Colin-on-Cars - Augmented reality to become more disruptive

Increased levels of disruption will continue as autonomous vehicles become more widely available and, with hype around the metaverse continuing to gain traction, AR-related technologies such as simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM), facial recognition and motion tracking will be vital for automotive companies developing metaverse-based use cases.

This is according to a recent report by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, and Thematic Analyst, Emilio Campa, says: “The metaverse is a virtual world where users share experiences and interact in real-time within a simulated scenario, while AR is a technology that allows the user to see the real world overlaid with digital data. While the automotive sector is certainly making greater use of AR, adoption is slow and use cases limited.”

Opportunity

According to GlobalData’s latest report, ‘Augmented Reality (AR) in Automotive – Thematic Research’, level 4 autonomy (which describes vehicles that entirely drive themselves within set parameters) will be available in the mid-2020s, giving AR the opportunity to be more widely implemented in windscreen head-up displays (HUDs) for information and entertainment purposes.

Level 5 autonomous vehicles—fully self-driving vehicles that can handle all driving tasks in all circumstances—will not be available until at least 2035. By the time these vehicles launch, even more use cases for AR should have emerged.

Display

AR is already in use in several specific areas of the automotive sector. For example, some car infotainment systems—the display monitor in cars that allows the driver to control air-conditioning, radio, GPS, for instance—have integrated AR as part of an augmented GPS navigation system, displaying holographic arrows on a live image feed from the front of the car. AR headsets are also being used in maintenance and manufacturing to reduce training time and more efficiently and accurately perform quality control checks.

“The automotive sector is not immune to the hype around the metaverse, which is likely to be based on AR-related technology, as some automotive companies have already begun exploring it,” adds Campa.

“For example, BMW has partnered with Nvidia, and Hyundai has partnered with Unity, both with the intent of building virtually accessible 3D digital twins of their factories. This will allow employees to collaboratively assess modifications and adjustments to production lines in the early planning stages.”

Remotely

WayRay has also developed a concept car, the Holograktor, tagged a ‘metaverse on wheels’ due to its heavy reliance on AR technology. It is a single electric motor ride-hailing car that can be driven remotely from an AR pod by a qualified driver via a 5G and satellite internet connection.

This gives the car the feel of autonomy while avoiding the currently immature fully autonomous-driving systems.

It also has car seats equipped with joysticks that can be used to play games on the windscreen’s AR HUDs and even comes preloaded with a Guitar Hero-esque online karaoke game. The remote connection would require almost zero-latency for the car to be driven safely on the roads.

However, since 5G is due to be more globally available and car ownership among young people is falling, this may be what the future of auto looks like.

Impact

“Despite these specific cases, the current impact of AR and the metaverse on the automotive industry is minor.

“However, as the use of AR in consumers’ day-to-day lives increases, adoption in automotive will increase, especially in autonomous vehicles. AR will then improve future entertainment experiences by overlaying content and video games over the outside world or repurposing car windows to display a different world entirely. It is very possible that these worlds will be part of the metaverse, allowing avatars of family members and friends to keep you company on those long—and boring—drives.”

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Colin-on-Cars - Lotus Eletre breaks cover

The re-imagining of Lotus a a global performance brand has picked up speed with the launch of the all-new Lotus Eletre, a fully electric Hyper-SUV.

The Eletre takes the heart and soul of the latest Lotus sports car – the Emira – and the aero performance of the all-electric Evija hypercar, and reinterprets them as a Hyper-SUV.

The Eletre delivers a significant number of firsts for Lotus – the first five-door production car, the first model outside sports car segments, the first lifestyle EV, the most ‘connected’ Lotus ever – yet it remains a true Lotus, packed with technology, genuine sporting performance and simplicity of purpose.

Driving

The Eletre is 4WD, has a battery capacity of 100 kWh and with power from 447 kW. A 350kW charger will deliver a 400 km range in just 20 minutes. The car’s target maximum WLTP driving range is 600 km.

Technology includes the most advanced active aerodynamics package on any production SUV and intelligent driving technologies such as the Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system in a production car.

Matt Windle, Managing Director, Lotus Cars, says: “The Eletre is a bold and revolutionary new car, delivering on our commitment to move Lotus into completely new automotive segments as we widen our global appeal and accessibility.

