Archive for December, 2014
Subaru Price Realignment and New Models for 2015.
Subaru Australia has announced a significant price realignment of two new generation model ranges, offering savings of up to 25 per cent – or $14,000 – despite specification increases.
The All-Wheel Drive Liberty and Outback models offer a wide array of new equipment, including the internationally-acclaimed EyeSight® driver assist system in every Liberty.
The multi award-winning vehicles all share an independent five-star rating for occupant safety from the respected Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) and have achieved the highest points tally yet by Subaru models: 35.99 out of a maximum possible 37.
Subaru Australia Managing Director, Nick Senior, said several factors had prompted the shift: “Most notably the exchange rate, the Japanese Free Trade Agreement and more efficient manufacturing, driving reduced costs.
“Currency is always going to have the biggest impact on imported goods. It is clear that the Yen Australian dollar equation has moved into a more favourable range for us. We have factored in the Free Trade Agreement, because we know it will be legislated in the near future. Therefore, it is prudent to act now. Also, the Europeans have moved into more mainstream segments and we too have changed strategy with Liberty in particular – making the price versus specification ratio more attractive than ever before.
Finally, there are obvious benefits from all of FHI’s efforts to constantly improve manufacturing efficiency, leading to reduced costs. So, there is a combination of factors that ultimately led to this important pricing statement by us. And this will lead to growth in prospect and customer interest in our brand and our products, thanks to our strategic All 4 the Driver initiatives from customer service, engineering and durability to value.”
LIBERTY AND OUTBACK MY15 MANUFACTURER’S LIST PRICING*
Liberty 2.5i CVT $29,990 (-$3000, or 9.1 per cent)
Liberty 2.5i Premium CVT $35,490 (-$4000, or 10.1 per cent)
Liberty 3.6R $41,990 (-$14,000, or 25.0 per cent)
Outback 2.5i CVT $35,990 (-$3000, or 7.7 per cent)
Outback 2.5i Premium CVT $41,490 (-$2000, or 4.6 per cent)
Outback 2.0D manual $35,490 (-$5000, or 12.3 per cent)
Outback 2.0D CVT $37,490 (-$5500, or 12.8 per cent
Outback 2.0D Premium manual $41,490 (-$2000, or 4.6 per cent)
Outback 2.0D Premium CVT $43,490 (-$2500, or 5.4 per cent)
Outback 3.6R $47,990 (-$10,000, or 17.2 per cent)
*Prices are Subaru (Aust) Pty Limited’s Manufacturer’s List Prices only and include GST on the list price but exclude dealer delivery charges and all other government and statutory charges. For the drive away price of Subaru vehicles consumers should be advised to contact their local authorized Subaru dealer.
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Turning Plastic Back Into Oil?
International experts in the area of renewable technology believe that when a society reaches a certain level of affluence, they start to demand better and more technologies that are sustainable and/or renewable. We’ve seen this over the years in the automotive industry. About ten years ago, hardly any car companies had hybrid vehicle and all the really upmarket vehicles were all about power and big gas-guzzling engines. Today, however, nearly every manufacturer has at least one hybrid in the lineup – and these hybrids aren’t snail-paced little dinkies. To take one example, Audi has added the e-tron plug-in hybrid to its already popular luxury A3 line. This hybrid certainly isn’t a slug!
Cars that use little or no fuel (if the electricity was generated using a renewable source like hydro) are one part of the sustainable motoring equation. Finding alternative sources of fuel that don’t rely on crude oil that (a) is going to run out eventually and (b) comes from politically volatile nations is the other. We’ve discussed a few of these in the past – algae biodiesel, ethanol, jatropha and the like – and we’ve now found another great development.
The stuff we put in our cars so they chug along from A to B isn’t the only thing that comes from crude oil. The other major use is plastic. Now, plastic was developed at about the same time as the internal combustion engine (Bakelite was invented in the 1850s) and really took off in about the 1950s. And we all know how it’s taken over since then and we’re forever tripping over the ruddy stuff on the beach, etc. etc. I could easily go off into a rant about plastic shopping bags and how we need to go back to paper bags instead but I’d better stay on topic.
