Honda is to start marketing and selling the CR-Z sports coupe hybrid in February 2010. This is according to newly appointed company CEO Takanobu Ito who said European launch dates will be announced at the end of the year.
The CR-Z will be based on the CR-Z Concept (pictured) which was first unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. It will be one of the world’s first sports hybrid coupes and will be aimed at people who are both environmentally conscious as well as driver-enjoyment focused. The promise is one of a highly enjoyable driver’s car that emits low C02 gases at the same time. That’s often an oxymoron because of the way hybrids are built; an electric motor powered by lithium-ion batteries and a petrol engine running alongside it. All that adds up to is a low-powered petrol engine and added weight issues.
Honda already has extensive experience with hybrids. Currently the Insight Hybrid (not available in South Africa) is one of Japan’s biggest-selling cars. The compact Jazz will also, in a few years time, be offered with a hybrid solution.
Pretoria, 13 July, 2009. - Team Ford Racing is eagerly awaiting round five of the Absa Off Road Championship taking place on the weekend of 24 and 25 July. The Sun City 400 can be regarded as a home event for the Pretoria-based manufacturer, as it is close to the Ford Assembly Plant, which is situated East of Pretoria in Silverton
.
Neil Woolridge and Kenny Skjoldhammer have always been fond of the Sun City event.
“We have taken second place on this event for the last two years running so we are confident of a strong running. We have been working tirelessly on developing the Ford Ranger TDCi's and we hope to demonstrate their pace on this event,” says Woolridge.
Piloting the second SP Ford Ranger 3,2TDCi will be Thomas Rundle from Barden Tyre Services, and navigator Stavros Yiannakis. The young pair will be aiming for a strong points finish.
“This is an exciting event for me as it is so close to my home town of Pretoria as well as the Ford factory. We expect to have a lot of support and hopefully we’ll be able to give them something to cheer about.”
Baphumze Rubuluza and Khulile Vakalisa will represent Team Ford Racing in Class E with the 3.0 TDCi Rangers. “The last event was very difficult for the team so we are eager to put that behind us and get straight to business on the Sun City event,” says Rubuluza.
The Sun City 400 also sees the team welcoming a new sponsor on board - Innovation Group SA.
Innovation Group enables the delivery of business strategies through the provision of market leading business process solutions. The company’s core business philosophy is developed around great business partnerships and exceptional client relationships.
“We are very excited to partner with Ford in the South African Absa Off Road Championship and we wish the team the best of luck on the upcoming event,” says Warren Fryer - Manager: Corporate: Innovation Motor Sales and Services, the Innovation Group.
Team Manager Woolridge continues: “We are very excited to welcome Innovation Group to the team. They share many values with the team and we are sure they will gain valuable exposure through the association.
“The event is expected to be spectator friendly with all the spectator points located within a 50km radius of race headquarters. The viewing points are easily accessible and provide plenty of action. We expect to have a lot of support for the team and so we will be more determined than ever to have a strong finish,” Woolridge concluded.
Techco is a new tuner on the block. And what is the first thing they become famous for? Punching out 441kW (600hp) out of a Chevrolet Corvette C6. Thanks to a new supercharger Techco was able to suck out this much power and 725Nm of torque.
The LS 3 ‘Vette is apparently quite mute at idle but when pushed for talk it emits a blaring sound enough to impress even the car gods on Mount Olympus. The supercharger kit, which displaces 3.0-litres, is available for US$8,500 (about R71 000 today).
July 13, 2009, Mumbai: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), one of India’s leading auto companies, today announced that its South African subsidiary, Mahindra South Africa (Mahindra SA), is now wholly owned by the company.
Mahindra South Africa was previously a joint venture between M&M and African Automotive Investments Corporation, a subsidiary of African Resources & Logistics Corporation.
“The South African vehicle market is one of the largest and most dynamic in Africa. Our customised, value for money products and strong focus on after sales have contributed in large measure to our success in the South African market. Mahindra vehicles such as the Scorpio, Bolero and XYLO have carved a distinct niche for themselves in South Africa with their combination of rugged utility and style. This additional equity infusion reflects our long-term commitment to the market that is of strategic importance to Mahindra,” said Dr. Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. and Chairman, Mahindra South Africa.
