The History of the Japanese Grand Prix
Japan wanted a Grand Prix as F1 had an enormous following in
that country, and there were specialist manufacturers and automakers who were
interested in being part of the world F1 scene; however, nobody wanted to race
at Fuji.
The answer was Suzuka, which had been designed by John
Hugenholtz as a test track for Honda. Because it had been built as a test track,
it had a wide range of corners over its 5.8 km length and it also had a flyover,
a unique feature to Grand Prix circuits, and in fact for most circuits. The only
other one I know of is the Oran Park GP (long) circuit outside Sydney,
Australia.
Suzuka was first used for a World Championship race in 1987
and has ever since hosted the Japanese Grand Prix. It has frequently been the
championship decider, such as in 1989 when Senna came together with Prost with
seven laps to go but the title went to Prost when Senna was disqualified for
being push started, or in 1990 when again Senna rammed Prost out of the race at
very high speed on the first corner, but this meant that the title went to
Senna. Japan invented kamikaze remember, which Senna had learned very well (and
I don’t mean the cocktail). It is also good for some people to remember that
Michael Schumacher was not the first to work out that by rivals retiring he
could be left with the title, and thereby helping them into the shrubbery when
required!
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week, to beat the Googlers, I said to take a look at the
photograph published with the quiz last week. I asked what was the year and what
was the car? The clue was that it was not what you initially thought it was!
This
was not, repeat not, an MGA, but was an experimental vehicle called EX 182. MG
made three of these to run at Le Mans in 1955, recording a 12th and 17th
overall. These were designed from a previous shape called EX 175, and were all
alloy bodies and had Weslake headed B series engines. The MGA’s had a chassis
from another experimental vehicle called EX 179, bodies based on EX 182, front
suspension from the MG TF, and the rest of the mechanicals from the ZA Magnette.
So to this week. And since you’ve now got MG in the Google
window, what was the first 750 cc engined MG to break 100 mph?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first correct
answer to email automania @chiangmai-mail.com
Good luck!
New Golf GTI at Paris Motor Show
Volkswagen has gone back to the original concept of the Golf
GTI as being a pocket rocket, in the new GTI Euro IV released at the motor show
in Paris. I can remember with much enthusiasm the release of the original
GTI’s in 1976, astounding vehicles that could knock the spots off many much
larger engined sporty cars.
The
new GTI Golf features a 2 litre turbo, a direct-injection FSI four-cylinder
delivering 147 kW and a huge gruntful of 280 Nm of torque between 1800 and 5000
rpm, with it all being handled by a six speed manual gearbox. This allows the
GTI to reach 100 kph in 7.2 seconds, according to VW, but there is also a tricky
two-clutch gearbox that gets the 0-100 clicks down to 6.9 seconds. The previous,
now superseded, GTI had only 110 kW, whose performance could never have been
described as blistering.
Even though the new GTI is more powerful, the new Euro IV
emissions-compliant engine is also claimed to return average fuel consumption of
just 8.0 litres per 100km.
Complementing the extra performance is 15 mm lower sports
suspension and a host of safety features including six airbags, ESP stability
control and active front head restraints.
A sports body-kit will complement the increased engine
performance, including a black radiator grille with red frame and diamond mesh,
front and roof highlights, a rear spoiler, twin tailpipes and distinctive 17
inch alloy wheels with 225 section width tyres.
Other tarty features, according to the Australian GoAuto
News, include red brake callipers, a distinctive bumper with three large air
inlets, black widened sill panels, high gloss B pillar trim, blue heat
reflective windows and darkened headlight housings. None of these do I find
impressive, I’m afraid.
Inside, the new Golf GTI will feature exclusive sports seats
with stitched GTI logos on each head restraint, black headlining, aluminium
gearknob and pedal cluster, and a three-spoke steering wheel like the
original’s, this time leather-wrapped and with aluminium trim.
Also exclusive to Golf GTI will be new instruments, climatic
air-conditioning, multi-function display, illuminated front footwells, automatic
anti-dazzle interior mirror, rain-sensing wipers, courtesy lights and a tyre
monitor display.
Price is yet to be finalised but it is expected that there will be an
increase from the AUD 36,990 sticker on the current GTI down-under (1.1 million
baht on straight currency exchange, but if VW brought them here I would expect a
price tag closer to the BMW Mini Cooper at 2.2 million baht).
Crude Oil goes past the $50 mark
The price for crude oil has now exceeded USD 50, a figure
that was predicted for quite some time. Not to worry, says Saudi Arabia, we will
step up production, but that has not stopped the panic in the international fuel
markets. Mind you, Nigeria then saying that they want all sorts of domestic
upheavals righted, or they will stop their oil production has not helped, and
could be seen as shooting themselves right and properly in the foot. Venezuela
is also in more strife than Flash Gordon, so the oil dilemma does not look as if
it is going to be corrected in the short term. Oil from Iraq? Forget it. The
Iraqi nationalists are blowing up more pipelines than they Americans can fix.
(Good one, George Dubbya!)
So
where does that lead us? Please don’t say down the road to diesel, as the
majority of diesel fuel comes from crude oil too. The only advantages with
diesel is that you get better fuel consumption figures, and you can use
vegetable oils, but quite frankly they are so difficult to produce that the
costs won’t go down.
No, we are being led, quite inexorably to alternative fuels,
with hydrogen fuel cells being way, way out front. But the big problem lies in
the infrastructure. We have 100 years of roadside petrol pumps, and zero
hydrogen bowsers. Buy a hydrogen fuel cell car and you can only refuel at the
manufacturers!
It will need big bucks and big cojones to build a hydrogen
supply line, but that is coming, especially if you are a Terminator fan. Big
Arnie, now the top man in California says he’s behind it, and has the plans
(and probably the political clout) to make it happen.
In January this year, in his first State of the State address
in Sacramento California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said that he will
encourage the construction of a hydrogen highway in California and that he will
make sure that California becomes the place where economic growth and
environment coexist.
Although Arnie did not mention any specifics on how to
finance the Hydrogen Highway infrastructure, it is likely that funding will be
based on bonds where the per unit hydrogen fee will ensure the necessary cash
flow.
What is needed to get started is to build sufficient hydrogen
fuelling infrastructure to serve a sufficient number of hydrogen and fuel cell
powered vehicles to ensure the cash flow.
It really is an example of the chicken and the egg. If there’s no
infrastructure, you can’t sell hydrogen cars. If there’s no hydrogen cars,
there’s not enough money to be made on fuel sales to finance the building of
the pipeline! But as Arnie said, “I’ll be back!” and we hope that’s with
the answer to the hydrogen fuel infrastructure problem!
Montoya
monstering Villeneuve