New axles save truckers thousands in diesel

Mercedes-Benz said it can save some R6 000
in diesel over 10 000 kms on its trucks using
more efficient hypoid axles.

TWO Mercedes-Benz Actros 6x4 truck-tractors, fitted with the latest Mercedes-Benz RT440 hypoid rear axles as standard, have achieved significant fuel savings of more than five percent in test runs in the Eastern Cape.

AUDI recently launched its RS5 cabriolet at Desmond Gutzeit’s mad, tight track in Port Shepstone.

BMW uses an “M” to show which of its cars is faster than the rest. Merc warns with “AMG” that this car is not for the bowls club. On an Audi, the letter R hints that all the vital parts, from the shocks to the valves, have been tuned to perform faster.

Vale to take on guys at Dezzi's

Morne Venter holds it steady

FIA, motorsport’s global controlling body, this week hosted 250 attendees at Goodwood in the UK “to share ideas on how to develop motorsport”.

At the time of going to print,  Talking Transport had no report back from the meeting, but if drifting did not feature on top of FIA’s agenda, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile is missing the plot — again.

Countdown to King of Spin

In Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, the countdown has started to find the King of Spin and King of Drift at Sidewayz at the Market at the end of July. 

The event, on July 27 and July 28, will attract spinners and drifters from all parts of South Africa, eager to show their precision throttle feathering.
Seen here is Lionel Jordaan, who will represent the Western Cape over the two-day event. Gates open at 4 pm on the Saturday. 

On the Sunday, gates open at 9 am for the drifting event and the finals of the top spinners, who will go head-to-head to win the title of King of Spin.
One lucky spectator will win a trip to the Pro Series Supra Drift in Japan. Sidewayz offer an early-bird special with two gate passes for R70. On the day of the event, a gate pass will cost R70 per person at the gate.
For more on how to buy your tickets early and save, phone 083 792 0853.

From mechanics to master mechanics

THE Motor Workshop Industry Association (Miwa) has launched a training course to qualify mechanics as master mechanics.

Les McMaster, chair of the association, said diagnostic equipment assisted mechanics to a certain extent, but it could only do so much. Which is why Miwa approached training company Delmar, based in the U.S., two years ago to host its ground-breaking automotive technician training programme in South Africa.

McMaster said the association now offered a distance learning Master Technician training programme that teaches a list of 13 aspects covering the latest technology in cars from bumper to bumper.

Hyundai flagship gets more power

The 2013 Sonata boasts a new touch screen sound system.

AT the launch of its stronger flagship sedan, Hyundai South Africa described its experience of the mechanical training at school level in South Africa as “problematic”.

Hearing about the problems that a giant in the motoring industry has with the outcomes of our Sectoral Education and Training Authorities (Seta) is not standard fare for a car launch, but it does show Hyundai’s level of commitment to the future of South Africa.

Potholes and arseholes in Limpopo

(Updated) Ever wondered why the roads in Limpopo province is in such a bad state?

It is because the officials who are supposed to fix 'em, are instead getting their own fix from the official budgets. The good news, a little hawk-like bird told us, is that arrests are being made.

Marietie Louw-Carstens for Beeld reports that in Polokwane two former senior employees of the departmentr of roads and transport in Limpopo had been arrested for  fraud involving R79 million.

The Hawks yesterday arrested Mashanoke Alice Mogotlane (44), former chief officer of the Limpopo Roads Agency. The agency is managed by the department of roads and transport.

Ndangani Robert Nemavhola (48), former manager of  special projects in this department, was also arrested.
Since this blog was put on, Paul Nkosi (37) van UMSO-Construction was also arrested and given bail of R10,00.

Nkosi, Mogotlane and Nemavhola are suspected of fraud and corruption involving R79 million to build a bridge over the Olifants Rivier in the Penge area near  Burgersfort. 

In December, five Limpop government offiocials have been arrested  since December 2011 .

In April, Floyd Brink (31), chief assest manger of the department of roads and transport was arrested for allegedly committing fraud involving R63 million. The money was supposed to fix potholes caused by the 2011 floods in the area, but these were never fixed.

Nkosi,  Mogotlane and Nemavhola will appear Augustus in the Polokwane magistrate's court.

For when the going is all up

Hyundai's i20 CRDi has no real
  competition in the diesel hatch stakes

TO create the rhythms for the throbbing tunes that have made the Rolling Stones timeless, drummer Charlie Watts once explained that he had to change his jazz style “to play swing with a straight four”.

