Hotshot RS has gone but Focus ST will still burn

Ford NZ has reacted to news the fabulous Focus RS won’t continue with suggestion the ST is hot enough to fill in.

Will an underdog be accepted as king of the kennel?

More specifically, can a 206kW front-drive hot hatch fill the boots of a far more hyperactive four-wheel-drive big brother that, in the final tuning of its previous format presented to New Zealand, generated 257kW and smashed 0-100kmh in 4.7 seconds?

As hard as it might be for some revheads to accept the Focus ST incoming to New Zealand in June, price and final specification still undisclosed (and Covid-19 notwithstanding), having the cojones to satisfy RS-level expectations, that’s exactly what is going to happen, with news that the latter Focus has been killed off.

Ford New Zealand is pulling on its brave pants in responding to thought that, with the RS gone, it might lose a fanbase and struggle with ST to maintain the traction RS gained as an ultimate Euro-flavoured Blue Oval bad boy.

Corporate communications manager Tom Clancy believes the ST has enough flavour to win at least a look from the RS fanbase.

“The initial reviews from Europe of the … ST have been highly positive so we will see some RS customers and hot hatch enthusiasts in general checking out the new Focus ST.”

Ford has left those hardcore addicts no choice, with news that a famous badge with lineage going back to early Escorts now ends with $76,990 RS Limited Edition that came here in September of 2018.

The idea of developing a fourth generation RS hinged on it working with what’s turned out to be a developmental dead-end – a high-output hybrid turbo four-cylinder engine and an emissions-reducing 48V mild-hybrid system to meet tighter CO2 targets while retaining ballistic capability.

A company statement reads: “As a result of pan-European emissions standards, increased CO2 taxation and the high cost of developing an RS with some form of electrification for a relatively low volume of vehicles, we are not planning another RS version of the Focus.”

This doesn’t necessarily mean the RS will not re-emerge in the future – the statement is careful to apply specifically to this generation Focus – yet it does mean that for the time being the onus of being the ultimate family funster falls on a variant that, until now, has always been a stepping stone between the mainstream and the fully malevolent formats.

The new ST is certainly set to be a faster, more honed car than its predecessor. Notably, it comes equipped with a 206kW/420Nm 2.3-litre four-pot turbo – up by 22kW and 60Nm over the old model.

That means it is offering just 20Nm less than the last RS in its hottest factory format, though the power output is also 49kW shy.

It is also surely set to win a wider audience than the previous ST, or any RS, as they were manual gearbox models, whereas the next transfers to a seven-speed direct shift transmission.

Says Clancy: “The RS was more suited to enthusiasts as was the previous Focus ST.  

“Where we anticipate the largest customer interest/movement is from the fact that this is the first time we’ve offered a 7-speed automatic transmission with paddle shift in a Focus ST.

“We anticipate many new customers and customers coming from competitors who have had autos before the Focus ST.”

However, the ST is patently not on the same level as the last RS in respect to drivetrain tech, which stands to reason.

In production and on sale in its primary markets for almost a year, ST was developed at a time when Ford was committed to doing as it has previously done: Continuing it as a fun, but lower-tier, excitement than the RS which was – back then – was a definite starter. 

Which is why the RS alone had the full-out race-spec tech and aimed at utterly bonkers high-end specialist all-wheel-drive Euro fare – the likes of the Audi RS3 and Mercedes A35 and A45 - whereas the ST was designed more as a foil to front-drive hotties, most notably the Renault Megane RS and the VW Golf GTI.

The RS will certainly be remembered as a marvel of chassis technology and sheer aggression.

As other have noted, it’s been no stranger to variety. The first-generation car relied on turbocharged, 2.0-litre power sending drive to the front axle; the second also put power through the steering set and switched to a five-cylinder unit. The previous Focus RS returned to four-cylinder power, but adopted an all-wheel-drive system and lifted the game all the more. 

 Huge grunt from a 2.3-litre turbo engine (with 1.8bar or 26PSI of turbo boost) channelled via a six-speed manual gearbox and, in most-prized Limited form, a Quaife mechanical (meaning real, not a pretend electronic approximation) limited-slip differential at the front and it had a RS Performance Wheel Pack with 19-inch rims and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup rubber. All this, and a fun-tastic Drift Mode that unleashed it for impressively Hoonigan-style big skids (track use only, of course). 

That clever stuff showed in the price, of course. At $76,990, that last blast RS added $4000 to the sticker attached to the standard model and left it around $25k above the ST. 

So much for so little? As much as the RS sticker seemed to put it beyond the faint-hearted, it sold fast anyway.

And though, of course, the RS car park was always smaller than the ST’s, which in itself held something of a niche presence, it proved how strongly street cred can ‘sell’ a car, being utterly untroubled being noticed by those in the know.

Right gear, wrong car

The transmission that would definitely broaden the appeal of the best driver’s car Hyundai sells here has been unveiled.

HERE’S something to make you smile – a wet dual clutch transmission with a ‘grin’ feature.

No, for real. In releasing information about the two-pedal eight-speed box that will provision into its hard-out i30N hot hatch as an option to the six-speed manual that’s the sole choice now, Hyundai has identified one of the box’s three settings is called … ‘N Grin Shift’. Only in Korea, right?

Laugh along, because the joke will be on rivals who might dare to diss. The i30 N as is rates really well and this new transmission is simply going to broaden the appeal.

We likely won’t know by how much for a little while yet, unfortunately.

The make has decided the Veloster N coupe should be the first recipient of this tricky tech. Indications from the factory have long been that this car is only available in left-hand-drive and might only avail in two places, South Korea and the United States.

The brand claims that the DCT Veloster N will accelerate from 0-100kmh in just 5.6 seconds – exact-matching its six-speed manual counterpart.

Slotting into ‘N Grin Shift’ doesn’t make it any faster, yet promises a feistier more feral feel as that ups torque by seven percent to 378Nm thanks to a turbocharger overboost function for 20s.

An ‘N Power Shift’ feature is also included, which stays in the torque band when upshifting at more than 90 per cent throttle.

There’s also an N Track Sense Shift feature can pre-select gears depending on driving conditions, such as downhill or racetrack settings, for “optimal performance”, according to Hyundai.

The edition also retains functions such as rev matching and launch control, while also gain steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Expect also see them on the two-pedal i30 N whenever it rolls out.

CX-30 snuggles close to sister models

The latest addition to Mazda’s already well-configured crossover family touches into siblings’ patches.

WHEN space is tight, muscle in – that’s the tactic Mazda has employed with it its latest addition to the CX family.

In advance of an on-line discussion tomorrow where strategies are expected to be outlined, the Auckland domiciled brand has released specification and pricing detail of its CX-30 five-seater elevated crossover hatch. 

The information confirms it will initially foot three versions, with a Takami flagship following in the second half of 2020.

Those here now have drivetrains already used elsewhere in the family - though CX-30’s versions of the SkyActive-G petrols are finessed for slightly different outputs – whereas the Takami will introduce the new SkyActiv-X tech.

The coupe-like styling delivers a new spin on the established Kodo styling. A more modern platform and enhanced versions of the driver assist and comfort tech that comes in other Mazdas also feature.

Also interesting is the price positioning of the base GSX front-drive, with a 140kW/200Nm 2.0-litre engine, and a pair of 140kW/252Nm 2.5-litre all-wheel-variants, badged GTX and Limited.

The recommended retails of $41,490, $44,990 and $50,990 further cement that, in order to make room for a car that would have been called CX-4 - had that designation not gone to a model developed purely for China - the product planners had to work beyond the clear air that existed between the CX-3 and CX-5, which defy the CX-30’s ‘first ever’ marketing tag (insisted because it goes a bit more coupe-like) by very obviously being sister cars. 

The newcomer’s potential to pluck sales from each camp has always seemed strong – it’s bigger and better-kitted than the CX-3 and more modern and arguably more stylish, inside and out, than the CX-5 and nips ahead on core safety and assist considerations. Any advantage with the latter should be a fleeting, as updates to CX-5 have been announced in other markets.

However, the pricing plan is bound to raise interest, as it establishes the newcomer with a foot in each existing camp.

Consumers eyeing up the entry CX-30 will note it is $205 cheaper than a CX-3 Takami but otherwise dearer than the less well-provisioned editions of the smallest Mazda rock hopper.

Consideration against the CX-5 reveals more to think about, as the incursion is more pronounced.

Keeping comparison to just petrol all-wheel-drive options seems only reasonable – there are two CX-5s with a turbodiesel, but that engine is not on CX-30’s horizon. 

Anyway, if customers chasing the most expensive CX-30, the Limited, are looking to see how it stacks up against CX-5, they’ll see it basically sits midway between the base and Limited editions of the larger model.

So there’s that to consider. Then there’s the size. The CX-30 was developed through recognition some customers think the CX-3 is a bit too small and the CX-5 a bit too big.

If actual dimensions are required to get a true feel for where it stands, then note that at 4395mm long and 1795mm wide, the CX-30 is 120mm longer and 30mm wider than a CX-3 and 155mm shorter, 45mm narrower and 150mm lower than a CX-5.

A first appraisal – prior to shut down – showed it’s roomier than the smaller car, more snug than the larger, but by less of a margin. Basically, it eats the CX-3 as a four to five seater, but is so close to being up to CX-5 level that it will create significant discussion about rear seat, head space and lower leg room.

Same goes when comparing cargo room. CX-30’s seats-up boot space of 317 litres above the boot floor is a useful 53L over the CX-3, while using underfloor storage brings the total to 430L on most variants. That’s just 12 litres short of the CX-5’s cited capacity. 

As for spec?  Yes, the GSX and GTX grades are more workmanlike, inside and out, but really only stand apart by having cloth trim (whereas the Limited steps up to black leather) and smaller wheels with less sporty tyres.

That first look suggests cabin environments are common and all variants have blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning and lane keep assist, radar cruise control with Stop and Go, rear cross traffic alert, reversing camera, traffic sign recognition and smart brake support. 

but the latest Mazda Connect infotainment system, with integrated satellite navigation plus phone-mirroring technologies Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, via an 8.8-inch wide-screen centre display, spans the family.

A high plaudit from our only recognized safety auditor, the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme, also goes to all models. ANCAP has given it a record near-perfect 99 percent score for passive safety in adult occupant protection and a five-star rating.

When it comes to considering how they perform, everything might come down to driving feel rather than outputs, because the one common link between all three is under their bonnets. 

The 2.0-litre in the CX-30 is also employed by the CX-3 – where the state of tune is lower - and entry CX-5, where the outputs are identical to those claimed for the new car. 

The 2.5-litre engine in CX-30 only otherwise goes into CX-5. It makes the same torque output in either application and there’s just 1kW power difference. All have six-speed automatics. The CX-30 all-wheel-drive system is like that in the CX-5 2.5 

With all this going on, Mazda NZ managing director Dave Hodge is patently not understating anything in proposing that this latest and fifth crossover has had to “create its own space in the small SUV segment”

Nonetheless, in comment sent out ahead of the on-line conference he suggests CX-30 will be able to chart its own course with confidence through having “the practicality of an SUV combined with coupé-like styling and dynamic handling inspired by its small car sibling, Mazda3.”

Proposing the car as complete package for customers looking for a practical, stylish vehicle without compromising on performance, he suggests it will do well simply from having a more modern interior than the CX cars positioned on either side of it and also from touting the most advanced systems and technology. 

Integral to CX-30’s drive experience is Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control Plus (GVC Plus) which sets out to enhance handling stability by using brake and engine control to help the vehicle respond to sudden steering inputs and give the driver confidence when cornering.

The CX-30’s 2.5-litre also have cylinder deactivation, which contributes to fuel economy by shutting-down the outer two cylinders when driving at constant speeds, and the all-wheel-drive has 27 sensors that monitor environmental and vehicle conditions at a computation rate of 200 times per second to predict traction requirements before wheel slip occurs.

