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SWRT: Inside the Car Blast From The Past Spotlight on Chris de Wit

INSIDEthis week:

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Spotlight on Chris de Wit/Dean RedelinghuysClass A7 Team Total Evolution Toyota RunXThe Toyota Dealer Rally, round two of the Sasol South African National Rally Championship, was held in the scenic Western Cape earlier this month.

With the event route taking in high-speed section, tight and twisty roads and technical stages, the Toyota Dealer Rally promised to be an excit-ing and challenging event for both crews and spectators alike.

For Chris de Wit and Dean Redelinghuys, piloting a Class A7 Team Total Toyota RunX, the rally started off well, as this crew tackled the open-ing fast and technical stages. Maintaining pace with the rest of the field, De Wit reported that his car was feeling slightly underpowered and suffered from brake problems. However, they were able to finish the first day third in Class A7, a little over a minute behind the class leaders Gugu Zulu and Carl Peskin (BP Volkswagen Polo A7) and Theuns Joubert/Hennie Botes (Volkswagen Polo Playa A7).

Day Two saw De Wit/Redelinghuys start the day off strongly after resolving the niggling problems of Day One. The high speed sections made for nervous times for many crews, especially with the many blind rises, but De Wit showed his fantastic driving skills to edge ever closer to the top of the Class A7 leaders.

On SS7, Theuns Joubert/Hennie Botes were forced to retire from the event, thus promoting De Wit/Redelinghuys to second in Class.

Drama nearly struck this pairing at the last service, with one stage to run. Chris de Wit: “As we were due to leave service, the car failed to start and we were frantically checking all possible connections to find the fault. We managed to find it was an electrical fault but losing 6 minutes lateness, thus adding another 60 seconds penalty to our time, which dropped us at that point to third in class, and only TWO seconds behind Nico Higgs. With one stage to go, we really gave all we had and convincingly beat Nico in that stage by 31 seconds, and passed Gugu Zulu in this stage while he was repairing his broken car (side shaft problems).”

Chris de Wit and Dean Redelinghuys finished first in Class A7 and fourteenth overall, and with a strong start to the 2008 season, De Wit and Redelinghuys are already looking forward to the upcoming Sasol Rally.

A Handbrakes and Hairpins Feature:

Image: Motorpics

Reading on my favourite website (www.wrc.com) this week, I came across this interesting story. As the WRC circus moves to Jordan for the first time later this month, a Jordanian has entered the rally. Although this is not truly exciting in itself, the driver is a lady!

Abir Batikhi has been rallying in the Middle East for the past few sea-sons, and has decided on making the step up to the WRC level and in doing so will become the first Arab woman to enter a WRC event.

“It is going to be a truly memorable occasion and I want to do it for all Arab Women from across the region,” said Batikhi. “I hope that by com-peting, it will help to break down all the stereotypes that people have of Arab women and show that we are just as important as the men and play a big role in society here.”

Batikhi has competed in the Jordan Rally championship every year since 2002 when she won the Group N classification. She won the class again in 2003 and took the Group A title in 2004, 2005 and 2006. In 2007 she finished fifth overall in the championship. Batikhi and co-driver Mike Haddad, also from Jordan, will drive a Group N Subaru Impreza on the WRC Rally Jordan. - Credit: www.wrc.com.

Rally history in the making: First Arab female WRC driver

In a period of hot events that started with Mexico and will continue into the European summertime, we look at what blazing sun, blue skies and humidity mean for the drivers and the co-drivers aboard the Sub-aru World Rally Team’s Impreza WRC2007s.

As the series approaches the inau-gural Rally Jordan, crews prepare for potentially the hottest WRC en-counter of the year as temperatures are set to soar to 40 degrees Celsius over the rally weekend.

Wind no cooling breeze, that’s near unbearable for the team members working in the service park, but in-side the World Rally cars crews can face temperatures that are another 10 degrees higher.

