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Motoring diary

September 29, 2010
Chicken or egg?

The biggest change to Holden's Commodore Series II is that it now runs on E85. That means it can take pure petrol, or up to 85:25 ethanol-petrol mix.

This is an eco-friendly advance in Australia and some other export markets because bioethanol is a renewable resource made from plants and recycled rubbish.

But it's little more than a feel-good marketing spin here in NZ where such a high blend at the pump is unlikely while our fleet contains so many used imports from Japan.

So it's easy to diss Holden for implementing changes that allow E85. Why develop and import E85 cars when there is no E85 at the pump?

That question forgets two important points.

Without E85-capable cars there will never be a case for government to introduce measures to encourage biofuel use, to build the pumps or produce the fuel.

Not to mention NZ is a small market; if E85 makes sense in Australia and its other overseas markets, it's hardly going to dismiss it just because the Kiwis are behind the eight ball.

September 26, 2010
Know-it-alls heading for a fall

Just been on a rapid gravel-road drive in a string of BMWs along with a contingent of journalists - both motoring and lifestyle.

And it underlined that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. The girls from New Idea and Mountain Scene had a blast; they'd never done this stuff before but followed instructions and made the most of the opportunity to go for a fang in BMW's four-wheel-drive line-up.

But one southland scribbler curled his lip at the cars, and dismissed them as 'not off-roaders' to match his favoured Jeep and Land Rover brands. That’s true, however, they're not pitched as off-roaders – so entering a rocky ford at high speed was a tad unwise. Not surprisingly he hit a rock, ripping bodywork from nose and tail and eviscerating some undercarriage components.

Casually tossing the keys to the next driver he moved on, ending his day by sliding the car into a snow bank where he proclaimed it 'stuck'.

Someone else drove it out...

Embarrassed? Nope, this dude still thinks he knows it all. God help him if he takes that attitude on a true off-road trip with hard-core vehicles; he's riding for a fall.

September 25, 2010
Love those cupholders

Was just telling someone how much I like the BMW 3 Series pop-out cupholders and how I wish cheaper cars had as good a system - when I realised today's Toyota Corolla diesel does.
Well, almost as good. Only the driver benefits, and yes it rattles a bit when deployed but not loaded; however it's just as easy to use and equally unobtrusive.

September 22, 2010
Speed - the tester's conundrum

Just hopped off BMW's S1000RR, which again raised the motoring writer's perennial conundrum. How do you test something designed to show its best at well above the open road speed limit, without access to a track?
And if you do tap into that speed, how do you get across how it felt without admitting to law-breaking?
The BMW does 186kph in first gear, with another five cogs to go. Its electronic systems acknowledge the real world isn't ideal territory for a hyper-bike by letting you limit power, and reduce throttle response to make it harder to over-accelerate out of bends.
But those limits by no means bring the bike into real-world territory. So are those buyers who won't race it admitting to dangerous law-breaking? Not necessarily. Some folk just enjoy knowing they have the biggest or fastest bike around. Trouble is, those buyers tend to move on when the next one arrives. If BMW's RR is to succeed, it'll need to win hearts as well as minds - and win races even when it's no longer the newest kid on the block.

September 21, 2010
Berlin's two-wheeled flotilla

In Berlin for Audi's A1 launch and surprised by the proliferation of bicycles. Motorbikes and scooters are in a minority and no wonder - for bicycles benefit from paths that skirt traffic jams; get to cut across parks and squares; and cost nothing to run in a country where fuel is pricey.
Moreover with so many pedallers about, car drivers know to look out for them - not that they're easy to miss. Many ride in flotillas so large their footprint would put a truck-trailer to shame.
So ubiquitous is the bicycle that tourist guides lead bicycle-mounted groups round the sites - it's a flat city, so fitness isn't really required.
Shame NZ towns don't follow suit - it'd keep us in shape, for starters.

September 20, 2010
Audi A1 easy to spot

Despite the chaos wrought by roadworks in Berlin's busy rush hour I spotted it immediately; another A1 in the rear vision mirror. Audi uses LED lights like clothing designers use beads or seams - to emphasise detail. And that makes this brand instantly recognisable, the looping curve of the front array like sparkling glitter on a party girl's downcast eyelashes.
That, and the car's sculptural approach to line give it a road presence far greater than its actual dimensions suggest and meant I easily spotted where in my rear view mirror the other car was.
Recent BMWs use lights in a similar fashion, their falcon-eye rings as recognisable, albeit imparting a more aggressive air than the subtly decorative Audi.

September 19, 2010
Unselfish drivers belt up

Another driver has died through not wearing a seatbelt. The head-on took place at suburban speeds, and those in the other vehicle suffered only minor injuries.
Seems this was one more Kiwi who didn't realise crashing the car is like flipping from a giant-size catapult. The car stops dead - you keep moving. Worse, the impact has the same effect as adding enormously to your weight.
In a 50kph frontal collision, the force on the seatbelt and its anchorage is 30 times your body weight. At 70, it's 60 times your body weight.
A NZ driver has been killed by a tin of baked beans; in a 50kph impact that 375kg can has the same effect as an 11.5kg cosh when it hits you. One seatbelt researcher has footage of a box of tissues smashing a windscreen.
It's impossible to take in how dramatic even a minor crash can be, and the massive forces it'll inflict on your body.
Even my research didn't drive the message home until I saw a real world, 50kph crash test. Let me tell you, I never want to be in one; and I'm now a seat belt Nazi.
I've heard the argument that wearing a seatbelt could trap you in a car. It seems a na•ve justification when the number of times you'd be saved by it far outnumbers the times a belt could cause further trouble.
Failure to wear it is selfish, too. Without it, your flying body becomes a missile that can kill anyone it encounters. And it leaves your mum, your mates, your spouse or your kids with the knowledge you'd still be with them if only you'd bothered to belt up.

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