Covid-19: Green light for sales and servicing – with care

Level three coronavirus regs are a favoured route that nonetheless demands driving with care.

 NEXT week’s diminished national lockdown status will allow car dealerships to entertain a broadened level of sales and servicing, but it isn’t a signal for a return to pre-coronavirus state and showrooms will remain shut.

“It’s nowhere like business as normal and that won’t even start to be until we at least we get to Level Two,” says David Crawford, chief executive officer of the Motor Industry Association, which speaks for new vehicle distributors, in respect to Government’s decision to drop out of the current Level Four condition on midnight of April 27.

The country will remain in that status for a fortnight before another review, on May 11.

The key word during Level Three will be ‘contactless.’ Says Crawford: “What we cannot do is allow customers on sites.” 

Don’t see that as a sign of disappointment: The industry understands why a full lockdown was required and backs the Government. “New Zealand needed to shut down to save lives.”

So easing into Level Three is an important step toward restarting an industry battered by a month of closure. It at least allows “the cash flow to start moving again which will be a great relief.”

Yet he says it is just that, a step and one that demands a high degree of care and responsibility to ensure contactless and interactions to ensure no chance of coronavirus contagion.

“In a Covid-19 constrained world, operating at Level Three will not be business as usual. 

“It is a careful step towards restarting businesses that have put in place adequate steps to limit the transmission of Covid-19.”

Everything comes down to achieving necessary sanitation, distancing, and other health requirements.

It also allows for the sale of new vehicles, but without face-to-face customer contact throughout this and the delivery process, with the onus on the retailer to ensure vehicles are properly sanitised.

“So, for instance, even if the sale is largely done on line they (product) have to be delivered carefully and there are challenges around that.”

Customers will be asked to be patient. “It may not be possible to respond immediately to all requests. We ask the public to be understanding if a request to service or repair your vehicle during this time is not possible or is deferred.” 

There’s good news in respect to parts supply. “The moving of freight and parts under Level Three is unrestricted so that supply will begin to move, which allows us to consider serving of what would be called non-essential vehicles in a way that remains safe.”

Crawford reminds that, in terms of imports, the new vehicle sector is second only to the importation of oil in its contribution towards the New Zealand’s gross domestic product.

“Getting these businesses operating again in a safe way is vital to allowing New Zealand’s economy to begin to recover. 

“The sooner we can stop the spread of the virus the sooner New Zealand can fully reopen for business.”

Covid-19: Cut and paste (and colouring) motoring

How to keep in tune with the car world when driving is basically out of the question.

PABLO Picasso reckoned every child is an artist. We think every adult who is a kid-at-heart also deserves to be considered in the same light.

It’s not easy to buy a car during the Covid-19 crackdown but the world’s auto makers have been quick to cash in exploring the limits of our creativity, by piling out a ton of car-themed design activity to lift the spirits of anyone bubble-bound and stuck in a rut.

So, fire up the printer, curse at the lack of inkjet cartridges, then sharpen your pencils and pick your way through the following.

BMW

The Munich make’s New Zealand distributor has gone all out to bring home the joy of driving with a downloadable ‘do-it-yourself’ M-Town entertainment packs – one for building a race-track, and the second for building you’re a car – with handy instructional videos, filmed completely under lockdown at home (using high end lighting techniques like opening and closing curtains).

The beauty of this concept is that it goes big on stuff you’ll have readily at hand.

Gabrielle Byfield, Head of Marketing for BMW New Zealand, commented: “Kids may be short on new toys, but they aren’t short on creativity.  With regular household items like leftover cardboard boxes and depleted toilet rolls, and you can challenge your kids to create some BMW magic at home.”

It's not just for your entertainment, either. This is a sharing thing. So, ensuring your cars are in the appropriate livery, from the Race Track Decals pack, just share a share a snap / video of your racetrack in action, for uploading to BMW Instagram, make sure you #BMWDIY 

The downloadable ‘Play at Home’ pack includes flags, starter grids and car decals to decorate your own BMW  and M-Town track and are available here: https://www.bmw.co.nz/en/topics/offers-and-services/promotions/DIY-M-town.html.

Fiat

Just look up ‘Fiatforkids’ as internet images and you’ll discover heaps of drawings ready to colour-in.

Ford

Henry’s mob is another that has put a lot of effort into stopping you from feeling too blue.

The ‘Ford family fun hub’ has a heap of pictures to colour in – not just sweet racers the Focus ST, Mustang, and GT supercar but also the Kiwi favourite Ranger ute – and there are also challenges in dot-to-dot and maze formats. A spot the difference, too.

If they seem a bit lame, then try your skill at building the new Puma SUV in origami. This one has its own instruction sheet.

http://www.fordfamilyfunhub.com/

Isuzu

Japan’s ute specialist gives you opportunity to have early ownership (or at least allegiance) to the new D-Max set to launch later this year. There’s a selection of images to colour-in, dot-to-dots, a word search and spot-the-difference.

https://www.isuzu.co.uk/kids

Jaguar i-Pace Formula-e

If you fancy yourself as a budding talent at race car liveries, try your hand coming up with a cool scheme the i-Pace eTrophy VIP electric car.

https://media.jaguarracing.com/news/2020/03/design-your-own-jaguar-i-pace-etrophy-vip-car-0

Land Rover Defender

Have you already configured your dream Defender on the Land Rover site? If you can’t find the colour of your choice, how about making your own one here?

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2deouwl73fxb7vd/AABBCxUZqmvXBtjsy2FY7jHja?dl=0

Lexus

No argument, Lexus LC 500 sports coupe is a sharp looker, all the more so in the motorsport version as raced by our own Nick Cassidy in Japan’s Super GT.

The deal here is that you can create your dream racing car livery for that car, remembering “to stay within the (racing) lines.” Good joke, right?

Generously, this illustration also includes rival brands’ racers. BMW, Audi and Aston Martin also feature because this scene commemorates the 2019 race when Super GT cars from Japan and cars from the German DTM series competed against each other for the first time.  The first of these so-called ‘Dream Races’ was held at Fuji Speedway, with a certain Kiwi taking victory.

Download the Lexus LC 500 colouring pages

Mazda

‘The world’s best budget sports car’ seems a heck of a hefty mantle, but assuredly it’s one this wee beauty has had no trouble carrying over four generations.

The MX-5’s popularity is such it’s hard to imagine anyone could turn down this opportunity to build your own. Yes, of course it’s out of paper, but still, what a little beauty, right?

https://mazda.co.nz/sites/default/files/papercrafts/Papercrafts/Papercrafts/Step1/2016papercraft_mx-5.pdf 

Mercedes-Benz

The world’s oldest car maker now has so many vehicles that choosing just one to feature for a colouring-in portrait was clearly just too hard. So, basically, if you go to their Covid-19 fun page you’ll find a subject to suit anyone here, with a comprehensive range of pages with all sorts of models, whether they’re classic or modern. Plus the current Formula One car.

https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/vehicles/passenger-cars/design-sketches/?shortener=true&csref=sm_fbk_pc

Nissan

 Another brand to add a neat twist to the colouring concept by virtue that, in addition to provisioning a range of images of current products, it also allows you to test your artistic skills of cars that might, or might not be, in this brand’s future. Some of these concepts are really cool.

Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan's senior vice president for global design, and Nissan designers across the world put this effort together and they’re truly keen to see how you get on with adding your influences, so is asking for finished images to be posted on social media with #drawdrawdraw. Albaisa says Nissan designers will be looking out for these drawings and interacting with the talents.

All is explained in the video.

http://www.supercoloring.com/coloring-pages/transport/cars/nissan

Skoda

The Karoq is a cute compact crossover with heaps of charisma and no shortage of perky practicalty … and I’m not just saying that because I happen to be an owner. Well, okay, perhaps my view is a touch skewed. Still, it makes for a fun build project. Thanks to Skoda NZ.

https://www.skoda.co.nz/company/kids-activities 

Toyota Gazoo Racing

With Brendon Hartley now part of the Toyota Gazoo Racing effort, why not add some colour to his title-winning TS050 Hybrid, or perhaps one of the predecessor cars that ran at Le Mans? The link goes to a download that expires at the end of this month, so if you’re in for the challenge, make haste.

You can download the TS-series here 

Toyota.

 No need to use your drawing sticks on this one; the cars are already coloured in. Unfortunately, as a Toyota UK delivery, the selection doesn’t include the NZ racing series versions, but still.

https://media.toyota.co.uk/2020/04/make-your-own-retro-liveried-toyota-gt86/

Covid-19: For VW, crisis highlights old school values and new age strengths

Life under Level 4 has accelerated the biggest European distributor’s digital planning. How far might it go?

Can a major car brand really be run from a laptop? In times of needs must, the outcomes have been heartening.

 PANDEMIC lockdown has influenced a major car distributor’s view about the relative values of ‘clicks’ and ‘bricks’.

Like so many businesses, Volkswagen New Zealand has taken its office structure into the homescape since the country closed for business on March 26.

It might not be too much of a stretch to suggest that, as result of the shutdown and social distancing, this massive machine – it’s the largest importer of European automotive product – is operating from laptops on kitchen tables.

Enforced change has asked for fresh ways of working and thinking, plus accelerated reliance on online tools, some in the works for quite some time, one or two considered unnecessary in times of normality. The Covid-19 crisis has left no choice.

All in all, general manager Greg Leet has been impressed by how this unexpected needs must exercise is running. It has so cemented trust in systems and e-commerce approaches he believes what’s working has continued merit once all this over. “When we get back to work, it would be terrible if we did not take the learnings of these dramatic times along with us.”

Greg Leet.- the Covid-19 shutdown has taught a lot about digital operating systems and flexible working practices.

Does this raise broader discussion about brand-retailer-customer interactions. For instance, when we’re in a situation where it’s impossible for the traditional – that is, in basic terms, a customer going to to a showroom, is this now the time when more effort is required to essentially bring the showroom to them?

There’s no argument that, since we’ve been placed in our bubbles, we’ve become more computer-reliant than ever; web traffic in the past few weeks has soared to unprecedented level. Surely we’re not all watching funny pet footage?

All this has hit at a time when it’s hardly a secret that the car world is becoming increasingly reliant on digital solutions, with inevitability of more to come. As Leet puts it, what’s happening and being increasingly thought about right now is an acceleration of what was always going to be.

The exceptional circumstances of the moment have acted as a catalyst for consideration of change. No-one is under any illusions about the impacts of coronavirus, not just now but going forward. Any return to life as it used to be will be slow and measured.

Working through new potentials and opportunities has keep VW and its agents – in New Zealand, that’s Giltrap Group – brainstorming busily at corporate level, Leet acknowledges. Examining the fuller potentials of flexible working environments and technology leveraging has been fulfilling.

“What this (crisis) has done is allowed us to take stock of some of the future thinking that we’ve been working with. We have found opportunities from these challenges.

 “The customer journey is going to be, and should be, different as an outcome of what we have been going through. I think our dealers (also) have an opportunity to become more present in a customer’s environment.”

As to that. Whatever it entails, this hastened journey down the virtual highway won’t diminish the human element nor would it bypass the core historic destination: The established franchise network.

On the first, Leet says for all the merits of online, it’s been an incredible staff effort that has been key to keeping the brand on the road these past few weeks. All that starts at the top; family business, family values.

VW New Zealand’s usual home is this Auckland headquarters.

“There’s been a lot of discussion around ensuring our staff’s health and well-being. When these times come and when the chips are down, the values of an organisation really shine through … I feel pretty bloody lucky to be working in an organisation led by those guys (the Giltrap family). It’s just phenomenal. It’s people first, no matter what. 

While inaccessible to the public, the national franchise network has remained a stalwart; there’s been a lot going on behind those closed doors, within the constraints expected with Level 4.

“The contact between us and our dealers is still as much as it would be any other day. The content of our conversation, of course, is a little different. 

“But we are supporting and enabling them to make sure that their staff and customers are safe in their environment.”

