Driven: 2012 Vauxhall Ampera

Driven: 2012 Vauxhall Ampera:

Next month sales of the Ampera, Volt to you guys in the U.S., begin here in the UK. It will be sold through 24 specialty retailers located within an hour’s drive of 95% of the target audience.
Pricing here in the UK starts at £29,995 and tops out at £33,995 ($47,658 to $54,000) which represents quite a hike over the Volt’s sticker price. Although Vauxhall was at pains to stress that once state taxes and other standard items such as leather seats and steering or premium Bose sound system were included, the disparity between Dollar and Sterling prices was not so significant.
The question remains here in the UK, does the Ampera make a compelling enough financial case to attract the 2500 to 3000 sales Vauxhall is hoping for this year? Especially since the goal is to eventually reach 5000 sales per year?

I appreciate that styling is personal, but the Ampera does give the impression of its surfacing being too complex with conflicting lines and swages for UK and European tastes. Having said that, the seating was comfortable, the ride – specially tuned for our local needs – better than I anticipated although the electrically power assisted steering self-centred far too quickly for my tastes.
But this car is all about range and efficiency. Vauxhall laid on a different driving exercise including plenty of urban commuting as well as highways and ‘B’ roads, the two diversions induced by accidents I was assured weren’t part of the scenario.
When the battery finally quit after 35.5 miles we had a 278-mile range left, an average of 148 mpg, the equivalent of 123 U.S. mpg having used a third of a UK gallon of fuel and 10 kWh of battery energy. At the end of the test drive we had covered 139 miles and averaged 54.8 mpg (45.6 U.S. mpg), figures that can be achieved by a good diesel rival. We had 197 miles of gasoline left having covered 35.5 miles on the battery and 103.5 in gasoline mode, consuming 2.53 UK gallons of fuel and 10.3 kWh battery energy.

I sense that if I spent my working week commuting to and fro in urban situations where I could easily and safely recharge the car during the working day and at night, then an Ampera might make sense. Especially as at weekends I could go on longer journeys unfettered by an electric vehicle’s range anxiety.
But where I live in rural England it wouldn’t make economic sense, as I don’t have a garage or driveway in which I could safely plug in the car and a charging station wouldn’t be allowed by the planning authorities. So, for the time-being at least, I will stick to my trusty diesel.

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Related posts:

1. Ampera Voted Car Of The Year – 2012 Geneva Auto Show
2. First Drive: 2012 Vauxhall Astra GTC
3. First Drive: 2012 Vauxhall Corsa VXR Nurburgring

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QuantumLogic Debuts in Ferrari FF

QuantumLogic Debuts in Ferrari FF:

It might read like a follow up title to a Bond movie, but Harman’s patented QuantumLogic surround sound is a whole new listening experience making its world debut in the Ferrari FF.
Cramming 15 JBL Professional speakers in the FF’s cabin was a challenge in itself, explained Arndt Hensgens chief engineer for acoustic Europe, Harman. It necessitated installing a pair of  Electro Dynamic Planar Loudspeakers in the ‘B’ posts, their acoustic lens steering the sound rearwards towards the back seat occupants without interfering with what those seated in the front are hearing.

QuantumLogic is Harman’s own closely guarded and patented algorithm. Its Aesthetic Engine digitally remodels extracted signal streams into an infinitely variable sound stage. With patented “spatial filter bank technology” providing psycho-acoustic modeling for transparent digital processing and a perfect acoustic reconstruction.
“We’re disassembling the music into seven different channels and then reassembling it,” Hensgens explained adding, “Where the channels are distributed to depends on where it’s needed and the car’s architecture. For example, with the center extraction we also do a little bit in the rear to give you good imaging in the back of the car. You can also have hard left or right so it sounds as if it’s within the car between the ‘A’ posts, but switch on QuantumLogic and it sounds as if the music is coming from outside the car.”

I am no hi-fi stereo expert but it sounds pretty impressive to my ears and a whole lot better than my not exactly inexpensive home sound system.
Expect a second high end automotive application to be announced before the end of the year.

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Related posts:

1. Winter Driving in a Ferrari?
2. Ferrari FF Attacks the Slalom
3. More Ferrari FF Photos Hit the Net

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Belt Tightening at Mazda

Belt Tightening at Mazda:

Mazda has seen its U.S. sales increase of late, April of this year being is best since 2008 and sales thus far in 2012 up 21.5 percent. Still, the automaker must press on with slimming its organization.
It’s an international problem for Mazda, which is reworking its global structure in response to significant losses. In the U.S., the automaker tendered buyouts to its 701 employees and 107 of those have accepted the offer. This would include a lump-sum amount, separation pay and help in finding a new job. The departures would take place on July 2.
If that number doesn’t cut enough from Mazda’s operating budget, the company will have to proceed with involuntary layoffs, though whether that will happen won’t be certain until after the company finishes the reorganization of its U.S. operations.
During its most recent fiscal year, which ended on March 31, Mazda in North America had an operating loss of $505 million at the current dollar-yen exchange rate…a rate with the strong yen is one of problems for all Japanese car companies who import significant production from Japan.
Quoted in Automotive News, Mazda CEO Takashi Yamanouchi has called the company’s global restructuring a, “spectacular structural transformation encompassing r&d, production, sourcing, sales and all other business areas, for the first time in its 90-year history.”

