS certainly isn’t the answer.

The VW battalions marching onwards

Far from being a conglomerate that Porsche had its eyes on taking over, before itself was swallowed by it, VW is coming out as the strongest brand saleswise in the world.

According to the research group JD Power and Associates, Volkswagen AG will probably become the world’s biggest carmaker this year, outselling Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motors via its gains in emerging markets.

It is expected that VW sales in China may rise almost 20 percent in 2011 and more than double in India, according to estimates from J.D. Power and Associates. Compare that to the plight of Toyota, which has had to scale back its production, following the Japan earthquake and the floods here in Thailand.

It is also predicted that GM will strengthen its position as number two globally, pushing Toyota back to third.

Autotrivia Quiz

Quiz Car

Last week I asked you to look at this picture. What is the car? No clues, sorry, as this is too easy. It was a Horsch, a rival to Mercedes in those prewar days.

So to this week. What car did ‘Mr Bean’ drive up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2007?

For the Automania free beer this week, be the first correct answer to email [email protected].