JEEP 2.8 TURBO CRD

JANUARY 22, 2012

A FIRST DRIVE INTHE LAMBORGHINI

AVENTADOR

OPTIMISM AT DETROIT MOTOR

SHOW

No more floating coffinsEDITORIAL

2 The Sunday Times MOTORING JANUARY 22, 2012

Over the next few weekswe could be witness-ing two remarkableevents in Malta, one ofwhich is a conse-

quence of a public transport deci-sion gone somewhat wrong, whilethe other will have a positive conse-quence on motoring.

We are all aware that we are cur-rently living an unprecedented po-litical crisis which stemmed from adecision to wipe out the old publictransport system and to introducethe Arriva bus service – amid muchcriticism which seems to have dis-appeared in the same way the‘yellow’ buses have.

The other more relevant event tohappen over the next few weeks isthe launch of a major flood reliefproject.

As incredible as this may sound,the flood relief project would coverall the major areas around Maltathat are prone to flooding – such asMsida, Birkirkara, Gzira, SanĠwann, Zabbar and Marsascala,among others.

Thanks to the EU, the €56 millionproject will be completed by 2015.

The project will include the con-struction of various tunnels that willredirect rainwater away from theroads into the sea, although it wassaid that some of this water would becollected in reservoirs for further use.

The largest of these tunnels willrun for 11 kilometres beneathBalzan, Birkirkara and Msida.

No longer will we see Youtube up-loads and pictures on front pages ofnewspapers of empty coffins floatingdown Birkirkara and of cars half-im-mersed in water in Valley Road,Birkirkara.

The project will also hopefullybring to an end the chaos reigningaround these flood-prone areas atthe first drop of rain and thedangerous situations drivers findthemselves in.

Although hard to believe we will fi-nally be able to drive through Msidain the worst rainfall without the needfor roadside assistance, I sing hal-lelulia to the government and the EUfor this initiative.

I also feel obliged to sing mypraises to Transport Malta for finallyresurfacing the Regional Road bridgeafter work on the construction ofnew side-barriers was completedsome weeks ago, the timing of whichwas the cause of a few altercations

between The Sunday Times Motor-ing and Transport Malta.

No longer do my low-profile tyresand, more so, my ageing backscreech as I drive over the bridge’smovement joints every day on myway back from work.

Although not the smoothest ofresurfacing jobs, the work along thestretch of the bridge leading toPaceville has been completed withroad markings and all.

This was done, as had been sug-gested in an editorial a few monthsago, during night time, causing prac-tically no inconvenience to roadusers and having the least negativeimpact on traffic.

This mainly proves two things:the first is that Transport Malta takes heed of suggestions putforward, and secondly that it is pos-sible to carry out road works at nighttime.

While praising Transport Maltafor this initiative, I somehow fail tounderstand why the opposingstretch of bridge is still without roadmarkings and why Transport Maltahas to put up a sign to point it out.

Temporary signs which were putup months ago before works startedare also half-covered with black bagsand need sorting out.

It is good to see that efforts arebeing made all-round to make ourroads safer, especially when con-fronted by data on traffic accidentsreleased recently by the NationalStatistics Office.

Despite the measures being takento provide a safe motoring experi-ence, speed cameras and all, fourmen lost their lives (three driversand one pedestrian) in traffic acci-dents between October and Decem-ber last year.

The data also reveals that 3,482traffic accidents were reportedwithin this period, an increase of185 cases over the same time in2010.

A total of 368 casualties were re-ported, 237 involving drivers. An-other 31 people suffered seriousinjuries, while 99 were slightlyinjured.

Throughout 2011 there were14,264 recorded accidents, an in-crease of 3.9 per cent over 2010.That adds up to 1.6 potential fatalaccidents every hour, somethingworth keeping in mind when we arebehind the wheel.

I appeal to all of you to drive care-fully and use your common senseon the road.motoring@timesofmalta.com

MATTHEW NAUDI

ECONOMY / NEWS

JANUARY 22, 2012 The Sunday Times MOTORING 3

“Claimed” fuel economy is alot like Santa. We all like tobelieve in both, but few ofus have ever actually seeneither and nobody believes

those who say they have.Modern, fuel-efficient cars are supposed to

reach average economy figures in the 1960sand 1970s from their super-advanced en-gines, but there seems to be a constant un-dercurrent of public grumbling about hownobody can get anywhere near the claims.

In the US it seems to be different. At the LosAngeles Auto Show in November, Volkswa-gen’s North American wing was shouting veryloudly about how the Golf ‘Clean Diesel’ cando a whopping 42 mpg on the highway – em-barrassing by EU standards. Are cars madefor America just rubbish, or is there some-thing else to it?

To find out let’s first level the playing field.US gallons are smaller than the mighty Britishones; 3.78 litres versus 4.54 litres. But evenmaking the necessary adjustments, theAmerican Golf still only musters 50.4 mpg inUK terms. And remember, that is at a cruise.They don’t measure any kind of ‘combinedaverage’ figure.

But things aren’t always as they seem, be-cause Americans don’t like diesels and to anation that is used to mpg figures in the 20s,a car that returns over 40 is a revelation.

They’re not ready to buy something as en-vironmentally focused as a Golf BlueMotionyet, and their Clean Diesel is in fact just a 2.0-litre TDI, roughly similar to a mid-range Eu-ropean Golf that achieves 58.9 mpg on thewell-known and much-maligned combinedcycle – 68.9 mpg on the extra-urban one.

This American Golf is a model that doesn’teven have engine stop/start technology – out-side of hybrids the idea hasn’t really taken offyet across the pond. The idea of a 74 mpgfamily hatchback like the Golf BlueMotion isabout as real-world as Wile E. Coyote.

And there are differences in the actual fueleconomy tests themselves. The current Euro-pean system is designed to squeeze every lastdrop of potential forward motion out of econ-omy-tuned engines. It’s even daft enough toallow up to 50 seconds for acceleration up to62 mph.

The US system is designed to reflect morereal-world driving, including using the AC,cold start cycles and other factors that will undoubtedly reduce fuel economy.

The end result is a figure that might well bemore typically attainable than the EU figure.

Rory Lumsdon, Manager of Product Affairs atVolkswagen UK, said: “In a way, the US [test]is a little bit more real world than the EU one.”

The old problem of poor quality US fuel isa thing of the past, though. All US diesel is,since December 2010, Ultra-Low-SulphurDiesel, as distinct from Low-Sulphur Diesel.”“So the type of diesel fuel is no longer an issue.This means that the different MPG figures aremost likely to end up being down to the differ-ent test cycles used in calculating MPG.”

The dilemma is that big fuel economynumbers sell cars, but the higher the expec-tation, the bigger the perceived problem iswhen the car just won’t match up.

Manufacturers themselves don’t actuallyclaim anything, or at least not in the first instance. The testing is done by independentorganisations and then the resulting EU-cer-

tified figures are legally binding – companieshave to use them whether they like it or not.

They then have to decide whether or not toput their weight behind the published figuresand effectively take ownership of them, off-setting commercial gain from sales andbrand image with any loss of reputation fromtheir cars not matching what essentiallyamounts to a theoretical, and therefore always elusive, maximum.

It becomes doubly awkward for plug-in hy-brid vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt, whichofficially recorded 232.5 mpg on the Euro-pean combined cycle.

Craig Cheetham, PR Manager at ChevroletUK, acknowledges it’s an awkward situation.“It’s somewhat frustrating as customers oftenthink we’re claiming a figure and then blamethe manufacturer if they can’t achieve it,” hesaid.

“It’s particularly confusing with cars likethe Volt, where the cycle of 100km means thecar will complete most of the test in full elec-tric mode, but not all – which gives us anMPG figure of 232.5 mpg on the Europeancycle and 93mpg on the US cycle, neither ofwhich is truly representative of what youmight achieve in the real world, as there areso many variables in the way people use thecar.”

Some cars, however, can be driven way inexcess of their fuel economy figures. They tendto be large, thirsty cars like the Vauxhall VXR8.At the 2011 MPG Marathon in the Cotswolds,the V8 muscle car achieved 32.14 mpg; 53%more than its published average of 21.

Car buyers are getting increasingly frustrated with what they see as unrealisticfuel economy figures. Perhaps lowering them would be good for the industry as awhole, and the European Parliament is looking at changing the system to do just that.

MATT KIMBERLEY

Fuel economy: Europe vs US

Ford Fiestagets personalT he small car style Ford Fiesta is expanding for 2012 with three

new packages to give customers more options for personalisation.

