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Archive for August, 2014

Big Space: Toyota Kluger GXL AWD

Toyota has built its name on reliability and offering a car for the right segment. The Land Cruiser, Corolla and, lately, the 86. Some time ago it created a new market by releasing the RAV4. There’s now 4 models in Toyota’s SUV range: Land Cruiser, Prado, RAV 4 and Kluger, a range released just over ten years ago. It’s gone from being a medium sized vehicle to one almost as large, in all dimensions, as the Land Cruiser. With four distinct vehicles to choose from across quite a few variations, just WHERE does the Kluger fit in, especially the GXL AWD A Wheel Thing tested for a week? Updated and released to the Aussie market in March of 2014, it’s an evolution of the previous model yet it’d be hard pressed to be recognised as the great grandchild of the original.Kluger profile

The Donk.
Toyota have thrown a 3.5L petrol powered V6 under the acre sized bonnet of the current model Kluger. There’s 201kW and 337 Nm of torque on Kluger engineoffer; Kluger consolehowever it’s got to move a 2020kg (sans passengers and fuel) vehicle that’s 4.8 metres long, just over 1.9 metres in total width and 1.73 metres in height. As a result, fuel economy is not great, call it 12L/100 kilometres from a 72 litre tank as an average. Around town it slurped harder than a shearer on a beer after a hard day in the paddock. The issue is not the torque, it’s WHERE that maximum figure comes in, a stupidly high 4700 revs. This means the engine is working harder at lower revs to get and keep the bulk moving. There’s no diesel offered for the Kluger either, consider that when you’re shopping for a people moving SUV…it’s mated to a six speed auto, the only transmission available, plus the GXL comes with either a two wheel drive (front driven) or, in this case, an all wheel drive setup that is part time but can be locked. There’s descent control fitted as well, which all works well enough however the Kluger seems to slot into the rarely and barely used for off roading segment. The auto is smooth, silky smooth; with low throttle applications the change is barely perceptible and it’s only by the flick of the rev counter’s needle that you know something’s changed.

 

The Suit.
Kluger frontOf recent times, there seems to have been a push back to blunt, vertical noses for SUVs. Kluger rearAlthough this may seem non aerodynamic (and could very well be), there’s other tricks designers and engineers apply to try and make a brick on wheels a bit more slippery. There’s some extension to the headlight and taillight structure, to divert and bend airflow. There’s a rake to the rear window line, the headlight cluster is swept back into the fenders, with a front on view giving some idea of how the aero has changed for the 2014 Kluger.The taillights flow though into the tailgate (non electrically operated in the GXL). The grille is taller than the outgoing model whilst each and and the wheel arches have tough polyurethane shrouding. The GXL came with tidy 18 inch alloys, shod with 245/60 Michelin Latitude rubber.

On The Inside.
Kluger front seatsIt’s a leather look and plastic interior, setup forKluger rear seats folded five seats with two hidden in the rear cargo section. The rear seats are configured for slide and tilt to give a completely flat load surface and there’s also rear seat aircon controls and vents. It’s typical Toyota ease of use and sensibility. Kluger rear seatsThen we look at the dash and wonder how the styling could be so….unusual; there’s a double fold to the top of the dash with one surface coming from the passenger airbag and vent before disappearing behind the second surface, the dash binnacle, which runs across through the centre and across the audio block. Squeezed in between and not altogether harmoniously, there’s a clock whilst lower down, the plugs for the USB and auxiliary inputs are almost inaccessible and hidden from view. Front aircon controls are sensibly laid out Kluger console dashKluger dashhowever the touchscreen surrounds look and feel low rent. It sits above another storage section that’s deep and big enough for mobile phones and sweeps across to the passenger side air vent. Kluger console storageAudio quality was good, with nice depth, clarity and separation. The dash dials have a standard look to them however the info screen tucked in between them seemed to lack the Kluger cargooption to show the velocity. Kluger rear ventsThe tiller is comfortable to hold and has the now almost mandatory assortment of buttons for audio, Bluetooth etc. The seats themselves are reasonably comfortable, have a good measure of under thigh support and at the front they bracket a rather large storage console. It’s deep enough to hold bottles or a handbag which gives a subtle clue as to the Kluger’s target market.

