A shifting landscape marks the beginning of 2016

It’s little surprise the start to 2016 has been busy for the automotive industry. While the fallout from the ‘Dieselgate’ scandal lingers, the industry has also shifted its attention towards an abundance of motoring issues. Here’s a roundup on the most pressing motoring issues from the first quarter of 2016.

Manufacturing

The year started with the US Department of Justice filing a $46bn civil lawsuit against Volkswagen for breaching environmental laws with its ‘cheat’ system that bypassed diesel emissions tests. Volkswagen’s CEO apologised to customers, and sales took a hit – six months after first making news, half a million US cars are still waiting for a solution. Renault was embroiled in a similar controversy, recalling a popular model after its emissions filtering system was found to be faulty.

Meanwhile, Ford pulled out of the Japanese and Indonesian markets following a lack of popularity and high local competition inhibiting sales. In keeping with the Asian theme, Hyundai declared it would take on BMW and Mercedes in the luxury segment through its Genesis G70.

Closer to home, there were promising signs local manufacturing would be spared a lifeline. However, talks between Guido Dumarey (Punch International) and General Motors broke down after neither party could foresee a deal to operate the Holden manufacturing plant in SA.

Holden and Ford enthusiasts reflected on what might be, as both companies announced the final models in their respective Commodore and Falcon ranges. To round things out, the Mazda MX-5 claimed the ‘Wheels Car of the Year’ and also scooped up the ‘World Car of the Year’.

Safety

The biggest story of the quarter rested with Takata, a manufacturer of inflator parts found in airbags. While an ongoing issue, the manufacturer’s recalls exceeded 40 million vehicles worldwide following reports of faulty parts that could deploy metal fragments. Locally, the most prominent recall was that from Toyota, recalling 98,000 Rav-4’s due to potential seat belt issues.

Design ideas were at the forefront of the safety spectrum, with numerous manufacturers agreeing to implement auto emergency braking in most cars by 2022, and others working on particular solutions such as external airbags.

Technology

Autonomous cars took centre stage across the early motor shows of 2016 as manufacturers envisage a future of self-driving cars. Locally, Mercedes has taken the lead on the issue with driver assistance technology slated for next year. But it hasn’t been a one-way road, with two incidents of note (a near-miss involving the Australian Mercedes; and a Google car accident in the US) accompanying comments from Audi and Porsche that they won’t be adopting the technology any time soon.

Other initiatives included: BMW designing an all-camera rear-vision system; General Motors developing technology to alert drivers to check for children before exiting their car; Volvo’s plans to transition from a car key to a phone; and the Australian government promoting hydrogen powered cars.

Sales

Authorities acted on several issues across Australia, including several cases involving unlicensed dealers and odometer tampering. The start of 2016 also saw confirmation of a downward trend in Australian-made cars sold during 2015, with Ford sales slumping 11.6% (its worst performance in 49 years, and behind Mitsubishi for the first time) and Holden’s sales declining 3%.

Regulatory Issues

Parallel imports were the hot topic. As we previously wrote about, the Australian government paved the way to allow the direct import of new (or near-new) right-hand-drive cars from the UK and Japan. This decision has been met with mixed opinion, including opposition from dealer networks and luxury car manufacturers. Meanwhile, no changes are proposed to the luxury car tax, and Australia’s lemon laws remain a point of contention. http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/moneza-online-zaym.html

Is a 'user-pays system' the right approach for our roads?

Infrastructure Australia, an independent statutory body, recently suggested that the government should move away from charging vehicle registration fees and fuel excise in favour of a ‘’user-pays road system”. But is the solution practical?

The proposal would directly charge motorists depending on the distance they drive on our roads, while being touted as an option to fund major projects, lower congestion and contribute to the economy. According to the authority, the scheme could be applied to all regular motorists within 10 years, and within the next 5 years for heavy vehicles.

At the moment, Infrastructure Australia contends that motorists are not familiar with the current approach of paying for road use, whereby drivers often view roads as “free” due to a lack of clarity in the fuel excise they pay. This fuel excise, charged per litre at the pump, effectively acts as a road levy by charging motorists depending on the distance they travel and according to how heavy or inefficient their vehicle is.

The system has also been singled out for being “unfair, unsustainable and inefficient” – largely because of an expectation that less excise will be raised as cars become more economical, and given the inequality between metropolitan and rural regions where the latter are not afforded the same quality of roads yet still pay the same costs.