The new packages build on the success of the current personali-sation choices Fiesta customers enjoy today, with nearly 40 per centpurchasing at least one accessory. To date, more than 26,000 FordCustom Accessories items have been purchased by Fiesta owners.

“The Fiesta customer loves accessories and personalisation.These packages extend the desire the customer has to make the car more tailored to his or her own personal tastes,” Global Car marketing manager Lew Echlin said.

“Personalisation has been key since the Fiesta has been launched,and with the new packages we are featuring the latest design trendsso customers can do even more with their car.”

“The appeal of accessories reflects on other trends in society, in-cluding the desire to personalise phones, computers and clothing,”Sheryl Connelly, manager of Ford Global Trends and Futuring, said.“People don’t customise to stand out from the crowd; they do it tocreate a more meaningful connection.”

The new premium sport appearance package takes cues from theEuropean Focus RS with several blacked-out components that fea-ture Tuxedo Black paint, including side mirrors, headlamps, grillesurround, licence plate header and upper rear hatch spoiler.

JANUARY 22, 2012 The Sunday Times MOTORING 5

FIRST DRIVE Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4

4 The Sunday Times MOTORING JANUARY 22, 2012

The cars may be quick, butLamborghini is not a companythat does things in a hurry. In thelast decade it has only launchedtwo models – the Murcielago and

the Gallardo – but on the strength of thosealone it appears to be a sound approach.

Some of the technology has a little age toit also: the Murcielago’s V12 can trace itsroots all the way back to 1963, while thespaceframe construction follows an oldrecipe. However, 13 years under the wing ofparent Audi has allowed the Italian firm toreally push its boundaries, and the firstproduct to showcase its future has arrived.

The Aventador is now available in the UK,although don’t expect to see one soon. Notonly is it going to be a rare beast in simpleavailability terms, but the sticker price of£240,000 (€287,650) puts it in a pretty exclu-sive club.

If you are lucky enough to spot one it isunlikely you’ll mistake it for anything else.

The wedge-shaped silhouette is instantlyrecognisable and links it visually with theprevious Murcielago, Diablo and even theoriginal Countach. But it also follows someof the cues of the incredible Reventon, withsquared-off edges all over the exterior andrunning through the cabin too. It is unques-tionably stunning, traffic-stopping and aLamborghini through and through.

So far so good then, but far from being anevolution inside and out, the Aventador haseven more to offer under the skin. The mid-engined powerplant is a 6.5-litre V12 whichyou could understandably assume is a de-veloped version of the outgoing Mur-cielago’s engine. But this is a brand-newunit, lightweight and incredibly powerful.Revving to a stratospheric 8,250 rpm itpumps out 691 bhp and 509 lb.ft of torque.

That engine has even less work to dothanks to a new approach to the car’s con-struction. Switching to a carbonfibre mono-coque not only provides much greaterstrength, it saves a huge amount of weight:the chassis and its aluminium framesweighs only 229 kg, while the whole car

checks in at 1,575 kg – exactly the same as aMondeo Estate. It also has pushrod suspen-sion, just like a Formula 1 car allowing finertuning and reducing unsprung weight.

And you can forget anything you mighthave heard about the Aventador lackingdrama. Walking up to it with the key inhand, the sheer purpose of its shape and

A-list presence guarantees a racing pulse.The doors open in classic Lamborghini scis-sor-fashion, which delivers schoolboy-lev-els of excitement and genuinely makesgetting in and out easy.

You can even start the Aventador withoutgetting excited: you need to tread the brakeand then flip up a red cover to reveal thestarter button, exactly like you would on thefire button on a fighter jet. The result is noless dramatic: after a brief whirr it boomsinto life, sitting at a high idle speed for a fewminutes before settling. It’s loud but not un-couth, a sophisticated mechanical roarrather than just plain loud.

Start off in the friendliest Strada modeand the Aventador is as civilised as youcould wish for. The automated clutchtakes up smoothly, the steering is lightlyweighted at low speeds and aside fromthe knowledge that you’re steering a veryexpensive angular wedge, you can simplyget on with getting around.

The cabin is comfortable, spaciouseven, and you have the luxury of beingable to see out of it – not necessarily

MATT JOY

Unquestionablystunning

“If you arelucky enoughto spot oneit is unlikelyyou’ll mistake itfor anythingelse”

standard equipment in previousLamborghinis.

But you’ll only want to drive it likethis to get to a place where it can reallybe opened up. Switch to the sharperSport mode for stiffer suspension andquicker gearchanges, and the Aventa-dor is ready to deliver its assault to thesenses. Flick the left paddle twice to se-lect a low gear and even before you’vesqueezed the accelerator the revs riseto a purposeful snarl. A moment’spreparation is required before you burythe right pedal, because the response ismighty and instantaneous.

The speedo needle instantly startsracing upwards, the engine note hard-ens and the road ahead is reeled inwithout any discernible pause.

The transmission flashes through tothe next gear bang on the red line andthe surge continues once more, all themore remarkable for adding hugechunks of speed regardless of how fastyou were going in the first place. ThatV12 has a glorious song for every last

rev from idle to red line, and you’ll flickbetween ratios just to hear its cry.

Even though it is capable of terrifyingspeed the standard carbon ceramicbrakes haul it back down to sanity withcrushing ease time and again, and evenat high speeds the reassurance of four-wheel drive keeps it remarkably stableand faithful. That layout also pays divi-dends through the bends, allowing thedriver to point the nose accurately thanksto the superb steering and unleash thepower earlier, all four wheels workinghard to catapult it up the road once more.

It won’t grumble when you try to parkit, all the buttons and switches work withreassurance and the air-conditioningwill keep you as cool as you wish. Somemight see this as a sanitisation of themadman spirit of Lamborghini.

But in truth the Aventador is just as res-olutely insane as any previous offering, itjust thrills and excites for all the right rea-sons. It rightly deserves its place in thehistory books as well as representing aglorious future for this legendary marque.

TOP SPEED217mph

0-100km2.9 seconds

ECONOMY17.2mpg

C02398g/km

ENGINE6.5-litre petrol unitproducing 691 bhpand 509 lb.ft oftorque

TRANSMISSIONSeven-speedautomated manualdriving all fourwheels

AT AGLANCE

PET TRAVEL

6 The Sunday Times MOTORING JANUARY 22, 2012

The minute we adopted Poppy, weknew life would never be thesame. Our lifestyle occasionallyincludes overland driving. Wehad a hunch she would enjoy

sharing the experience and from day onewe knew we would have to get her a petpassport.

Poppy was micro-chipped before leavingthe Society for the Prevention of Cruelty toAnimals (SPCA), from where we adoptedher. We applied for a passport throughour vet.

The travelling process included our dogbeing routinely de-wormed, treated againstticks, vaccinated against rabies and subse-quently undergoing the rabies anti-bodytitration test, with each step being recordedand signed into the pet passport by the vet.

The rather lengthy procedure took somemonths to complete and we had to see itthrough before contemplating travel withPoppy. We definitely wanted to conform toregulations to avoid Poppy being quaran-tined upon re-entering Malta.

The next issue was the way Poppy wouldtake to boarding a boat since we wanted totravel by catamaran to Sicily. Dogs do notneed a paid ticket so long as they are keptinside the vehicle. If this is not the case,their passage must be paid for. The cost isminimal but the ferry boat authorities mustbe informed upon booking.

As part of the procedure, we had to applyfor a transit authorisation (for live animals)through the Veterinary Regulation, Fish-eries Conservation and Control Division ofthe Ministry of Resources and Rural Affairs.We received a couple of forms by e-mail tofill in, scan and e-mail back complete withPoppy’s travelling dates.

We had to remember to call the same di-vision prior to returning to Malta, so a vetwould be available to meet us upon arrivaland verify Poppy was her true self and herdocuments were in order.

While all these official procedures are abig chunk of owner responsibility and doinvolve a lot of time, thought or expenses,we were also intent on Poppy avoiding anydistress during the upheaval of first-timetravelling.

Poppy adores car trips and watches outwith interest for any possibility of beingdriven around. But we knew there wererisks to consider such as her becoming

seasick inside the car during transit and be-coming unduly distressed at being left alone,especially as she was still barely one year old.It was suggested that we crate her inside thecar but we initially resisted the idea.

