Land Rover All-Terrain Driving Simulator

Land Rover takes control of downtown Auckland

Last weekend I went down to the Aotea square in Auckland city to see what the hype was about around the latest promotion from Land Rover. Land Rover is the official vehicle for the 2011 IRB Rugby World Cup Tournament held in New Zealand. As part of their role in the tournament they were offering fans an opportunity to experience the latest Range Rover and Land Rover models on an off-road simulator. At one point I found myself driving over a 27 degree slope. The man responsible for coordinating this experience, Stu Davies who owns Pro Driver training New Zealand, told me that “1000 people coming through in the previous two weekends of the tournament showed the promotion was proving to be more than popular”. The former policeman's company specialises in on and off-road driver training. “Land Rover has the most capable off-road vehicles on the market today,” Stu explained. I agree with him. The sophisticated systems on-board that enable it to go off-road is mind blowing. Notably the main feature that stood out for me was the ‘Hill Descent Control’. This system allows the driver to hand over control to the on board computer that works in sync with the vehicles Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), enabling the car to descend gently down a bank or slope.

After seeing Stu and his instructors demonstrate on the artificial off-road course how to manage this vehicle in different conditions, it was only fitting that I had a go myself. I was given special privilege to get behind the wheel of a 2011 Range Rover Sport Turbo Diesel V6. For a car that weighs just over three tonnes, the V6 power plant will effortlessly take the car from 0-60mph in just 8.8 seconds. In terms of fuel economy there will be no arguing with the combined fuel economy of 9.2litres per 100kms traveled. Even at the low speeds I drove the car at, there was a feeling that 600Nm’s of torque were ready to be released with the slightest blip of the accelerator. Impressive figures from a diesel engine of this capacity. The Range Rover Sport is offered in a 510HP V8 Supercharged that has been taken from the latest range offered to the market by Jaguar. However, due to the never ending power that comes from this engine,Land Rover had to limit it to just 225km/h in order to prevent the tyres from explodiing!

Not only do the latest models from Land Rover offer brilliant performance in the off-road arena, they provide attractive styling that still fits in with the traditional lines and curves we all know to be common to Land Rover heritage. The experience I had from putting the dynamics of the Range Rover Sport to the test is confirmation for me that the driver can have every ounce of confidence this car will work in any condition the on or off-road journey has to offer.

Special thanks to:

Stu Davies, Pro Driving training. www.prodrivertraining.co.nz

Sally Newton, Fast Track promotions. www.fasttrackagency.com

Land Rover UK. www.landrover.co.uk

Cameron Houston

Car of the week 19-20 September

A rear end resembling the recently leaked Scarlett Johansson pictures

Car of the Week: Audi R8 GT

Many consumers in the high-end performance car market have demanded a practical car that is both manageable on and off the track. By off-the-track I mean, on the racetrack, where public track days are being replaced by a leisurely Sunday drive.

Audi has responded to this demand in the form of the R8 providing a combination of practicality in a car that sits at both ends of the spectrum when it comes to driving. An R8 driver can differentiate between everyday driving within the speed limit of the road and then within the confines of a racetrack according to his or her ability. I ventured out to the Giltrap Group’s newly built Audi dealership on Great North Road in Auckland where I met with Richard Humphereys, a senior Salesman for the dealership. Comfortably crediting the sale of five R8’s to his name, Richard is passionate about selling the unique innovations and ideas that Audi have put into their production vehicles. It was the R8’s lovechild that caught my attention for this weeks car of the week; The R8 GT. At first glance, there are many clues that this car has undergone a complete external revamp. Looking closely at the detailed bodywork you will see a carbon fibre rear wing stretching across the entire rear of the car in order to meet the demand for grip at high speeds. There have been other additions added such as the 19 inch titanium finished wheels, a rear floor diffuser and the aesthetically pleasing carbon fibre panels that cover the B pillars; common feature of the R8 design.