The sun’s rays are magnified through the window glass and the roof of the car, and the air inside becomes stifling. Of course, World Rally cars do not have air conditioning in the same sense as their road-going counterparts, and whilst they do have cockpit cooling fans, their efforts are often hampered by dust. On dry and arid roads such as those in Jordan and Greece, the dust produced by the cars is substantial, and it would take a matter of seconds with the windows or the roof vent open for the car to fill with the swirling clouds. Extreme in-car temperatures can rapidly drain the driver and co-driver of strength, focus and concentration, leading ultimately to a slower pace and a greater likelihood of mistakes. Fitness plays a key role in the battle, as the fitter and stronger crews are, the less they will struggle with the physical demands of competition and therefore suffer from the loss of vital fluids through sweat. Fitter drivers are also afforded increased endurance in the heat, enabling them to attack the stages harder and for longer before tiring, and so both Petter and Chris have recently increased their training in preparation.

Hydration also plays a crucial role, absolutely essential to the sustained effort of the drivers and co-drivers over the course of the rally. Between them, either pair of Petter and Phil or Chris and Stéphane can consume 20 litres of specially formulated electrolyte fluid per day, helping to replace those essential vitamins and minerals that have been lost and boost strength and focus.

It is important that the crews do not just drink plain water however, as this can actually lead to a worsened condition and sickness. When drivers sweat, they lose minerals as well as water. If these are replaced simply by water, the body remains hydrated but severely weakened, in a condition called hyponatraemia.

How hot does it get in the driver’s seat?

The team also have two methods of reducing in-car temperatures as a result of absorbed sunlight, both of which focus on reflection. Firstly the side windows are lined with a protective and reflective film, similar to the concept of tinted windows on road cars, but in this instance silver in colour. Acting like mirrors, these simply re-flect the majority of the sun’s rays and thus help keep the interior cooler.

Similarly, the Imprezas run with white patches on their roofs for the same end. White reflects heat more efficiently than the car’s normal blue, and seeing as the roof has a large surface area and absorbs a high proportion of the cockpit heat, it is a simple but effective measure.

Cockpit temperatures are just as important as extracting every last drop of performance from the car. Like engines, drivers and co-drivers don’t work well if they overheat. - Credit: SWRT Media.

An SWRT Team Feature

The Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship celebrates its 50th year in 2008 and it promises to be a real epic, starting with the Pirelli International rally in Carlisle.

With a stable platform of six events, control Tesco 99 Octane fuel and Pirelli tyres, the 2007 season went right down to the final leg of the final event, Rally GB. The battles throughout the classes were fiercely fought to the very end too and the new season has a highly charged and competitive feel, with forty registered drivers ready for the gravel of the Pirelli Rally.

British Rally Championship buzzes at 50!

Competitors from overseas include Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish challengers, as well as title contenders from the Republic of Ireland. Across the border a strong Northern Irish challenge adds domestic weight to the numbers from England, Scot-land and Wales, making tough opposition for both overall and class honours.

The fight for overall positions is going to be hard to call, as the contenders are all of an extremely high standard. Guy Wilks will be keen to defend his first BRC title against all comers, including Scandinavian PWRC stars Juho Hänninen, Patrik Flodin and Eyvind Brynildsen, who are definite contenders for a top spot.

Wilks’ team-mate Philip Morrow is also more than capable of wielding an Evo to good effect and since Mark Higgins registered using an MG S2000, the fight at the front will be unforgiving. His brother David will field a new N14 Impreza and will be keen to improve on last year’s three podiums, Wyn Humphreys also returning to prove his 2007 mid-point championship lead was no fluke. Rob Swann was tantalisingly close to a podium, beaten by Humphreys by less than a second in the Isle on Man. He will be eager to maintain momentum of a career best championship fifth place in his Subaru, but the competition has stepped up a notch, so he will be up against it.

Inaugural Pirelli Star Driver Darren Gass will be a force to be reckoned with in last years championship winning Evo, but not to be overlooked is a welcome returnee to the BRC, Stuart Jones in a second MG S2000. Fellow Welshman David Meredith took tenth in Rally 4 in 2007 and he will want to build on the experience.

Former Suzuki ace James Wozencroft moves up from two to four wheel drive in a Subaru, while Irishmen Jonny Greer and Daniel Barry will both compete in Mitsubishis; the form book definitely including these two as potential front runners.