For many students of automotive utopia, the ultimate undertaking might be an online purchasing platform enabling customers to configure and purchase new vehicles remotely.

That process has been toyed with before and found wanting by Toyota New Zealand, which had little luck some years ago when touting Prius and 86 editions that couldn’t be bought from a showroom.

Last week VW in Australia followed a similar route with a structure that makes every new VW model – including commercial vehicles – available to order online. As with the NZ experiment, the process allows buyers to configure their selection and lay down a deposit before a designated dealership takes over to the rest of the process. In Australia, once the deposit has been received, the dealership is in contact within 48 hours to complete the purchase and manage the vehicle delivery. Here legislation requires going to a dealership to sign a sales agreement.

Virtual showrooms as an adjunct to the actual thing increased development of on-line tools that already allow customers to assess and tailor a product they’re considering is an international emergent with potential, Leet says. Additionally, there’s a logic to enhancing those experiences during a time when social distancing makes anything more personal simply impossible.

In the same way, having ‘sales geniuses’ giving a tailored guided tour to a vehicle by video link, which Skoda in the United Kingdom has introduced in the past week as a way of limiting social interaction, is also a good idea even in times of normality.

“We are definitely thinking about those things and even, too, to the likes of how of internal training might look like from a video perspective.”

Cars are essentially computers on wheels already, and the advance to the electric ID models will just bring more digital engagement.

That has already begun, with VW NZ having provisioning ongoing sales and technical training by video link during shutdown.

Regardless of what can be achieved via e-means, the traditional still has a core role. Dealer outlets lend strength and fuel credibility and, as much as direct selling works for some products, vehicles are different, simply because of the emotional connect. See, touch, drive, talk.

Were it not for Covid-19, today’s showroom-centric chat would surely reference this week’s national introduction of a fresh brand stance, pitched around the new look logo from Germany first unveiled last September. Months in the planning, an effort that would undoubtedly have become subject to a lot more raa-raa were it not for the pandemic could not be diverted because of it.

Aside from the latest badge that, the brand says, has reduced to its essential components and with a new flat 2-D look to become “perfectly recognizable in a digital landscape”, this brand design exercise includes a new female brand voice, a new website, and a complete overhaul of each local dealership, set to be implemented in the months to come.

That a roll out theming to new beginnings has timed just when coronavirus is costing the parent a staggering $US2.2 billion in lost revenues every week is wholly happenstance, yet poignant nonetheless.

Covid-19: How to alleviate DPF concerns

The coronavirus lockdown is forcing people to drive their cars less. Will this cause a problem for some diesel vehicles?

TAKING a sensible approach will likely be enough to keep diesel vehicles being troubled by the limitations of the Covid-19 lockdown. 

That’s the opinion of experts whose opinion has been sought in respect to overseas’ reports raising concern about how some models’ exhaust limiting technology might perform when motorists can only drive infrequently, and for short distances.

Their thoughts are in respect to particulate filters, which are installed into the exhaust system and designed to capture diesel particulate matter or soot to keep these from entering the environment, where they can be potentially harmful.

The technology has been common for 20 years and since 2009, and the introduction of the Euro 5 emissions standard, has been fitted to all new cars with diesel engines.

 Though now being superseded by a more efficient system that involves injecting liquid urea – commercially called AdBlue – the setup remains common on many utilities and sports utilities sold in NZ.

One of the inevitable effects of NZ being placed on lockdown due to the coronavirus is that we’re all driving our cars less.

The catch with DPFs – one avoided by AdBlue-involved engines - is that they only have a limited capacity and at some point the excess soot needs to be burned off.

In order to do that, the vehicle might require being for around 15-20 minutes at 2500rpm or higher. This process is known as DPF regeneration and is vital. Cleanly burning off the excess soot reduces harmful emissions and helps to prevent the tell-tale black smoke you used to see from diesels, particularly when accelerating.

 Recently an expert group in the United Kingdom, the Independent Garage Association, warned that if people are only using their diesel cars for short journeys during the lockdown, their DPFs might not be able to regenerate.

The organisation has advised owners of modern diesel cars to avoid using them for trips of less than 30kms in order to avoid clogging up the DPF.

Does that advice also hold firm in New Zealand?

Experts who discussed this with MotoringNZ.com said in theory it might. Certainly, they said, the industry accepts that short journeys at low speeds are the prime cause of blocked filters.

But they also agreed that some commonsense usage might also keep issues at bay.

One valuable tip: Avoid driving a diesel consistently at low speed and never allowing it to get up to temperature.

Also, if an engine enters in a DPF regeneration phase – which should be obvious, as the engine note will change, a cooling fan might activate, idle speed will increase, the automatic stop/start might deactivate and you might smell a hot, acrid exhaust aroma – then allow it to fulfil this.

It’ll do this by one of two ways. Passive regeneration is probably not as easily entertained unless you’re driving on essential services, as this occurs when the car is running at speed on long journeys which allows the exhaust temperature to increase to a higher level and cleanly burn off the excess soot in the filter.

Active regeneration means extra fuel is injected automatically, as part of the vehicle's ECU, when a filter reaches a predetermined limit (to raise the temperature of the exhaust and burn off soot.Again, though, it asks for the car to be driven a distance: If the journey is too short, as the regeneration process may not complete fully. Either way, check your handbook.

If that doesn’t happen? Well, when a DPF has built up too much soot and hasn’t been able to burn it off, a warning light will come on. If this happens, you need to avoid using the vehicle until it can be cleared.

It may be possible for a mechanic to use specialist equipment to carry out a forced DPF regeneration, which is the ideal outcome.

If drivers ignore the warning light and carry on using their car with a full DPF, they risk blocking the DPF altogether, in which case the car will enter limp-home mode and a whole new filter may be required. You don’t want that: DPFs can cost between $5000 and $9000.

As said, this is only as issue for DPFs that use the high-heat process to eradicate soot build up. Those that adopt the ADBlue technology – and that includes almost all vehicles designed to meet the latest European Union emissions standard – still run DPFs.

However, the injection of Adblue - a non-flammable, high purity urea solution - just ahead of the catalytic converter makes a world of difference. This reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 90 percent so makes for much lower residual soot.

AdBlue is held in a separate tank – it should not be pre-mixed into the fuel – and the reservoir access is often right alongside the fuel filler and has a blue cap.

Covid-19: Additional VW models still on track for NZ

Golf Mk8 has been delayed a couple of months but we’ll have plenty of new diversions from VW NZ in the meantime.

FOUR high-profile Volkswagen products are still tracking true for New Zealand though volume count for several might hit speed bumps as the year unfolds.

This from the brand’s New Zealand boss, Greg Leet, who says while the Covid-19 pandemic and national lockdown certainly haven’t made life easy, neither has it completely thrown impending introductions of the T-Cross and T-Roc – crossovers with huge volume potential through giving VW solid standing in the sub-Tiguan compact sector -  the Golf GTi TCR and a new Touareg V8.

 Though new car sellers are bracing for 2020 to be a tough year, with stock supplies looming and growing likelihood that registrations could be down by at least 40 percent on the bumper 2019 tally, the Auckland distributor’s intents not only remain more or less on track but could yet be further emboldened by heartening by latest news from Germany.

Notwithstanding the huge hit the global car industry has taken from coronavirus – first with parts supply problems and then with complete production shutdowns – Volkswagen Group is already looking set to imminently re-open some plants in Europe, albeit with social distancing measures in place.

On top of this, prior to the virus’s impact, it was already re-establishing  models that had been delayed or briefly curtailed last year as result of the brand being challenged to  meet Europe’s WLTP emissions testing requirements.

Also, while the national sales network is closed to the public, the Auckland-centred head office has remained busy – albeit with staff working from home – in planning life beyond lockdown, including localised implementation of the latest, simplified VW logo, which became official today.

Additionally, products built and shipped out of plants, mainly in Europe, have already landed or are set to ship in soon, so will be available to the public as soon as is allowed.

The first big T-Cross shipment landed just days before the nation went to Level 4 on March 26, so just a handful of the Polo-based front-drive model made it into dealerships – but more are awaiting dispersal.

The car (above) initially represents in $34,240 Life and $38,490 Style formats, with a turbocharged three-cylinder petrol that produces 85kW of power and 200Nm of torque and mates to a dual-clutch automatic transmission, with these to be joined by an R-Line, taking a 110kW/250Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder. VW NZ has also secured 42 examples of a launch special, in First Edition trim, this also with the smaller engine and a bespoke trim. This costs $39,990. 

Meantime, the T-Roc, which shares a Golf platform, is now tracking for local release in July – three months later than expected, because the first NZ-bound consignment missed a sailing through being held up at the Spanish border.

It will also provision in three levels of specification, topping with a continuation of the R-Line trim that briefly availed last year with the surprise introduction of cars originally built for the United Kingdom that were subsequently made available as a one-off taster for NZ.

The Life and Style models feature the same 1.5-litre as T-Cross, with identical outputs, while the R-Line keeps the 140kW/320Nm 2.0-litre already experienced in those 150 examples already here and also holds the same price: $51,990. The Life and Style models, meantime, sticker at $39,990 and $44,990. As with T-Cross, T-Roc runs with a dual clutch transmission. But it’s also going to have all-wheel-drive in the top spec.

The cars adopt similar stylings but in different sizes. T-Cross is a longer overall (by 54mm) and in wheelbase (by 13mm) than the Polo and is 112mm taller, but only fractionally wider (at 1750mm) than VW’s smallest hatch. T-Roc is around 250mm shorter than the Tiguan, and otherwise similar in stance to its donor.

A First Line special edition part of the Touareg V8’s introduction; this $149,990 edition packs delivers with the 48-volt active roll stabilisation system that is a $7500 cost-extra on the mainstream alternate, which will retail for $141,990. The First Line also has a Black Pack trim and a top-level Dynaudio sound system that, again, aren’t standard to the cheaper variant. 

Of course, the main attraction is the powerplant, a version of the mighty eight-cylinder turbodiesel that has until now restricted to richer fare, in the shape of Audi’s SQ7 and SQ8 and the Bentley Bentayga.

VW NZ anticipates keen interest in the twin-turbo 4.0-litre unit that stands as a new-era equivalent of the V10 turbodiesel that figured in the first generation Touareg and was developed at the behest of Ferdinand Piech to simultaneously elevate the diesel engine and the VW brand.

The incoming unit isn’t the premium version, in that it doesn’t take the electric supercharger that Bentley’s rig also achieves, but with 310kW and 900Nm nonetheless generates 87kW more power and 151Nm more torque than the old 10-cylinder, and of course utterly gazumps the current V6, which in strongest format makes 210kW and 600Nm.

Also set to satisfy sporting tastes is that Golf GTI TCR, probably landing in July and intended as a swansong not just to the current GTI but also to the Golf 7.5 range – though, in that respect, because of coronavirus the current line will now be around for the remainder of the year, rather than replaced in October by the Mk 8 form in October.

Leet’s new plan now is to introduce new generation in January. Hopefully. Meantime, VW Germany will keep making the 7.5 version for NZ - on the same line that is otherwise pumping out the next generation for many other markets – with an R Limited model also coming to keep up mainstream interest while the TCR targets hard-out enthusiasts.

 The latter should move through the showroom as quickly as it nails all the usual performance tests.

Named in recognition of a brand involvement in Touring Car Racing  that has since discontinued, the special dethrones the GTI 40 Years as the most powerful Golf GTI ever. In that it has a permanent peak power figure of 213kW from its 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-pot engine – as opposed to the 40 Years, which could only reach the same power on overboost.

Peak torque comes in at 350Nm, the same as with a regular GTi. The grunt is delivered exclusively to the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission – so, not the seven-speed going to some other markets.

Dynamic deftness is enhanced with it using a limited-slip differential on the front axle, a firmer suspension set-up that rides 5mm lower than the GTI, a unique adaptive chassis control system and beefed-up front brakes.