Plastic is made from oil. Theoretically, then, it should be possible to “unrefine” it and turn it back into oil. This is exactly what one Japanese inventor has managed to do. Akinori Ito, founder of a company called Blest, has come up with a machine that will do exactly that. This machine isn’t some massive monster of a factory plant, either. It’s small enough to fit into the average garage and can convert polystyrene, polyethylene and polypropylene back into crude gas. This gas can’t be poured straight into your vehicle’s fuel tank (although it can be used in some generators), as it needs further refining before it’s OK for that.
It’s pretty efficient, too. It can take 1 kg of plastic and turn it into about 1 litre of crude. The machine is powered by electricity and the process of turning the kilo of plastic into the litre of crude takes 1 kW/h of electricity. It does produce some residue that is, according to (a) the manufacturers and (b) Japanese regulations, burnable. The process also produces a few greenhouse gases (methane, ethane, propane and butane) but the latest refinements contain a gas filter that breaks these gases down into CO2 and water.
The real beauty about this machine is that although it doesn’t convert all plastics to oil, it does deal with some of the most common ones – the sort of thing that most of us have sitting in our rubbish or recycling bins. Here’s a little exercise that you can try once you’ve finished reading this: Go to your rubbish bin and/or recycling crate and pick out the polypropylene, the polyethylene and the polystyrene. Weigh it. Every kilo adds up to a litre of fuel.
- Polystyrene: disposable cups and other tableware, those trays from supermarket-packed meat, CD cases, packaging, disposable razors, anything stamped with the recycling number 6.
- Polyethylene: plastic shopping bags, plastic toys, clingfilm, bubble wrap, buckets, lids, pipes, lids, some bottles, anything stamped with PE inside the recycling triangle symbol.
- Polypropylene: thermal clothing, ropes, carpets, packaging of some sorts, lids, drinking straws, disposable nappies, feminine hygiene products, anything stamped with recycling number 5.
Feeling like you’re sitting on a potential oil well? Starting to wonder why we’re just burying this stuff in the ground if we can make petrol out of it? You won’t be the only one!
At the moment, the machines are a little on the expensive side, costing US$12,700 at the moment. Blest mostly produces the larger machines, but I’m sure it would be possible for communities or local councils to get hold of these and collect material from householders and businesses and start some drop-off-your-plastic-and-get-cheaper-petrol scheme up. Or some company could look into and find a way to turn office waste into fuel for the company fleet.
Those who want to know more can check out the official promo video
Alternatively, take a look at the Blest website.
I don’t know about you, but I’d certainly like one of these for Christmas!
Safe and happy motoring,
Megan
BTCC: Memorable Drives [Part 1]
The car on its roof, is a Toyota! Image Credit: SpeedHunters,com
When we look back into the tyre marked pages of history, we often find ourselves remembering the extreme achievements; the best drivers, the worst drivers or even the ‘best’ crashes. It is very easy to say that the greatest driver in a championship in a certain year is the one that wins the title outright. But for this motorsport writer, history is written not only with the grand events and big names, but the individual moments that illuminate the darkness of history. Sometimes to brilliance comes from the midfield. For me, I wish to remember the memorable; the moments that truly prove the greatness of the British Touring Car Championship.
This is a personal list compiled for you wonderful readers. When I think of the BTCC, these are the memorable drives that come to mind. Some of these may be obvious, some of these may be shocking, but they are all moments that define a legendary championship. In no way is this exhaustive; I would love to hear what your would make up your memorable drives in the series!
Andy Priaulx in 2002 with the new look Honda Racing
Andy Priaulx was one of the standout drivers of 2002. Image Credit: mattsalisbury.co.uk
My opening entry comes from a driver who many forget ever competed in the BTCC; Andy Priaulx is most known for his highly successful ETCC/WTCC career in which he won multiple titles. However, before he made his move to the European and World stage, he thought he would throw himself in at the deep end and enter the BTCC with the then returning Honda Racing team in the Civic Type-R. This was the first time Honda had entered the British championship since the departure from the Super Touring regulations in 2000. Developments throughout the year surged Priaulx up to the back bumpers of the all conquering Vaxuhall team. His crowning moment came at Knockhill in ever-stormy conditions he battled the elements to gain his first race win (almost throwing it off in the process). He may not have been a championship contender in 2002, but Andy Priaulx showed true racing talent in challenging the established front runners in what was only his first year in the BTCC (in a brand new car don’t forget). Never give up. Never give in. Never quit.