It is hard not to sense the hint of Lamborghini DNA that this car presents. Notably because of the 5.2litre V10 FSI (Fuel Straight Injection) that is nestled comfortably behind the cockpit. This is not necessarily a bad thing however, as Richard explained to me: “The innovation in design and performance that Audi has is boosted by the ownership of its other car companies”. I agree with him because today’s high-end performance car consumer does not want to put a car like this in the garage amongst his collection of Lamborghini’s or Ferrari’s and only have the chance to bring it out on a sunny day. Today's consumer wants to drive this car like an everyday car and not have to worry about spending $6000.00 on the clutch every 15,000 kilometres, as the case is with owning a Ferrari 360 Modena.  “The driver has added security of taking this car to a racetrack knowing that he or she will be covered by any mechanical wear whilst the warranty is still valid whereas a Lamborghini or Ferrari owner would have to pay for the replacement of brakes [for example] or mechanical servicing from the beginning of the purchase”, Richard explained to me.

The building of the R8 GT has been extremely detailed both internally and externally. The 5.2 litre V10 produces 560hp at 8,000rpm and 540Nm of torque. This added power of 40hp to the GT will give the car an all-time top speed of 320km/h. Acceleration times have been reduced with the GT boasting a snappy 3.6 seconds from 0 to 100km/h. How do they get such an impressive increase in horsepower? It is one of those factors that car manufacturers love to control the most; weight. Improved weight distribution in this car comes down to the precise innovation from Audi engineers. With figures like this Richard says that “The R8 is on the fringes of becoming a super car.” contrary to the GT name of course.

With only 333 rolling off the production-line and only three coming to New Zealand, owning a car such as this comes at a cost, starting at NZD$435,000. The reality of purchasing a car like this is the price paid for quality innovation from a multinational company. The precise ideas that Audi have developed for their automobiles have led to their brand becoming a high volume seller in the world, particularly New Zealand. Audi is forging ahead, and I couldn’t think of a better indication to show this than the R8 GT; my car of the week.  

Words by Andrew G. Beacham

Special thanks to Richard Humphreys of Giltrap Audi Auckland.

Latest from Formula 1

Vettel and the championship about to seal the deal

With the 2011 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix fast approaching for this weekend, another world champion is about the be unofficially crowned under the glittering lights of the Marina Bay street circuit. After a dominating season in both qualifying sessions and the race, Vettel and his car ‘Kinky Kelly’ have established a comfortable 112 points lead over second place two-time world champion Fernando Alonso of Ferrari. It is mathematically possible that Vettel will wrap up the 2011 title this weekend in Singapore if he finishes on the podium. His performance in the last race at Monza in Italy silenced critics who claim he can only win from first place as he re-took the lead, on the grass might I add after the safety came in on lap four.  Alonso claims to have nothing to lose in battles with Vettel where he told the BBC that “when we have to defend we will be a little bit harder with him”. Alonso, a three time winner at the Marina Bay circuit will have to fight even harder if he wants to keep Vettel off the podium in Singapore. The reality looks near as Vettel has a desire to win the championship in style and not cruise towards it, shown by his ballsy move on Alonso in Monza.

Red Bull racing’s improving abilities as a Formula One team have silenced critics after last year, where despite winning the constructors and driver’s title they were hit with mechanical woes such as multiple brake failures and engine failures that almost cost Vettel and Mark Webber the championship. The term coined for the team by Lewis Hamilton as ‘only being a drinks company’ is quickly disappearing as they near ever so closer to the ladder of the prominent teams who have impacted on the sport.

I will not hesitate to criticise Mark Webber. Where has he been this year? With a disappointing retirement after a broken front wing in Monza caused him to lose control of his car, he has dragged far behind both Vettel and his rivals in the 2011 championship. Many argue that Formula One driving comes down to the driver and his race car but this theory is quickly coming into question as Webber has only been successful in putting his Red Bull on pole twice this year, pipping Vettel in Spain and England. Even when he is successful in putting his car on the front row of the grid he is usually hit with problems of the car going into anti-stall when he launches away from the line. With Webber’s experience, his determination and having the same car underneath him as Vettel he should be up there making it that little bit harder for his team-mate to win the championship.

We look toward Singapore this weekend and wait to see how the rest of the season will unfold.  So many times before in Formula One we have seen strange turnarounds at the end of the season. Who do you think will be the next driver in line to make the championship that little bit harder for the rookie?

New Jaguar CX-16 Concept revealed

I wonder what this button does?