“We have achieved significant growth in South Africa since it commenced operations in October 2004, with a countrywide presence of over 30 dealers. The recently launched XYLO has also received an enthusiastic response from customers across the country. Aside from the additional investment, we will focus on introducing a new range of products and building the Mahindra brand in South Africa over the next few months,” said Mr. Ashok Thakur, chief executive of Mahindra South Africa.
Mahindra South Africa’s product portfolio comprises of the Scorpio SUV and Pik Up range, the Bolero Pik Up and the recently launched XYLO.
After establishing a base in South Africa, Mahindra also expanded into other sub-Saharan countries and currently exports vehicles to Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Swaziland and Namibia. Mahindra SA is also well represented on the agricultural front with a range of tractors currently available in the country.
Charl Wilken and Greg Godrich emerged from the 5th round of the Sasol South African Rally Championship with the 2009 SA Production Car and Class N4 championships firmly in the team’s trophy cabinet after a storming drive through the 12 stages of the Volkswagen Rally which saw the pair end a strong 7th overall after leading the rally after four stages.
The Sasol/Konica Minolta car was running with a FIA rule change allowing production cars a larger 33mm turbo restrictor instead of the 32mm approved previously. “The car is easier to drive because of the wider rev range”, was Wilken’s initial feeling on the new rule.
Wilken and Godrich, arguably one of the most prolific championship-winning driver pairings in the country with ten rally championships since 2003, set a blistering pace on Friday’s stages to take the overall rally lead after stage four, having set the fastest time on the 5km long second tarmac stage, beating the faster, more powerful factory S2000 machinery in the process.
As the teams headed to the Longmore Forest for the first time, Wilken had what he described as a poor stage, dropping 20 seconds to the S2000 teams. “I really don’t know why we were so slow relative to the guys we were leading”, said Wilken. “We had a problem with the intercooler water spray system and that may account for a couple of lost kilowatts”. Wilken and Godrich were happy with their 4th overall at the end of Friday’s six stages.
Saturday brought another good run over the Jagtvlakte stage, and Wilken and Godrich were up into a podium place, holding 3rd overall. A puncture in the dreaded 48km long ninth stage, 15km from the end, cost the pair any chance of retaining the podium place.
“We lost about two minutes to Enzo Kuun and dropped down to 7th place. That’s how close it is at the front in rallying. You can’t work on ‘what ifs’, but we could well have ended on the podium”, Wilken rued. “On the other hand, with the championship out of the way, we can drive to our full potential on the remaining three rounds and see how far up the overall order we can get, which is going to be a lot of fun”.
Sasol’s Head of Sponsorships, Dean Somerset, was thrilled with the first titles of the year; “Charl is a natural racer and this result is a proud moment for the team and the Sasol brand. It is the first year in their new car, demonstrating the level of talent in the team. I’m thrilled that we’ve pocketed the championship so early in the season”.
The Sasol/Konica Minolta Team Director Flip Wilken added: “We’ve been the dominant team in production car rallying with five wins from five starts and we are the first team to win a title this year”.
Tjaart Coetzee and Etienne Lourens (SAC Trucks Subaru Impreza) were time barred on Friday after changing a gearbox at the final service of the day. The newcomer to rallying had earlier lost 25 minutes in stage five when a fuel line came adrift and the pair had to stop and repair it in-stage. Coetzee ran under SuperRally regulations on Saturday, allowing the driver to gain experience of the route.
In class N3, the dominant Dave Compton/Pierre Jordaan pairing retired their Sasol Toyota RunX with a blown engine in stage four, bringing an end to their run of four wins from four starts and putting the formality of their championship on hold for another month.
Chad Lambert/Nic Prinsloo drove a borrowed Toyota RunX to take a maiden class win after overcoming a catalogue of mechanical problems on the first day. Lambert and Prinsloo are the 2007 Northern Regions Champions.
The next outing for the Sasol/Konica Minolta Team is the Osram Rally on 22 August.