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1. Mazda at Spa
2. Mazda Shinari concept
3. Mazda Miatas Sure Are Fun

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Keels & Wheels Winners: The Best of Both Worlds

Keels & Wheels Winners: The Best of Both Worlds:

If you like cars and boats, the annual Keels & Wheels Concours in Seabrook, Texas, is a must-see. In it’s 17th running, the event brings together classic cars and vintage boats at the Lakeside Yacht Club just down the road from Houston’s Johnson Space Center. For the wheeled set, the best in show was taken by Peter Mullin’s impeccable 1931 Bugatti Type 54 Roadster. Afloat, a 1934 Chris-Craft triple cowl speedboat powered by a 12-cylinder engine took the top prize in the boat category.



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1. HRE Wheels Open House

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Audi R18 e-tron Starts New Era on Pole

Audi R18 e-tron Starts New Era on Pole:

Just think, six years ago Audi changed the face of Le Mans when it entered a diesel-powered R10 prototype at Le Mans. Now it looks set to change things again.
The Audi e-tron quattro is the first diesel hybrid with all-wheel-drive. It will appear at Le Mans in June when it will race against a hybrid Toyota. Audi Sport is using tomorrow’s second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium as a ‘dress rehearsal’ for June’s Le Mans 24 Hours.
Unfortunately, the Toyota prototype was heavily damaged in a testing accident last month and the team was unable to get it repaired in time for tomorrow’s race so the two new Audi R18 e-tron LMP1 cars will only have their two teammates to compete against. They will be in a couple of R18 ultra prototypes that are powered by a 510-bhp V6 turbodiesel engine.
Today, in qualifying Allan McNish, set fastest time on the spectacular track in the Ardennes ahead of the other three Audis.
“Qualifying felt absolutely thrilling,” said McNish afterwards. “Our R18 e-tron quattro is making its debut, which is a very special moment for us drivers. Something like this happens only in the case of technological leaps like the introduction of the TDI engine six years ago or the e-tron quattro now, which is the next milestone. It’s great that Dindo, Tom and I are all the way at the front of the grid. The engineers gave us a strong, nicely balanced car in which I drove two good laps.”

In 2008, the Le Mans organizer ACO announced that the 2009 regulations would allow energy recovery systems for LMP1 cars. Audi says the complexity of the task has meant it has taken until now for the first manufacturer to field such an LMP1 vehicle in a race.
For the R18 e-tron quattro, Audi has developed a concept in which the V6 TDI engine drives the rear axle. On the front axle, the energy is electrically recuperated and fed into a flywheel energy storage system, which can return it to the front wheels during acceleration. There is no mechanical link between the front and rear wheel drives. The interaction is completely controlled by complex electronic systems.
The six-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps is not being broadcast in the U.S., however soon after the race ends in Belgium, Speed TV will present the television debut of “Truth in 24 II: Every Second Counts,” the third installation of the popular documentary series. The film chronicles the challenges overcome by the Audi Sport Team Joest at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race last year. After terrifying crashes claimed the two other Audi race cars, the third and final race car was left to hold off three Peugeots resulting in the team’s ultimate victory.
Here’s a trailer for the film that will be shown tomorrow (Saturday May 5) at 4:00 PM ET/1:00 PM PT. It will be available mid-May in high-definition on iTunes as a free download for viewing on any Mac, PC, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or on your HDTV with Apple TV. Based on the success of the first two films this should be worth viewing.

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Related posts:

1. Audi R18 Ultra Crashes During Testing
2. Audi e-tron Spyder Visits 24 Hours of Le Mans
3. Audi e-Tron Concept – 2010 Detroit Auto Show

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Inside a Hangar at Rendcombe Airfield with Nick Mason

Inside a Hangar at Rendcombe Airfield with Nick Mason:

Just 40 minutes drive from where I live, down narrow pockmarked lanes and well off the GPS track is an innocuous looking grass airfield. The buildings have a distinctly faded air to them, with peeled paint and the airfields name ‘Rendcombe’ barely visible on the rust red corrugated roof.

Despite the low cloud and persistent drizzle there’s the unmistakable drone of a radial engined biplane up above, but I am not here for the ‘planes but a JBL press conference (more on that in my next blog) But in the meantime let’s focus on our host, no less a man than Pink Floyd drummer and avid car nut, Nick Mason.