The vet acknowledged our wishes and of-fered some tranquilising medication to helpPoppy relax and possibly sleep through thevoyage. We agreed totry it out to see howshe reacted some daysprior to travelling.

As things turnedout, just 10 minutesafter ingesting halfthe recommendeddosage, she becamedrowsy and pro-ceeded to sleepthrough the next 12hours. We didn’t likethis and the vet saidthis was unusual fora dog her size which

led us to reconsider crating her inside thecar.

Last-minute calls to a couple of suppliersfound us a reasonably priced crate to fit herin and we drove to the other end of the is-land to buy it. Getting her to travel in a crateplaced on the back seat of the car meant wecould do away with medication and prevent

her from destroying the carin her panic at being leftalone. We reasoned thatwe could always give herthe medication if she be-came overly distressed.

We needn’t have wor-ried. On boarding theboat, we enticed herinside with the prom-ise of a huge rawhidebone. Making surethe car windowswere left slightlyopen, we left her toit.

She whimpered, then settled down towatch activity around the car. We occasion-ally popped down to the garage to check onher, but she dozed off and only became ex-cited again when we returned to the car.

We had arrived in Sicily and Poppy’s firsthurdle was over. The crate was put aside andshe could sit on the back seat as usual andenjoy the novelty of it all – the smells, thesights… she enhanced our holiday with herboisterous presence. Before departing forMalta we called the vet as agreed and foundhim waiting for us at the port, so Poppy couldreturn home without any complications.

It did take planning and organisation, butultimately it was plain sailing and Poppyloved every minute of it.

As from this month entry requirementsto Malta from EU member states andfrom non-EU countries have changed soit is best to consult the experts. Call 21650393 or e-mail petstravel.mrra@gov.mtfor further information.

MARIKA AZZOPARDI

Our dog, our car and our trip

Poppy loves travelling in the car, and she made it to Sicily without any major problems.

Whether it is a simple consequenceof human nature or a desire tomanage all risk out of considera-tion, humankind’s never-endingquest for safety and automationhas both pros and cons.

We can all be grateful in somesmall way for an electronic inter-vention in our lives that has pre-vented injury or possibly worse,but what does that mean forour own responsibilities whenwe allow a machine to make deci-sions for us?

In June 2009, Air France 447crashed into the Atlantic Ocean,resulting in the deaths of all 216passengers and 12 crew. The exactcause of the crash has still yet to befully determined, but after theflight data recorders were eventu-ally recovered last May, evidencecame to light that the actions ofthe flight crew may have con-tributed to the crash.

Before this flight, the Airbus A330had not been involved in a fatal ac-cident while in passenger service,and alongside other Airbus prod-ucts was considered one of themost advanced panes in the sky.

Its fly-by-wire system, also acommon feature in modern cars,and sophisticated electronicsmeant a very solid reputation.

In fact it had been described as‘unstallable’, meaning that thecomputers would override anypilot input that would result in theplane losing lift and going out ofcontrol.

In essence that fact remains thecase but due to the ferociousweather that Flight 447 was flyingthrough at the time, the pitottubes had become temporarilyblocked. Pitot tubes are externalsensors that feed air speed infor-mation back to the cockpit, andwhen the plane was deprived thiscrucial data it switched to an op-erating mode dubbed ‘alternatelaw’. Crucially, this mode re-moved many of the safeguardsthat the pilots were used to work-ing with, and from that momenton they were flying a plane thatwasn’t behaving as their trainingled them to believe.

The flight data recorders revealthat the co-pilot, in control of theplane for almost the entire dura-tion of its final descent, held theflight stick backwards to keep thenose of the plane pitched up de-spite numerous stall warnings –the immediate reaction to whichshould be to push the stick down.

The result was that the flight de-scended from 38,000 feet in an

almost continual stall until itreached the ocean.

Imagine the amount of workinghours that goes into developing anairliner, the testing and research,and the hundreds of hours oftraining that all pilots have to gothrough with regular reassess-ment and validation.

Yet even then a combinationof design, human factors andrandom elements can result incomplete tragedy.

How often do you climb intoyour car and assume that, becausea tiny light on the instrumentpanel isn’t illuminated, your ABS,ESP, traction control, seat belttensioners and airbag are workingnormally?

Do you sometimes drive tooclose to the car in front, simply be-cause you know your modern carcan stop so quickly? And do you ig-

nore weather conditions becauseyou have the reassurance of yoursophisticated stability control?

These are all typical actions ofhuman beings, relying on aknown quantity until it is com-pletely taken for granted. Howmany of us have any idea how ourcar would behave in a variety ofconditions if the ABS wasn’t work-ing, or the ESP suddenly failed?

We are forever being offeredmore sophisticated driver assis-tance systems on our cars, andthey are tested and developedwith a reassuring level of regula-tion and safety in mind.

But however clever they become,the ultimate responsibility shouldand will always be with the driver.Any electronic aid can only assist usin the driving process: any greaterreliance on a piece of computercode can have dire consequences.

MATT JOY

SAFETY

JANUARY 22, 2012 The Sunday Times MOTORING 7

Deus exmachina

“The ultimteresponsibilityshould and willalways be withthe driver”

JANUARY 22, 2012 The Sunday Times MOTORING 9

NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW 2012

8 The Sunday Times MOTORING JANUARY 22, 2012

Detroit spinners H

owever restrainedyour Christmas hol-iday was, gettingback into the swingof work can be

something of a struggle. Have alittle sympathy then for the bigcar manufacturers trying to gen-erate enthusiasm and stomach achallenging year ahead at theDetroit Auto Show 2012.

The Detroit show is the tradi-tional curtain-raiser tothe automotive calendarand is often seen as abarometer for the yearahead. Refreshingly itseems that, despite 2011being a tough year formost manufacturers, 2012has plenty of reasons foroptimism.

As expected, most of thebig show debuts had verystrong green credentials:almost every star car oneach stand was either ahybrid or showcased thelatest highly efficient com -bustion engine, but unlike previ-ous years where eco cars werewhiter than white there was aparallel focus on making themdesirable and fun to drive.

Chevrolet had two perfect ex-amples in the form of a pair ofconcepts illustrating its ideas foryouth-oriented cars of the future.The Tru 140S and Code 130R aredesigned to be low-cost but de-sirable four-seater coupes, bothusing the same high-efficiency1.4-litre turbocharged engine al-ready seen in the Vauxhall Astrato deliver over 40 mpg.

Both cars have distinctive andindividual styling – remarkablyso for such relatively low budgetcars – and with a focus on sportydriving dynamics are likely to ap-peal to a wide audience. Yetusing many existing mechanicalparts (donated from the currentCruze saloon) helps to keep thecosts down.

Even at the opposite end of thescale, driving pleasure and econ-omy are seemingly going hand inhand. Both Mercedes-Benzand Bentley unveiled high per-formance luxury cars with sub-stantially improved economyand emissions than before: the

all-new Mercedes-Benz SL claimsover 40 mpg combined in V6 formdespite being able to reach 62mph from rest in under six sec-onds, while Bentley’s ContinentalGT V8 hits the same benchmarkin only 4.6 seconds yet is 40 percent more economical than theW12 model. Even the usual su-percar debuts all used hybrid

power to achieve theirheadline-grabbing performance.

As a show that is understand-ably dominated by the homemanufacturers, the 2012 DetroitAuto Show delivered a tone of

cautious optimism and the prod-ucts on show gave a clear indica-tion that this year might be agood one for manufacturers andcar buyers alike.

MATT JOY

Audi goes off-piste with Q3 Seen in public for the first time at the Detroit Auto Show, Audi has unveileda new concept based on the current Q3 SUV. Dubbed the Q3 Vail, it is amore dynamic version with a winter sports theme – although the keychange is the adoption of the 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine seen elsewherein the Audi range.

The Vail adds a two-tone colour scheme with a bespoke body colour –Energy Red – combined with matt grey lower sections, prominent runningboards, a single-frame grille and a slick roof rack with LED lights built in.

However, it is the powerful 310 bhp engine that is the most interestingfeature, delivering a 5.5 second 0-62 mph time and a top speed of 163mph. Although many of the Veil’s features remain conceptual, the adop-tion of this characterful five-cylinder engine points the way to a futureQ3 production model wearing the S badge that will be the flagship ofthe range.

Although Audi remains tight-lipped on the subject, a production Q3with this engine layout would be likely to appear towards the end of 2012.

Mercedes reveals new high-tech SLMaking its public debut at the 2012 Detroit show, Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the sixth generation ofits seductive SL sports car.