Signal

“This is a momentous point in our history and a clear signal of our ongoing desire to transform our business. It is a true Lotus, and we’re confident it will delight performance car customers and offer a distinct alternative to the segment’s established players. The Eletre has the soul of a Lotus and the usability of an SUV. Alongside the Emira sports car, this is the perfect two-car garage from Lotus.”

The Eletre is the first in a new range of premium lifestyle performance electric vehicles to be built at an all-new state-of-the-art production facility in Wuhan, China. The car has been ‘Born British, Raised Globally’, with design led by the UK, supported by collaborative work with teams in China, Sweden and Germany. The overall exterior and interior design has been led by an international team based at the Lotus Tech Creative Centre (LTCC) in Warwickshire, UK.

Life

The Eletre is the latest in a long line of Lotus road cars whose name begins with the letter E, and means ‘Coming to Life’ in some Eastern European languages.

Pressing the button on the key or smartphone app activates the car’s exterior lights that run through a short sequence, the active front grille ‘breathes’ and the illuminated flush door handles deploy. The experience is repeated inside the car as the door closes behind the occupant.

Ben Payne, Head of Studio at LTCC, says: “This walk-up sequence is a ‘peacock moment’ – a little ‘showing-off’ that highlights the Eletre’s engaging personality. It’s a visual expression of a car coming to life, and a metaphor for the reinvention of the Lotus business and brand which begins with the Eletre.”

Porosity

A signature element of the design is its ‘porosity’ – the aerodynamic principle of air flowing through the car as well as under, over and around it. Porosity was at the heart of the Evija’s design, is integral to the Emira, and has provided clear inspiration for the Eletre.

It is most obvious where air is channelled under the leading edge of the car, emerging through two exit vents in the bonnet above. There are other examples of porosity ahead of and behind the front wheel arches, behind the rear wheels, and even at the top of the D-pillar. For the driver there are clear benefits to porosity – less resistance in cutting through the air, delivering a more efficient journey in terms of improved vehicle range, speed and performance.

The Eletre’s active front grille is a network of interconnecting triangular petals that dominate the central section. Intricately designed, they remain closed when the car is at rest or when there’s a need to reduce drag during driving. They open in a distinctive pattern to feed air into the radiator, allowing the Eletre to ‘breathe’ when cooling of the electric motors, battery pack and front brakes is required.

Each door mirror is replaced by an Electric Reverse Mirror Display (ERMD), which houses three different cameras – one for the rear-view mirror, a second to help create a 360-degree view of the car from above to aid parking, and a third that’s part of the intelligent driving technologies.

Inspired

The driver-focused cockpit and high centre console are inspired by the Lotus Emira and Evija, and the centre console includes a storage tray with wireless charging for mobile phones, as well as twin cupholders of different sizes which sit flush to the surface until they’re needed.

While every element of the Eletre can be controlled digitally, certain key controls are duplicated with analogue switches – another nod to the simplicity for which Lotus is famed. Voice control through advanced speech recognition technology is also available.

Technology is used for much more than infotainment on the Eletre. It is also at the heart of the car’s suite of intelligent Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), many of which are designed to be futureproof so new features can be enabled via Over The Air (OTA) updates.

Safety

The Eletre is available with Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC); Collision Mitigation Support Front (CMSF); Traffic Sign Information (TSI); Door Open Warning (DOW); Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA); Front Cross Traffic Alert (FCTA); Lane Change Assist (LCA); Children Presence Detection (CPD); Lane Keep Aid with Lane Departure Warning / Prevention (LKA+); Parking Emergency Brake (PEB); Collision Mitigation Support Rear (CMSR); and Emergency Rescue Call (E-Call). There are i-Size child seat anchor points on the outboard rear seats.

The latest connectivity technology, including 5G compatibility, is part of the Eletre package.

Gavan Kershaw, Director, Attributes and Product Integrity, Lotus, says: “Dynamically, the Eletre has been developed to deliver everything you would expect from a Lotus – outstanding ride and handling, highly communicative steering and exceptional driver engagement. From a performance perspective, we know the world is watching so there has been an obsession with getting everything just right. Everyone is delighted with it – it’s a world-class product and a true Lotus.”