John B&Q – Candidate for Ultimate Film Biopic
John B&Q never achieved much success, but the name lives on. Image Credit: Kelvin Fagan
If ever there was a driver who deserved a Hollywood epic (or maybe indie British film) made about his life, it would have to be John Batchelor. John was a racing driver, businessman, political activist and football club owner (York City FC). This was a man who was so desperate to compete in the BTCC, that he even changed his name to John B&Q so as to secure funding from, yes you guessed it. He competed in 2001 in the production class of the series, never gaining any significant success. In fact, he spent most time getting involved in incidents or having mechanical issue. But as a driver, you could just tell he was happy to be there. The saddest part of the story, he died in 2010 as a result of liver disease brought on by alcoholism. He may not have gotten any trophies or championship success, but the name of John B&Q will go down in BTCC history.
Alain Menu 1997 – ‘I’ve been the bridesmaid too long, now it’s my turn’
Alain Menu in his title destroying Laguna in 1997. Image Credit: btccrazy.net
When it comes to memorable drives, there are few that can rival the season long performance of Alain Menu in 1997. For 3 years in a row, Menu had finished 2nd in the drivers standings. So as 1997 came along, Menu and his Williams Renault team decided that enough was enough. Not only did he win the ’97 championship, but he had the championship sewn up nearly half way through the season. It was a totally dominant drive from one of the greatest touring car drivers that there has ever been.
Tommy Rustad 1998 – How did he do that?!
In 1998, this is usually how Rustad’s car would look. Image Credit: SuperTouringRegister.com
Tommy Rustad competed in the BTCC in 1998 as an independent, entering an ex-factory Renault Laguna. If ever you watch back the review of the 1998 season, you would very often see Rustad’s car involved in some form of incident that would lead him to retire from the race. In fact, the picture you see above is how most people got to know his car in the ’98 season. And yet, somehow, as if by some dark spell from an ancient sorcerer, he managed to win the Independents Championship. How is it possible for a man who spent much of his time crashing to win the BTCC Independents Championship? It utterly blows my uncomprehending brain-box. It is by this miracle that makes Tommy Rustad a worthy recipient of a place in my memorable drives list. How can anyone forget a man so unlucky yet luckier than any other driver I know?
Nigel Mansell – 1998 Donington Park – The greatest race ever captured on film
One former F1 driver. One wet race. True excellence. Image Credit: Motorsportretro.com
The year was 1998. The location was Donington Park. Nigel Mansell made his spectacular return to the BTCC. Due to his off in the first race, he had to start the soaking feature race from the back. What followed was most possibly the greatest motor race to ever have taken place. From last to 1st, then eventually in 4th. If you don’t believe me, here is a video clip from the race to prove it:
Nigel Mansell Takes On The Touring Cars
It takes a lot to render Charlie Cox and John Watson almost speechless, able only to shout the names of the drivers swapping positions every second. The Ford Mondeo was not a race winning car in 1998, but they do say that rain is a great leveller. To have a F1 legend taking part in a championship is one thing, but to have him challenging for the race win is just unbelievable. Nigel Mansell is not only a great driver, but the perfect showman. He should have taken on the BTCC in a full season. You could not write that script. I will go as far as saying that this race alone cemented the BTCC as the best touring car series not only in Britain, or Europe, but the world. As John Watson says,
“British Touring Cars has certainly eclipsed anything we have ever seen before”
This opening entry in the ‘memorable drives’ series only contains 5 entries so far. There is very good reason for this; we need your views. Who am I to say what the most memorable drives in the championship are? As this little mini-series goes on, I hope to include your suggestions as well as mine. Many races left untouched. Many moments remain.
– Season performances
– Race performances
– Overtakes
What memorable moments make up the BTCC for you?
Let me know and join the conversation on Twitter: @lewisglynn69
Keep Driving People!
Peace and Love!