MSA British Teams’ Championship:The MSA Teams’ title was won by Mitsubishi Motors UK in 2007 and they return to defend their crown with a two car team. 2007 Champion Guy Wilks is joined by Philip Morrow, having won the prize drive through victory on the Evo Challenge.

Runners up in the 2007 teams’ championship TEG Sport will return, their driver line-up including Flodin and Humphreys, the latter briefly leading the drivers’ championship in his rookie year. They will field a brace of new Impreza N14s, although their late arrival may mean a one-off appearance by the earlier cars for the opening round.

A brace of new Subaru Impreza N14s is also expected at the hands of 2004 BRC winner David Higgins and team owner Hugh Evans. They are joined in Team TQ.com by youngster Nick Rowland who will pilot a Suzuki in the inaugural Swift Sport Cup.

For the first time Revolution Competition Wheels has proposed running a two car team. The driver line-up is not yet confirmed but it is likely to be led by BRC regular Rob Swann.

Finally Steve Graham has now bought two diesel Astras and plans to recruit a young driver to make a two car team. The Vauxhalls will run in the same basic Rally 4 class as the front runners, with reliability and determination to be part of the bigger picture, meaning that this fledgling team will be more than welcome.MSA British Junior Rally Championship:Darren Gass was the 2007 MSA British Junior Rally Champion but he moves aside this year. Limited to two wheel drive, the Juniors are buoyed by an influx of new youngsters, the youngest now being Rowland who is still just 18.

Classes:Although the FIA has still not fully adopted the Rally 1, 2, 3 and 4 class structure, these categories were successful for the BRC in 2007 and this format will continue with a couple of amendments.

In a change from 2007 and in line with the FIA’s latest proposals, the Rally 3 class will now encompass turbo diesels, while Suzu-ki’s one make Swift Sports will move from R2 to R1. The Citroen C2 will be the foundation of the Rally 2 class, but competition has already been entered in the form of an N3 Ford Fiesta from British Rally Elite newcomer Adam Gould and the reigning BRC Stars Champion Luke Pinder will be seen in a 1400cc kit Ford Puma.

The head of the field is likely to be occupied by the Rally 4 class which incorporates traditional turbocharged and normally aspi-rated Super 2000 cars. Super 1600 runs under the R3 banner, where Brian O’Mahoney will return to the BRC to retake his 2005 class title in a Clio, a top five result not out of the question.

Citroen C2R2 Cup:The BRC’s Citroën C2R2 Cup is now in its second year and has already attracted new and existing competitors to the series. With the support of Belfast’s Charles Hurst Motors, it will be a big step forward from 2007, with £1750 available on each round in ad-dition to the BRC class fund. The 1600cc Rally 2 class cars’ specification remains unchanged from 2007.

The overall prize for the C2R2 Cup winner at the end of six qualifying rounds of the BRC will be a place at the Citroën Sport shootout to decide a supported drive on a round of the 2009 JWRC.

Six cars are expected to contest the Pirelli Rally, with some new faces joining the fray in these front wheel drive flyers.

Suzuki Swift Sport Cup:This six round manufacturer-backed one make series will contest the first five events in the BRC plus the Tempest Rally. Similar in format to the Citroën series, it will see drivers battling in identical Suzuki Swifts built by Suzuki Sport. The 1600cc Rally 1 class front wheel drive cars will be the same specification as the ones used on the BRC last year by 2006 S1600 Champion, James Wozencroft and 2007 Irish N1 Champion Lorna Smith.

The Swift Sport Cup is part of the Suzuki’s five year world wide marketing campaign and the UK series will be featured in a half hour stand alone TV Series on Sky Sports. In addition to the cash prize fund to be won on each rally, the overall winner will have the option of a fully-funded drive on the 2008 Wales Rally GB in a Suzuki Swift S1600 car. Alternatively a brand new Swift Sport road car and a fully-funded WRGB drive in their own Suzuki Swift Sport Cup car is available.