The car has five-link suspension at the rear for optimised ride and handling, while standard equipment includes air suspension and Continuous Damping Control (CDC). Active ride height, active rear axle steering, an active anti-roll bar and torque vectoring via braking are all available.

The car comes with four drive modes, which adjust the steering, damper settings, powertrain and accelerator pedal response. The modes are Range, Tour, Sport, Off-Road and Individual, and are standard on all versions of the car.

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Colin-on-Cars - Offroad thriller kicks off new season

There definitely no ‘dull’ in Dullstroom at the weekend for the opening round of the South Africa Rally-Raid Championship with Toyota Gazoo Racing securing victory via Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings in their GR DKR Hilux T1+ - identical to the one that won the Dakar earlier this year.

Lategan/Cummings won the qualifying race on the Friday of the race weekend, and managed to bring their trusty steed home in first place, come Saturday afternoon.

At the same time, teammates Shameer Variawa and Danie Stassen showed their true potential, by posting the third-fastest time during Friday’s qualifying race, before knuckling down to grind out a second place overall by the time the final flag dropped. This was their best performance yet with the team, and they had every reason to be extremely pleased with their result.

The racing gods can be a fickle bunch, and for Giniel de Villiers and co-driver Dennis Murphy, the chips just wouldn’t fall the way they needed. The pair were quick in qualifying, despite suffering a puncture 7 km from the finish of the qualifier. This placed them in 6th for the start, but they made the most from this position, to fight for the lead of the race with their teammates, as well as Ford’s Lance Woolridge and co-driver Elvene Vonk.

A fierce battle saw Lategan/Cummings in a fight with De Villiers/Murphy and Woolridge/Vonk, until the Ford pairing were forced to withdraw following a heavy impact with a tree. This allowed Variawa/Stassen to close on the leaders, while De Villiers/Murphy put in a blistering performance to take the outright lead of the race.

With the kilometres unwinding, victory seemed within grasp for De Villiers/Murphy, since Lategan/Cummings were forced to stop for some closed gates early on. But then the Dakar legend, who celebrated his 50th birthday at the Mpumalanga 400, fell foul to a mud-hole scant kilometres from the finish of the race.

It took precious minutes to extricate the stricken Hilux from the mud-hole, with the crew eventually losing more than 30 minutes, and tumbling down the order to 8th place overall. Heartbreak after getting within 5km of winning the race, only to see it slipping away in the end.

“It was very disappointing for us,” said De Villiers after the race. “Just a few metres further across, and we’d have been fine. But the line we chose sucked the car into the middle of a very deep mud-hole, and we saw the win slip away as we tried to get the car free from the mud.”

Guy Botterill, who had driven for the team in the past, joined the squad as a full-time member for 2022.

Partnered with his rally navigator, Simon Vacy-Lyle, the multiple rally champion showed good pace during the qualifying race, but a gear selector problem saw them stuck in 3rd gear for 40km of Friday’s opening loop of the race. They managed to regain their earlier pace on the Saturday, posting the 5th-fastest time over the full race distance, and gaining valuable points in their championship campaign.

With the two TGRSA crews pegging first and second place on the overall podium, the third spot went to another Toyota Hilux crew, in the form of Eben Basson and Leander Pienaar, in their Class FIA #TeamHilux car. This was the pair’s first outing together, with Basson showing his class throughout the event. Their efforts paid off, with a third place overall, giving Toyota a podium lock-out, as well as the manufacturer’s award for the race.

In the Ford camp Gareth Woolridge and co-driver Boyd Dreyer had an awkward landing after a big jump that shot them off the track and into a huge rock that destroyed the right front wheel, but luckily with no further damage to the Ranger. Once a spare was fitted, they got going again and crossed the line in 10th place overall, and fifth in Class FIA T1+.

“Hitting the tree was a disappointing end to the race for us, but it was very exciting and promising leading the race coming into the halfway point. This gives me a lot of confidence in our new Ranger,” Lance Woolridge said. “Overall I’m pretty happy with our performance this weekend. We have a very competitive package to fight for the championship.”