It also announces with a unique engine note provided by the bespoke exhaust system. VW reckons on 0-100kmh in 5.7 seconds. That’s 0.6s quicker than the 40 Years and just 0.9s shy of the R.

Price? It’s still being finalised, but should be just over $65,000. And availability? Well, best be quick: Just 40 units are earmarked.

Visually, the TCR is distinguished by its honeycomb decals, 19-inch alloys wheels and black roof, plus three exterior paint colours – Pure White, Pure Grey and Tornado Red.

The interior treatment includes Alcantara accents on the gear lever and door trim inserts, black and red cloth upholstery, GTI steering wheel with perforated leather on the hand positions and a red 12 o’clock marker.

Other exclusive standard equipment includes LED headlights with dynamic cornering function and dynamic light assist.

These features build on a standard GTI provision which includes GTI body styling, electrically folding exterior mirrors, keyless entry and start, an 8.0-inch infotainment system with sat-nav, active info display, city autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian monitoring, adaptive cruise control with lane keep assist, traffic jam assist, emergency assist, blind spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert and a rearview camera with park assist.

Speaking of kit. Even though the T-Cross will seem a bit pricier than some compact rivals, it also promises to perhaps have a longer features list than usual, with all high-level safety and driver assists standard, including pedestrian and cyclist monitoring. Adaptive cruise control, lane and side assist, a rear view camera, park assist and park distance is also standard.

Meantime, VW here is considering further additions to these families, but says the T-Roc convertible has already been decided against while performance-tuned R version is perhaps several years away.

Also unlikely to be seen for a while yet is the Touareg R Hybrid, revealed internationally in February and VW’s very first R model to have a plug-in hybrid powertrain, in this instance delivering ability to run solely on electric power at  up to 140kmh and for 30km range thanks to a lithium-ion battery pack mounted beneath the boot.

Covid-19: Key Mazda will shrug off lockdown hit

Timing is everything … or not. Poised to launch an important new vehicle when Covid-19 became a national crisis, Mazda NZ remains in confident mood.

Here’s the scene: At roughly the same time as the new Mazda3 was receiving the design gong at the World Car of the Year awards, Mazda New Zealand was preparing to launch its CX-30 compact sports utility wagon.

That global gong promises as a good synch: The CX-30, of course, has been developed off the Mazda3, which prior to securing a WCOTY acknowledgement was also toting a “best of the best” design award from Red Dot and has also been widely praised for its technology provision and fine driving feel.

Even with all that going for it, Mazda3 has not been good enough to stymie the market trend favouring SUVs. Sales are reflecting the diluted consumer interest in hatchbacks and sedans. But that’s fine, because Mazda also has ‘CX’ cars in its range that do scratch that itch.

The portent for CX-30 is extremely positive. Compact SUVs are very hot property and having a vehicle to slot in between the smaller  (Mazda2-based) CX-3 and the larger (Mazda6-spun) CX-5 is an essential service

So, everything was good to go. Mazda NZ has cars in the country; indeed, most dealerships have examples and 54 have already been registered, the majority in March. Pre-launch television advertising had begun. A national dealer and media events were sorted.

And then? Well, you know the story: The full force of the COVID-19 pandemic struck and we went into a lockdown that might end next week or could yet continue longer. More will be known on April 20.

Meanwhile, dealers have been brought up to speed by video conference, media will have to wait a bit longer to learn about the national line-up and sales strategy … and Mazda NZ has left the past behind and is looking forward to better days ahead.

“Unfortunately it’s just one of those things,” says marketing services manager Maria Tsao, additionally reminding that everyone in the car industry is in the same boat. “The pandemic is having the same effect on all members of the motor industry.”

When the CX-30 does become available for sale in New Zealand, it will be offered in exactly the same grades and with identical drivetrains that the Mazda3 currently offers. So, petrol-only and 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre SkyActiv-G engines, with all but identical outs to those given for its CX-5 application.

And what about the vaunted SkyActiv-X powertrain? It’s coming, though stated intention to add in later in the year in both types remains impossible to stake down to an exact timeframe.

“Just how much later this year is now impossible to say,” Tsao explains. “At this stage, given what is going on, I simply can’t answer that question.”

However, it is utterly certain these cars to be the debut models for the world’s first production petrol engine featuring compression ignition which combines the advantages of petrol and diesel power, increasing fuel economy and torque, whilst reducing emissions.

In there here and now, it comes down to the 2.0-litre CX-30 in front-drive and provisioning 114kW/200Nm and the 2.5, punching 139kW and 252Nm, running all-wheel-drive. Both pair to a six-speed automatic.

The smallest-capacity model presents in a single grade, the second in GTX and Limited trims. Could it be that the SkyActiv-X provisions in a ‘Takami’-identified ultimate specification? That’s a speculation, yet one that surely seems highly probable.

Mazda NZ has yet to provision pricing detail. However the specification is less of a closed book, as internationally the car provisions to a common standard in respect to its core safety/driver assist and comfort features.

So, seven airbags, adaptive cruise control with stop/go function, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, driver alertness monitor, autonomous emergency braking in forward and reverse gear including for rear cross-traffic detection, forward collision warning, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, road-sign recognition and tyre pressure monitoring.

Dusk-sensing LED headlights with auto high beam, keyless push-button start, a 7.0-inch multifunction trip computer, auto-folding exterior mirrors with electric adjustment, an electric park brake with auto-hold and hill-start assist and four-way steering column adjustment implement. Also included is a multimedia screen with rotary controller operating the standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring plus native satellite navigation. There is also Bluetooth audio streaming and USB input.

In visual assessment, the CX-30 doesn’t look THAT much bigger than a CX-3: Mainly, perhaps, because they are exactly the same height (1540mm). But it really is. At 4395mm long and 1795mm wide, the newcomer is 120mm longer and 30mm wider than Mazda’s smallest crossover. Compared to the CX-5, it is 155mm shorter, 45mm narrower and 150mm lower. Boot space of 317 litres above the boot floor is a useful 53L over the CX-3, while using underfloor storage brings the total to 430L on most variants, close to the CX-5’s 442 litres.

The Mazda3 and CX-30 were designed by different teams – the SUV’s designer, Ryo Yanagisawa, was previously involved with the BT-50 (and lived in Australia for several years) – but the exterior design themes are very alike, and the new SUV patently continues the ethos of Mazda’s latest “less is more” philosophy that swayed the WCOTY jury.

What does that mean? When I interviewed the Mazda3’s chief designer Yasutake Tsuchida during the vehicle’s big reveal at the Los Angeles Motor Show about 18 months ago, he explained it is all about how a vehicle looks when it is moving. 

For this reason, the Mazda designers removed all hard character lines and creases from the Mazda3 bodyshell, and developed bodyside undulations that showed off various reflections when the car was moving.

Car brands’ favourite drive-time hit?

A car commercial song so effective it’ll likely never leave the fast lane.

Car companies use songs in their advertisements to brand their car to a particular demographic.

Up-and-comers looking to attract young professional buyers might choose a more obscure, hipper musical selection to accompany their ads in an effort to convey that their cars are more relevant and ‘in the know’ than other brands.

More established marques, on the other hand, might select a more straightforward song that reflects solid values their target customer will relate to.

A new trend started where music artists, responding to the rapidly changing music business, use car commercials as a medium to get their new songs into the mainstream. The use of songs in car commercials has a long history and is continually evolving.

And so to today’s story, triggered by being sent a link by a neighbourhood mate who thought I might have interest in this neat ad America’s retail giant, Walmart, had put together, apparently in tune with Covid-19.

Actually, that’s not quite true. For sure, the grocery pickup scheme it spruiks is certainly not a bad idea in these times of social distancing and in places – such as the US, where Level 2 and Level 3 practices are still being entertaining in some places.

Yet in fact the ad and the idea were conceived and actioned a year ago. So well before Wuhan and the viral nasty were in the headlines; very probably even before Covid-19 had transferred to humans.

Even so, the ad is still worth featuring, not least for the obvious reason that it’s highly-quirky, extremely humorous and features all these cool classic movie cars. The Batmobile, the DeLorean from ‘Back to the Future,’ Scooby Doo's Mystery Machine, the yellow VW Beetle from ‘Bumblebee,’ the Flintstone car …

Turns out Walmart worked with several Hollywood studios to gain access to the vehicles, which mostly are replicas but deemed by studios as most like the ones in the actual films.

So there’s that. The second angle arrived when we hit YouTube and used the name of the soundtrack as a search reference. 

The old label of ‘sellout’ often accompanies the use of a song in a car commercial, but it’s clearly one New Age (kids, ask your parents) pop figure Gary Webb is happy to shoulder, given the royalties he has received just from the song featured in this effort.

In fact not just this effort. Walmart was not alone is selecting this synth classic.

Turns out the discount hypermarket operator was by no means the first to see the potential of ‘Cars’, which was quite a hit for an English singer, songwriter, musician, composer and record producer who goes by the name of Gary Numan when he’s performing.

Evidence from a very cursory web check shows three other brands – Diehard Batteries, Nissan and Oldsmobile - beat Walmart to using this new wave hit of 1979 in an automotive association for America-centric ads.

Remarkably, in today’s lockdown reality, ‘Cars’ has an eerily prescient theme. Numan/Webb says his intent was to impress “about how people use technology and material goods to isolate themselves from human contact.”  Music to the ears of any Pet Goat II-level conspiracy theorists, right?

BTW, ‘Cars’ was Numan's only hit in the US, though he had many others in England, where he retains a large cult following and is recognised as an influence on artists like Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails, which does a nice cover of it.

Anyway, check out all four ads and decide which you like best. Hint: There’s no contest, really. Oh yeah, and as a bonus, also included is the Holden NZ ad that used Numan’s other big hit. Can you pick it? Clue: Volt.

Covid-19: Cheap fuel and no-one's pumping

Cheap fuel and nowhere to go. What a waste of a long weekend.

A familiar sight throughout NZ right now - an empty service station forecourt.

EASTER is traditionally a time when thousands of New Zealanders hit the road for an autumn break before the onset of winter.

But not this time – the COVID-19 Level 4 lockdown has required us all to remain at home in our ‘bubbles’.

Spare a thought for one of the Kiwi businesses most affected by this: the fuel retailers.

They’re officially considered essential services so are remaining open, but they are suffering a massive 80 percent fall in fuel sales and an estimated 40 percent reduction in shop sales.

Over the long weekend, instead of enjoying bumper trade as motorists parked to fill their vehicles with the cheapest petrol and diesel for years, the forecourts have been largely empty.

One retailer who talked on condition of anonymity - citing contractual obligations with the service station’s fuel supplier - said business had reduced so much that it was hardly worth remaining open.

“However we are an essential service, so we are continuing. But business is very hard right now, and we think it will be some time before any recovery begins.”

The irony of all this is that right now petrol and diesel prices are at historically low levels in New Zealand. They have reduced to the extent that prior to Easter 91 octane petrol could be purchased for as low at $1.70 in parts of New Zealand when discounts were applied. It’s because of continued production disputes between the major oil nations, and the global effects of the pandemic, which have combined forces to result in the biggest collapse in worldwide crude oil demand in the history of the oil industry.

The Level 4 lockdown has resulted in little traffic on Kiwi roads and streets.

And when demand – and therefore the price of crude - falls, then so do petrol prices.

At the beginning of the year the Brent benchmark for crude oil prices had the commodity at US$68 a barrel. But just before Easter it was hovering at around US$31, with many international commentators suggesting that the price has all the potential to fall into the US$20s as the battle continues over whether worldwide supply restrictions should be introduced to counter the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Close to 60 percent of all New Zealand’s petrol and 67 percent of the country’s diesel comes from the Marsden Point refinery, which under normal circumstances imports around 42 million barrels of crude a year, primarily from South-east Asia but also from the Middle East and Russia. And normally this crude is processed into around 6.5 billion litres of petrol, diesel, jet fuel and other petroleum products.