Externally it appears quite similar to the outgoing car but for the first time Mercedes-Benz has adoptedan all-aluminium bodyshell, saving a claimed 110 kg over a conventional steel shell. As well as boostingeconomy and performance the lightweight approach will benefit ride and handling.

Underneath the skin the SL is available with a range of new engines, including a 4.7-litre V8 that man-ages to offer 12 per cent more power and 32 per cent more torque while reducing fuel consumption byan impressive 22 per cent. The most popular option is likely to be the new V6 SL350, which is capable ofa remarkable 41.5 mpg combined thanks to standard fit stop/start, yet it can still accelerate to 62 mphfrom rest in 5.9 seconds.

Unlike previous generations the SL can be fitted with an optional Magic Sky roof, which has a glasspanel that can be switched from transparent to opaque at the touch of a button. Magic Vision Controlis a sophisticated wiper blade system that distributes water ahead of the blade in both directions, whileFrontbass uses spaces in the aluminium structure to amplify bass frequencies from the audio systemwithout the need for additional speakers – both of these features are standard on all SLs.

UK prices and specifications are yet to be confirmed, but expect the latest SL to cost around five percent more than the outgoing model in the summer of 2012.

Ahead of the official opening of the 2012North American International Auto Showhome manufacturer Cadillac unveiled its all-new ATS to a select audience in Detroit.

Dubbed ATS and sized just below the exist-ing CTS, senior Cadillac executives admittedthat the compact saloon is targeted directly atthe class leaders, such as the BMW 3-Series,Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class saloons.

Cadillac claims the ATS is ‘nimble, quick andfun’, with an all-new chassis underneath thebold exterior that follows a familiar pattern ofhard edges and prominent features as seen onits most recent models.

Crucially the ATS will be available in right-hand drive from the start of production,

indicating that the American firm is likely tospearhead a renewed effort in the UK with itslatest offering.

Available in rear-wheel and four-wheel driveformats, the ATS will be offered with a choiceof two four-cylinder petrols, a 3.6-litre V6petrol and a four-cylinder diesel. The higheroutput four-cylinder unit is a new tur-bocharged power plant with a quoted outputof 270 horsepower, considerably more thanany rival offerings.

Cadillac claims a strong focus on weightsaving too, with aluminium and magnesiumsuspension components, an aluminium bon-net and even magnesium paddle shifters onautomatic versions. This helps towards an

impressive 50:50 front/rear weight distribu-tion, and with thousands of developmentmiles carried out at the famous NurburgringNordschleife in Germany there is a clear focuson dynamic ability.

The ATS will also be one of the first Cadillacsto receive the Cadillac User Experience (CUE)instrument layout, which uses a 12.3 inch TFTdisplay in place of the instrument panel and aclaimed world-first capacitive touchscreen inthe centre console, allowing a wide range ofuser configuration and the ability to use appsto enhance the user experience.

US sales will begin towards the spring of2012, with potential UK sales starting at theend of the year.

Cadillac reveals new compact challenger

Chevrolet shows future direction with new concepts

In front of a packed auditorium Chevrolet unveiled two new concepts at the De-troit Auto Show that indicated the brand’s future goal to conquer the young driv-ers market.

Both new concepts are four-seater coupes powered by the familiar GM1.4-litre turbocharged engine with a US sticker price of under $20,000

(€15,500), promising genuine affordability and 40 mpg economythanks to underpinnings based on existing Cruze saloon.

The Tru 140S is billed as an affordable exotic, with a verystrong design theme said to be influenced by modern Ferraris.Despite the seductive lines the intention is to offer genuinespace for four adults.

Its sister concept, the Code 130R, is a rear-wheel drive coupewith echoes of both the BMW 1-Series Coupe and its ChevroletCamaro sibling. Despite these strong looks, GM North AmericaPresident Marc Reuss said the Code was not a retro car but afunctional, modern muscle car.

Although no plans for production were mentioned, the use ofcurrent mechanicals and a low retail price could see either or both cars

reaching showrooms, although Chevrolet’s determination to involve potentialcustomers throughout the design process could see the most popular of the twoeventually becoming a reality.

Chevrolet Sonic pointsway to hot Aveo

Alongside two affordable concept cars Chevrolet alsoshowed a production-ready performance version of itsSonic supermini, based on the Aveo as sold in the UK.

Adopting the efficient but powerful 1.4-litre tur-bocharged engine seen in other GM products shouldgive the Sonic a brisk turn of speed. The other key en-hancements are stiffer suspension, disc brakes allround, revised gear ratios and a sports exhaust system.

The outside is distinguished from lesser models bya chunky body kit, deep front grille and 17-inch alloywheels.

RS spec also adds a higher specification infotain-ment system, aluminium pedals, sports seats and achunky flat-bottomed steering wheel.

Next Mondeo appears as new FusionAnyone with a new Mondeo pencilled in as their next company car will be pleased withthe unveiling of the 2013 Ford Fusion at the Detroit Auto Show.

The Fusion is the most crucial car for Ford in the US but is also virtually identical tothe next generation Mondeo that will appear in Europe early in 2013.

Visually the bold front end design instantly grabs attention, with clear design influ-ences from the likes of Aston Martin. It has a high window line to give the sides

visual strength while at the rear a high tailgate line finishes with a design quitesimilar to the current car.

The push for greater efficiency and economy is now a global target, andhence the Fusion will be offered with a wide choice of powertrain options:alongside a naturally-aspirated petrol there are two Ecoboost turbochargedengines, a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid versions, with the latter claiming to bethe world’s most fuel efficient vehicle. The European Mondeo will add a rangeof diesel options to this choice.

The Fusion also brings a host of driver assistance technologies, such as lanedeparture monitoring, adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring, all appearingon a Ford mid-sized offering for the first time.

On sale in the US later in 2012, the Mondeo will reach UK showrooms in the first quar-ter of 2013.

Volvo adds plug-in power to popular SUVAlongside the recently announced V60 version, Volvo has given clear hints that anincreased range of plug-in hybrid models with the addition of the XC60 Plug-In Hy-brid Concept, unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show.

Volvo claims the XC60 has the performance of a six-cylinder car with just a four-cylinder engine, yet offers fuel economy far beyond what is typically possible froma conventional SUV.

The hybrid system is controllable by the driver, allowing pure electric running forup to 28 miles, while using all available modes it is capable of a claimed 53g/km ofCO₂ for emissions, translating to well in excess of 100mpg.

The XC60 uses a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine which is the first of anew generation of powerplants from Volvo, as well as debuting a sophisticated in-fotainment system with online connectivity and a mobile phone application allow-ing constant communication with the car.

Volvo has given a two-year timescale for the XC60 to become a production reality,giving sufficient time for further development and economies of scale to reducethe final price.

NEWS

10 The Sunday Times MOTORING JANUARY 22, 2012

Motorinsurancediscounts

C itadel Insurance plc isoffering customers newdiscounts and offers

across its motor insurancepolicies that can give addi-tional savings of up to 20per cent off motor insurancepremiums.

These discounts are beingapplied across a number ofpolicies, with special benefitsfor those with newly regis-tered cars.

They also stack with a num-ber of other savings. Carefuldrivers with a four-year,claim-free period, owninglow-emission vehicles and ve-hicles that are not used oftencan already benefit from spe-cific schemes, as can cus-tomers who insure multiplevehicles within the samehousehold.

Traditionally, multiple ve-hicle discounts have onlybeen applicable betweenspouses.

Citadel Insurance has ex-tended this benefit to allow allmembers of the same house-hold to benefit. Other mem-bers living in the samehousehold can now be in-cluded in this scheme.

The company is also offeringa number of additional bene-fits to policy holders, such asincluding a number of freedays of cover to be used whiletravelling with their car outsideMalta (in any EU country).

In addition, new compre-hensive policies come withone year of roadside break-down assistance at no charge,while renewal policies canenjoy specially discountedrates on this service.

For more information, callfreephone on 8007 2322 orvisit the company’s customerservice office in Floriana.

T he new BMW 3 Series saloon haslived up to the legacy of its predeces-sor having been crowned What Car?

‘Best Compact Executive Car’ 2012, for theseventh consecutive year with the 320d SE.

The BMW 3 Series saloon reignedsupreme in the compact executive cate-gory, recognised for remaining ahead ofthe competition in every way.