Watts may as well have been describing what it feels like to drive the Hyundai i20 diesel, for swing is when the music sounds like it’s going faster while it is not.

Top Gear show makes for awesome Father’s Day

Young car fans shoot veteran 

motors at the display by the 

Franschoek Motor Museum 

at the Top Gear Festival
at Moses Mabhida Stadium 

in Durban. (Photo: Ian Carbutt) 

OSCAR Pistorius, necklacing and an encouragement to drive fast on public roads were just three of the carefully choreographed gaffes that the Top Gear team slipped into the live show, hosted in Durban at the weekend.

The fans who packed out the north side of the Moses Mabhida stadium in four sell-out shows did not even flinch. This is now standard fare from the live version of world’s most watched factual show, produced by Rowland French and hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. To Top Gear fans, the hosts are just known as Jezza, who is like a naughty uncle; the Hamster, the favourite cousin; and Captain Slow, the boring science teacher who also has chemicals that can explode.

Want Orries stoot én trek

The Audi R8 at Dezzi Gutzeit's race track near Port Shepstone, KZN.

Dis toe vrek maklik om ’n Audi quattro amper so vinnig soos SuperVan om draaie te jaag, solank jy net die drie stappe onthou: stop, trap, en hou dan vas!

Die gestop maak nie sin nie, maar dit werk, soos ek in ’n Audi RS5 afslaankap op Desmond Gutzeit se baan in Port Shepstone gaan leer het. As hy nie geel masjiene bou om berge te skuif nie, jaag Gutzeit graag sy Nissan GTR karre om die baan se veegdraaie.

Ek meen daai draaie was een aand na baie brandewyn in die stikdonkerte geskraap. Want een kant het ’n blinde hoogte met ’n neëntig-grade draai na regs wat dan aanhou toemaak. Die ander kant eindig in ’n 360-grade draai met ’n 20-meter afgrond vir ’n sypaadjie. Onthou jy daai grappie van Tiger Woods, sy kar en die pennetjies waarop sy golfballe rus? Wel, manne wat by Dezzi se baan jaag, gebruik nie golfbal pennetjies nie, maar Buckey broeimasjiene. Volstruiseiers pas gemaklik in Buckey broeimasjiene.

Vir die vinniger pa

Die eerste RS Audi in SA was ‘n stasiewa, maar die rooi Avant se hantering en versnelling het in 1994 elke rooibloed pa laat regop sit.

BMW wys met ’n “M” watter van hul motors vinniger as ander is. Merc waarsku met “AMG” dis nie ’n kar vir kerk toe gaan nie. Op ‘n Audi vertel die letter R dat als, van die dempers tot die kleppe, vir verrigting ingestel is.

In vergeleke met die lang geskiedenis van die ander twee Duitsers is Audi die nuweling in die vinniger-maak arena. Audi het eers in 1983 begin om verrigtingsmodelle gebou. Eie aan Audi se aard was die eerste RS model in SA dan ook nie ’n twee-deur afslaankap of gestroopde vierdeur ren-sedan nie, maar ’n stasiewa. So ’n bloue.

‘Top Gear’ is getting to be repetitive, but the young uns loved it

Zama Mtshali and Claire Tomlinson 

at the Top Gear Festival at Moses Mabhida Stadium 

in Durban.(Photo: Ian Carbutt)

SHELL did not sell any seashells on the seashore over the weekend, but sponsored lots of Top Gear fun. The Witness sent three hip 20-somethings and a bloke twice their age to see what the world’s most popular motoring programme is all about.

Top three challenges for transport in South Africa

Presenters at  South Africa's 8th State of Logistic 

survey in Johannesburg: (from left) Zane Simpson
(Stellenbosch University); Dr Cornelius Ruiters (CSIR);
Nadia Viljoen (CSIR); Hans Ittmann (HWI Consulting);
and Cobus Rossouw (IMPERIAL Logistics).

The 9th State of Logistics survey for South Africa, launched on July 19, 2013 in Johannesburg, puts the contribution of transport costs to overall logistics costs in 2012 at 61% - the highest it has been in the past nine years and far higher than the global average.

The long and short from the survey is that South Africa’s economy stand to benefit from the continent's growth, but entrenched dependence on road transport makes the region's economy very vulnerable.

The survey was jointly released  by the CSIR, IMPERIAL Logistics and Stellenbosch University.

Nadia Viljoen, scientific editor of the survey and a researcher at the CSIR, said in a press release accompanying the survey that South Africa must urgently address critical issues relating to the road freight sector; shift from road to rail; and  address rampant skills shortages and misalignment in the logistics sector.