Click Here to Buy Now: The BTCC Sponsorship Game
The distinctive eBay BMWs became a BTCC staple. Image Credit: BTCC.net
As the depths of winter begin to tighten its cruel grip, the great motorsport machine must go into hibernation until the Spring. The race tracks may have fallen silent, the crowds may have returned to their homes, but the racing world is anything but silent. As the colossal roar of the engines lay dormant, the media world ignites in with fierce intensity. The close season is a time of rumour, conjecture and long-awaited announcements. For the BTCC, there have already been a string of news updates regarding the 2015 season, including new teams, new drivers and possibly even new tracks. The most recent headline to hit the virtual shelves has been the sad announcement from West Surrey Racing that their title sponsor eBay has decided to end its 5-year partnership with the team. This follows the news from the Motorbase ranks that came at the close of the 2014 season, which saw the end of their sponsorship from Airwaves. Within the motosport auto-verse, sponsorship is one of the most vital aspects of the entire enterprise. It really is much more than a fancy logo on the side of your car. The ‘BTCC Sponsorship Game’ is a game with very few rules but one clear aim; get the money in the bank.
To many people (including me in my younger years). sponsorship in motorsport was nothing more than the name and logo on the side of a car, as well as the explanation as to why I kept seeing big name racing drivers appearing in adverts for said company. I am pretty sure that Jenson Button would not voluntarily want to appear in a Santander advert unless it was a contractual obligation. With all these adverts and media prostitution by the F1 drivers especially, is it any surprise that Lewis Hamilton moved to Mercedes whose sponsors strangely do not use the ‘F1 fast car’ angle in their advertising. But I digress. Getting a sponsor in motorsport is probably the single most important thing to the success of the team. It is very much as the same as completing a PhD; one can either attempt to fund it themselves or find someone to sponsor them, for something in return. I know which I would prefer. Well, depending on what I had to do in return of course. Without the money, you cannot even make it to events, let alone develop the car to make it into a race winner.
The 1990 champion Gravett nearly pulled out due to lack of sponsors. Image Credit. forums.autosport.com
Into the History Books…
Within the BTCC, the sponsorship problem was even apparent in the late 80s before the exponential rise in costs at the dawn of the Super Touring era. The example of Robb Gravett in 1990 proves that even the top teams can suffer the unbridled wrath of financial woes. In Class A, it was a straight fight between Andy Rouse and Robb Gravett; however Robb and his Trackstar team nearly had to pull out due to a lack of sponsors for the car. Luckily, a last minute deal was made and a sponsor was found. The result was Robb Gravett taking not only Class victory but overall victory in the championship. As the years went on, the sponsor of certain teams became the more prominent name associated with the team, including the Kaliber Sierras, Vodafone Nissan, the Rapid Fit (and most recently Airwaves) Fords, the KX Momentum Tesco Clubcard (or whatever their ridiculously long name happens to be) MGs and of course the eBay BMWs.
If you compare the car liveries from the 1990s and the modern championship, it would not take long to notice that these days the cars are more heavily covered in sponsors than they were in the 1990s. Money; it was always going to be about money. Towards the end of the 1990s, the factory support was so substantial that sponsors did not hold such a high priority. As I sit here watching the 1998 BTCC review, one of the things you notice is teams such as Ford, Audi, Honda and Volvo are an almost factory-livery whitewash. The same explanation can be used to explain the looks of cars today and in fact back in the 80s with the era of multi-class racing; most teams are running from what is essentially an independent backing so must therefore display their sponsors who are near funding the entire operation.
The Kaliber Sierra of Andy Rouse became synonymous with late 80s BTCC. Image Credit: Gary Walton (Flickr)
Don’t Forget the Politics
In more recent years, there has been a significant intertwining of the sponsorship game with that of BTCC politics. The best example I can muster happens to be something contemporary. Among the ‘old timers’ in the current crop of drivers, it would be hard to ignore the name Jason Plato as somewhat of a legend in the championship. He has worked his way up from his Renault days in the 90s, to winning the 2001 championship, taking a break to become a television personality before returning once more to compete in the BTCC. As a known media name and two time championship winner, Jason Plato now carries a considerable weight when it comes to potential sponsors. For the most part, sponsors are attached to entire teams unless of course you are a high profile driver that is. In the case of Mr Plato, he carries with him his own sponsors that will follow him to the team he drives for.