With its EfficientDynamics package,making this 3 Series one of the most eco-nomical cars in its class, it appeals to bothbusiness and retail customers.

However, it was not just the BMW 3Series’ outstanding economy that stoodout for the judges; it was commended forbeing smooth and refined while still offer-ing that sheer driving pleasure.

What Car? editor-in-chief Chas Hallettsaid: “The new BMW 3 Series is great todrive, with sharp steering and a well-judged chassis. But the biggest gains are inefficiency; it delivers 60 mpg and low CO2.

It’s a convincing winner of our ExecutiveCar of the Year award.”

Tim Abbott, managing director of BMWUK, said: “It is a testament to the qualityand refinement of the BMW 3 Series towin this prestigious award for sevenconsecutive years.

“To have this consistent recognition,across the generations, for all of the hardwork that goes into producing BMW’s coremodel is a great honour.”

Continuing the success of the ‘3’, theBMW X3 took home the accolade of WhatCar? Best SUV 2012, having fought off stiffopposition in a very competitive sector.

The BMW X3 xDrive20d was awardedthe top honour in recognition of its excep-tional blend of efficiency, practicality andquality.

While CO2 emissions of just 147g/kmand a combined consumption of 50.4 mpgensure that running costs are kept to aminimum.

‘Best Compact Executive Car’ for seventh year

ON TEST JEEP 2.8 TURBO CRD AUTOMATIC

JANUARY 22, 2012 The Sunday Times MOTORING 11

An incredible numberof people still refer toall unidentified,rugged, off-road typevehicles as ‘Jeeps’.

This is a compliment indeed, butthen the name has been aroundsince 1941.

A reminder of this is the smalloriginal radiator grille and frontlamps depicted at the top of thecurrent Jeep Wrangler Saharawindscreen.

Although The Sunday TimesMotoring test drove the latest two-door, 2.8 turbo CRD automatic tocome to our shores, there is a longwheelbase, four-door versionequally at home with less sportingtypes.

This is quite an innovative vehi-cle. Admittedly it looks like thestereotype Jeep, sporting a ruggedprofile with much ‘promise’.However the promise is actuallyso much more than idle chatter.

Inside the structure is like awell-made road car, except thatthe warm weather will tempt theowner to turn this delightful pieceof motoring history into some-thing more like a very rapid opensporting delight.

On entering the vehicle, every-thing seemed entirely Europeanand this latest Jeep really handlesfar better than a number of popu-lar contemporary saloon cars.

It was a genuine delight; a vehi-cle all enthusiasts should sampleat some stage in their motoringadventure.

Normally the Jeep has two-wheel-drive engaged but with its Command-Trac shift-on-the-fly 4WD it can become a most commanding off-road machine.

On test we stayed on suppos-edly surfaced roads, but as the

Jeep is most popular in places likeLibya, the current model musttruly be able to cope with prettyinteresting terrain.

The two-door, five-seat car, isjust a little daunting for older, lessactive types to clamber onto therear seats, but once there thecomfort level is great.

The Jeep absorbs shocks andpoor road surfaces like competi-tors costing far more of your pre-cious euros, and up front thedriver’s seat is height adjustableas well as being heated (optionalalong with the leather seats thatwe enjoyed).

Air-conditioning, cruise con-trol, power steering and windows,along with a hill start assist, andon automatics a hill descent con-trol, with Electronic Roll Mitiga-tion (ERM), and an ElectronicStability Programme (ESP) with aHydraulic Assist Brake Boosterand Traction Control all go far toreally making sure any enthusiastwill get the better of adverse con-ditions.

Obviously, the seat belts work-ing in conjunction with air bagsmitigate potential pain when thecar stops suddenly.

Underneath there is a fuel tankskid-plate shield and a transferplate skid plate shield. The heavy-duty suspension and gas filleddampers do their job to perfectionand work well with the front andrear stabiliser bars.

Back on board, the tilting steer-ing column provides super adjustment along with the heightadjustable driver’ seat and the fact that the front seats reclineand the rear seat folds makes for long distances to be covered with the ability for comfortable rest-time to be taken.

In-car entertainment is prop-erly taken care of with Am/Fmradio with RDS/EON and singledisc CD player, the noise is emit-ted through six-speakers andthere is also a U-connect phonewith voice command.

The short-wheel base two-doortested is only 4,223 mm long, 1877mm wide, which appears to be abit misleading as the iconic frontwings are invisible to the driverthereby making it seem that theJeep is probably wider than it is,and she sits with a height of1,840mm.

All in all, this is a very decentsized vehicle to enjoy on any ofour roads lanes or even tracks.

The steering circle, kerb-to-kerb is 10.36 metres, but as theautomatic gear change is farquicker than most cars toing andfrowing around narrow roads, toreverse the direction of flow is apiece of cake.

All important ground clearancewith 17” tyres is 266.7mm at the front and 259.1mm at the rear, and the absorbing fact that at 8km/h the driver can proceed through 482.6mm ofwater makes the Jeep a conten-der for All Wheel Drive Clubevents.

Seats up, the maximum load is142 litres. Seats down, it goes upto a respectable 430 litre.

This is a highly interesting anda very well-constructed, all-ter-rain vehicle, one to own andenjoy.

HUGH ARNETT

A name to play with,a vehicle to enjoy

COMFORTA revelation for thistype of motoring experience

PERFORMANCEA great turbo dieseltuned to perfection

COOLIt is not only useful, buta great looking andhandling experience

QUALITYIn class really difficult to fault

STARTING PRICE€39,900

TOP SPEED172 km/h

0-100km12.9 seconds

ECONOMYCombined cycle 34.9mpg (8.1 litres per 100km)

C02213g/km– Euro 5compliant.

ENGINEFour-cylinders in linedisplacing 2777cc. Direct injection com-mon rail technologyturbo diesel.

POWER197 bhp at 3,600rpm

MAXIMUMTORQUEFive-speed automatic

SUSPENSIONLive axle, leadingarms, track bar, andcoil springs, stabiliserbars and gas filledhigh-pressuredampers. Vented discat the front. Soliddiscs at the rear

VERDICT

AT AGLANCE

“This latest Jeepreally handles farbetter than anumber ofpopular salooncars”

NEWS

12 The Sunday Times MOTORING JANUARY 22, 2012

M eridian Enterprises, importersand distributors of Hyundai inMalta, last Friday launched the

first three new models of 2012 – theHyundai Veloster, winner of the ‘GoodDesign Award 2011’, the Hyundai Elantra,which has just been awarded the ‘Au-tobest 2012 Award’ as the best buy choicein 15 European countries, and theHyundai i40.

The launch of the new models atHyundai’s showroom in Valley RoadBirkirkara, was addressed by FrancescaMamo, managing director of MeridianEnterprises who said the new models rep-resent the brand slogan ‘New Thinking,New Possibilities’, which encompassesHyundai’s new brand positioning.

“This slogan,” explained Ms Mamo,“conveys Hyundai’s objective and newbusiness mission, which seeks to offercustomers ‘modern premium’ and expe-riences beyond expectations. It also cap-tures the spirit of change Hyundai isundergoing, its evolution as well as thedramatic growth in all areas of Hyundaibusiness at an international level.”

Referring to Hyundai’s sales growth fig-ures, Ms Mamo said that “in 2011,Hyundai Europe sold 375,000 units, an in-crease of 11 per cent over 2010”. She saidthis was a remarkable achievement in anindustry that had registered a significantdecline, adding that few motor vehiclecompanies had achieved what Hyundaihas managed to achieve last year.

Hyundai today offers at least one modelin every segment, many of which arehighly successful both in terms of sales

achievement but also in terms of settingthe bar.

Ms Mamo added: “While traditionalpremium is usually linked with highprices for the privileged few, Hyundai hasrevolutionised this in order to introduce a‘modern premium’, based on the idea thathigh quality does not necessarily requirea high price.”

Referring to the three new models, MsMamo said: “The New Hyundai i40 is aclear sign of how far Hyundai has come inrecent years, a car that truly embodies themeaning of ‘modern premium’”.

Inspired by the Genus concept car, thei40 could be the most significant carlaunched by Hyundai for many years. Ithas been designed by Thomas Buerkle,the chief designer at Hyundai’s European

Technical centre. The i40 was launched acouple of months ago in most Europeancountries and has already achieved re-markable recognition and sales success.

The Hyundai Elantra has recently beenawarded both the ‘North American Car ofthe Year 2012’ award and the ‘Autobest2012 Award’. The latter award is given forthe best buy choice for mainstream

customers in 15 European and neigh-bouring countries representing a marketof over 300 million people.