Diesel and Privateer Cups:Once again there will be opportunities for diesel cars to compete in the BRC, the competition in the Diesel Rally Cup likely to be between the two Vauxhalls and Fin McCaul’s BMW power. In the Privateers Cup the competition is designed to motivate those

who are not part of the Teams battle, opening the door for smaller outfits and individuals to be rewarded.

Pirelli Start Driver Competition:The concept of the Pirelli sponsored initiative was to assist talented drivers to progress and prove their potential, with a view to moving up in the sport. In 2007 the prize of a fully funded drive in the BRC was realised by 19 year old Darren Gass, following a rigorous selection process.

The scheme, which continues in 2008, still allows any registered BRC driver, irrespective of class or nationality, to be eligible for

the scheme. It will choose one person from each of the six events to go forward to the end of season Pirelli Star Driver Shootout. A team of adjudicators will be appointed to evaluate and nominate the candidate who will be presented with the Pirelli “Yellow Jersey” at the finish of the event.

In addition to this, the highest placed junior drivers in both the Citroën C2R2 and Suzuki Swift Sport Cups will also take part in a final selection competition, when the winner will secure a fully funded drive in the 2009 BRC. The 2007 prize of an Evo 9 was deemed an appropriate step up for young Darren, but the prize car will be announced depending on the eventual winner’s aptitude and experience.

Prizes:The BRC continues to offer prize money for all registered competitors, class winners taking up to £500 per event, with £100 for every finisher in each rally The C2R2 Cup and Suzuki Swift Sport Cups further offer further incentives with prize money for their top finisher too. Suzuki is paying £750 to their winner, scaling to £150 for eighth with all finishers taking £100, while Citroën drivers can expect £500 for a win down to £100 for sixth.

First Round - Pirelli International Rally:The Pirelli International threw up a surprise for triple BRC champion Mark Higgins in 2007 when Wilks tore up the rule book. But with the series attracting even more scintillating talent, those rules are there to be broken again, in what promises to be one of the British Rally Championship’s vintage years.

The BRC’s half century kicks off in just over a week’s time in Carlisle City centre from where the cars head to the infamous Kielder forest complex. Friday evening’s dark stages will help sort the pack, crews who make it through the murk emerging on Saturday for a full day’s rallying. They return to Carlisle on Saturday evening for the now traditional finish ramp celebrations.

2008 Calendar:Pirelli International Rally - 18/19 AprilJim Clark International Rally - 24/25 MayIsle of Man International Rally - 17/18/19 JulyUlster International Rally - 22/23 AugustInternational Rally Yorkshire - 27 SeptemberWales Rally GB 28/30 November - (tbc)*Promotional event The Rally Show Chatsworth 7/8 June* - Information kindly supplied by www.rallybrc.co.uk.

The Pirelli International Rally is the first of six rounds of the British Rally Championship, and has become a major fixture on both rally crews and spectators motorsport calendars. This weekend’s event also plays host to the second round of the MSC British Historic Rally Championship.

Originating from the “Tour of Cumbria” set up by the Furness Motor Club, the event has grown in stature and spectacle ever since, with sponsors Pirelli joining the event in 1977. The rally was soon upgraded to National status, which meant that extra mileage was required for the rally stages. In 1979 the event was included in the Castrol/Autosport National Championship, and was won by an up-and-coming Brit-ish rally driver Malcolm Wilson (now head of the BP Abu Dhabi Ford World Rally Team and M-Sport).

In both 1989 and 1990 the event was voted the best round of the Mintex National Series, and was further upgraded to International status in 1992, and hence the name Pirelli International Rally. It was also in that year that it formed the first round of the British Rally Champion-ship, and continues to do so today.

Former winners of the Pirelli International Rally reads likes a whos-who list of WRC and rallying greats: Colin McRae/Derek Ringer (1992), Richard Burns/Robert Reid (1993), Malcolm Wilson/Brian Thomas (1994), Ari Vatanen/Fabriella Pons (1995), Alister McRae/David Senior (1996), Robbie Head/ Brian Thomas (1997), Gwyndaf Evans/Howard Davies (1998), Tapio Laukkanen/Kaj Lindstrom (1999 and 2003), Mark Ipatti/Kari Kajulsa (2000), Mark Higgins/Michael Gibson (2002 and 2005), David Higgins/Chris Wood (2004), Ryan Champion/Craig Thorley (2006) and Guy Wilks/Phil Pugh (2007).