But the COVID-19 lockdown and the virus-caused collapse of New Zealand’s aviation industry has resulted in a huge drop in demand for fuel, which has forced Refining New Zealand to essentially halve its output by rotating its processing facilities - operating only half at a time and keeping the remaining equipment “warm”. Marsden Point will continue operating this way at least until the end of August, and it warns that there is likely to be further reductions in production due to insufficient fuel storage capacity throughout the country.

The fuel retailers have been closely monitoring the situation, and have been responding to the ructions in the global oil market by progressively reducing the prices of petrol and diesel. It’s difficult to say whether prices will drop further, because the price of crude oil is just a small part of the total fuel pricing model – other factors include the value of the New Zealand dollar, shipping, rent, maintenance, and localised competition caused by a proliferation of other fuel retailers, which in recent times has had a major impact on pump prices in various parts of New Zealand.

It’s doubtful whether 91 octane petrol will ever get to the very low prices currently being experienced in Australia, where motorists in Sydney can pay less than 80 cents a litre for their 91 octane petrol at some locations. And in Melbourne, petrol at less than $1 a litre is easy to find. But there are five times more people in Australia than in New Zealand, and the sheer volume of petrol sold means it can be offered at cheaper prices at the pump.

It’s no use getting concerned over all of this though – because since we can’t drive anywhere anyway,  it’s not worth spending the money buying the fuel at the current low price.

But if we could, here are some calculations just to make your day.

In January this year, 91 octane petrol cost an average of $2.28 in Auckland and $2.15 in most other parts of New Zealand, which would have meant it would have cost $114 to fill an average car from empty in Auckland, and $107elsewhere. Just before Easter the prices had lowered to the extent the price to fill had reduced to $91 in Auckland and $85 elsewhere.

That would have been a saving of $23 in Auckland and $22 elsewhere – a not insignificant amount.  But cheer up everyone – it’s also about the equivalent of a decent bottle of wine for you to enjoy in your bubble.

McLaren goes with the flow

You thought McLarens were slinky simply to be sheikh chic?

 ‘Conversations online with the minds behind our pioneering technologies.’.

That all sounds a bit pretentious and utterly boring, right?

It could well be were the subject matter, say, window blinds or whiteware.

But it’s not. The subject is the Kiwi-founded, based-Britain hero brand that these days brings its astounding motorsport pedigree to the road.

Specifically, it’s the McLaren Tech Club, whose remit is to explain and explore the technologies featured in McLaren road cars. With videos in which the interviews with McLaren experts is abetted by footage of great cars doing their thing.

Here are episodes one and two, respectively dealing with aerodynamic magic and how air and wind affect a car’s design. The first centres on the open-top Elva concept and the second uses as its muse another wee special, the Senna GTR.

With the latter, principal Designer Esteban Palazzo explains how the latter followed the F1 GTR and P1 GTR in adopting a multi-tiered, multi-layered, carbon fibre pedestal wing.

Palazzo says it was not only inspired by high-performance cars of the past and aircraft design, but also by the likes and tastes of the intended customers.

So as much for show as go? Well, that might be so, but it is effective. Additional to episode two McLaren has released three videos of the Senna GTR testing on the Bahrain International Circuit, where the car holds the fastest race lap in the circuit's current configurations.

Any, you’ve lots of time to spare, so here are all five videos. Don’t forget to turn the track footage up loud.

Stirling Moss - a challenger Kiwis rose to meet

This British great snared the New Zealand Grand Prix three times and became a huge favourite here. Today an eminent local expert explains why.

“He was definitely an ace of aces – a real hero.

“And he had terrific charisma … he was very complimentary about the New Zealand drivers he raced against here.” 

In discussing Sir Stirling Moss, who died at 90 years old at his London home yesterday, New Zealand motorsport expert Scott Thomson (below) can speak with particular authority.

The renowned Masterton motor-racing historian whose works include a biography of Ron Roycroft, one of the drivers Moss competed against in this country, interviewed the Formula One icon on several occasions.

Their last meeting was when Moss came out to open a new wing of Wellington’s Scot’s College, about 30 years ago, where in an interview about the post-war racing cars the retired racer’s acute memory for detail shone through. 

Thomson also witnessed Moss race here almost annually from 1956 to 1962, a period when he claimed the country’s most significant track racing prize, the New Zealand Grand Prix.

The NZGP title went to Moss on three occasions – in 1956 with a Maserati 250F (below) – the same kind of car in which our own Chris Amon’s talent would shine so bright a few years later -  then in 1959 and 1962, respectively in a Cooper Climax T45 then a Lotus 2, always with the racing number 7.

The latter victory, on January 6, was one his last big one – three months later came the dreadful accident in his homeland that forced Moss into retirement.

A massive crash whose cause remains a mystery to this day left him trapped in wreckage for 40 minutes, in a coma for a month and kept him out of racing for a year. When he finally returned to a race car, he determined he lacked the edge needed to win, so decided to retire at just 32.

Thomson notes wryly that the smash that ended what had been a hugely promising international motor-racing career was also on Easter weekend.

Moss enjoyed a halcyon ascendancy that delivered 16 wins from 66 F1 GP starts and numerous other stunning victories, including his famous drive for Mercedes in the Mille Miglia, an endurance road race in Italy renowned for being particularly tough and lethal.

That third NZGP win provided another fabulous example of his ability – contested in hugely challenging conditions, with rain so heavy it flooded sections of the Ardmore airfield circuit south of Auckland, and against a stellar field including the cream of early 1960s’ F1 talent.

Yet the entire field was lapped with what seemed such an easy mastery fellow racer John Surtees told reporters in an immediate post-race comment “he’s just not normal.”

It was no disparaging put-down. Simply, as a subsequent history of that day would relate, an expression of awestruck admiration from a man, relegated to second that day, who two years later would become F1 world champion, the only man to win world titles on motorbikes and in Grand Prix cars.

As the history of that day related: “… while others were slithering and sliding and spinning, Moss was imperturbable. He had only one mishap, when the Lotus aquaplaned in the corner on to Pit Straight.

“At one point he had slid his goggles down and shielded his eyes with his hand, steering the Lotus with the other hand and at undiminished pace.”

It’s because of occasions such as this that mean history merely recalling Moss as one of the best drivers of all time to have never won a Formula 1 World Championship doesn’t tell the full story.

Thomson certainly says that’s almost an unfair assessment, and not simply because it overlooks that the Briton did achieve two world championships, a manufacturers’ title for Vanwall in 1958 and a sports car title for Aston Martin the next year.

With deference to Jim Clark, who might – if they had ever gone head-to-head when each was at the height of their abilities – proven the better Formula One racer overall, Thomson considers Moss was probably the best British driver in all-round ability “and one of the greatest overall.” (On that scale, he notes Moss always whenever asked about rankings always reckoned Juan Manual Fangio was the best ever).

Like the Scotsman, Moss would drive almost anything, but perhaps had better skills as an all-rounder as “he was a good rally driver, obviously very good sports cars and in endurance races – where he was just so fast he generally became the hare they sent out to lure the opposition into breaking their machinery into trying to catch him – and, of course, he was very good in Grand Prix cars. 

Thomson admits his views might seem a little coloured as he was always an unabashed Moss fan, starting from the days when, as a teenaged fan, he received a personal reply to a letter sent to the Englishman prior to that 1956 New Zealand debut expressing hope Dunedin’s street race would be included in his itinerary (it wasn’t). The letter Moss penned in reply, and the autographed photograph included with it, remain especially treasured.

Thomson missed seeing Moss run the NZGPs, but did see him perform at the now defunct Levin circuit and also at Invercargill’s Teretonga.

Happening across a weekday low-key test session at the Southland track provided insight into why the Brit had the measure of six current or recent Formula 1 drivers - Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Surtees, Lorenzo Bandini, Roy Salvadori and Ron Flockhart – in 1962.

Drawn to the track by the sound of racing engines on a day when it would normally still be deserted, he found Moss, Brabham and McLaren. The first two were pounding ceaselessly around the track, perfecting their lines, being watched by the New Zealander, who sat up in the sandhills and was carefully noting their turn in and braking points.

That session, says Thomson, provided good example of the perfectionism and competitive spirit that the top drivers had in common, but was especially evident from Moss.

“He was very competitive and very well-organised. This was a day when you’d might have thought you’d only see someone running in an engine but there they, were, going round and round and round refining their lines. And there was Bruce, picking up what they were doing.”

To good benefit. The Kiwi won the race ahead of the visitors.

Yet it was a good example of the Brit’s attitude (and Brabham’s too). “There was no question that, when he came to race, he came to do exactly that. Race. It wasn’t a case of ‘we’d better let Bruce win at Teretonga’. That racer instinct was there all the time.”

Moss came from good motorsport stock; his dad, Alfred, also raced and managed a feat that eluded the son – contesting and finishing the Indianapolis 500 – and his sister, Pat, was a renowned figure in rally sport.

His upbringing was tough; the family grew up during World War II and, because of his Jewish background, he was picked on at school – the taunting led him to take boxing, at which he excelled. 

Post-war Britain when he began racing was a very grey place. His first mechanic, Guy Muller, was a German prisoner of war serving out his time. His early career was forged in Europe, where he found he could backpack around Europe and survive as a profession driver on his small share of the starting money he got for fronting up in a HWM. “He found he could make it work providing he didn’t eat too generously between the racing.”

Being spotted by Lofty England was his big break. Jaguar’s team manager knew talent when he saw it. “He quickly became the Jaguar team leader.”  

England recognised in Moss the same special abilities and winning attitude he’d seen in the two big name drivers he’d run of the 1930s’, Prince Bira and Dick Seaman. And from thereon he was on the way.

As Thomson puts it: “Britain was looking for a hero at the time and they sure got it.”

By the time Moss came to New Zealand, he was not only a motor-racing star on the back of successes including being the current British national champion but a social scene celebrity. He knew how to play the scene but was never big headed, Thomson says.

An example. Prior to the 1956 NZGP, the Northern Sports Car Club laid on a dance to which all the drivers were invited.

“Stirling was the one who turned up and he didn’t just go to talk to people and sit at the bar.

“He went and danced. He danced with every girl in the room, I was told, starting with the not-so-pretty ones, so all the girls thought he was absolutely marvellous.”

He looked it in the big race, too. Having been untouchable in qualifying, his battleship grey Maserati was on pole and had ascended to the lead of the 320km enduro within half a lap. By his 15th circumnavigation of Ardmore, he’d lapped all but the fastest half dozen cars and soon after established a new circuit record.

At lap 85, with 15 to go, he felt rain on his goggles. Only it wasn’t. A fuel lead had broken; petrol was spraying into his face. Half-blinded, choked by fumes, he had to reduce speed as fuel sprayed directly into the cockpit. But he kept pressing on until, with eight to go, so little was left in the tank he had to pit. Thirty-six litres were dumped into the tank, the leak fixed as best it could be and he was off again.

With Australia’s Tony Gaze right behind in a Ferrari that, having been converted to methanol, was the most powerful car in the field, Moss was forced go as hard as he could. Another lap record was clocked. Two laps on, he took the chequered flag, WWII Spitfire ace Gaze right behind.

The 1959 return was more comfortable, Moss being a lap up on closest competitor Brabham at flag fall and, of course, 1962 was better still.

Yet he was never big-headed about it. Indeed, when it came to summing up his competitors, he was always quick to praise when it was deserved. 

Thomson says Moss certainly held genuine respect not just for his fellow internationals but also earnest in suggesting local heroes Roycroft and Syd Jenson especially were genuinely good adversaries who would have done well anywhere. The Kiwi talent pool, in turn, learned a lot from competing against the best from overseas.

“Those races certainly did help our guys. Moss was certainly complimentary about our best and, in time, Bruce (McLaren) and Denny (Hulme, our only F1 world champion) proved Moss right.”

Covid-19: Driven to distraction

Want a fossil-fuelled flick to watch during lockdown? Here are some favourites.