Since Jaguar was purchased in 2008 by Indian company Tata, it has posted record profits to the extent of £275m in the final quarter of 2010. This a £55m gain on the previous year when the premier British car maker was under Ford ownership. Not only do the figures tell the story of the growth and development of Jaguar and Landrover but the raft of new additions to the Jaguar model range have tantalised the visions of the motoring world. Thanks to these new models making their way into Asia there was a 47% increase in sales to China alone, compared with 2009. Figures such as this don’t come easy, especially during a global financial crisis.

                The design and innovation that we have seen in the latest Jaguar models enters into the paranormal of the automobile world. Notably the introduction of the Kinetic Energy Recover system, (KERS) that Jaguar developed alongside the Williams Formula 1 team. Gone are the days of the Ferrari’s and McLaren being singled out as the leaders in transforming Formula 1 technology into our road cars. For those of you who don’t know the ins-and-outs of the KERS, sit back, take a deep breath and try and keep up with me on this. When we apply the brake pedal, friction is created from the heat generated within the brake and brake rotor mechanisms that is then stored in a KERS device that can come in the form of a battery (hybrid electric technology) and a fly wheel (mechanical). The electrical system uses a motor-generator which is found in the car’s transmission that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy that is stored in a battery and can be released at the push of a button. Mechanical systems harvest braking energy and use it to turn a fly wheel that is connected to the car’s wheels. This system is more efficient as the braking energy does not change in state during the energy transfer; something that all the science boffins will understand to cause an inconsistent amount of energy being released such as a surge in power.

Now that is all over, let’s talk about the latest model released by Jaguar that incorporates this technology. Jaguar has seen what Audi, BMW and other German carmakers are innovating into their mechanical design. As far as the CX-16 goes, Jaguar has gone and done this better. After the Toyota Prius, (yes I know what you might be thinking but stay with me) they have offered a first to the modern day GT car. The CX-16 boasts a 3.0 litre V6 Supercharged hybrid engine. Hybrid is not a badge that we would ever expect to see on car such as a Jaguar that are known for forcing us to commit fraud when we stop at the fuel pump. More or less you would think that the Hybrid badge on the back of a car like this was a joke by the best friend who is Porsche owner. This experimental hybrid system developed by Jaguar allows the CX-16 to drive with zero CO₂ emissions while in a not so purring manner reached a speed of up to 80km/h. Intelligent stop/start technology switches off the engine when the car comes to a stop, in 300 milliseconds to be precise, which is faster than the blink of an eye. Worried that the car won’t start again when you are up alongside the Porsche Cayman at the traffic lights? Never fear, Jaguar say that thanks to a Twin Solenoid Starter motor (TSS), the engine will start in the time it takes for your foot to travel from the brake pedal to the accelerator. So feel free when you’re behind the wheel of one of these cars in what Jaguar says will be a year away, to disappear in a cloud of smoke from the traffic lights without feeling guilty about destroying a couple of trees or adding to the broken ozone layer. The all new V6 supercharged engine alone boasts 280kw (375BHP) along with the hybrid “push-to-pass” system which develops an additional 95hp for up to ten seconds combining the two to give a monumental figure of 470hp. With enough torques to drag the moon around the earth, the CX-16 will shift to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds without the added guilt factor of watching the fuel needle going south thanks to the combined fuel economy of 41 miles to the gallon. The unique red button on the steering wheel creates an unapologetic bold statement that speaks to the driver – “push me and your head will be dismembered from your shoulders”. “We wanted to make a bold statement that would make ‘Push to Pass’ exciting and unmistakably intuitive,” explained Julian Thompson, head of the advanced design studio at Jaguar. In a nutshell we could describe this car as being designed right down to the red button.

Appropriately the concept was released 50 years after the launch of the E-Type which graced the roads with its aerodynamic brilliance. Chief designer for Jaguar Ian Callum, pays homage to the glorious E-type by the incorporation of the side opening rear glass hatch to provide access to the boot. “Great Jaguar cars have always been beautiful, innovative and have looked firmly into the future. The finished CX-16 concept has the potential to do these things while retaining the ability to surprise, excite and invigorate”. The eye candy of faultless curves and lines that we are presented with on the body shells of today’s Jaguars come from a man who wrote to the designers at Jaguar when he was a teenager with his very own designs of what a Jaguar should look like. Very few struggle to disagree with him as it is clear that he has brought the historic reputation of innovation and design back to Jaguar car’s in the form of the CX-16. Let us hope they build this car.

Words by Andrew G. Beacham