Set out on demanding gravel roads, the route is centred around the city of Carlisle in the northwest of England in the county of Cumbria. Weather is predicted to be wet, making stages even trickier and slippier than usual.

There are 14 Special Stages for the 2008 Pirelli International Rally, completing a total of 329,53 kilometres of which 168,98 are competi-tive.

2008 Pirelli International Rally PREVIEW (18 - 19 April 2008)

Mercedes-Benz is not usually the first name that springs to mind when you mention the word performance. There are two other German manufacturers that have been busily creating fantastic vehicles of late, grabbing all the headlines and feature articles in magazines locally and the around the world, writes Evan Rothman.But, take a moment to consider the performance powerhouse Mercedes-Benz ACTUALLY is. Firstly, it competes in the dog-eat-dog world of Formula One, has an equally illustrious and successful heritage in the German Touring Car Masters (DTM) series, and has a healthy co-operation with the German tuning house AMG. This link has bred a number of beautiful vehicles over the years, that produced the first AMG-badged Mercedes-Benz in 1993: the C 36 AMG. However, this was not the first time Mercedes-Benz and AMG had joined forces, for in 1987 they pooled their resources to come up with the 190 E 3,2 AMG. This was not a car to be scoffed at, rather respected by all in the motoring fraternity for its high-performance and sharp driving dynamics.

The Mercedes-Benz and AMG co-operation has, over the years, given us fun cars, but none more so than the C 55 AMG. I have had the fortunate opportunity to sample this car on a few occasions and each time I turned the ignition of this beast I was thrilled. Just about every aspect of this race-bred sedan sent tingles of pleasure up and down my spine, and none more so than when its big engine was at full song!

Now Mercedes-Benz, in an all-out power battle against two other German motor manufacturers, has upped the ante with the all-new 2008 C 63 AMG…

POWER TO THE PEOPLE!Merc’s new C 63 AMG: the latest performance sedan takes on the mighty M3 and the awe-inspiring RS 4...

All Images: Quickpic

This new model instantaneously becomes the flagship of the C-Class range, and does so proudly. Shoved into the relatively small engine bay is a massive 6 208cc V8 producing a fire-breathing 336kW of power at a heady 6 800rpm and tree-stump pulling 600Nm of torque from 5 000 revs. If you must know, it sprints from standstill to 100km/h in a mere 4,5 seconds! In a car of this league, the standard 0-100km/h speed test does it no justice: a 0-200km/h challenge would be more apt. This car is most cer-tainly no slouch…

Without getting too technical, and in fear of boring you to death with endless statistics and technical jargon, I’ll tell you this: the C 63 AMG is an amazing piece of automotive technology. The engine and electronics are beyond my comprehension.

The C 63 AMG’s whopping motor is mated to the latest version of Mercedes-Benz’s 7G-Tronic automatic transmission, and has been fettled with by those lab technicians at AMG too. The AMG SpeedShift Plus 7G-Tronic gearbox allows for lightning quick gear changes, offers three different settings, and it even has a blip function when you down change through the ’box. With pad-dles mounted on the steering wheel, you’d be forgiven for thinking yourself Lewis Hamilton when behind the wheel of this Mercedes-Benz.

This car is crammed with AMG bits. It boasts a speed-sensitive sports steering kit (to boost confidence and handling dynam-ics), has installed a three-stage ESP system (allowing the driver to get the car to step out just enough to have fun, but not to get out of control), an AMG sports suspension with 18-inch super light alloy wheels and high-performance AMG brakes to bring speeds down to legal limits.

On the bonnet is the characteristic AMG power domes (to distinguish this car even more from its more sedate stable mates), an AMG radiator grille, flared front wings, an AMG rear apron with a nifty black diffuser insert, an AMG sports exhaust with two chromed twin tailpipes and an understated AMG spoiler lip. Inside the cabin you’ll be snug in the AMG sports seats and be able to grip the AMG three-spoke steering wheel.