While such a proposal could potentially encourage people to become less reliant on their cars and also raise funds to reduce congestion, is the proposal any better than the existing approach? Currently, the ‘average’ motorist could expect to pay the following fees that contribute towards the road network:

Noting the above costs, what is immediately apparent is that one of the larger components of vehicle-related expenses, the green slip or compulsory third-party insurance, is outside the scope of the review. With this and external insurance premiums rising, a notable component of the vehicle related costs are going to remain at least what they are now.

However, the elephant in the room concerns how the system would be implemented. Is every single road going to be set up with tolls? Would roads have differing rates depending on the volume of traffic they cater for? Would vehicles be fitted with a tracking device to monitor their every movement? What impact would privacy laws have on tracking vehicles? With current toll gates prone to the occasional error, what’s to say the same issues wouldn’t be encountered? And how would drivers be able to validate every kilometre they have travelled? These are all issues that would cost motorists additional time and money, either directly or indirectly.

In terms of fairness, such changes would still discriminate against those: from rural locations; with a lower income; or disconnected from public transport. Consider those in remote parts of the country – every time they make a trip to their nearest town centre, or commute to a major city, they will be paying a considerable increase – and the quality of roads provided to them, or the portion of funding towards their roads, is still going to be inferior. Those who are isolated from public transport are inherently disadvantaged by not having an alternative to using their cars. How would the system compensate accordingly?

Although there may be benefits for those living in the major cities and suburbs supported by public transport, in designing a solution that is meant to be more ‘equitable’, this doesn’t offer progression. The current system is far from perfect, however, to recommend a new one that doesn’t address the current one’s shortcomings is questionable practice at best. http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/viva-dengi-credit.html

BTCC 2015: Home Advantage for Honda at Thruxton?

Image Credit: 2015 Honda Yuasa Racing Press Office

The first two rounds of the British Touring Car Championship have already more than proven the sensational form the series has returned to. If Brands Hatch and Donington Park proved anything, its that the old guard of the touring cars are anything but safe; the new generation of drivers are encroaching on the top positions. Heading to Thruxton however, the established teams remain on top, and it looks like it may well remain that way on Britain’s fastest and most daunting circuit. 

Over the years commenting on the motorsport world, a common observation has often been that I hold a great deal of faith in the underdogs. Apparently I have some cognitive roadblock when it comes to me aligning with any dominant team. The most relevant example I can muster must be the case of Honda in the BTCC. When they returned to the new look championship in 2002 I was a die hard fan, especially when Andy Priaulx got the team and made them a top scorer by the end of the year. However, as Honda became more and more dominant and transformed into the Neal-Shedden hybrid we know today, my love for them seemed to fade. I can only imagine that with dominance comes a sense of predictability, which in turn removes that drama and excitement that attracted you in the first place. This year however, the situation seems a little different.

We may have only had the first two rounds, but one thing that is clear beyond any shadow of a doubt is that nothing is certain anymore. The new breed of touring car stars have started their campaign for glory; Team BMR have shown blistering form, while names such as Aron Smith, Josh Cook and Aiden Moffat have taken their stand against the establishment. If there was a word to describe the 2015 season, it could only be unpredictability. Therefore, my attempt to make predictions ahead of Thruxton has already given me multiple headaches. Nevertheless, let’s give this a go.

Since 2011 there have been 12 races at Thruxton, 9 of which have been one by a single manufacturer. Of those 9 races, 8 of those have been won by the same team. The 2015 season may well be filled with uncertainty, but to put your money on a dominant Honda performance may well be one of the safest bets you could make all year. Not only is Thruxton the home circuit for the Honda team, but their composed chassis and strong engine has already given them 50% of the victories this year.

Honda are expected to be on flying form at Thruxton. Image Credit: 2015 Honda Yuasa Racing Press Office

“We’ve had some brilliant results so far this season that have exceeded expectations – and long may they continue – but we need to keep on pushing the boundaries so we stay at the sharp end in this fast-moving championship.” – Gordon Shedden

Considering Honda have seemingly out-performed their own expectations already this year, moving towards a historically Honda safe track must be a great confidence boost for the team,

“We’ve got our heads down and are working hard on the car, because we know there’s still plenty of room for improvement – but we’re feeling positive. I’m looking forward to Thruxton; it’s traditionally been a happy hunting ground for us and the new Type R is monstrous through the high-speed areas, which is what this circuit is all about. That should definitely play to our strengths”  – Matt Neal

Speaking of tradition, Thruxton has never quite suited the Triple Eight MG team; the best placed MG last year was Jason Plato who managed 6th in the opening race. However, the all new line-up of Andy Jordan and Jack Goff have shown they are not be messed with this year. Andy Jordan took a win for Honda at Thruxton last year, so he knows exactly how best to tackle the tarmac for victory. I do think however that MG will struggle at Thruxton, having already fallen foul to the monstrous Honda team this year on multiple occasions.