Nick Mason
Nick’s collection of classic cars, much pared down of late he tells, has been garaged here for some years.
Rendcombe was a WW1 training airfield and, until 15-20 years ago the buildings lay abandoned and the grass airstrip was farmland. In an almost unheard-of move, a local flying enthusiast bought the whole lot and restored much of it to its former glory.

Inside Nick’s hangars it’s really like an automotive Aladdin’s cave from the 1902 Panhard Levassor with its five-liter, four-cylinder engine ticking over at 30 rpm when fully warmed, through to the supercharged shrill of a Bugatti Type 35 Nick bought as a box of bits nearly four decades ago; one of his earliest classics.

Sandwiched by them was an early competizione Daytona that has been unraced for 25-30 years. While the Ferrari and Panhard obediently started the Type 35 refused to burst into life when called upon to do so – we had to wait a full 30 minutes before the hangar was reverberating to its 6000 rev beat, our eyes watering as the burnt methanol hit them.

Elsewhere on show was the Ferrari 512S used in Steve McQueen’s ‘Le Mans’ film that nearly toasted Derek Bell, a 1962 Birdcage 3-liter Maserati as well as a McLaren F1, to mention just a few.

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General Tire Mexican 1000 Rally – a Busman’s Holiday

General Tire Mexican 1000 Rally – a Busman’s Holiday:
Photos Copyright Trackside Photo

A few days ago I was in Baja with a bunch of racers who were participating in a rally where the keyword was fun. Even seasoned racers such as Robby Gordon made the trek for the sake of being part of an event without any chance of making money or gathering publicity for sponsors.

Old timers will remember with fondness how the first few Mexican 1000 off-road races, which were extensively covered by Road & Track at the time, were great fun and an opportunity to socialize with fellow competitors. However, like so many race series the big Baja races nowadays are ones that require a serious commitment of money, time and talent to win.

Three years ago Mike Pearlman, the son of Ed Pearlman who was one of the original founders of NORRA that organized the first Baja race back in 1967, brought the organization back to life and revived the Mexican 1000 Rally for vintage off-road race cars and others who wanted to run modern ‘non-race’ cars, such as pre-runners and rally cars.

Each year the event has grown in popularity and this year saw some 73 cars and trucks along with 20 bikes started the four-day event in Mexicali. Each day the competitors tackle two or three stages on dirt tracks where they are timed and then take transit sections on paved highways to the overnight stay at beautiful locations such as Bahia de Los Angeles, Loreto and La Paz on their way to the finish in San Jose Del Cabo.

Each night the racers and their support crews had an opportunity to socialize and bench race. On Sunday night, for example, old times showed up including Bruce Meyers with his original Meyers Manx and Vic Wilson who won the first race in a Meyers Manx. Neither of these old timers was actually competing this year but they still joined in the fun, sitting around a camp fire describing their adventures from four decades ago.

Other former winners did compete this year. Walker Evans, for example, returned to drive his 1977 Dodge pickup. Malcolm Smith, winner of the first race on a motorcycle, was helping his son compete on an old motorcycle. Bob Gordon another former winner, who along with Frank and Ryan Arciero won the revived Mexican 1000 the past two years in their 1988 Toyota-powered two-seat Chenowth buggy, did not fare so well this year as a broken transmission put an end to their hope of another repeat win.

Robby Gordon, also a three-time Baja 1000 winner, was down in Baja for “the fun of it” to help assist as a chase car for Clyde Stacy who was racing Gordon’s Dakar Hummer that was driven in the last Dakar Rally by Nasser Al-Attiyah. In case you’re wondering how a modern vehicle like this could run against vintage machinery it’s because there are several classes for modern vehicles and the Hummer is not as potent as a Trophy Truck. When we chatted with Gordon he said he wished he had entered the rally in his pre-runner buggy that he was using as a chase vehicle.


Bruce Meyers with his original Meyers Manx.
That’s the beauty of this event – it harks back to the days of old when you could literally bring any modified vehicle down to race on the roads and tracks of Baja. Heck, even people like SpeedTV’s Dave Despain took vacation time this year in order to enjoy the adventure. He hitched a ride with several teams to share in the adventure. Sadly you won’t be able to see a report on Speed as he was not covering it for the TV channel. However, a large contingent of top-notch cinematographers were filming the event using high-end HD cameras to make a film documenting the interaction between old and young racers. The crew was comprised of many who helped put together the Dust to Glory movie that was produced by Dana Brown (think Endless Summer) several years ago. It was certainly enjoyable to be with others on what can only be described as a “busman’s holiday.”


The campfire scene in Bahia de Los Angeles.

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Related posts:

1. Monster Minis Triumph – 2012 Dakar Rally
2. Dakar Winner Joins Robby Gordon’s Team for 2012 Dakar Rally
3. 2012 Dakar Rally Starts on Sunday

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