Neil Woolridge Motorsport received the Team Award for the Mpumalanga 400 thanks to another dominant performance from its V8-powered NWM Ford Rangers with a clean sweep of the silverware. Wors Prinsloo and Andre Vermeulen (T41) notched up another victory in Class T, and finished an impressive ninth overall after a faultless drive.

Bernard and Minette Johnstone (T22) brought their NWM Ranger home in second place, ahead of Christo Rose and Arno Olivier (T58).

The next race is the Sugarbelt 400 in Eston, KwaZulu-Natal, on 29 and 30 April 2022.

Follow all the action and track the position of the crews throughout each of the 2022 season’s seven races using the RallySafe app which can be downloaded free of charge for iOS and Android devices.

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Colin-on-Cars - New look offroad series kicks off

The much-anticipated new Ford Ranger will make its racing debut at the opening round of the South Africa offroad racing season – now running under revised regulations and as the South Africa Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) to cater for the Dakar-built specification vehicles.

The first race of the 2022 season is the Mpumalanga 400 on March 25/26, which takes place in the scenic Dullstroom area that is renowned for its wide range of terrain, from tight and technical forest sections to rocky trails and vast rolling hills.

Headlined

The team will once again be fielding two highly competitive entries, headlined by the extensively upgraded T1+ EcoBoost-powered Ford Ranger designed and manufactured by Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) in Pietermaritzburg.

Up to 300 mm wider than last year’s T1 Ranger, and featuring long-travel suspension up to 350 mm matched to large 37-inch tyres, the latest T1+ Ranger is a formidable machine – and is set to continue the team’s impressive race-winning pace.

“We have done a lot of design and manufacturing work to upgrade our vehicles to the new T1+ specification, and spent the whole of last week testing the new car in conjunction with the team from BOS Suspension in France,” says NWM team principal, Neil Woolridge. “The new FIA T1+ Ranger is a significant change from last year’s T1 Ranger, and is able to tackle rough conditions at much higher speeds thanks to its completely new suspension, wider track and much larger tyres.

Setup

“Although there is still some work to do as we fine-tune the setup, we have been impressed with the vehicle’s performance so far and look forward to seeing it in action in Dullstroom,” Neil adds. “While our opposition has had the advantage of running its T1+ car during the second half of last year and at several international events this year, I am confident that we have a great package and will be in contention throughout the season.”

Lance Woolridge and co-driver Elvéne Vonk led the charge for the team in 2021 with a historic debut win for the new EcoBoost V6-powered T1 Ranger at the season-opening Mpumalanga 400, then notching up a second victory at the Nampo 400. This ensured that the championship battle went down to the wire. Although they narrowly missed out on the title, it was an exceptional performance that sets the scene for a thrilling title fight in 2022.

Fortunes

Team-mates Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer are eager to turn their fortunes around this year. The young pair were the fastest competitors in the field on several occasions during the 2021 season, but misfortune robbed them of top results and they had to settle with two podium finishes and fourth place in the championship.

Class T is the entry point into the national championship and will once again feature last year’s runners-up in the NWM Ford Ranger V8, Wors Prinsloo and co-driver Andre Vermeulen. Christo Rose and Arno Olivier were the surprise of the field in their debut season with the NWM Ranger, finishing third overall with a string of solid results – so they can’t be discounted. Bernard and Minette Johnstone will also be back in the mix and aiming for consistency.

Reigning Class T champion Malcolm Kock sold his vehicle and will not be competing this year. However, his son Frans, who navigated the team to the 2021 title, will be sitting alongside a new entrant to the Production Vehicle championship. Lance Trethewey, the 2019 and 2021 Special Vehicle champion from Pietermaritzburg, is set to join the fray in a newly purchased NWM Ranger V8 this year.

Wider

Trethewey and Kock will be competing in the revised Class FIA T1, which will accommodate the competitors not making the switch to the new T1+ class for the much wider, long-travel suspension cars equipped with 37-inch tyres. The narrower T1 cars rely on the same 32-inch tyres and 280mm wheel travel limit previously used in the premier category.

The Toyota Gazoo Racing SA squad, fresh from its recent victory at the Dakar Rally will field four factory-entered cars this season, with former rally champions, Guy Botterill and Simon Vacy-Lyle, joining the squad for the year.