In many ways the same can be said of both the BMW and BMR teams, who both possess either cars or drivers that are able to win at Thruxton, but question marks still hang over whether the 2015 combination will prove fruitful. I have faith that Priaulx will return after a disappointing Donington and be challenging for the podium positions and possibly even a win, following in the footsteps of Turkington who won the final race in the eBay Motors BMW last year. The new look BMR team have proven brutally fast already, and will certainly be on contention but I do not know if they will be able to match the Honda menace. Whatever happens, Turkington, Plato and supercharged Smith will be challenging from start to finish.

The high speed, abrasive circuit of Thruxton does often throw up some unexpected action, such as Simon Belcher’s stop drop and roll off the circuit last year. Questions have already been asked about the soft tyre and its suitability at Thruxton; given its performances so far it is likely that the soft tyre would not last a race. Personally I think the running of the soft tyre should be stopped at Thruxton, from a safety point of view.

The Moffatt Mercedes may surprise at Thruxton. Image Credit: BTCC.net

The final race at Donington Park saw the dramatic rise to form of both Josh Cook and Aiden Moffat, with Cook nearly taking the outright race win if it wasn’t for the safety car. Moffat in the Mercedes is a proven racey combination already, and his determination is sending him soaring up the grid. Last year the Mercedes of Morgan finished with three top tens at Thruxton, which bodes well for both him and Moffat considering the drastic improvements that are already apparent this year. Thruxton in the past seems to have favoured the hot hatches, which would give some advantage to the A-Class over perhaps the VWs, Chevrolets and MGs. Possibly.

If the past is anything to go by, my attempts at making predictions ahead of a BTCC race meeting have been futile and utterly wrong when the results come in. The most skilled statisticians and race analysts in the world would struggle to predict the events of a BTCC race weekend. But I am nothing if not a courageous man. My predictions for Thruxton will be two race wins to Honda followed by a win for Aron Smith.

There we are, my money has been placed where my mouth is. Let’s see what happens shall we?

Bring it on!

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Sensational Sixth for Cook in Donington Qualifying

Photo Credit: marekp.co.uk / #RacingForHeroes

After a thrilling opening race weekend at Brands Hatch, the BTCC juggernaut rumbles on to Donington Park. As the sun was shining beautifully upon the circuit, the serenity would soon be shattered as the cars took to the track. After a solid two free practice sessions, Josh Cook and #RacingForHeroes were out to impress in qualifying. And impress is exactly what he did.

One of the brilliant things that makes the BTCC such an iconic and thrilling series is the genuine levels of unpredictability at each race. From one race to the next no two things are ever the same. The introduction of new weight penalties for 2015 has certainly added to the entertainment and will most likely see new faces at the front of the grid as a result.

Following their impressive first race weekend at Brands Hatch, everyone at Power Maxed Racing had high hopes moving into Donington Park. Josh Cook and everyone at #RacingForHeroes made an impressive debut in the championship at Brands Hatch, scoring two Jack Sears Trophy wins and challenging the big names consistently. The last time Cook cruised the tarmac of Donington Park, it was at the series Media Day at which he was ultra competitive.

The two free practice sessions gave Cook confidence, delivering consistently strong times around the 1:10 mark which would have seen him just outside the top 10. Mike Bushell in the AmD Tuning Ford Focus had set the benchmark for the Jack Sears competitors and it was beginning to look like the 2014 Clio Cup UK champion would out-qualify the 2014 Clio Cup UK vice champion. Or so we thought.

Photo Credit: BTCC.net

As qualifying got underway, Cook made his intentions clear from the outset. This was a man on a mission. When Priaulx pulled off the track and brought out a temporary suspension of the session, Cook lay in the mid-pack. But as the green flag waved, it all started to come together. Taking advantage of gaps in the traffic and a tow from other cars on a hot lap, Cook stormed to a 1:10.119 and an eventual 6^th position.

To top off an already jaw dropping afternoon, Dave Newsham put the other Power Maxed car in 10^th, securing a truly outstanding performance for the team. It is a true testament to the hard work put in by everyone at Power Maxed Racing to transform the team from what it was last year to battling for the top positions in 2015.

Bring on race day!

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