The Drive.
Nowhere near as lumbering as its big brother, the Land Cruiser, the Kluger is quite agile, belying its size. Of immediate note, though, was the thump from the front suspension as the Kluger goes over one of the larger school sized speed humps at low velocity, sounding as if the strut towers were being pulled out. Although there’s little free play in the steering rack, it still requires a bit of turn for it to bit and send the front Kluger wheelwheels where you want them. Once loaded up there’s some nice bite, some good feedback and tight response, with the front end going where you point and the rear follows faithfully, like a well trained pup. The suspension settings are taut initially, rolling smoothly into a good level of compliance and there’s little of concern body roll wise as it corners nice and flat. Acceleration is decent, at the cost of fuel consumption but stopping the 2000 kilo plus Kluger wasn’t always confidence inspiring. The pedal seemed long and lacked true bite, with a number of not so quick stops feeling as if the car in front was about to have a Kluger in the boot. The GXL came loaded with a locking diff and hill descent control as well but it’s not, in A Wheel Thing’s opinion, the vehicle people would use for anything other than a bit of gravel work.

The Wrap.
It’s a crowded market that this new Kluger comes into, with SUV offerings from almost every major manufacturer. Toyota’s off road heritage is well known, its reputation almost unbreakable and they stand as the company effectively responsible (or blameworthy, in some eyes) for the SUV market. With around a half dozen Kluger variants available, in three trim levels and two or four wheel drive configurations, it covers the bases. However, its size and price points, compared to its opposition, plus its thirst and lack of a diesel variant, has A Wheel Thing questioning the relevance of the Kluger. There’s cheaper, more suitable soft and off roaders, Jeep has announced a diesel engine for one of its range, Hyundai’s Sante Fe and Kia’s Sorento offer the same seating configuration options and a better looking interior in a more compact body without sacrificing room or comfort. If you want a big, proper offroader, you buy a Land Cruiser or Patrol. If you don’t need something that big and don’t ned to go offroad there’s plenty to choose from. Then there’s the dollars. The GX 2WD starts at just shy of $41000, the GXL AWD is nearly $54K and then there’s the onroad costs… As dynamically good it is for such a big vehicle, I was left wondering which round hole this peg is meant to fill.
For info: http://www.toyota.com.au/kluger/specifications/gxl-awd-7-seat-suv?WT.ac=VH_Kluger_RangeAndSpecs_RangeBanner_GXLAWD_Specs

Car: Toyota Kluger GXL AWD.
Engine: 3.5L V6.
Fuel/Tank: Unleaded, 91 RON, 72 litres.
Power/Torque: 201kW @ 6200rpm, 337Nm @ 4700rpm.
Fuel Consumption (claimed): 10.6L/100km combined, 14.4L/100km urban, 8.4L/100km highway.
Transmission: six speed automatic.
Weight: (dry) 2020kg, (gross) 2740kg.
Towing: 2000kg (braked), 700kg (unbraked).
Warranty: 3 years/100000 kilometres, whichever occurs first.
Seating: seven, third row flush with floor, middle row 60/40 split fold.
Cargo: (all seats up) 195L, (third row folded) 529L, (all folded) 1872L
Dimensions, L x W x H (mm): 4865 x 1965 x 1730.
Wheelbase (mm): 2790.
Tyres/Wheels: 245/60 on 18 inch diameter alloys.
Off road approach/departure: 18/23.1degrees.

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JOSS Sticks Around: An Aussie Supercar.

In a supercar world populated by names such as Lamborghini, Bentley, Pagani etc, it’s notable that the countries these wonderful car brands come from don’t include Australia. However, since 1998, there’s one bloke that’s been trying to change this; Matt Thomas. What’s important about this, though, is that Matt’s journey is not a pipedream, it’s one that’s involved people that have the highest level of experience in Formula 1, Le Mans, V8 Supercars and more. Matt, himself, has a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Design and started his working life as an automotive design modeller. His clients include Bentley, Jaguar, Aston Martin and the Stewart Grand Prix F1 team.Joss_Supercar

The project? The JOSS JP1 Track Car. There’s some powerful specifications to go with it: 5.0L all alloy V8 engine, with the aim of extracting 420 kilowatts and 520 Newton Metres of torque plus a maximum rev limit of 8000 rpm, Albins transaxle, carbon composite body with a kerb weight of just 900kg, with an anticipated zero to one hundred kilometre per hour time of 2.8 seconds before reaching a top speed of 340 km/h. Added to the recipe are the design elements of a slippery body, mid mounted engine behind a two seat configurtion, a smaller frontal area than Bugatti’s Veyron, lesser CO2 emissions plus better fuel economy and potential G forces of 1.2G laterally. The car itself is a development of the JT1, the test “mule” from 2004. Launched to great fanfare at the Melbourne Motor Show, the accolades soon rolled in:

“There is no reason Australia can’t be competitive in Supercars.World class capability already exists in automotive design, engineering, development, testing and production. Unlike mass market vehicles, low production volumes, high labour costs, the “high dollar”, and a small domestic market are largely irrelevant.In the wake of decisions to leave Australia by the mass market automobile manufacturers, JOSS is an exciting Australian start-up with global appeal.”Gavin Smith, President, Robert Bosch (Australia) Pty Ltd.

The JOSS project shows innovation, engineering excellence and a true belief that Australia can compete on a global scale. We wish the team the best of luck and look forward to working with JOSS in utilising as many Australian suppliers and capability as possible.” – Richard Reilly, CEO, FAPM.

The JOSS JT1 was a 400bhp, alloy headed V8 powered vehicle, built around a steel space frame chassis and weighed 948kg. It rolled on ultra sticky and low profile 18 inch Pirelli tyres, had a Porsche five speed transaxle transmission and powered through to 100 km/h in three seconds on the way to covering the quarter mile in just 11.7 seconds. That test car has given the JOSS development team plenty to work with and the JP1 is intended to be further developed to comply with the U.K.’s small manufacturer compliance regulations; with an initial run of five vehicles to kick things off as a Track Special, (allowing the owners to sample the ability and agility of the JP1) the investments in these first five will then use the aforementioned U.K. regulations as a stepping stone to the European market.JOSS JT1

Matt and the team are using the ever increasing in popularity crowd funding platform to complete the first JP1; the design specs and engineering parameters are locked away, it’s simply a matter of the requisite funds being found to complete the project and then further develop the JOSS JP1 into a road legal range of vehicles. A Wheel Thing is proud to be associated with this project and asks that you join this innovative Australian company on its journey to build a genuine Aussie Supercar.

For further details on the project: www.joss.com.au and to contribute to the project, click here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jossjp1/joss-jp1-supercar-a-new-innovative-performance-bra

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More Ideas For Cooking On Your Car Engine

OK, so in my last post, I mentioned how one goes about harnessing the waste heat from your car engine to cook your dinner.  While just mentioning the how-tos is enough for some cooks, other folk might need more than just a bit of inspiration.  Some people prefer to have it down in black in white in front of them. So, without further ado, here are a handful of recipes for cooking on your car engine. Just don’t forget the golden rules of wrapping everything very thoroughly in tinfoil and making sure that the wire you use to strap your tinfoil packets in place on your engine block doesn’t interfere with any moving parts.

I haven’t given cooking times in these recipes, as individual results will depend on (a) your car engine, (b) how fast you’re driving and (c) how hot a day it is.

Veggie roast-up

Chop pieces of suitable veggies into chunks about 4 cm x 4 cm by 10 cm (but there’s no need to be too precise. Toss in a wee bit of cooking oil then sprinkle with salt and maybe a few herbs (rosemary, oregano or thyme) before wrapping in the tinfoil.  Suitable veggies include pumpkin, parsnip, beetroot, onion, potato, sweet potato, swede, zucchini and carrot.  You can put them in separate packets if you have too many to fit in a pack that stays together.

Long-haul pot roast

This requires a drive of 200+ km, so try this one next time you’re driving interstate.  Take a decent chunk of meat (1 kg or more): beef, pork or mutton.  In an ice cream container or something else that will fit your meat, combine 1 cup red wine, 2 cloves crushed garlic, a couple of sprigs of rosemary plus salt and pepper to taste.  Dunk the meat in the mixture and roll it about until the meat is coated.  Cover the container and leave it in the fridge overnight.  Before you set off, take the meat out of the marinade and wrap it up in the tinfoil. Discard the marinade.  Halfway through your drive, stop and flip the packet of meat over so it cooks evenly.

Chicken wings a la Porsche Cayenne

Get about half a dozen chicken wings and coat them lightly in oil (not too much or you risk it dripping out of the tinfoil and starting a fire that will be really hard to explain to the insurance company).  Mix up a bit of cayenne pepper (or chilli powder), dried oregano, chopped garlic and salt, plus enough paprika to get enough to coat the wings.  You can also use pre-prepared seasoning mixes from your local supermarket if you want to try a different flavour.  Wrap up the wings, either individually or as a packet.