The team will be fielding its Dakar-Winning GR DKR Hilux T1+, and the opening round of the championship, the Mpumalanga 400, will see a mix of old and new cars from the team, though they all share identical specifications.

Waiting

“We’ve had to scramble a bit to get everything in place for this first race,” says TGRSA Team Principal, Glyn Hall. “One of the cars only arrived back from Saudi Arabia last week, and we’re still waiting for several shipping containers to return to South Africa.”

Defending champions Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings will be back in action for the team, alongside Giniel de Villiers and co-driver Dennis Murphy. Shameer Variawa will again do duty with Danie Stassen reading the notes; with Botterill/Vacy-Lyle completing the line-up.

With the truncated preparation period, the team has had to shoe-horn a lot of work into a short period of time. Despite this, they have also benefitted from a test conducted by Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel during the recent Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, which focussed on the further development of the Toyota DKR Hilux T1+ suspension system.

Fans who are unable to attend the event can follow the action online, using the Rallysafe App, which is available for both iOS and Android devices.

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Colin-on-Cars - Pre-emptive service pricing from Ford

The digital space continues to expand and Ford Ranger owners can now do an online quote for their vehicle’s next service.

Ford claims this offers customers complete price transparency on vehicle servicing costs.

“This new Online Service Price Calculator echoes our Ford values,” says Harm Kruyshaar, FCSD Retail Manager at Ford South Africa. “We are committed to modernising our systems within the ambit of the service sector, especially when it leads to simplified solutions and more direct customer care. We are confident that by giving our customers more control and transparency they will continue to service their vehicles at Ford dealerships.”

Option

The Online Service Price Calculator, which is currently available only for derivatives of the Ford Ranger (but will soon roll out to other Ford model ranges), has been created to give customers the option of using Ford genuine parts or, where available, more cost-effective Motorcraft parts, which are alternative Ford approved parts that are engineered to Original Equipment (OE) specification.

Once the online quote has been generated, and a booking has been made, it can be taken to the relevant dealer and the vehicle will be serviced at the quoted price. Customers are given the option to compare quotes at more than100 authorised Ford dealers around the country.

Log on to www.ford.co.za/owner/service-price-calculator/ and, after filling in a few of your vehicle’s details, such as year model and mileage, the Online Service Price Calculator will generate a quote showing the breakdown of parts and labour costs.

Online

Customers can also download a copy of their Ranger’s Service Schedule and make an online service booking via a link to the online service booking portal at www.myfordjourney.co.za.

Customers who did not opt for the Ford Protect Service Plan when purchasing their vehicle can still use the Online Service Price Calculator and take their vehicle to a Ford dealership where all servicing and repairs are done to the highest standard with a guarantee on all workmanship and parts.

Another convenience initiative currently being rolled out across the Ford Dealer Network is the Express Service offering. It offers customers further convenience by allowing them to book a specific service timeslot, and having their vehicle serviced within 60 minutes by two trained technicians working on the vehicle in sequence. Express Service is currently offered at select Ford dealerships and needs to be requested when making the booking with the service advisor.

Ford vehicles come standard with a comprehensive four-year/120 000km warranty, four-year/unlimited distance roadside assistance and five-year/unlimited km corrosion warranty.

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Colin-on-Cars - Spectacular roads for stunning cars

The sound of several high-powered engines bouncing off the cliff face on the spectacular roads of the Western Cape produced an auditory symphony eagerly soaked up by the crowds lining the route for the first running of the Cape 1000 recently.

Some 40 true classics, the oldest of which dated back to 1956, set off from the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town for four days of motoring, averaging 400 kilometres a day and enduring rain, wind and thunderstorms along the route.

Ross Crichton, who founded The Cape 1000, is justifiably pleased with how the event was run.

“It still needs to sink in,” he says. “I’ve done many motoring events before, but I have never experienced such a positive response, from the participants and public alike, as I did with The Cape 1000. The organising team did an incredible job.”

Exotic

The Cape 1000 is a classic and exotic car rally inspired by some of the world’s most famous and historic motoring events. It is run in four classes: Tribute (1927-1957), Classic (Pre-1977), Modern Classic (1977-1996) and Sports Car (1997-2022).