As you’d imagine, grip levels would be astounding: front tyres are 235/40 ZR 18, while the rears are 255/35 ZR 18... With the massive power unit up front, the rear wheels would be very overworked! What fun!

The 2008 C 63 AMG sedan will retail for R699 000. And coming to our sunny South African shores later this year will be the Estate version with just as mind-boggling performance figures. This is one of the most eagerly-anticipated sedans this year, and I cannot wait to see it paired up against the likes of Audi’s RS 4 and the BMW M3...

For those really serious about their driving, the famous Caterham car manufacturers have returned the famous supercar-slaying R500 moniker with the arrival of their all-new Cater-ham Seven Superlight R500.

This latest model takes the minimalist, light-weight Seven philosophy to a new level with more power, sharper handling and even the op-tion of launch control and a specially designed Caterham Motorsport-engineered sequential gearbox.

Weighing just 506kg and producing 263bhp,

C a t e r h a m R 5 0 0 :Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger!

the R500 is the most potent race-tuned production Seven yet. It is capable of propelling itself from 0-100km/h in a little over 2,8 seconds, deliv-ering a pure adrenalin fix for those committed enough to strap themselves into the Kevlar race seats.

Lurking under the lightened bonnet is the all-alloy 2.0 litre Ford Duratec engine. Fed by its roller barrel throttle bodies, the normally aspirated, four-cylinder mill is tuned by Caterham Powertrain (CPT) to unleash a monster: 263bhp transmitted to the rear wheels. The relentless accel-eration is transmitted through each ratio by either the standard 6-speed gearbox or the optional Caterham Motorsport engineered sequential transmission. To help reign in such extreme performance are race-developed Avon CR500 tyres and a suspension set-up that includes weight saving aero wishbones and fully adjustable dampers. Bringing things ferociously to a halt are four-piston calipers clamping on vented discs at the front and

lightweight twin piston rear calipers.

Performance upgrades for the R500 aimed squarely at the track day mar-ket include a sequential transmission, launch control, a gulping Carbon Induction Airbox and Eibach Springs and dampers derived from the Caterham C400 race series.

The R500 isn’t just about big performance statistics though; refinements and Seven firsts feature throughout and help distinguish it from its stable-mates.

In true Colin Chapman spirit, engineers sought to add lightness to the chassis in order to improve the overall performance. To shed a massive

9kg from the already feath-erlight chassis utilised by the R400, Caterham left no bolt unscrewed - more car-bon and Kevlar feature than previously, thinner body panels have been utilised right through to aluminium rear light housings.

Discreet exterior styling tweaks carried over from the flagship CSR models offer both form and func-tion - the carbon winglets increasing downforce and the cat’s tongue grill aiding cooling and aerodynamics. A carbon leather boot cover and clear rear lights are also new.

Housed within the revised chassis is keyless ignition, a quick-release Momo steering wheel with integrated indicator switches and an innova-tive dashboard featuring flush fitted switchgear, ACES sequential gear change lights and a new Stack display with scrolling text. The carbon dash is also finished with a detailed engraved plaque to show each car’s number.

On sale immediately, the factory built Superlight R500 starts at £36,995 (about R630 000). For further information, or to view more specs on this amazing car visit the website at www.caterham.co.uk. - Additional Reporting and Images: Newspress .

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New Car: KIA Rio 1,6 SportThe Korean motor giants KIA have just released their latest sport model onto the South African motoring market, enhancing the already popular Rio model-line-up.

With a sprightly four-cylinder engine incorporating continuous variable valve timing (CVVT) is available with either a manual or an automatic transmission.

This the third generation of the Rio, which was first launched in September 2001, has proven to be one of KIA South Africa’s biggest sellers. For those know-it-alls, Rio loosely translated from Spanish means passionate and dynamic. Or so the press release stated…

Where the real excitement in this car lies is under the bonnet, forcing 82kW of power and 146Nm of torque from its zippy 1,6-litre power plant. This translates into a 0-100km/h sprint time of 10,2 seconds, while it will easily be able to attain a respectable 6,4-litres/100km fuel consump-tion figure.