Baked apples

Got to have dessert in there somewhere!  Use large, firm apples (e.g. Granny Smith).  Remove the core so there’s a hollow down the middle of the apple. Combine sultanas, cinnamon and sugar. Stuff the hollow with the cinnamon, sugar and sultana mix. Wrap up really well individually in the foil.  This also works with other firm pipfruit such as pears and quinces.

Chocolate bananas

This BBQ favourite works best for short journeys.  Leave the bananas in the skin and cut a slit in them lengthwise. Insert chocolate chips or chunks of chocolate.  Possibly slip in a few marshmallows. Wrap firmly.

banana-boat-set-up

Dashboard Pain au Chocolat

This doesn’t involve the engine but is too good to leave out.  We all know that chocolate melts if left on the dashboard in the hot sun, so make the most of it.  Get some plain croissants from the bakery and heaps of dark chocolate. Chop up or grate the chocolate and add it liberally to the croissants.  Wrap in clingfilm, baking paper or foil. Place on dashboard of the car and wait until the chocolate melts.

Happy driving (and cooking!)

Megan http://credit-n.ru/kredity-online-blog-single.html

BTCC 2014 Mid-Season Report Card: Must Do Better

In a recent article, David Addison described the ‘Modern era of the BTCC‘ as the best that it has ever been. He argues that the modern championship boasts packed grids, close racing and a comprehensive television package that blows away any competition from the past. The 2014 season has indeed seen a total reinvention of the championship with the new NGTC regulations coming into force, which has evolved the very nature of the BTCC. This year in particular has seen 7 past champions get behind the wheel and battle against some rising stars in the motorsport universe. Mr Addison really does make a strong case when he talks about the media coverage of the BTCC; with the exception of F1 there are very few sports that dedicate entire days of television scheduling to one event. Not only are all three races shown live on race day, but the entire BTC support package is shown to the public.

It is at this juncture that my agreement with David Addison comes to a very abrupt end. I have been a fan of the BTCC my entire life; growing up in the 1990s in the backdrop of the Super Touring era was one of the most most exciting childhoods I could ever have asked for. No other motorsport could come close to the British Touring Cars in my eyes. I have been watching the BTCC every year across the various rule changes and I am offended to hear that someone honestly believes that the modern championship is the best the BTCC has ever been. We have approached near enough the midway part of the 2014 season and I find myself rapidly losing interest in the BTCC. Considering the sport is meant to be the best its ever been, how can this be possible? Let’s break this down.

MG...Honda...BMW. The main protagonists haven't really changed. Photo Credit: BTCC.net

MG…Honda…BMW. The main protagonists haven’t really changed. Photo Credit: BTCC.net

Packed Grids and Close Racing?

Considering the clear negative tone that is already in abundance in this article, I will admit that a packed 31 car grid has been somewhat exciting this year. Throughout much of the 2000s the field was even struggling to boast a field that hit double figures. My favourite was the beginning of the 2001 season where there were often as little as 6 cars taking the start line. Thrilling. With 31 cars on the track it means there is always something going on and spectators never have to stare at an empty bit of tarmac.

Next on the list is this close racing that makes the BTCC better than ever before. Maybe this is just me but the racing this year is no closer than it has ever been before. Especially when it comes to the front of the field. Last year I would often predict the top 5 finishers before the race had even happened. It was always a case of Honda Honda BMW MG Honda in some order or another. One of the perks of the NGTC was meant to be that the cars would become more equal. And yet this year nothing really has changed. Race after race it will be a selection of Honda, MG or BMW charging off into the distance and that will be the way of things.

Unrivalled Media Coverage

This does bring me on ever so fluidly to this claim that the media coverage of the BTCC is second to none. Let us remember that I do not possess the vast riches nor the free time to frequent every race meeting. Consequentially it must mean that I must watch most of the races on the traditional medium that is the television. Once more it is at this point that we hit another problem. Throughout the 90s, the television coverage would not only show the battles up the front, but the racing all the way down to the bottom places. As a result, if the modern era was the best it has ever been, then the television viewer would at the very least have this same access. That would be the logical thought anyway. In fact, if it truly was the greatest I would expect a red button style access to cameras showing every position from first down to last.