A less reverent look at the Gautrain

In days of yore, western governments built huge steely erections to show their prowess.

Some governments in the east is still at it, but more common these days is to built a fast train. Presumably because  the government officials can then tell each other at the urinals how fast their's can go. 

And it all costs.

Like this report from Engineering News, that the the South African Government had paid a monthly ridership guarantee to Gautrain operator, the Bombela consortium, since June 7, last year, amounting to R831.4-million by the end of March, Transport Minister Ben Martins on Tuesday noted in a written response to a question posed in Parliament.

Working two wheels to the max

eTolls not going / not going to Austria

On 12 June 2013, Kapsch TraffiCom, the Austrian company operating South Africa’s eTolling system, announced that additional annual revenue of €50 million will be coming from the pockets of Gauteng’s drivers. The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) was stunned by this latest revelation.
The AA said this announcement shows a continued disregard for the South African motorist. While it is the mandate of every organisation, local or international, to increase the bottom line, in this case the South African government is allowing this to happen to the detriment of its already hard hit citizens who are simply trying to make ends meet.

The wheel — reinvented

Fewer friction points allow this skateboard
wheel to roll faster.

ONE of the success stories on the social fundraising site Kickstarter has also reinvented the wheel.

Currently, the wheels are only fitted to skateboards, but The Witness predicts it won’t be many years before the mishapen wheels appear on trailers.

Shark Wheels last year sought — and got — funding for its sine wave wheel on Kickstarter, selling pledges for $50 (R506,21) and $55 on its different wheels.

Having demonstrated the new wheels at Venice Beach in California on December 15 last year, Shark Wheels says it has the money to start deliveries by September 2013.

The creator of the spherical expansion wheels David M. Patrick said his sine wave wheels are neither square nor round, but made up of three strips, each of which create a helical shape when they roll. This forms a sine wave pattern where the wheels make contact with the ground.

The tracks made by each of the wheels look like a wave drawn by a child’s fingers in the sand.

Patrick said his wheels result in fewer friction points on the ground, allowing the wheel to roll faster than a traditional skateboard wheel and also allows for better handling in rough and wet terrain, which causes problems for normal wheels.

The sine wave pattern also grants improved lateral grip, as the width of the wheel is able to be increased without adding any unnecessary friction, and thus, slowing down the board.

It also provides three lips for stopping, where a traditional wheel only has one.

Another interesting application of Shark Wheels is the ability to mix different hardnesses in the same wheel.

The hardness of a skateboard wheel is measured in terms of duro­meters, and the three interlocking pieces of this particular wheel allows the rider to choose three different ones in each wheel, which grants extra customisation in terms of grip and slide.

Feeling the used car blues

Tuning your straight on voetstoots

GARY Ronald, head of public affairs at the Automobile Association (AA) of South Africa, recently issued an advisory to explain how the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) affects car sales.

The act prohibits any official car dealer from selling a vehicle voetstoets, irrespective of whether they disclose what is wrong with the vehicle or not. Private sales can be voetstoets, if a full list of all known car defects has been provided to the buyer, who has to sign the list.

This implies buyers can now take a dud car back to a dealer, as two readers, who complained to Weekend Witness about buying what they say were problem cars, tried to do.

Genuine crocodile leather seat

Africa is not a place for sissies.

Spam in the olde days

Where girl meets boy

AMONG the coupés on sale in SA today, the Veloster is a real boy meets girl kind of car.

It has the looks. It’s got the goods. And after boy met girl and they made whoopee, it has a third door on the kerb side. For dropping the dear little ones off safely at school, so that they don’t step in front of traffic, see?

Worries about Redisa's "weak plan''

TYRE dealers and fitters last week lost two battles in their ongoing struggle to stop a recycling plan that they say will become very costly for tyre buyers in South Africa.

First the Bloemfontein high court ruled that the Department of Environmental Affairs may continue implementing a reworded recycling plan, as resubmitted by the Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of SA (Redisa).

Then the SA National Civics Organisation (Sanco), which initially held an exploratory meeting with the tyre industry forum, on Wednesday aligned with Redisa.

The delighted CEO of Redisa, Hermann Erdmann, said: “We can now move ahead with the original intention of the plan, which is to remove waste tyres from the environment whilst creating jobs and building a recycling industry.”

Taxi 009 is licenced to entertain

The Baw Sasuka comes with a fold-down monitor
to show passengers ''in-flight movies''.

TO launch another midibus into the cut-throat taxi market of South Africa requires more than just a low price.