As the event’s name suggests, it is run over a 1000 miles (1 600 km) over the course of 4 days, with 60% of the route consisting of ‘grand touring’ and the remaining 40% comprising challenging regularity stages, during which navigators and drivers have to work closely together and meticulously follow the stage's timing and speed instructions to achieve success and, hopefully, score some points.

So, it’s not a race, but certainly still a challenge, one which is won through consistency, reliability and accuracy.

Spectacular

The route initially wound its way around the Peninsula, taking in the spectacular Chapman's Peak Drive, before heading for Gordon's Bay and the stunning Clarence Drive along the coast.

A temporary cafe was set up along the route on each day to give participants an opportunity to stretch their legs… and for the venerable classic cars’ engines to cool down.

From Clarens Drive participants toured to Hermanus before heading inland for some Winelands scenery and then sweeping back to the coast for the first overnight stop. Already on the first day it was clear that the high temperatures would create problems for some of the older cars. The 1957 Austin-Healey 100/6 driven by Greg Marucchi and Hannes Oosthuizen overheated twice, but the crew managed to complete the first day nevertheless, in 7th place overall.

Iconic

Day Two took participants from Hermanus inland to the towns of Bredasdorp and Swellendam, over the stunning Tradouw Pass, through Villiersdorp and over the iconic Franschhoek Pass to the overnight stop. It was another tough day for the older cars, with the distance of 474 km made all the more difficult by high temperatures and a multitude of hills to ascend.

It was also during this day that the camaraderie of this event was on display, when the De Siena/Aspeling crew in the Citroën DS could not get the French car going again after the refuelling stop. Matt Kreeve, driving his Concours-condition Porsche 356 stopped and quickly found the problem (a loose distributor cable) and the ‘Goddess’ was swiftly on its way again.

Favourite

The Tradouw Pass was a favourite among the participants, and to hear the engine sounds of V12-powered Ferraris and Lamborghinis bounce off its cliff faces was music to the ears of the petrolheads enjoying a lunch break at the day’s Cape 1000 Cafe, situated halfway up the pass.

The passes of Day Two were again proving problematic for the older cars, however, with the Austin-Healey overheating twice; it required a tow to a refreshment stop after grinding to a halt on a hill near Villiersdorp. A battery change got it going again, but the niggles soon returned, with the British sports car only just managing to crest the Franschhoek Pass and then freewheeling into town. It appeared as if The Cape 1000 had claimed its first victim.

Laps

Day Three saw participants travel back to Cape Town for a few laps of the Killarney racing circuit. The Healey had been fixed again (distributor) and was in the queue to go around the track. For many of the participants it was their first opportunity to drive their cars on a racing circuit, and while the Italian and German exotics looked at home blasting around the track, the same could not be said of the older cars – particularly a ‘67 Citroën DS gliding down the main straight in pursuit of a 1969 Porsche 911 S driven, rather vigorously, by Michelle Hambly-Grobler.

From Killarney, the route took participants into the Swartland, and a new challenge could be seen on the horizon – massive thunderstorms! Pouring rain, howling winds and lightning strikes made the going rather tough for particularly the older cars, but The Cape 1000’s mechanic always managed to get the cars going again. It was on this day that three of the Tribute category cars encountered problems – the MG and Austin-Healey ran out of fuel, and the Triumph suffered from fuel starvation. Drenched and exhausted, the cars’ crews made it to the end but, sadly, the beautiful Mercedes-Benz 300SL had to retire due to a clutch problem.

Fatigue

The last overnight stop was at Shelley Point in St Helena Bay, with the convoy leaving for Cape Town after another loop of the Swartland area and more regularity stages. Again, temperatures soared and some cars showed signs of ‘fatigue’. A punctured radiator eliminated one of the Lamborghini Huracans, while the beautiful Jaguar XK150’s steering failed (thankfully at low speed).

When the colourful convoy reached the cooler climes of Cape Town it seemed every petrolhead in the Mother City was awaiting them. Motoring enthusiasts, young and old, were out in force to support and wave The Cape 1000 participants through to the finish line at the V&A Waterfront.