It is at this point where everything begins to get a little on the complicated side. As much as Plato does have his own set of sponsors, they are not totally promiscuous customers; they will not settle for just anyone. This explains why statements released by Jason Plato have presented a message of uncertainty regarding team choice for next year, if he will even compete next year at all. It is with no doubt that he would get an absolute flood of offers from almost every team on the grid (apart from Honda, a team where a mutual feeling of mistrust and dislike is present), but until there is a team that the sponsors are happy with he cannot settle. The likelihood is that Plato will join forces with WSR, who have of course just lost their eBay as their title sponsor. Plato is one of the names associated not only with the KX Academy, but Tesco Clubcard Fuelsave (whatever it is) so his move to WSR would most definitely fill the eBay shaped void. His sponsors will be looking for a high profile team for him to move to, so as to make them look as good as possible. What better place to move to than the current championship winning team?
How beautifully ironic would it be for Plato to move to WSR and into a BMW, a car that he often complained about in 2014 for having RWD? Bets on him complaining that the new first gear ratio be changed back again? However, if Plato moved to WSR he may want to bring the KX Academy drivers along with him, which might then force WSR to get rid of their current drivers. Can a deal be made? Will it even happen? All very complicated really.
Will we be seeing this livery on a BMW in 2015? Image Credit: BTCC.net
HOT OFF THE PRESS
As I write this, a statement has been issued by Colin Turkington that says with the departure of eBay from WSR, it makes his inclusion in the team difficult and as a result he is looking for drives with other people. This is a similar situation to 2009 where RAC pulled out the championship following his championship victory. He was then left without a drive until 2013 when he returned with eBay motors. This may suggest that with both eBay and RAC, they were giving him direct backing instead of the team itself, so with the departure of these sponsors he was left without the funds to compete in the championship.
Speaking hypothetically, with the eBay departure it may now have indeed paved the way for Plato and KX to move in on WSR leaving Turkington without a drive. One of the true annoyances of the silly season (as is now becoming desperately clear) is the rise of rumour and conjecture. Everything I have suggested may be spot on, or it may be a complete fabrication. When there are only brief statements to work with, the conclusions can never be considered concrete.
What is the future for Plato and KX Momentum/Tesco?
Does Turkington need a big name sponsor to be able to race? Does he need to follow Plato’s route and establish specific driver-sponsors for himself?
Why Sponsor a BTCC Team Anyway?
People have often wondered why you would want to sponsor a team in the first place; is it not just a drain on money? The obvious answer to that question is market exposure; if you have your brand name on the side of a car in a successful and well-covered championship the result can only have a good effect on potential customers. What is always really helpful is when you happen to be sponsoring a car that is a proven race and championship winner. Vodafone have always enjoyed such luxuries in their previous support of McLaren in F1 and the Nissan team in the 98/99 BTCC season.
In addition to this, you can build the race team into your company’s advertising as well as tapping into the legions of loyal race fans. Airwaves were always good at bringing in their BTCC involvement into their advertising, using the BTCC Ford of Mat Jackson to show how much of a ‘kick’ Airwaves can give you, even when you are stuck in traffic on the way to work. At the end of the day, most people love a good race car so it would be silly for companies to ignore this obvious advertising route if they have the joy of sponsoring a team in the best championship in Europe.
As well as the benefits in the public sector, there are obvious corporate benefits when sponsoring a race team. If you happen to be needing to impress potential clients, is there any better way to do so than make them VIP guests of a BTCC race team; meet the drivers, fancy hospitality and general schmoozing sounds like the perfect method to me!
Most importantly, sponsors get a direct involvement with a race team; they get to experience the thrills of the sport from the inside. The exciting narrative that is a BTCC season; the highs, the lows, the shocks, the thrills and potential glory all made more personal to those who have invested.
When you play most games, you have a clear idea of the rules and the overall objective. In the case of ‘The BTCC Sponsorship Game’ the only rule is that there are no rules, and the objective is simple. You want the sponsors to sign on the dotted line and the money in the bank. Along the way you will encounter some obstacles in the form of political decisions and clever movements, but at the end of the day you want more business for your company. It will involve some clever branding, advertising and even some corporate schmoozing, but at the end of the day, it is all worth it.
And as a motorsport fan, I am very grateful for this. We bow down to you, great sponsors. You make my passion possible!
Let me know what you think: @lewisglynn69
Keep Driving People!
Peace and Love!
The Vodafone Nissan Primera. Image Credit: Piston Heads
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