KIA are safety leaders in the motoring industry, and in this particular model ABS and EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), air bags up front and a host of passive safety measures are available as standard.

To highlight this car’s sporting intentions are its 16-inch alloy wheels shod with 205/45 rubber, sharp steering and a firmer ride than on standard Rio models.

The KIA Rio 1,6 Sport models offer great bang for your buck value. The 1,6 manual version retails for R149 995, and the automatic derivative for R159 995. These prices include a five-year/100 000km warranty and a three-year/unlimited kilometres roadside assistance plan.

Carbonyte UK, creator of the world’s first Ferrari ‘limousine’ has unveiled its latest creation: the world’s only stretched Smart Car, the Carb-onyte Smaaart.The Carbonyte team, led by MD and ex-McLaren man Chris Wright, took a Mercedes Benz Smart Fortwo and stretched its chassis by 2700mm, to create a 17 feet vehicle (5100 mm). Despite growing to over twice its normal length (2695mm), the Smaaart’s new lightweight alloy chassis allows the vehicle to be powered by its original 600cc engine and still comfortably reach highway speeds of 120km/h. In all, the build process took just 300 man hours over four weeks from the initial chassis cut to the final paintwork.

Apart from the promotional vehicle industry, Carbonyte is also looking to take the Smaaart into the funeral industry by using the latest elec-tric technology to produce an individual yet environmentally-friendly hearse.

A stretched Smart? Why?

Image: Newspress

Images: Quickpic

Recently the covers came off of the most important new model in the Spanish motor manufacturer SEAT’s recent history with the unveiling of the all-new Ibiza five-door hatch.

The newcomer’s dramatic debut, at the firm’s Martorell HQ near Barcelona, marks the start of a major product offensive from the ambitious Spanish brand which will, over the coming months, also see the debut of further Ibiza variants, as well as striking new sedan and estate contenders in the upper medium segment (which will most probably not make its way to South African shores).

All-new from the wheels up, and designed to reinforce SEAT’s position as one of the leaders in the supermini sector, the bigger, better new Ibiza five-door has a range of ‘big car’ features to match its sharp styling.

The work of renowned ex-Lamborghini stylist Luc Donckerwolke, the new car offers a variety of class-leading options such as the avail-ability of a new seven-speed DSG automatic/sequential manual gearbox, Hill Hold Assist, front fog lights with side illumination (cornering) function and combined AUX-IN/USB connectivity for all manner of music devices.

Longer than the current model – the new Ibiza breasts the tape at 4,05m, versus the existing car’s 3,97m – it’s markedly more capacious, too, with improved rear seat legroom and a significantly larger and more practical boot space which, at 292 litres with rear seats in place, is comfortably the largest in the supermini class.

Sitting on a new version of the renowned Ibiza ‘Agile Chassis’, with wider front and rear tracks (30mm and 33mm respectively) the new car looks and feels even more ‘planted’, and delivers both a composed ride and class-leading, sporty handling.

A host of new power plants were debuted at the car’s unveiling, but expect South African models to feature similar specced engines to the Volkswagen Polo. Safety and security have both been key considerations in the development of the new car, with the likes of new head and thorax-focused front side airbags, and the extensive availability of ESP and TCS.

Welcoming the unveiling of the new car, Head of SEAT UK Peter Wyhinny said: ‘The debut of the spectacular new Ibiza is the clearest sign yet that SEAT is serious about putting enviable quality and state-of-the-art technology alongside sporting ‘auto emoción’ as the corner-stones of the Brand. With the debut of this distinctive and clearly design-led five-door we are embarking on a major development of the SEAT range, with plenty more to come in the months ahead!’ - Additional Reporting and Image: Newspress

SEAT’s stunning new Ibiza breaks cover

Born in the small European country of Belgium on 10 November 1970 in the town of Tongeren, Freddy Loix has been racing and rallying cars since the age of 15. First taking up karting, he quickly progressed the fast-paced world of rallying in 1990 when he bought his first rally car, a Lancia Delta Group N.