Alas, it seems this message was lost by the grand powers of ITV. In reality, all we are left with is full footage of the top five positions which is inevitably a festival of laborious boredom. The only time the top positions seem to get mixed up is in the final race when finally some other people get a shot at glory. But seriously, at the last few meetings I have had to sit through 30 minutes of processional driving with a few drivers blasting off into the distance while all the action happens behind; not that we can see any of it because apparently the cameras only care about the Hondas, BMWs and MGs.

A good anecdote here goes back to the very first meeting of the year at Brands Hatch. I was lucky enough to attend that meeting and I thoroughly enjoyed the racing. But speaking to my friends who watched it on TV, they claimed that the racing was utterly boring and processional. And they were right, considering all they were subjected to was the front of the field. The geniuses at the ITV camera department managed to miss, for example, the epic drive of touring car legend Alain Menu from the back of the grid to 17th in race 2 and then 5th in race 3. Yes Mr Addison, the media coverage is just so good it managed to miss some of the best battles this year. Just the greatest.

According to the TV coverage, the BTCC is mostly this man... Image Credit: BTCC.net

According to the TV coverage, the BTCC is mostly this man… Image Credit: BTCC.net

Better Quality of Racing?

Over the last few years, the BTCC has been slated as becoming too much of a contact sport, where places are gained through forcing the car in front off the track into the nearest wall. Of course throughout the golden years there was definitely no shortage of panel bashing, but as with alcohol consumption, everything in moderation kids! And some of the time this panel bashing was nothing more than a racing incident or the odd cheeky move. But when a driver essentially gets bored of being behind the car in front and gets past by nerfing him off the track and into the grave, that is just not right.

One solution to this problem is to introduce harsher penalties similar to that of F1. And with that the sport has started to descend into a dark chasm of sadness and despair. As some of you may know by now, my reasons for my dislike of F1 are down in the most part to the such high emphasis placed on politics and complaining. It has come to the point where the list of penalties may as well be read as a novel, with such colossal idiocy as track limits. I know the sport is trying to save money but surely not letting the cars touch the grass or the run off areas to save money on a lawnmower is a tad excessive. We appear to have gone from one annoyance extreme to another. It cannot be that difficult to find a good middle ground.

And of course we cannot forget the complaining that has befouled my ears this year. Yes Jason Plato I am looking at you. The debate surrounding RWD this year has become so predictable it borders on motorsport cliche. As much as the NGTC regulations are meant to bring everyone down to a level playing field there is always going to be some cars with certain advantages over others. In the 90s the RWD were given weight penalties and that was the end of it. Why can we not just do that now? But seemingly whatever happens as soon as the RWD cars do well people like Mr Plato begin their moaning once more.

If the RWD cars were truly at such an advantage then surely all of them would be miles up the front. However, last time I checked it was only really Colin Turkington who was consistently in the top 3. This is Colin Turkington, a highly successful past champion of the sport. Might this just be because he is a talented driver who deserves good results? I don’t see Rob Collard, Nick Foster and Rob Austin up the front. Can we not just go back to a time where the main focus was the racing? One of the reasons I loved the BTCC so much in comparison to F1 was the lack of politics. As it stands it is becoming just as bad.

The BTCC has always been action packed, but now it is more like banger racing. Image Credit: BTCC.net

The BTCC has always been action packed, but now it is more like banger racing. Image Credit: BTCC.net

Report Card

I never thought I would see the day where I am writing an article that massively criticizes my favourite motorsport. Alas I am becoming more worried that the BTCC has been trying so hard to reinvent itself and become something amazing that it has now started on a downhill slope. One of the many guidelines that shows me through life is the ‘Not Trying’ rule. The harder you try to do something, the less successful it often turns out to be. If Alan Gow and the BTCC organisers stop doing all they can to make the ultimate tin top sport and just let the BTCC evolve naturally then maybe I will finally be able to agree with Mr Addison. David Addison said that constantly looking back into the past will give you a sore neck, but I would rather have a sore neck and satisfied senses than be falling asleep at the wheel.

Rouse in his 1992 Toyota, give me this back any day... Image Credit: BTCC.net

Rouse in his 1992 Toyota, give me this back any day… Image Credit: BTCC.net

I am forever a child of the 90s, and to me it is still the number one era for touring cars.

Keep Driving People!

Follow me on Twitter @lewisglynn69

Peace and Love!

 

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