The winners

While The Cape 1000 is more of an experience than a competition, points were scored in the regularity stages, and the prize-giving ceremony on the last night was anxiously awaited.

- Tribute Class – Overall Winners: Greg Marucchi & Hannes Oosthuizen (Austin-Healey 100/6)

- Classic Class – Overall Winners: Ciro de Siena & Duwyne Aspeling (Citroën DS19)

- Modern Classic Class – Overall Winners: Stuart Kidgell & Dawie de Villiers (Alfa Romeo GTV6 3.0)

- Sports Car Class – Overall Winner: “Hollywood” (Lamborghini Murcielago)

- Cape 1000 Overall Winners: Stuart Kidgell & Dawie de Villiers (Alfa Romeo GTV6 3.0)

- Spirit of the Cape 1000 Award (as voted for by participants): Michelle Hambly-Grobler (Porsche 911 S)

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Colin-on-Cars - Wild and mild

Two days spent on some glorious Western Cape roads with the new BMW Series 2 coupé showed up a sort of ‘best of both worlds’ scenario with the raunchy M240i at the fun end of the scale and the petrol 220i at the ‘for-all-practical-purposes’ opposite end.

As well as gains in dynamic ability, the new BMW 2 Series Coupé also offers a premium cabin ambience and cutting-edge innovations in the areas of operation and connectivity – so much thbe benchmark ideal of modern generation car buyers.

220d

As is the case with most new iterations of BMW generations is a growth in size and the new model is 105 millimetres longer and 64 millimetres wide than the previous version. It is also 28 millimetres lower and all of this, coupled with a 12% increase in torsional rigidity works to give all the new variants improved handling and road holding.

Gasping

Fun fact: Should the engine start gasping for breath, the vertical flaps in the horizontally-designed kidney grille will open electrically to allow in more air.

Inside, sport seats and a Sport leather steering wheel is standard, while BMW-coloured door insert panels add a touch of levity.

The new BMW 2 Series Coupé comes as standard with Alcantara/Sensatec upholstery. The BMW M240i xDrive Coupé and cars in M Sport specification have Alcantara/Sensatec trim alongside other specific design features such as an M leather steering wheel and cushioned knee pads on the centre console.

Comfortable

Talking seats – my driving partner on the launch could not get fully comfortable in the M240i, yet with a bit of tweaking of the lumbar support, I found the seat to be perfectly fit for purpose. Of the three variants, the 220d offered the best seating for daily and long-haul use, slightly thicker padding being more enveloping and cosseting.

Standard specification includes acoustic glazing for the windscreen, three-zone automatic climate control, and ambient lighting, while a Harman Kardon surround sound system is one of the items on the options list.

The new BMW 2 Series Coupé’s boot offers a useful load capacity of 390 litres and the height of the loading edge has been reduced by 35 millimetres compared to the predecessor model.

Minimise

However, under the skin BMW engineers have been hard at work. The two-joint spring strut front axle and five-link rear axle were designed to minimise weight and optimise rigidity.

The standard M Sport suspension brings firmer responses for the lift-related dampers and springs and includes variable sport steering.

The flagship BMW M240i xDrive Coupé variant also comes as standard with an M Sport braking system and an M Sport differential at the rear.

240i

The new BMW 2 Series Coupé is fitted as standard in South Africa with 19-inch light alloy wheels. The new BMW M240i xDrive Coupé leaves the factory on 19-inch M light-alloy wheels fitted with mixed-size tyres.

Output

The 3,0-litre straight six engine in the M240i has a maximum output of 285 kW and develops 35 kW more than the engine in its predecessor. Peak torque is 500 Nm and the new BMW M240i xDrive Coupé accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4,3 seconds.

The BMW 220i Coupé is powered by a new four-cylinder petrol engine generating 135 kW and peak torque of 300 Nm to propel it from 0 to 100 km/h in 7,5 seconds.

Two-stage turbo-charging and 48V mild-hybrid technology give the four-cylinder diesel engine in the new BMW 220d Coupé give the 2,0-litre unit 140 kW and peak torque of 400 Nm. The new BMW 220d Coupé sprints from rest to 100 km/h in 7,0 seconds.