The Hyundai Veloster is another exam-ple of the embodiment of Hyundai’s ‘NewThinking, New Possibilities’ concept. TheVeloster is a ground-breaking and inno-vative compact coupe with a unique 1 + 2door configuration. The car has alreadywon one of the world’s most prestigiousglobal awards for new product design, the‘Good Design Award 2011’, and is now inthe running to be acclaimed ‘The MostBeautiful Car of The Year 2011’.”

Ms Mamo said Hyundai’s aim was to gobeyond achieving consistent sales growththrough the launch of new and awardwinning models: “Hyundai seeks to be abrand that is close to the customer andthat offers the customer a second-to-noneownership experience and completepeace of mind throughout.”

This is the objective behind the FiveYear Triple Care package that accompa-nies each new Hyundai model – five yearsunlimited warranty, five years of roadsideassistance and five years of free vehiclehealth inspections.

Ms Mamo said the triple launch was anexcellent way to start off 2012: “It is notoften that a brand launches three newmodels in one day and we are enthusiasticto show them to the Maltese publicthroughout the Open Week.”

The Open Week will last until February4 and visitors to the Meridian Enterprisesshowroom will have the chance of win-ning a €3,000 voucher to be spent on anyHyundai of their choice.

Full hybrid Yarisset for Geneva H ere is a sneak peek of the first full hybrid supermini on the

market, the new Toyota Yaris Hybrid, which will have itsworld premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

The car is able to run solely on electric power, with zero exhaustemissions, and can also act as a closed system that never needs tobe recharged. The system is similar to that in the Auris Hybrid, butredeveloped in key areas to make it 20 per cent lighter.

The Yaris Hybrid’s 1.5-litre petrol engine is new, while the motor,battery pack and associated components are smaller.

The result is a Yaris just like any other with the family face tomatch, but combining 98bhp with what Toyota is calling “segment-leading CO2 emissions.” Its key rival is the Honda Jazz Hybrid, whichdoesn’t run a full hybrid system and emits 104g/km, so expect sub-100g/km from the Yaris.

Toyota is staying tight-lipped about final numbers until officialtests have been run and the data confirmed.

What’s particularly impressive is that Toyota has been able topackage all the hybrid technology without compromising interior orboot space at all, leaving it with the same 286-litre luggage capacityas any other version.

Modifications have been made, however, to the aerodynamics ofthe hybrid model to make sure it’s as efficient as can be.

There will be driving modes available for using the electric motoras much as possible, creating a zero-emission, super-quiet car forin-town driving. When the batteries’ energy is depleted the petrolengine will cut back in and help to recharge them.

Final specifications are yet to be confirmed, but all models willcome with continuously variable automatic transmissions and cli-mate control.

Three new Hyundais launched in one day

"The Veloster is inthe running to beacclaimed 'TheMost Beautiful Carof the Year 2011'"

The Veloster (top), the i40, and the Elantra.

ON TEST RENAULT CLIO 200 RS

JANUARY 22, 2012 The Sunday Times MOTORING 13

Ioften meander into Kinds Motorshowrooms and remark to my-self that there has to be a bit of asplit personality in one companydealing with beautiful German

thoroughbreds on one side of theshowroom and Renault cars on theother.

This is where the magic, the inde-finable élan, the bubbling efferves-cence that seems to eternally springfrom Renault cars satisfies the mostnon-interested among our motoringpopulation at one end of the scale,and the lover of thoroughbred com-petition saloons at the other end ofthe motoring kaleidoscope.

Quite simply, this writer has beeninvolved with the ownership of a Re-nault 5 soon after it was launched andthen enjoyed three of the most excit-ing drives in a long career as a roadtest driver, in Renault cars.

Frank Fenech’s Mark I, Five Turbo,with its mid-engine and only twoseats was a dynamic and exciting carto try and handle well and once thevery noticeable turbo lag had beensorted when trying to corner fast, thesense of personal achievement wasonly bettered when the handling of

my old Aston Martin Ulster had beenproperly mastered.

More recently, the Megane F1tested me to my limits on all but thesmoothest surfaces, but what a car itwas to drive, scintillating, captivatingand almost untameable in the shorttime allowed for the test drive.

An offer of the exciting Clio 200 RScame as a total surprise – a fabulousChristmas drive that raised myrespect for Renault cars to extremelevels.

The car is race bred, a body sur-prisingly similar to the well-knownClio range, suspension tuned to thenines, a dynamic dash layout wherethe rev counter is far and away – themost important dial among a fine col-lection of instruments.

The Recaro front seats grip thethighs like a rugby scrum, but the carhas an almost total absence of rolleven when cornering fast, so the ultragrippy seats are never even remotelyuncomfortable.

If these facts were the end of thestory, it would be a story well worthtelling, but the tale has just begun, forthe drive behind the need to modifya popular little vehicle begins with atwo-litre engine that develops 200bhp, blasts from 0-100 km/h in only6.9 seconds, and peaks out at about

220 km/h. This is quite frankly sensa-tional motoring from a small familysaloon and I dare say an almostunique motoring experience amongsaloon counterparts imported intoMalta.

Obviously, in any high-speed dash,the brakes have to be tested beyondthe norm because the life of the occu-pant/s depends on the car’s ability tobe brought to a halt from high speedwithout the brakes locking, bindingor misbehaving, and the tyres mustbe able to sustain their integrityunder unusual moments of stress.

Even hands off the wheel at thelegal maximum, the brakes werefaultless, and at high speed quiteamazing.

The six-speed gear change levertook a few changes to get used to as ithas an amazingly short ‘throw’.

This means that once masteredgear changes are done in a fractionof the time a conventional Cliowould take.

At this point, the gear throw hada charm of its own and provided aneven more exciting drive.

These days I like the input from askilled passenger and had James,an expert Land Rover pilot onboard. Every few moments after afresh excitement he would mur-mur: “I must own this car”.

Abroad, these high-performanceClios have a general four-star rat-ing, which is an obvious introduc-tion into the far realms of the Cliokingdom.

The model tested should bethe benchmark for all those manu-facturers exporting normal saloons,of a sporting persuasion, to ourshores.

This little car is small enoughnot to be obstructive, is easy topark, nimble as an elf with razorsharp and delightfully positivesteering and a total joy to drivewhether on the open road or intown traffic.

My only word of caution is to be-have with care on pot-holed sur-faces, as expensive wheels andlow-profile tyres really dislike beingthumped around.

HUGH ARNETT

A fabulous driveCOMFORTAmazing for arace-bred vehicle.

PERFORMANCEIn class.

COOLWords elude me.

QUALITYIn class.

TOP SPEED220km/h

0-100km6.9 seconds

ECONOMYCombined cycle,8.2 l/100 km

C02190g/km

ENGINEEuro 5, four-cylinders 16 valves. 1998cc displacement.

POWER200bhp

MAXIMUMTORQUE215 Nm

AT AGLANCE

VERDICT

“This issensational motoring from a small family saloon... aunique motoringexperience”

RACING / NEWS

14 The Sunday Times MOTORING JANUARY 22, 2012

Motorsport Team Malta hascome to the end of anothersuccessful year in Sicily. Setup four years ago, the teamhas competed regularly in

speed events in Sicily, starting with hillclimbs but more recently supporting the Si-cilian Circuit Racing Championship atRacalmuto.

“We ventured into the unknown in 2008,but found out in no time at all that our boyscould run with the very best,” team managerJoe Anastasi said.

The team’s first foray in Sicily was to Ne-brodi, and more precisely the first hill climbat Cesaro. With the likes of Italian Champi-ons Giuseppe Spoto, Carmelo Scaramoz-zino, and others participating, nobody wasexpecting too much, but at the end of theweekend the team filled the podium withyoung Zach Zammit winning overall withhis Ralt Honda, Joshua Anastasi placing sec-ond with his JBR-3 Kawasaki, and MatthewZammit fourth driving his Van DiemenSuzuki.

It was to open a new page in Malta’s mo-torsport history, one that has turned into abook and a total success story. The successof Cesaro was followed by successive winsfor Anastasi at Vittoria where Zammit fin-ished second and Maltese drivers filled sixof the top 10 places in the results, and thenthe hill climb at Adrano where againAnasasi, with his home built JBR-3 was in aclass of his own, against all expectations.