This week’s rally master: Freddy Loix

Freddy Loix WRC Career FiguresNationality: BelgianActive Years: 1993 - 2004Teams: Toyota, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, PeugeotWorld Rallies: 86Championships: 0Wins: 0Podium finishes: 3Stage wins: 34Points: 88

Image: Ilkka Rytkonen (www.ilkansivu.net)

In 1993, Loix’s motorsport career jumped forward when he was drafted into the Marlboro World Championship Team driving an Opel Astra, and in the same year he became the Gelgian F2 Champion.

Nicknamed “Fast Freddy” by his many fans, Loix moved from two-wheel drive rallying to four-wheel drive in 1996 with a Toyota Celica GT-Four. He completed three World Rally Championship events and added a further six in 1997.

1997 proved to be a successful one for Loix as he even managed to lead the 1997 WRC Rally Sanremo, but mechanical woes put paid to his dream of winning the event.

For 1999 Loix and his co-driver Sven Smeets changed to a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI. His first year in this car proved difficult, as he was injured in a high-speed accident during the WRC Safari Rally. The season was not a complete loss, for he managed to achieve fourth places in WRC Rallies Spain, Greece, Sanremo and Australia.

In 2001, and after several successful seasons, the Mitsubishi Lancer, being a Group A car, found itself outdated and incapable of com-peting on the same level as the new WRC cars that the other teams were running. Loix signed a two-year contract with Hyundai at the start of 2002. This was a difficult season in the Hyundai Accent WRC and his best result was 6th place on the WRC Rally Australia. Due to funding cutbacks in 2003, the team couldn’t develop the car further and Hyundai retired from the WRC mid-season.

A drive for Peugeot in the last rally of the 2003 calendar, the WRC Rally Great Britain, saw him finish in 6th place overall. In the 2004 season, Loix completed only 5 WRC events, all for the private Marlboro team and in a Peugeot 307 WRC before retiring from the World rally Championship.

Loix still competes, in a variety of cars, mainly on Belgian national events. He is currently contesting the Intercontinental Rally Chal-lenge series. Keep your eyes focused on this driver as he makes his mark on the IRC this year!

Blast from the past: 1990s Toyota Celica GT-Four WRC

In a long line of successful rally cars, the Toyota Celica GT-Fours of the late 1990s were amongst the sports fastest, hardest and fierc-est rally cars. The Celica GT-Four cars all prepared by the Toyota Team Europe in Germany, with their first Celica GT-Four entering the 1988 World Rally Championship on the WRC Rally Tour de Corse.

Its first win came along only in 1992 on the WRC Rally Mote Carlo, and also won four other events that same year. From here the Celica GT-Fours became a rallying force to be reckoned with. In fact, that year it claimed the coveted WRC Drivers’ Championship title crown, followed by the WRC Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ crowns in 1993 and 1994.

The third generation of the Celica GT-Four was introduced to the rallying world in late 1994, to become the official Toyota rally car in 1995. That year it secured one WRC victory, and in 1996 it delivered the 1996 European Rally Championship to the Toyota folks.

The significance of the Toyota Celica GT-Four in WRC history is understated. In previous years the WRC was dominated by European manufacturers and it was the first time a Japanese car manufacturer entered the WRC with an AWD turbocharged car. It paved the way for manufacturers such as Mitsubishi and Subaru to enter the sport, and rally fans know the excitement and thrills brought to the sport by these Japanese car makers.

Toyota withdrew from WRC to concentrate their efforts on their Formula One campaign.

A brief history of the Toyota Celica GT-Four rally cars:ST165 won a total of 13 WRC events. Carlos Sainz won the 1990 WRC Drivers’ title.ST185 won 16 WRC rallies, racking up the WRC Drivers’ Championships in 1992 (Carlos Sainz), 1993 (Juha Kankkunen) and 1994 (Didier Auriol), as well as the WRC Manufacturers’ crowns in 1993 and 1994.ST205 won 1 WRC event.