240i

All the engines team up as standard with an eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission. As well as paddles on the steering wheel, it also features Launch Control.

The eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission is part of the M Sport package Pro. This option is available for cars with M Sport specification and adds 19-inch M light-alloy wheels, M Sport brakes, a front spoiler lip and an M rear spoiler.

M240i

Very simply, this is a car for people who really love cars, power and driving dynamism. It has adrenalin inducement by the bucket load, handles (as much as public roads would permit) with precision and is rarely unsettled even by rapid directional changes. In Sport+ mode it relaxes the ‘nanny’ systems enough to allow some sliding – there being a bit of ‘push’ going into corners from the front end, neatly countered by a dab extra on the loud pedal.

Even in Comfort mode it is, perhaps, the least comfortable of all three in slow sections on bumpy roads but that is the price you pay for a sports-tuned suspension.

220d

More than enough power, torque and let’s have some fun attitude this, for me, is the pick of crop. Both massively practical in a daily use scenario, it is more than happy to elevate to much sportier levels. And, with the current price of fuel, it does have an edge.

220i

220i

There is not much to fault with the petrol derivative but, it  just did not generate the same levels of enthusiasm as the other two variants and, at times, felt mildly underpowered

However, launch drives are mere samplers and a full road test experience may alter this opinion.

Prices start at:

BMW 220i Coupé – R771,900.00

BMW 220d Coupé – R819,278.00

BMW M240i xDrive – R1,062,420.00

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Colin-on-Cars - Roadster series set to thrill

The gut-rumbling roar of potent Lexus V8 engines is set to rise to fever pitch on April 02 at Red Star Raceway, Delmas when a full field of Backdraft Roadsters take to the track for the opening round of the 2022 SA Endurance Championship.

“Not only are these the most exciting single-make cars to drive, but they also sound the best – there’s a Lexus V8 under that long hood of each of these locally-made roadsters, which pumps out 300 extrovert horses and have just 1 000 kilograms to push along,” says Backdraft Racing’s Brian Martin. “If adrenaline was measured in decibels, then the racing Roadsters might just be considered a banned substance!”

Regular

For 2022 the Roadsters will again ensure full grids for the South African Endurance championship, with 10 cars likely to be regular starters and at least four others currently available to be bought outright or hired on a race-by-race basis.

The Backdraft Racing Series is unique in South African motor sport thanks to several usage possibilities (it is not a requirement to purchase a car) and that the drivetrain of the car is insured against mechanical failure. If an engine or gearbox breaks, Backdraft Racing supplies another from a well-stocked pantechnicon which is present at all races.

Podium

The 2021 championship was dominated by the skilfully driven and impeccably prepared Cobra of Reghard Roets and Steve Clark, finishing on the podium in all six rounds. With their departure from the class, the 2022 series is wide open.

“We’ve had two seasons where we have all been on a steep learning curve, but we’ve had great racing and a huge amount of fun nevertheless,” adds Backdraft patriarch Tony Martin, who has put his money where his mouth is and, additionally, put the reputation of his organisation in the potential firing line to get it all off the ground.

“With all the groundwork done and the systems and procedures honed, I’m sure 2022 will be our best season yet,” says the former Daytona 24-Hour winner.

It is a series where the playing field is truly level: identical engines, engine management control units, gearboxes, differentials, wheels, tyres, shock absorbers and even brake calipers are supplied by the organisers. Several components have been redesigned in the off-season, and the overall package is now even more robust than before.

Preparation

Tony Martin adds that a combination of preparation, aggregated driving skills, refuelling tactics and of course, overall strategy, will play a significant role in who comes out on top.

With December’s Killarney Nine Hour once again the final round, teams will also need to think carefully of driver line-up for that event (up to four drivers are allowed for the grand finale). As well as RSR and Killarney, the series will visit Dezzi Raceway, Aldo Scribante, East London and Phakisa Freeway.

The Backdraft Roadsters runs as class E within South African Endurance, the championship of the South African GT Racing Association. The restructuring of local endurance racing is expected to have significant benefits for all stakeholders and participants, with a comprehensive marketing plan already in place to ensure a high profile for the series.

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