The plan for 2009 was for more of thesame, but when UISP negotiated a circuitchampionship deal with the owners of theRacalmuto circuit, it was too good to ignore.

A couple of hill climbs were entered, thesebeing Cesaro for the second time, and theEtna, and again Malta Team drivers cameout on top. This time it was young AlanCurmi who took the honours on both occa-sions, but the circuit bug had bitten and witheach event more and more locals success-fully participated at Racalmuto.

The success on the hills was repeated onthe track. At the very first round of the newCampionato Siciliano di Velocita in PistaAnastasi put his new JBR-4 Kawasaki car onpole position and made the fastest lap of theweekend.

Others were equally successful, includingEdward Calleja and David Anastasi whoboth thrilled the spectators in their closelycontested races. Other good performanceswere those of Matthew, John, and Zach Za-mmit, Steve Zammit Cutajar, Patrick Gauci,Johann Spiteri and Alan Curmi.

At the end of the championship JoshuaAnastasi had scored enough points to win hisclass and become the first Maltese driver towin a motorsport championship overseas.

The programme for 2010 was much thesame. Cesaro for the third year, and the cir-cuit championship at Racalmuto. At CesaroMatthew Zammit, driving his 1000 cc VanDiemen Suzuki made the fastest time of the

day, beating Italian favoriteRosario Miano, with JoshuaAnastasi third and AlanCurmi fourth, but a techni-cal loophole saw all Maltesedrivers eliminated from theresults.

“They hit us below thebelt with this new ruling wewere not told about after wehad given them our fullsupport for three years,” said an angry anddisappointed Joe Anastasi. “I will not sup-port that organiser again.”

So the team put all its future efforts intothe circuit championship at Racalmuto.Curmi was in fine form throughout the yearwith his newly acquired Radical PR6 Suzukiand was unbeatable in his class, also win-ning a number of events overall. On theother hand, Joshua Anastasi had a troubledseason with numerous mechanical failureson his now supercharged JBR-4 Kawasaki.

In the popular 1000cc Formula class Jo-hann Spiteri (Jedi Suzuki) and Matthew Za-mmit were always very competitive, Spiteritaking a couple of well-deserved wins, withZammit always in the top three. David Anas-tasi thrilled the crowds with his cheeky littleMini regularly beating the bigger engineBMWs, and Jamie Sammut and PatrickGauci placed regularly in their respectiveformula classes, to make it another success-ful year. Alan Curmi capped it all by becom-ing the second Maltese champion in asmany years.

The circuit championship organisers atRacalmuto had really started to get their acttogether by the time the 2011 season gotunder way in April.

Team Malta missed the first round butwere present in force for Round 2 in Maywhere Johann Spiteri put his Jedi Suzuki on

pole position and won his race, PatrickGauci (Hawke Kawasaki) and Alan Curmiwon their respective classes, and JoshuaAnastasi put his car on pole with the fastestlap of the weekend, then went on to win hisrace too.

This sort of performance was repeated inthe September round with Spiteri and Anas-tasi again winning the two formula racesfrom pole, and Patrick, Alan and John Zam-mit winning their respective classes.

David Anastasi again had the crowds ontheir feet, the little Honda engine Mini, nowturbocharged, being more than a match forthe bigger and more powerful Porsches andBMWs and Fabio Baldacchino, SimonCamilleri and Adam Bugeja also joined theteam in Sicily for the first time that weekend,all performing well, with Adam a class win-ner on his debut in Sicily.

The last round in November saw justthree Maltese entries, which were reducedto two when Joshua’s car encountered me-chanical problems during qualifying.

Johann Spiteri again put his Jedi on thefront row, finishing an excellent second inboth the very competitive 1000cc formularaces, which this time were also attended bythe works Gloria team from Turin. AlanCurmi drove excellently to win his classagain and place second overall in the “big”formula race.

It had been another successful season forMotorsport Team Malta, and when all thepoints were totted up we had 2 more Mal-tese drivers winning their respective cham-pionship classes, these being Patrick Gauciand Joshua Anastasi. Alan Curmi was a closesecond in his class despite only competingin six of the 12 races, and Johann Spiteri andMatthew Zammit placed third and fifth re-spectively, simply because they too couldnot attend all the races.

With champions in 2009, 2010 and 2011,nobody can dispute the fact that TeamMalta has left its mark in Sicily. The lastword from team manager Joe Anastasi: “Weare now a respected force, not just for purespeed, but for our friendliness, sportsman-ship, and good behaviour. The Italian or-ganizers are always pleased to welcome usand I am constantly getting so many invita-tions. Pity we can’t afford to do them all. Iam proud of our boys, and looking forwardto helping them out again in 2012. I wouldalso like to take this opportunity to thank ourmain sponsors Virtu Ferries, without whosehelp none of this would have been possible”.

Malta’s success at Racalmuto

T he Peugeot Bipper Van has beenawarded ‘City Van of the Year2011’ – a prestigious accolade at the

recent Fleet Van Awards.The highly contested ‘Manufacturer

Awards’ is very sought after and the Bip-per’s compact proportions, frugal HDidiesel engines and transmissions (withmanual, EGC and Stop and Start systemsavailable), a payload of up to 660 kg and aload volume of 2.5m3 make it a leadingbusiness choice. However, a key factor be-hind the award success was attributed tothe product durability and the quality ofPeugeot’s Fleet sales and support service.

Commenting on the Peugeot Bipper’saward success, Trevor Gelken, editor of

Fleet Van, said: “This was a closely-foughtcontest, but the Bipper was a clear overallwinner, assisted by the prominence ofPeugeot’s renewed focus on fleet supportand after sales.”

“The Bipper is a terrific light commer-cial van and thoroughly deserves to be the‘City Van of the Year 2011’. Winning thisprestigious award is yet another demon-stration of the importance we place inproduct excellence with good customersupport and after sales service support,”Phil Robson, Peugeot UK Fleet Director,said.

The Bipper van is locally imported anddistributed by Michael Attard Ltd, of Na-tional Road, Blata L-Bajda.

Peugeot Bipper iscity van of the year

Alan & Team

Joshua Anastasi

Patrick Gauci

David Anastasi

CAR TORQUE

JANUARY 22, 2012 The Sunday Times MOTORING 15

Recently I read with interest that amanager at Arriva claimed the num-ber of accidents involving Arrivabuses was within acceptable limits.

George Borg Olivier Street,Mellieħa, has become a no-go road,partly because of the increase intraffic following the closure of thebypass and partly because of thecomplete disregard shown by Arrivadrivers for the legitimately parkedcars so parked because their unfor-tunate owners need to shop in theirhometown.

I received a message from oneirate reader of these columns whohad just witnessed an Arriva bussnap off the wing mirror and badlydent the front wing of a parked car,and although people were shoutingat the driver, he simply ignoredthem and continued on his way.

If I need to get beyond Mellieħa Ieither use the well-surfaced countryroad that comes down to PopeyeVillage, or I go through Santa MariaEstate and join Triq Il-Marfa, themain road after using Triq l-Arznell.

Until I was forced into taking eva-sive action on a roundabout I re-fused to believe various Arrivadrivers assumed right of way overtraffic on a roundabout and obvi-ously to the right of the driver. I willnot believe Transport Malta or thePrime Minister’s little sub-commit-tee on the new rights of passageconferred on Arriva drivers duringvarious peak periods would assumethey could alter international trafficlaw in favour of some ill-thought-out local scheme.

The Maltese along with the Britishdrive on the left and so perforcehave to give way to traffic already ona roundabout. That is, to the

oncoming driver’s right. In exactlythe same way as drivers who nor-mally drive on the right in the rest ofEurope must give way to traffic ontheir left on roundabouts.

It simply doesn’t matter whetherthe approaching vehicle is a smallcar, a great-articulated lorry, a caband low loader or even an Arrivabus. The international regulationwill, I think you’ll find, still apply.

Some time before we were ac-cepted by the European Union I hada meeting with the German profes-sor who was then the Director ofRoads, to establish the internationalmaximum speed allowed throughtraffic lights or pelican/ pedestrianlights, as it was not entirely clear intraffic regulations or the HighwayCode. I had established with hishelp that 50 km/h was the maxi-mum approach speed allowed.

Unfortunately Transport Maltahas allowed traffic on Valletta Roadbetween Mosta and the roundaboutopposite Kind’s Showroom to ap-proach the pelican crossings at 60 km/h. Frankly, this is a stupidlyhigh speed, especially as a greatnumber of youngsters use the

pelican crossing adjacent to thefootball pitch and adjacent to thehousing estate, for reasons all tooobvious to parents and thinkingadults.

