Autotrivia Quiz
Last week I asked who was the first to construct and race a
Grand Prix car bearing his own name? And it was not Jack Brabham! The correct
answer was Felice Nazzaro in the 1914 French Grand Prix.
So to this week. One driver attempted to qualify for the 1949 Indy 500 in a car
that was 35 years old. What was the car?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first correct answer to email
automania@chiangmai-mail.com
Good luck!
Car of the year – here and there
The Thailand Car of the Year awards were given out during the motor
show, and it seemed a case of every player wins a prize. Toyota got five gongs,
Mazda, Mercedes-Benz and Chevrolet three each and a couple for Mitsubishi,
Volvo, BMW, Nissan and Ford and just one for Honda. With so many “winners” I
believe it gets confusing, and some of the classes take a bit of imagination to
believe they are ‘different’. For example, there was the 2WD pick-up under 3,200
cc, the Raised 2WD pickup under 2,500 cc, the 4WD pickup under 3,200 cc, the 2WD
pickup under 2,500 cc and the 4WD pickup under 2,500 cc. See what I mean?
However, of interest was the fact that diesels featured strongly, with the BMW
520d, the Volvo XC 90 D5 and the Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi winning their respective
classes.
WCOTY
winner Mazda2
The World Car of the Year awards were also given out at the end of March. These
awards began in 2005 when the Audi A6 triumphed, followed by the BMW 3-Series in
2006 and the Lexus LS460 last year. This year the top three contenders for 2008
World Car of the Year title were the Ford Mondeo, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and
the Mazda2, which became the first compact car to win the award. Remarkably, the
Audi R8 took out two of the main gongs, Car Design of the Year and Performance
Car of the Year, but didn’t make the main event. The 2008 World Green Car of the
Year was the BMW 118d
The Mazda2 was chosen from an initial entry list of 39 entries nominated by 47
World Car jurors from 24 countries throughout the world appointed on the basis
of his or her expertise, experience, credibility, and influence.
WCOTY jurors observed that, “This fresh Mazda compact is completely new;
particularly on the outside. The two-door sportier look was recently unveiled at
the Geneva Motor Show and reviews around the world have been primarily one big
‘thumbs up’. Consumers will be drawn to the new Mazda compact because of its
very appealing looks and high levels of standard equipment for the price.”
“The all-new Mazda2 is exceeding our highest expectations, demonstrating it can
compete and win against the best compact cars in any market in the world and is
earning glowing praise at home and globally, having also won a number Car of the
Year awards around the globe, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, New
Zealand, and the RJC Car of the Year award in Japan,” said Dan Morris, Mazda’s
senior managing executive officer in charge of Marketing, Sales and Customer
Service. “This is wonderful recognition which Mazda2 car owners and Mazda
employees alike can celebrate worldwide.”
Unfortunately, we will not be getting the two door hatch, as the new assembly
line out at the AAT plant is for the five door variant. It is still a car worth
waiting for. I know I am, though the Ford Fiesta on the same platform must also
be looked at. Scheduled date for release of the Mazda2 is end of 2009, and the
Ford Fiesta beginning of 2010.
Another electrifying concept
Another electrifying concept has been released in America, following on from
the Chevrolet Volt. This time it is the Dodge Zeo, which is even better
looking than the Chevrolet.
Volvo
C30 plug-in
The Dodge Zeo concept is an all-American non-polluting muscle car. The Zeo
produces 268 horsepower for a 0-100 kph time just under 6 seconds, and its
lithium-based battery pack gets a range of up to 400 km. Despite the influx of
hybrids, it looks as if the big car makers are catching on to battery-electric
cars as the way of the future.
Oil companies have a vested interest in pushing hydrogen fuel cells as the next
generation auto fuel, due to the fact that hydrogen, like petrol, requires a
distribution and dealership network that the oil companies are excellently
positioned to provide. However, electric battery cars do not need a fuel
reticulation system, as you have the electricity already in your own home.
As development continues, it is becoming clear that plug-in battery-electric
vehicles (BEVs) are far more efficient energy users than fuel cell cars - and
that the latest generations of lithium battery technology are delivering
excellent range, greatly improved safety and even very quick charging times -
breaking down the last few remaining barriers to their commercialization. Of
course, the cost barrier is still a problem, with cutting-edge batteries still
doubling the price of even the most high-end car designs, but once they are
being produced in any serious numbers, that will change.
Chrysler’s Dodge Zeo concept uses a single electric engine to power the rear
wheels, and it’s built to satisfy the demanding sports car lover as much as the
greenie tree-hugger.
This use of one engine bucks the current trend of two or four in-wheel electric
motors, such as the plug-in C30 Volvo at the Bangkok International Motor Show,
but single engine propulsion has been the norm for many decades.
Unfortunately, the Zeo is unlikely to go into production in its current form;
while the nice curved windscreen/sunroof looks fantastic on the prototype, it’s
far from a practical design for a road car. The final look of the concept is
quite stunning – the front guards look a little Mazda RX8, but the rear view is
fabulous.
With Chrysler having gone through a fairly rough period, after Mercedes-Benz cut
the apron strings, and now owned by a venture capital company, I hope that cars
like the Dodge Zeo can be brought to the marketplace quickly. It was one of the
stars of the Detroit Auto Show, and the market is more than ready for electric
commuters, and a muscle car would fill a huge marketplace gap.
Dodge Zeo
