Archive for December, 2014
Book Review: Top Gear – How To Parachute Into A Moving Car
Title: Top Gear – How To Parachute Into A Moving Car
Author: Richard Porter
Publisher: BBC Books, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-849-90635-7
Very few of us are likely to get a bright shiny new car this Christmas. Although some of us might be living in hope… However, in the more realistic gift department, a car-related book might be in order. Possibly this offering from the Top Gear franchise might fit the bill either for you or for someone else you know who’s into motors (if it’s a present for you, tactfully leaving this page open when your nearest and dearest are about to go online might be good for dropping a hint).
The subtitle of Top Gear’s “How To Parachute Into A Moving Car” is “Vital survival tips for the modern man.” In spite of this subtitle, the book should give most recipients a chuckle, male or female. And you will get a chuckle. Although there are some bits of good motoring advice sprinkled throughout the text (e.g. how to do a handbrake turn) and some thought-provoking pieces (how to make a car for old people), the majority is a light hearted and slightly cynical look at driving today, especially driving in Britain. If you are (1) after a serious automotive book or (2) easily offended and drive an Audi, then you might want to browse another section of the shelves at your local bookshop. The “how hard can it be?” rating given to each entry provides good material for discussions, and the “how to find your petrol station stance” entry could easily be turned into a sort of game of bingo to keep the kids in the back seat amused when you’re taking a long time at the petrol station refuelling, checking the air pressure in the tyres, etc.
Understandably, the book contains numerous references to the TV show itself (well, what do you expect from something published by BBC Books?). If you have seen the episode in question, the commentary will bring back amusing memories. If you haven’t, it will pique your curiosity and make you want to see it (in my case, this was the one about playing rugby with cars). Sometimes, if you haven’t seen the show, the references are a little puzzling and tedious, but on the whole, the book is enjoyable all the same.
The tips and “advice” given don’t just confine themselves to car-related topics and wry comments about the three presenters (e.g. “How to dress like James May: Find a charity shop that hasn’t had any new donations since 1976. Buy all their clothes off them.”). You will find other topics related to life in general sprinkled in there, such as “how to feel like a hero when using the microwave oven” and “how to buy trousers”.
And as for the advice about parachuting into a moving car? First of all, watch this clip of the actual episode:
For the next part of the instructions, you’ll have to read the book yourself.
Happy driving,
Megan
Listening to the sounds…..of…….
Keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel….
I’ve been drivin’ all night, my hand’s wet on the wheel. There’s a voice in my head, that drives my heel…..
Let there be light…Sound…Drums…Guitar…Let there be rock!
Driving songs. We’ve all got a few that we love to plug into the CD player or USB or MP3 connections; plenty of bass, for that gut kicking thump; the crystal clear highs and the crisp mid range for vocals. What’s that? Bass? Midrange? Treble? What are these words of magic I speak of?
All sounds we hear, be it from our tv or MP3 or car stereo, are made up of certain wavelengths, frequencies that vibrate the air around us at certain amounts of times per second. Much like looking at a rainbow and seeing the seven basic wavelengths of light a rainbow shows, what we hear can be broken down into three simple categories and from that, what a good speaker system allows you to hear.
To use a very brief science lesson, frequencies are measured in Hertz (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hertz) and the lower the number, the lower the frequency of sound our ears may pick up. Low end frequencies generate a bass (pronounced base) tone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_frequency) but also require the most power to generate. Bass sounds come from big drums, the kick in the gut from an explosion and, in home theatre speak, come from a sub woofer. cars, also, can be fitted to carry a sub woofer and work by utilising the air found within a car’s boot to create the sound.
Bass notes, in a physical sense, are of a very long wavelength and are, as a result, considered, omnidirectional (or, more specifically, the point at which the ability our ears have to localise sound’s source, ends), in that the source shouldn’t be able to be located. There caveat here, quite simply, is the frequencies that are considered to be sub bass and bass.
Moving up through the frequency ladder is mid range; this is generally accepted to be, in easy speak, the range of frequencies the human voice occupies. From the low but powerful tones of Barry White (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-range_speaker) through to the tenor notes of Robbie Williams to the octave stretching notes from Mariah Carey; from the kick drum or rhythm guitar that complements a singer, it’s this range of frequencies that can be either well balanced or overbearing, depending on the listening environment and your own ears.
At the top end, literally, is treble (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treble_%28sound%29). It’s the finish of a tap on a cymbal, the clink of a wine glass in a toast, the flick of a finger on an acoustic guitar….it’s the sound that is also easiest to identify which direction it comes from, as the wavelengths are so tight they make the frequencies more susceptible to being directionally identified.