With the coronavirus forcing us to stay in our bubbles, here’s a list of some of the best petrolhead films you can watch. Several (Uppity, Formula One: Drive to Survive) currently showing on Netflix, others easily found on YouTube and quite a few availed through subscription channels.

 McLaren: National pride alone ensures this one has pole position, yet frankly even if he wasn’t a Kiwi, the story of Bruce McLaren is enough of a ripping yarn to deserve to one of the greats. AS others have noted, what is most striking about this documentary is it makes clear the astounding dedication and loyalty he inspired in those who worked for him on his journey from humble beginnings to the top echelon of motorsport.

 Life on the Limit: Insight from past and present drivers into the dangers of motorsport past and present is riveting. Combining rare and archival footage, the documentary emphasises just how difficult it is to balance safety and thrills in a sport that is inherently dangerous. 

Rush: Yeah, okay, purists can pick holes, but Ron Howard's movie really captures the intensity of the battle between James Hunt and Niki Lauda for the 1976 Formula One title and the Austrian’s adtounding recovery from his Nurburgring crash.

 Williams:  Sweeping aside the usual PR bullshit to provide an impressively … well … frank insight into this family and its F1 history. There’s a real sense of sibling tension evident and the more you learn about the founder, the less you necessarily like him. But fair dues; F1 is a hard graft and how this true family business rose to greatness and keeps beating the odds is captivating.

Crash and Burn: Irish racer Tommy Byrne was once mentioned in the same breath as Ayrton Senna and this film considers the reasons he never became a household name, despite the best efforts of supporters including NZ motorsport identity Murray Taylor, who managed Byrne for a whole (and, sadly, doesn’t feature in the film).

 Ferrari race to immortality: An unflinching insight into the golden era of the 1950s when Ferrari was rising to prominence. Tragedy and triumph occur side by side with Enzo Ferrari at the centre building his empire. Tons of original footage, some quite gruelling.

 Senna: Another shoo-in and even though you’ve probably already seen it at least once, it’s still worth another viewing to remind just how massive Ayrton Senna’s talent and imprint was.

 Road: Think Senna but on two wheels. The story of the famous Dunlop family and their road racing stories of unparalleled triumphs, and terrible tragedy. Easily as captivating as TT: Life on the Edge.

 TT: Closer to the Edge: You could watch this one 100 times and still be challenged to understand everything Guy Martin says. But it’s ultimately all about the bikes and the heartless challenge that is the Isle of Man TT. A great tribute to Kiwi rider Paul Dobbs, who died in the 2010 races.

 Winning - The Racing Life of Paul Newman: Another low-key gem, this look at the racing life of Paul Newman reminds that, in addition to being a great actor, he was a pretty handy driver who created a decent race team.

 Truth in 24: Sure, Audi commissioned thisdocumentary detailing its preparation for the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans, but all credit, it didn’t seek to influence or sanitise the story of the team’s rather challenging build-up to a heck of a race.

Uppity: The first African-American man to have tested a Formula One car (he did so in 1986) and to compete in the Indianapolis 500 (tested in 1985, raced in 1991). And you’ve still probably never heard of Wilyl T Ribbs, right? Well, this impressive look into an amazing career of a driver whose battles against racism were as tough as the competition he faced down on the track will be an eye-opener.

Formula One, Drive to Survive: A simply unmatched series in terms of access to the teams, drivers and others involved in Formula One, an outstanding piece of television whether you like F1 or not. Series 1 is better than Series 2, simply because there’s less rawness (except from Guenther Steiner), but every minute is worth savouring.

The 24-hour War: You’ve seen Ford vs Ferrari and wondered how true it was to the real tale of an amazing rivalry? Well, this documentary, based around the book of the same title by AJ Baime, is a must-see, even if it also doesn’t give proper credit to the three Kiwis who helped the Blue Oval finally taste success: McLaren and Chris Amon in the lead car, Denny Hulme in the No.2.

 A Life of Speed, Juan Manuel Fangio: A low-key presence on Netflix at the moment, this new documentary looking at the first megastar of Formula One is a cracker.

 Grand Prix: The fictional story-line is sappy, but forget that. This 1966 Oscar-winner is worth watching for the cinematography, racing scenes and of course the beautiful Formula 1 cars of the 1960s. Check out the cameos by Graham Hill and Bruce McLaren and note that the helmet worn by lead actor James Garner is in the same colours as that of Chris Amon, but with the layout reversed.

Yet to be seen, but looking good:

Heroes: From Manish Pandey, the acclaimed writer of Senna, this tells the story of double F1 champion Mika Hakkinen, Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen, WRC's only female rally winner Michele Mouton, former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa and F1 legend Michael Schumacher – represented by an empty chair at the dining room table where they all gather. Lots of footage, great stories, expect to get a bit teary.

 Yellow Yellow Yellow, The IndyCar Safety Team: The happenstance of this behind-the-scenes look at the work of IndyCar’s crack Safety Team being filmed during the 2015 race means it  becomes a focus on their professionalism dealing with the awful accident that befell James Hinchcliffe.

Hurley: This 2019 production by Patrick Dempsey honours the impressive on-track successes of legendary Porsche works driver Hurley Hayward and also allows him to open up, for the first time, about his deepest secret - being gay in the macho world of 1970s’ motorsport.

Victory by Design: Hosted by former racing driver Alain de Cadenet, this docuseries is a walkthrough the history and design of some of the most famous sportscar brands in the world – Porsche, Maserati, Aston Martin included. It can be found on YouTube, albeit in parts. 

Covid-19: In sickness, consider your car’s health

The longer the lockdown, the more likely your four-wheeled-bubblemate might need some consideration.

Two weeks down. Just two weeks to go?

 Let’s not get too excited just yet. There’s no absolute certainty that the national Covid-19 lockdown will definitely lift on April 22. The Government has made it clear there’s still likelihood we might need to remain in our bubbles beyond that date.

Chin up, NZ. As unpalatable as this lockdown is, we all surely understand why it’s needed. It’s better to get this fully fixed in one action, right?

One way of coping with cabin fever is to give thought to how your vehicle is bearing up.

A short-term of enforced isolation is something any modern vehicle can see out without issue, but ultimately all that sitting around is no better for them than it will be for us.

Vehicles aren’t made to be inactive and, certainly, their core components don’t improve with sedentary age.

So maybe now’s a good a time as any to get into the habit on carrying out a few regular checks and precautions to make sure your vehicle is in good shape.

The ideas listed here aren’t by any means absolutely requisite and certainly aren’t new – any owner of a classic car, especially one that might only get seasonal use, will very likely be fully cognisant with at least the fundamentals.

Let’s start with thinking about the fuel it uses. It’s great not only that petrol stations are deemed essential services and that the price of fuel has dropped.

You might wonder if that makes any difference, given no-one should be taking anything more than short trips, and only then for good reason, but in fact there’s good reason to take this as an opportunity to fill your car up, especially if it runs on petrol.

Here’s the thing about petrol. It doesn’t last all that well; exactly how long it maintains optimal state depends on all sorts of conditions, but ultimately it will degrade. There’s no need to panic: A few weeks in the tank is fine; potentially even three to six months.

But there will be a point where it starts to change its state. It’s a refined product from crude oil and the issue is volatility. What that means in this context is that it evaporates easily. If petrol is left in your tank for months, the volatile compounds will evaporate; what remains reacts with the oxygen in the air around it and oxidises, forming gums and varnishes and things that will clog filters, injectors, and fuel lines.

So, drain the tank? Actually, no. The opposite. Fill it up. The more fuel in there, the less oxygen. The less of that, the lower the potential for a problem.

Not just for your engine, but also fuel pumps, gaskets and lines. Some say that, once you have a full tank, it’s good to add some fuel stabiliser, which protects the fuel against evaporation and oxidisation for up to two years.

Diesel is a different story. It’s far friendlier, due to its comparatively low level of refinement. Opinion is that it’ll last for up to a year with no intervention. Again, though, it’s still prudent to fill up, as condensation can form inside half-empty fuel tanks. Diesel will oxidise, albeit more slowly than petrol.

Electric cars – and by that, we mean, anything that wholly relies on battery power (if it’s a hybrid or a PHEV, it still has an engine, so the guidelines above still prescribe) – are not exempt from consideration.

The good advice here is to keep your car fully charged. Second, leave it plugged in. Don’t worry. You won’t be constantly drawing charge. Onboard systems can manage the charge level and ensure the battery remains in top condition. One thing, when plugging in, only use the authorised cables. Extension cords are fire hazards at the best of times.

Maintaining good battery state is important for fossil-fuelled vehicles, too. Today’s vehicles have a plethora of sensors and computers that need battery power. They do a good job of not drawing too much current but you do not want to let them go flat: Resetting computer codes and what-not is a hugely complex task that’ll require professional help that isn’t easily accessed at this time.

That battery conditioner you got given for Christmas and sat on the shelve since? This is the time to use it. This attaches to the battery and the wall socket and uses an onboard processor to maintain the battery’s charge and condition (the better ones come with special reconditioning modes).

The other option is obvious. Just periodically fire up the engine – or, with an EV, simply go through the ignition process to the point where the car is good to start moving. You needn’t go anywhere; it’s just a way of keeping the engine lubricated and the battery in a better state. But please don’t do this is an enclosed space, for obvious reasons.

What else? On older cars, if you leave your handbrake on for a prolonged period, it can seize. So, if that vehicle isn’t going to be used for a while, and it’s a manual, release the parking brake and chock the wheels. And if it’s an automatic (or CVT), then set it in Park.

If a manual car is in a safe spot (like, your garage) and thus immune from being nudged, then it’s not a bad idea to also leave it in gear. Gearboxes are sealed and use good-quality, long-lasting protective lubricants.

Windscreen wipers, window and door seals can degrade after a while. Wiper blades will harden and lose effectiveness. A silicon lubricant, wiped along with a finger, can be enough to inhibit this. While talking about doors and windows, makes sure these are fully closed. Vehicles become warm and inviting places for nasty critters; the use of vegetable-based wiring plastics has exacerbated the issues: Seems rodents just love the taste! So make sure the car is closed up, check underneath for poop and perhaps even plug the exhaust with steel wool.

If you have the right gear and aptitude, now might be a good time to change the oil, changed. At the very least, check the status of your car’s other fluids: Radiator coolant, brake fluid, engine oil level. Brake fluid is hygroscopic – translation: It absorbs water – which will cause brake lines and parts to rust, but that’s a long-term issue.

If you think all of the above is too challenging, then still give thought to your tyres. These WILL lose air pressure over time and, if a car stands too long in one place, there’s risk the tyres will also lose their shape; it’s basically a kind of flat-spotting.

One precaution is to pump them up to the recommended pressure for a heavy load. You don’t know what this is? Generally, that information is on a sticker on the inside driver’s side door jamb. It might also be listed in the handbook. Maximum cold inflation pressures are also written on the sidewall of the tyre. Or you can ask a garage attendant to take care of this when your visit the servo to fill up. What you don’t want to do is guesstimate. A seriously over-inflated tyre is a seriously bad thing.

What else? Well, you might even go to the extreme of removing the wheels completely and storing the car on jack stands, ensuring of course that these are sited in manufacturer-approved lift points. But still inflate your tyres to road-going spec and store them on their side.

As said, these are largely if and when solutions if things get worse and our home detention is extended. But they’re all good practice and worth thinking about.

Covid-19: New vehicle market into lean burn?

Covid-19’s impact on the car market will be profound, explains David Crawford, chief executive officer of the Motor Industry Association, which speaks for new vehicle distributors.

COVID-19 has had, predictably, a significant impact on the new vehicle market in New Zealand, and indeed the rest of the world.

What does the future look like for the sale of new cars in New Zealand? The answer to that question lies in understanding what is happening to the rest of New Zealand’s economy.