Traffic management, once theuse of signage and carriagewaymarkings has been mastered, islargely a question of commonsense; putting oneself metaphori-cally either in the driving seat orpromenading down a sidewalk. Itshould then be apparent that theminimum number of signs that tellthe story, along with sensiblypainted carriageway markingswould suffice to make better driv-ers, or pedestrians of us all. It is a jobthat demands experience, withoutthe necessity of having a master’sdegree in road technology.

Traffic management was a jobthat made great use of the teams’people skills as Councils hoped for,and got, not only an affirmative totheir requests but also detailed helpif the request as it stood couldn’t beagreed to.

From my own experiences nowa-days with the Local Councils thatenlist my help it has become thenorm either to not even get a confir-mation from the overworked teamat Transport Malta, or to receive let-ters of confirmation or refusalmonths after the request was made.

It must be noted that there havebeen a number of dreadful inci-dents at the end of 2011, quite pos-sibly because the mix of alcohol andthe excitement of driving too fasthas got the better of the driving abil-ities of drivers.

Or, as new drivers have no clue asto how to control their vehicle whenthe road is slippery, and visibility isnot perfect, there is nothing easierthan falling off the black top.

This most certainly does notmean our maximum speed limit of80 km/h is too fast for any compe-tent driver.

The vast majority of drivers use nomore than 60 km/h as their maxi-mum speed. A great exceptionbeing Arriva bus drivers who canhappily troll along in excess of 80km/h if the road is clear of annoy-ingly slow moving traffic.

HUGH ARNETT

Rules are there for all

60km/hour is a stupidly high speed limit for Valletta Road especially since youngsters use the pelican crossing near the football pitch and housing estate.

“The Arriva bussnapped off thewing mirror andbadly dentedthe front wingof a parked car”

OLD MOTORS ENCOUNTERS – TEMI SCICLUNA

16 The Sunday Times MOTORING JANUARY 22, 2012

As a child growing up in Hamrun,Temi Scicluna was always play-ing with miniature classic carswith John and Joseph Magri,whose father ran the ABC

Garage. Scicluna’s father John worked as adriver with the British Services, and he hashappy memories of being taken on lengthydrives with him in either a heavy truck or anambulance. Scicluna’s father also had an oldFord Prefect – bought from Tumas Fenechwhen the well-known entrepreneur was a po-liceman – which was the boy’s pride and joy.

Scicluna’s father had a part-time job with acar hire company in Hamrun. “On Sundays,my father and the rest of the garage staffwould be engaged on outside work for longperiods, such as weddings, and I used to beleft alone to man the premises. I was only 10years old at the time. The garage was full ofTriumphs, Prefects and Vauxhalls, an irre-sistible attraction to the many young peoplewho at that time could not afford to own a car,and so the next best thing was to hire one.

“Before they left with the self-drive car, Iwould note the speedometer’s last three dig-its, then read it again when they returned. Iwould then subtract the figures, and multiplythe resultant number by three old pence”.

His ability with figures and statistics sawhim embark on a lifetime career working invarious government departments, while stillworking part-time with a couple of garages.

“These garages were always brimming overwith old and classic cars, yet for various rea-sons, I had always refrained from realising mydream of owning one. It had to be a chanceconversation many years later in a govern-ment department that finally opened thefloodgates – and I was fast approaching 50 atthe time,” Scicluna said.

One of the staff remarked that her fatherhad an old car in a garage, and on further en-quiry, Scicluna found out that it was a 1957Austin A35 estate, also known as the BabyAustin. It had been garaged in Żabbar for 12years, and he persuaded the owner to sell it.

“I had it towed to my garage in Mosta. Thecar needed an overhaul, though when Iturned the engine key, it spurted into life. I im-mediately started a nut and bolt restoration byscraping the body down.” The A35 was a smallcompact car sold by the British Motor Corpo-ration under the Austin marque between 1956and 1959, offered, among other versions, as atwo-door ‘Countryman’ estate.

While working on it, Scicluna got to knowfrom his friend John Magri that a 1970 whiteMorris 1000 Traveller was on the market.

“I went to see it, and amazingly, it was in thegarage of the house in Hamrun where I hadbeen brought up, and which I had left 15 years

ago. The Morris belonged to an Englishmanmarried to a Maltese, and it had also beengaraged for many years. However, it was stillroadworthy and functional – so much so thatJohn and I drove it up to Mosta to my garage”.

Some time later, the 1970 Morris was joinedby an earlier model, a 1959 Morris, also aTraveller. “I got to know about it from mybrother-in-law. I went to see it, and found italready dismantled, for its owner was in theprocess of having it rehabilitated, prior to giv-ing up. I bought it too, with the aim of restor-ing it eventually”. The Traveller, designed bya team led by Alec Issigonis, came off the pro-duction line in 1952 as a wood framed versionof the Morris Minor, the ash wood structurebeing varnished rather than painted.

Scicluna says that one day in 2005, while in-specting his three classic cars in the garage,the thought crossed his mind that all of themwere estate vehicles, and all of a sudden ayearning for a saloon became uppermost inhis mind. He sold the Baby Austin, still underrestoration, to a tile layer who was working athis home, and who had been pestering him,as he had another similar vehicle.

His friend Joseph Magri had a 1957 Stan-dard Super 10 for sale, and after some negoti-ations, a deal was struck. The beige saloonneeded restoration, although the engine wasnot in a bad condition. Scicluna started workon the Standard 10, but some time later, whiletouring the Beaulieu stalls with Joseph Pace ofStandard Garage, he saw a picture of anotherStandard 10, also produced in 1957.

He talked to the owner, and a couple ofdays later, the Maltese duo were in Swanageto inspect it. “Its impeccable condition left mebreathless,” Scicluna said. “The engine, thebody, its attractive red and white upholstery –I decided to buy it on the spot.” The classic carwas soon on its way to Malta.

The Standard 10 was a small car producedby the British Standard Company, on and off,for more than 50 years. The name was firstused in 1906 as the 10 hp, with a 631cc two-cylinder side valve engine. It was reused from1934 to 1936, and produced until the end ofthe Second World War. In 1953, the 10 was in-troduced with a larger engine version of theStandard 8, though sharing a similar framedtransmission. In 1957 an overdrive or a semi-automatic were available as options. The 10was replaced in 1961 by the Triumph Herald.

Having satisfied his saloon dream, histhoughts now turned to another theme: thatof having an old vehicle with wire wheels aswell as with prominent outside headlamps.

“Last April, while surfing the net, I caughtsight of a 1934 black Morris 10/4, belonging toan Englishman in Hertfordshire. I asked himfor more information as well as pictures. I didnot hear from him for quite a while, and hadlost hope, when he contacted me, and sentme the required details. From what I couldsee, it was in a very good condition”.

Scicluna paid a deposit for the vehicle, oncondition that the deal would go through onlyafter a personal onsite inspection. A monthlater, he was on his way to England with hisfriend Pace to inspect the goods at closerquarters. Seeing its original and excellent con-dition, and testing the old car, only made Sci-cluna more determined to buy it, and the carwas soon dispatched to Mosta.

The Morris company introduced the 10/4in 1933, and it was a significant move, becauseit moved the firm, which previously producedsmaller cars for the masses, up the saloonscale. The 10 was originally available withfixed or sliding head, while later a sloping ra-diator and a single bar chrome plated bumperwere added.

Scicluna now admits that his thirst for oldcars has now been quenched, and the two oldcars give him so much pleasure that he is intwo minds whether to continue working onthe restoration of the other classic vehicleswhich he has in his garage, or sell them.

Scicluna joined the Old Motors Club wayback in 1998, when he bought the AustinA35. He is a frequent participant in variousevents, although he prefers the runs, as theyinvolve more movement and activity overlonger distances and places, rather than thestatic shows.

He laments the fact that in his opinion, theauthorities are not fully appreciative of thehistorical and heritage value of old motors. Hepoints out that while in Malta, steps have beentaken to cut the classic car license by half, inthe UK they do not pay anything.www.oldmotorsclub.com

JOSEPH BUSUTTIL

A passion that started at 50

The 1934 Morris 10/4. Photos by Tony Vassallo

Temi Scicluna with his 1957 Standard Super 10.

“A chance conversa-tion finally openedthe floodgates”