When it comes to car audio systems, especially in modern vehicles, there’s been some subtle yet important changes. In days gone by, you could (and still can, to a point) choose to buy and install a radio head unit that slots into the spot your old and tired AM/FM radio previously occupied. Nowadays these things will have CD playback, a USB port (exactly the same as your computer) and a tiny 3.5 millimetre wide hole with Aux (Auxiliary) marked. Some will come with Bluetooth, the short range radio system so you can wirelessly send music from a smartphone. Some more expensive units will have a small LCD screen built in and a DVD player; the size and heights of these are measured in DIN (double DIN for the taller units) so most will be the standard DIN. 
When correctly installed, or from a factory fitted unit, they will then send sound through to the speakers. An aftermarket speaker of decent quality will have a broader speaker diaphragm (the physical speaker material) that will reproduce a range of bass notes and should have two smaller units in the centre. They will generate the mid range and treble notes. In today’s cars, the treble speakers are, generally, to be found in the pillars framing the windscreen, whilst the bass and midrange will be in the doors. Some cars will have the subwoofer unit, as mentioned previously, in the boot or cargo section.
When all is married up, balanced for left and right, front and back, you should be able to enjoy your preferred driving songs in full range, crystal clear sound, allowing you to sing along with the best of ’em.
Sales and Fails in the Australian Auto Market.
We should all know by now that the Australian car industry, in a manufacturing sense, is in a bit of a mess, with Ford, Holden and Toyota wrapping up as local makers by 2017. There’s no doubt that it will impact on employees; for example, Toyota’s Caringbah, Sydney, office will be largely condensed staff wise as will the two Melbourne based plants. All of the company’s corporate functions will be consolidated at Toyota Australia’s head office in Port Melbourne, resulting in “a significant reduction in corporate support roles”. Ford will keep a design team working on international projects, as will Holden.
There’s conjecture as to which vehicles 
will be coming to Australia, especially for the American owned companies but, at the moment, sales in certain categories and for certain brands are bubbling along nicely. Fiat/Chrysler/Alfa Australia (FCA Australia) leads the SUV segment, with the Grand Cherokee the biggest seller up to 30 November, with over 15,500 units, an increase of over thirty five percent from 2013. The Cherokee itself, released as a new model in June of 2014, has shifted over 3400 units, an incredible effort. Fiat’s perky 500 and model shared Freemont have also increased in sales from 2013; the 500 by 54% and the Freemont (aka Dodge Journey) by 44%.
Japanese maker, Mitsubishi, is also riding on the crest of the SUV wave, with its small SUV, the ASX, moving 1763 units in November, helped by 
an aggressive marketing campaign. However, the Triton based Challenger failed to excite, with just 156 units finding new homes. The Mirage sedan, still relatively new to the Australian market, also failed to fire, with a miniscule 70 being sold, compared to the hatch at 352.
Compare that to Mazda, a perennial favourite, it seems; leading the way was the All-New Mazda3 with 3,499 November sales. While annual numbers approach 40,000, its tally is up almost four per cent Year-On-Year in a segment that is down six per cent in 2014. The BT-50 had a great November, selling 1209 units, whilst the Mazda2 moved 1096 however nearly 800 were of the newly released version.
A brand on the move is the Korean giant, Hyundai. In November there was a record 8600 vehicles sold, making it the 30th month in a row that the company has seen increased sales. It also puts Hyundai second overall 
in the Australian market (year to date) as well as passenger cars. In the light car segment, the i20 (soon to be superseded) leads the pack, with 1448 signatures on a contract for November. A further five Hyundai models achieved podium results in November, with Veloster, ix35, iMax and iLoad all finishing in second place in their respective segments while the combined sales of i30 and Elantra had them finishing second in the Small segment, with i30 taking outright third place in that segment. It’s too early to tell just what impact the newly released Genesis will make.
Ford’s Falcon, which has just been released, was on a hiding to nothing with its 2.0L EcoBoost engine. As good as the reviews are, Ford has sold just 1800 since the car was released, all the way back in April of 2012. That figure includes just seven bought by the Australian Federal Government. However, with the new Mondeo due in 2015 (and largely mooted to be the Falcon replacement) with EcoBoost standard across the range, there may be a nudge in the right direction for the ailing big car. But Falcon isn’t the only large car suffering, with the segment contracting by 7.3% since last year, down to nearly 43500 from just under 47000 at this time last year.
2015 and beyond looks to be very interesting times for the Australian automotive industry.