Much has already been written about Covid-19, its health impact, and the impact of our response to the pandemic on our economy. Nonetheless, there remains considerable uncertainty on the quantum of the yet to be felt full economic impact 

There has also been extensive commentary in recent days on whether we should give equal weighting to health and economic impacts or whether we should, as we are currently doing, continue to prioritise health. Internationally the cost to human life is already too high, and some of the numbers being discussed of the total mortality rate as the pandemic progresses is horrifying to say the least.

Our Prime Minister has been crystal clear in her views, we do not want New Zealand to follow the same infection path of what has happened in other parts of the world. She believes, as I do, that the long term prioritising protection of health is our economic response.

The pathway of how we got to a level 4 lockdown is nothing like anything we have known in our lifetimes. Just as the pathway to how we got to where we are today is unfamiliar territory, so too will be the slow and difficult period of recovery.

Planning for recovery has begun, but there are a lot of uncertainties. Even though there is a target date of 23 April, currently we do not know when New Zealand will move out of alert level 4. 

When we do move out of alert level 4 questions remain on if we can avoid returning to that status at some future point. We do not know if the Government’s eradication plan will work and there is the big unknown of how well other countries will fare in their efforts to containing the novel corona virus.

We do not know the details on what long term border restrictions will look like and then there is the question of how soon a vaccine will become available.

We all remember the global financial crisis, but this is different. Fundamentally different.

In the motor vehicle sector, within a matter of days we went from business as usual to shutting down all non-essential services with only an on-call capability for parts and repairs to essential vehicles.

Sales of new vehicles for the month of March are down about 37 percent on March 2019, and sales of new vehicles for April might only amount to 10-15 oercent of April 2019 sales, and then only if we move out of alert level 4 at some point before the end of the month.

Questions remain on what sales will look like from May onwards. This will depend on how quickly we as a country can break the chain of infection and begin our recovery to a new normal. Additionally, even if New Zealand can break the chain of infection, we will need to keep our borders closed until the rest of the world can do the same, or a vaccine is found.

Whichever way you look at it, recovery is going to be slow, fragmented and painful.

To their credit, distributors and franchised dealers quickly responded to the Government’s call to shut down non-essential parts of their businesses. Staff were set up to work from home and contingency plans rapidly implemented. 

Vehicle distributors and their franchised dealer network are already busy planning what changes need to be made to survive. Like any business they need to consider a range of fundamental factors. Being a capital intensive type of business, cashflow is critical to keep afloat. Knowing how much cash they have on hand and understanding when they might reasonably expect cash to come in again is occupying their thoughts.

So too are questions around their ability to reduce costs and what other business strategies they might be able to put in place to start the cash flowing again. The way in which they sell vehicles might also change.

For some it has also meant businesses have had to already downsize. The painful decision to let go of staff is not something anyone wants to do, and more importantly have it done to you. We know tougher decisions will need to be made in coming months.

The longer it takes to control this pandemic the more severe the economic impact on our overall economy. The tourism and hospitality sectors are testament to how quickly things can change, they have been decimated and how many will survive is an unknown. Each passing day we hear news of other sectors downsizing or collapsing 

Getting a consensus of views from economists is something we sometimes joke about. But a quick read of media still operating reveals a common thread in their thinking.

Economist Cameron Bagrie noted: “The only thing we can safely say is this economic hit is going to be the biggest I've ever seen in my working life. I've been through the Asian crisis, the GFC and post-1987. This is going to make them look like a walk in the park.”

When presenting to MP’s on Parliaments Covid-19 select committee, economist Shamubeel Eaqub echoed Bagrie’s thoughts and went one step further, arguing we needed to think lockdown, purgatory and new normal.

So, what does this all mean for the new vehicle market?

The single most critical factor that drives the New Zealand new vehicle market is the health of our economy. For our sector to recover we need the rest of New Zealand to recover. For the rest of New Zealand to recover we need to firstly get on top of controlling the novel corona virus, stop further importation of virus vectors entering our country and then get our businesses open again. 

When we went through the global financial crisis, the new vehicle market was hit hard. Sales fell from 102,470 vehicles in 2007 to 70,048 vehicles in 2009, a 32 percent drop. It took five years to recover.

Early estimates are that the 2020 sales year might fall to somewhere between 90,000 to 100,000 vehicles compared to just under 155,000 in 2019. If that eventuates, we will see the market drop around 40 percent. Some predicting the market might fall around 50 percent, it depends on how soon the borders can reopen and businesses re-establish themselves. It will also depend and whether people and businesses have money to renew their vehicles.

The outlook for sales in May through to August looks very tight. We are not expecting buyers to flood back into the market, their attention is rightfully elsewhere.

This suggests New Zealand needs an economic recovery plan. While the MIA applauds the current economic stimuli made by our Government, I have not yet seen a well thought out economic recovery plan.

If the Government can ease parts of New Zealand back into circulation, so too can the new car sector begin to generate revenue again. No business can survive for long without revenue. Key to our ongoing survival will be initiatives aimed at easing debt, retention of employees and an early and sustained return to positive cash flow.

Covid-19: SsangYong NZ hopeful brand’s funding crisis can resolve

SsangYong’s New Zealand distributor believes a solution to keeping the SUV marque alive might rest with South Korea’s government.

QUIET confidence SsangYong can weather a financial storm and keep presence in New Zealand has been expressed by the maker’s local distributor.

Andrew Bayliss, general manager of SsangYong NZ, says information from the South Korean SUV and ute manufacturer in respect to an apparent funding crisis triggered by the coronavirus outbreak is continuing to roll out.

He and Rick and Deon Cooper, the father and son whose Great Lake Motors has held SsangYong distribution rights since 2010, are largely reliant on international media reports of an unfolding story.

The genesis is a decision, made public several days ago by marque owner, India-based Mahindra and Mahindra, to u-turn on plan to supply SsangYong with investment funding thought crucial to its ongoing survival. 

The good health SsangYong has been experiencing in New Zealand has not replicated for the brand’s overall standing – it has been hit by 12 consecutive quarters of losses.

The $NZ710 million Mahindra had promised in February was intended make SsangYong profitable by 2022.

It has been wholly withheld to prop up Mahindra, which made the decision to cut costs after experiencing an 88 percent drop in its own sales in March due to Covid-19 related market decline.

The Koreans have now been advised to seek “alternate sources of funding”.

Bayliss said he needs more clarity from SsangYong’s head office, but he has heard suggestion from there to date that Mahindra is working to force the Korean government to release some of its $NZ134 billion Covid-19 war chest set up to protect Korean businesses.

“The Korean Government basically has the cheque book open around businesses that are in trouble regarding the Covid-19 situation.

“Mahindra is unwilling to put any more funding in and they (the South Korean Government) have $US80 billion available.”

SsangYong NZ had begun the year strongly, launching a new Korando medium sports utility which has been well-received. 

“We came into 2020 very optimistic. We have new product just landed and, all things being equal and assuming there are still customers out there, we will come back after the market in a fairly strong position.”

Mahindra’s financial backing to date has brought the Korando into market and paid for new versions of its Rhino ute and Rexton large SUV.

The tap has not been completely turned off. Mahindra says it will consider an almost $NZ84 million lifeline to help SsangYong survive the next three months, with Mahindra’s board authorising the potential move. 

And it will also provide its own platforms for use in future SsangYong product without any capital expenditure, including the latest Mahindra W601 platform. 

Yet it is conjected the lack of funding will put the brand’s electrification plans on hold. SsangYong had planned to unveil a fully electric Korando variant with a 450km range at the Geneva motor show, which was ultimately cancelled over COVID-19 fears. 

Mahindra owns a 74.65 percent stake in SsangYong,

M monsters set to roam post-virus

Even with the car market turning tough, there’s expectation the baddest editions of BMW’s X5 and X6 will do well.

TWO bigfoot BMW M models whose hugely potent engine is already defying the downsizing trend are strong enough to beat off Covid-19.

 That sentiment about the X5 M and X6 M is aired by BMW Group New Zealand as it opens the order book for the updated editions of the juggernaut sports activity vehicles, which share the same mighty twin-turbo V8 engine.

BMW Group New Zealand has stuck to tradition by deciding only the best will do for its customers.

Thus it is only bringing in the Competition, which in return for being the most expensive of the two specifications is also – with 460kW and 750Nm - the most powerful and best-kitted.

With the country gripped by a national shutdown of undetermined duration and also bracing for a severe economic impact, will the buyer base still have the discretionary spend to afford models that respectively price at $219,900 and $225,600?

BMW Group New Zealand managing director Karol Abrasowicz-Madej says it’s a fair question, but he’s optimistic the big stompers don’t become showroom queens.

In part, it’s because the M brand following is incredibly strong here. “We have a lot of loyal customers and we have a lot of interest coming from them.”

Also, there’s clear recognition that the models are pretty much without rival in their category. “They are very extrovert in their character.” So, even in this time of national inaction, there’s been plenty of “good inquiry” coming from owners of competitor cars.

So while it’s all a matter of wait and see until the lockdown lifts and business can resume, “we think they will find a place in Kiwis’ hearts.”

“I’m hopeful of a good take-up though, at the same time, any prediction at the moment about volume is going to be really hard.”

So they’ll survive, and so will the engine that also slots into the also NZ-available M5 sedan and M8 coupe and, in the sport activity vehicle application, lends ability to hit 100kmh in a claimed 3.8 seconds, 0.4 sec quicker than their forebears, aided by an extra 37kW of thrust.

Is this the final swansong for the V8? As much as BMW recognises that it’s becoming every challenging to maintain this kind of engine in the face of ever-tightening environmental regulations, in Europe especially, it says there’s still a good case for having it.

While acknowledging that various emissions rules are making his life more difficult, the head of powertrain project management for the X5M and X6M, Axel Theiling, reminds his team’s opus is far from being an old-school donk.

Built around a 90-degree vee angle and a sleeveless closed-deck crankcase, the 4.4-litre motor is a very sophisticated motor, with Valvetronic variable valve lift and direct fuel injection, as well as a pair of high-flow twin-scroll turbochargers.

Those ingredients allow for some reasonable emissions and economy. For a V8.

Still, make no bones: It is an engine designed foremost for performance rather than eco purity. Hence the forged crankshaft and a lubrication system built to cope with the rigours of track use. Also why the eight-speed automatic has manual modes and the M sport exhaust features four outlets so you can hear what the V8 has to say.

Other highlights include Adaptive M Suspension Professional with various modes, M Servotronic steering with Comfort and Sport settings, a rear-biased 4wd system, Active locking M differential and M Sport brakes with six-piston calipers acting on 395mm drilled and vented discs up front. A 100-0kmh emergency stop of 32 metres is claimed.

The M-spec X models stand out from the mainstream editions through adopting extrovert design features such as enlarged air intakes and an oversized wheel and tyre package (295/35R21s up front and 315/30R22s rear). They also have laser lights.

The cabin includes M multifunction powered and heated sport seats finished in full leather ‘Merino’ and Alcantara headlining, along with four-zone air con and head-up display. A panoramic sunroof, wireless charging and Apple CarPlay are included.

Safety and convenience items include BMW Driving Assistant Professional, Parking Assistant Plus and BMW Live Cockpit Professional with a pair of 12.3-inch LCD colour displays.

Deliveries are set to begin next month.

Special edition Mazdas honour a corker Kei

Who’d ever guess a brand that aces with the young-at-heart has just hit its century?

MAZDA marking its 100th year with the business it is best known for nowadays is a reminder that, like most car brands, it started out doing something else.

Still, vehicles are its game now, so the 100th Anniversary Special Edition models that will be availing to Kiwi customers soon are the best carriers of the celebratory mood.

Think of these as being a recognition of what could be called a corker of an idea, which traces back to January 30, 1920, in the make’s home city of Hiroshima, Japan. More about that in a minute.

But, obviously, with vehicles by far and away being what it’s best known for nowadays, they’re the best products to tie back to a special moment in time.

Basically, all the passenger models Mazda makes are coming to the party, with a special trim that’ll has gone into production and will remain available until March next year. None are in New Zealand yet. Mazda NZ will announce more about what cars it will offer and when in coming months.