Driving for Change: #RacingforHeroes is Live
A ground breaking new motorsport team launches in support of ‘Help for Heroes’
In just one moment everything can change. In that moment, everything you once knew, is transformed. Due to the breath taking new initiative by Stirling Motorsport Management, this is that moment. In partnership with the UK’s most high profile charity ‘Help For Heroes’, the #RacingforHeroes motorsport team supports not only the promising careers of prominent young race drivers, but will raise both funds and awareness for our injured, wounded and sick veterans. This truly is a drive for real change, and it is happening right now. Welcome to the dawning of a whole new era in global motorsport.
The extraordinary work of #RacingforHeroes has culminated in an unrivalled race outfit the spans the length of the TOCA package. The campaign will be spearheaded by an entry in the British Touring Car Championship, the ultimate touring test for any race team. If that wasn’t enough, entries will also be made into the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, the Renault Clio UK Cup, the Ginetta GT4 Supercup and the MSA Formula Championship, the side dishes to the succulent main course that is the BTCC. Each car will be identically branded to create a strong message of both the dedication and importance of the cause they are supporting. One powerful brand has the strength to invoke awareness and active support from followers.
The selection of future superstars of the racing world include Josh Cook, Josh Files, Tom Butler, Zac Chapman and Jess Hawkins. Alan Gow, the race director of both BTCC and TOCA believes that #RacingforHeroes finds its strength in its multi-dimensional qualities,
“#RacingforHeroes is not only supporting a very worthy cause but it is also helping to develop promising young racing driver talent in the UK – a Win Win for all involved.”
TOCA is the largest race-based event across Europe, while #RacingforHeroes is by far the biggest team within TOCA; therefore one might say that #RacingforHeroes is the most significant motorsport operation across Europe. I dare you to find any better foundation than that to launch this revolutionary motorsport-charity partnership unto the racing fans across the UK. With such a dominant presence, it will further one of the central aims of the team; to one day have a team made entirely of veterans to run, engineer and race an entry in the BTCC.
Peter Thorpe, the founder of #RacingforHeroes will lead the team to what will be a fruitful future,
“#RacingforHeroes was designed to change the way partnerships in Motorsport work, my vision was to maximise the outcome of a sponsorship engagement for all involved while offering a truly remarkable reason to be part of it. Being able to offer companies such a multi beneficial opportunity for their PR and marketing platforms, support young British Racing talent and support the recovery of our wounded, injured and sick veterans does just that. A marketing platform anyone can be proud of.”
This concept of ‘relationships’ is a fundamental component to #RacingforHeroes; through the relatability and personal nature that the team express, it can truly bring forward the message of support for those veterans that have been injured serving their country in combat. From their media inception, #RacingforHeroes will be looking for both brand partners and sponsors to join the project throughout the 2015 motorsport campaign and beyond. Potential partners will be directly responsible for supporting the wounded through motorsport, a truly unique platform for engagement and unparalleled involvement. The #RacingforHeroes package combines supporting young drivers towards a fruitful motorsport career, direct investment that has a particular focus on donation to ‘Help for Heroes’, the emotional vision of bringing careers and happiness to wounded veterans, extensive media exposure and benefits including charitable partnership status and faultless track side hospitality.
Bryn Parry, CEO and Co-Founder Help for Heroes believes that the inspirational vision of #RacingforHeroes comes down to the integral relationship held between Stirling Motorsport and ‘Help for Heroes’,
“When Stirling Motorsport approached us with the exciting idea for #RacingforHeroes, we knew immediately they shared our passion and ‘can-do’ attitude. The team is committed to fundraising and providing opportunities for our wounded through motorsport. We wish them every success and hope British racing fans will get behind the team.”
There will be no doubt that not only the British fans, but motorsport fans from across the world will show their compassionate support to the team. Within the modern world, the relevance of motorsport is often called into question; there can be no stronger argument than supporting our wounded directly, both through fan support and the unrivalled adrenaline filled thrill ride that is the motorsport spectrum. This is a revolutionary step forward that will go down in the eternal racing history books.
#RacingforHeroes is a sensational step forward in the motorsport universe; the team has a direct impact on the recovery and rehabilitation of our wounded veterans through them doing something they love. The team is proud to fly the flag for not only our home grown talent but our wounded too. This project has not only financial, but emotional influence; it has the power to unify under the name of motorsport. The success of #RacingforHeroes comes down to just one simple word: support.
You can show your support on Twitter: @RacingforHeroes
Or Facebook – Racing for Heroes
To speak to Peter directly, please email peter.t@racingforheroes.co.uk
![H4H CHARITY_PARTNER[1]](http://blog.privatefleet.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/H4H-CHARITY_PARTNER1.jpg)
Written by Lewis Glynn – Official Partner of #RacingforHeroes
Follow me on Twitter: @lewisglynn69
Keep Driving People!
Peace and Love!
Level 2, 9 Help Street