The special vehicles are easily identified. They’re in a white (Snow Flake White Pearl Mica)-and-burgundy two-tone. Also included are burgundy floor carpets, specially-embossed floor mats and head rests, unique key fobs and centre wheelcaps with a 100th Anniversary logo. And, of course, a special badge.

The colour scheme is all part of the story, being a hat-tip to Mazda’s first passenger car, the R360 Coupe. Which came out 60 years ago.

So what was Mazda up to for the 40 years prior to that? Well, plenty of stuff.

The company’s genesis goes back to the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co Ltd, which was founded in Hiroshima. As the name suggests, it was an industry that made products from cork.

Seven years later the company changed its name to Toyo Kogyo Co Ltd,  and four years after that it moved into the manufacture of vehicles when it introduced a three-wheel ‘truck’ called Mazda-Go, which  was powered by an air-cooled single cylinder motorcycle engine.

This vehicle was the world’s first engine-powered rickshaw, and it also represented first use of the word Mazda, which derives from Ahura Mazda – the god of harmony, intelligence and wisdom. This in the hope that it would brighten the image of the little vehicle. Well, that’s how the company history relates it.

There has also always been a theory that the word had a close association with the company’s founder, Jujiro Matsuda, whose family name was pronounced very close to “Mazda”.

Whatever the reason, the little rickshaw’s name obviously worked, because the Mazda-Go and its successors went on to enjoy a strong career right through into the post-WW2 era, when it began to be replaced by a range of three-wheeled Mazda trucks such as the K360 and the T-2000.

And of course that in turn led to Toyo Kogyo turning its attention to passenger vehicles, which resulted in the 1960 launch of one of the original Japanese ‘Kei’ cars, the famous Mazda R360 Coupe.

And that’s the car that Mazda Motor Corporation is now honouring with its range of 100th Anniversary Special Edition vehicles.

Sales are scheduled to kick off in Japan from June, firstly with the Mazda, Mazda3 and CX-3, followed from July with the CX-30, CX-5, CX-8, MX-5 and RF, and finally from September with the Mazda6.

Then it will be the turn of the rest of the world – New Zealand included – to get their hands on the celebratory cars.

In so many respects the little R360 Coupe is the ideal car for Mazda to use as the centrepoint of its centennial celebrations.

By today’s standards the car looked quite weird. Maybe even kooky. And also by today’s standards it was seriously underpowered – it offered all of 12kW of power and 22Nm of torque.

But this was 1960, a time when Japan was still recovering economically and socially from the ravages of World War 2, and the only way most families could afford a vehicle was to opt for the insurance and tax breaks on offer with the so-called Kei car, which had to be the smallest highway-legal passenger vehicle.

When the first Kei cars were built in 1949, the rules said their engines must have cubic capacities of no more than 150cc. That was increased to 360cc in late 1955, and that immediately led to development of a raft of micro-mini cars including such product as the Suzuki Suzulight and the Subaru 360.

And then, in May 1960, the Mazda R360 Coupe. The little two-door 2+2 had a wheelbase of just 1753mm, weighed 380kg, and was powered by a rear-mounted 356cc engine that developed the 12kW and 22Nm. To put those figures into some sort of perspective, the smallest Mazda you can buy in New Zealand today, the Mazda2, has a 2570mm wheelbase, weighs 1100kg, and has a 1496cc engine that develops 82kW and 144Nm.

But 60 years ago, the Japanese loved the R360. It immediately proved so successful that more than 23,000 of them were sold during the remainder of that year, and it soon gained a massive 65 per cent of the domestic Kei car market. 

As a result, not only did it sell for six years, but it spawned other product – a convertible, a front-engined pickup truck, and perhaps most significantly a four-door sedan called the P360 ‘Carol’ that remained on the market for eight years until 1970.

Actually you can still buy a new Mazda Carol in Japan – but these days it is a rebadged Suzuki Alto. As a result there are plenty of used import Suzuki-built Carols in New Zealand, and we at MotoringNZ.com are aware of at least one 1962 Carol here, but we don’t know if there are any of the original R360 Coupes in the country. We hope there is. Maybe an owner somewhere can contact us to let us know what it is like to drive?

From a technology perspective, what was admirable about the R360 Coupe was its innovation. It was the first use of a four-stroke engine in a passenger vehicle, it had a torque converter, a four-wheel independent suspension, and there was significant use of alloy in an effort to keep its weight down.

Little wonder then that its manufacturer went on to produce the technologically advanced product it is famous for. Product such as all the rotary-engined Mazdas that began with the Cosmo Sport in 1967, the famous MX-5 roadster  from 1989, and all the SkyActiv features in today’s passenger vehicles.

It’s all worth celebrating, isn’t it? So happy 100th birthday, Mazda.

BMW's electric push knows no bounds

Availability of a plug-in hybrid edition of the X3 is just one step in an all out push to increasingly electrify Munich’s model line-up here.

PLUG-IN electric fare will continue to present in strength for BMW locally even after the next round of fully electric product starts rolling in, with a fuel cell alternate also theoretically possible. 

This is impressed by BMW Group New Zealand as it prepares to release another new electric pathway model - a battery-assisted edition of the X3.

Brisk business is forecast for the X3 xDrive30e, a $107,700 offer that becomes the seventh PHEV model in the local lineup.

In this car a 2.0-litre 135kW four-cylinder petrol marries to an electric motor to allow electric-only range of 55km, fuel consumption as low as 2.1 litres per 100km, a 215kW/420Nm output and 0-100kmh in just 6.1 seconds.

It’s an especially good fit as soft-roaders – or sports activity vehicles in BMW-speak - are achieving more consumer consideration than any other car type and mains-replenished drivetrains are also resonating with Kiwis, the brand’s managing director for New Zealand says 

The present impact - and potential long-term implication - of the coronavirus emergency makes it challenging to give indication on supply strength or how well it will sell.

Yet Karol Abrasowicz-Madej has every confidence in PHEV and EV cars continuing to gain traction here, with an 88 percent lift between 2018 and 2019.

For sure, we’re still talking modest volume. “The total new car market was around 100,000 passenger registrations in 2019 – of those 2809 were electric, around 2.7 percent.”

However, BMW NZ is happy to hold dominance in that sliver and its PHEV lineup – which despite the combustion component meet the accepted definition of being electric cars – allows it to provision more EV choices any other make and especially good grip within the premium segment.

And this will only increase as it is looking at “any opportunity” with that product.

“There is a market, the buyers are out there and we are looking for an opportunity to capitalise.

“Our strategy is to unfold and unroll all available product to New Zealand. We know it will be good for us and customers. In our opinion plug-in hybrids are perfect for this market. 

Overseas’ reports suggest PHEV is also coming to the 3-series Touring wagon in both two-wheel-drive and all-wheel drive guises, and the X1 and X2 compact crossovers. In all, BMW has promised to have 25 kinds of electric vehicles in circulation by 2023.

With so many models going battery assist, does it stand to reason that the tech will inevitably become core to the majority of BMWs sold here?

Abrasowicz-Madej doesn’t deny the possibility, but prefers not to give an estimate of how great that penetration might be in one or two years from now. It all depends on the market on how the market will develop. It’s pretty clear 2020 won’t be a brilliant year for anyone. So much depends on, for instance, how quickly business confidence is restored.

One prompt might lay with our leaders. Belief that the sector also greater Government-led stimulation to really get going also remains a passion project for Abrasowicz-Madej. Regardless that it appears to have derailed, the Clean Car proposal that would have effectively subsidised models that achieve low emissions and economy and penalise those that do not remains important, he says.

He conceivably has a good inroad to push his thoughts that with those walking the corridors of power. The Seven Series is, of course, on the Crown VIP roster and conceivably the next generation might keep that job, with Munich confirming it’ll outlay in fully-electric format – exactly the configuration the Government wants. So will BMW pitch?

Abrasowicz-Madej is diplomatic. “The Government is one of our customers. It would be a pleasure to take part on any bidding process.”

As much as the PHEV push is now firmly cemented, that’s not to say that traditional combustion engine models will be ignored: Hence why the brand is just as keen to deliver to an even more exclusive audience with the X5 M and X6 M.

“We have buyers who have preference for electro-mobility and others who prefer combustion engines. We say we can attend to both; our belief is in the power of choice.

“We are leading in the market for electrified powertrains and have the widest range and there is good demand for that. We are a brand that is intent to stay on top of technology. We know that what we are doing is right.”

X3 fans will be further drawn into a battery-compelled future when the iX3 comes here, in 2021 all going to plan. The latter and the xDrive30e will be sold side-by-side so as to enable buyers to have a full span of choice, he says. 

In Europe the PHEVs have been at the forefront of BMW’s successful achievement of a range-wide reduced 95 grams per kilometre CO2 emission target set by the European Union.

Overall, BMW’s fleet fuel consumption and CO2 emissions have been cut by more than 40 percent over the past 13 years. And with the ongoing electrification process, the company claims CO2 emissions this year will be 20 percent lower than last year’s count.

The focus on this product might raise questions about where BMW stands on full electric and hydrogen, but shouldn’t.

As much as the PHEVS are setting the pace now, the long-term and priority thrust of the parent brand’s electrification plan still involves going to fully electric cars.

The MINI Cooper SE is still on track to land mid-July and NZ orders are included in a list of 7000 confirmed international reservations 

It would seem a safe bet to think the new i4 sedan, though still officially a concept, is perhaps just two years away and, of course, the battery-compelled Seven-Series limo has been signed off, alongside full petrol, PHEV and another diesel (the engine currently favoured for VIP use).

All are understandably quite different propositions to the only electric BMW in circulation at the moment. Ironically, given how much of a pathfinder it has been, the now aged city-centric i3 is unlikely to enter a second generation.

In addition to those models, BMW has also reiterated seriousness about also developing a production fuel cell car.

Klaus Fröhlich, member of the board of management for Research and Development, BMW AG, has indicated the fuel-type could become a 'fourth pillar' of BMW’s future mobility stable of propulsion systems.

The intent is demonstrated by a model first revealed at last September’s Frankfurt motor show. The I Hydrogen NEXT (see video below) wouldn’t seem out of place if it hit the street tomorrow, as it is effectively a re-engineered X5, albeit with a handful of cosmetic alterations to mark it as one of the company’s eco models.

The car’s pair of eDrive electric motors, (one for each axle), with a combined output of 274kW, were developed the iX3. 

The fuel cell tech might also seem familiar, too. It has been co-developed with Toyota, whose expertise in this field is demonstrated by its hydrogen-fed Mirai car, which is about to enter its second generation.

As much as BMW insists I Hydrogen NEXT requires something out of its hands - a refuelling infrastructure - it has nonetheless determined to begin a pilot production phase in 2022 and could have it in full production by 2025.

Instead of pulling stored electrical energy from a battery pack, as mains-fed electric cars do, the i Hydrogen NEXT generates its own electricity through a chemical reaction between stored hydrogen and oxygen from the air, using a hydrogen fuel cell. As such, the only emissions generated by the vehicle are water vapour.

The fuel cell is supplied by two 700 bar storage tanks, which occupy the same space as the gearbox and driveshaft in the combustion-engined X5. Together, the tanks can hold six kilogrammes of hydrogen. Refuelling also only takes around four minutes, which is a huge saving over the hour-and-a-half average charge-times of current conventional electric vehicles.

Other claimed advantages a hydrogen-electric vehicle has over a traditional EV include suitability for towing and no compromises on passenger comfort, due to the lack of a heavy lithium-ion battery pack and the stiffer suspension required to support it. 

Interest in establishing a hydrogen network is taking root, and while the initial consideration is to first focus on heavy transport needs there has been talk of a refuelling network. But if it all comes into play?

“Hydrogen has challenges … there are still bottlenecks when it comes to a supply network and establishing hydrogen stations. But if the technology keeps developing on that side … well, maybe it is also an option for the future.”