Off-Road Driving That’s Out Of This World

A lot of us have discovered the joys of off-road driving.  Plenty of modern vehicles come with AWD capacity so you can do a little bit of off-roading of some sort – or so you can get the extra traction that a four-paw provides. There are plenty of very desirable 4x4s out there with all sorts of this and that to help them do better in the rough stuff. But no matter how good your Nissan Pathfinder or your Skoda Yeti  is, there are some vehicles that are a lot snazzier than that.

Good-bye Land Rover , hello Moon Rover.  The Apollo Lunar Rover must be one of the quirkiest and most famous of all the vehicles designed by General Motors (and a handful of others), although you are never, ever going to get to drive one.  Only a handful of people, all from the USA and the former USSR have driven about as far off the road as you can get, going for a wee jaunt about on the surface of the moon before the manned moon landings were scrapped.

So what’s the Lunar Rover like?

The styling of the Lunar Rover is somewhat reminiscent of an old-school farm tractor.  Keeping the weight to a minimum was in the design brief, as was the ability to fold the car up for storage (now there’s an idea we could try to apply more widely to avoid parking problems), so flash-looking body kit was out of the question. Aluminium trim was very much in evidence, however.  There was also no need for climate control – all that was provided by the space suits. You could say that it was designed for maximum visibility and the whole cabin was one big sun roof, moon roof or possibly Earth roof. It did have a seatbelt that used Velcro to overcome the problems that would occur with inertia reels and the like in one-sixth of the earth’s gravity. The Lunar Rover has seating for two, with both seats being fully foldable and with a shared armrest. The steering “wheel” is a multifunction joystick.

The Lunar Rover was a very early example of an electric vehicle, which does leave one wondering why this technology was pretty much ignored for terrestrial vehicles during the 1980s and 1990s. It was powered by a pair of 36-volt non-rechargeable batteries with a life of 121 ampere-hours each for a total range of 92 km.  The wheels were 23 inch aluminium jobs and the tyres had a chevron tread for extra traction. They weren’t your pneumatic rubber jobs, either: they had a mixture of zinc, steel and aluminium. You could call them the ultimate run-flats.

Performance-wise, the Lunar Rover is no speed freak, with a top design speed of 13 km/h. However, this speed was exceeded by Eugene Cernan of the USA, who holds the current lunar land speed record of 18 km/h.

The handling, however, is excellent.  For a start, the suspension is superb: double horizontal wishbone with upper and lower torsion bars and a damper unit between the chassis and upper wishbone.  The front and rear wheels have separate steering controls, allowing the front and rear wheels to turn in opposite directions for a tighter turning circle, although the driver can select to steer with front or rear wheels only as needed.  Each wheel had its own separate drive unit and each wheel could freewheel if needed. Ground clearance is 36 cm.

Navigation, information and communication systems are also brilliant – modern cars are only just starting to catch up with this 1970s model.  Navigation used a combination of the odometer and a directional gyro, plus a sun/shadow monitor to get the right heading. Communications involved two TV cameras, another camera (with film) and several antennae for communication with the Lunar Module. Display panels inform the driver of the current speed, heading, pitch, and power and temperature.

You can see the Lunar Rover in this clip:

The Lunar Rovers (only four were made) were used on three Apollo lunar missions and were left behind on the moon each time (have a look here to see the exact spots). However, if you’re really, really desperate to drive about as far off the road as you can get, there is still hope, but your window of opportunity is closing rather rapidly, if it’s not too late already. The volunteers for the Mars One one-way trip to Mars will get Martian Rovers to drive in as they spend the rest of their lives on the Red Planet.

I think I’ll stick to off-roading in the other half’s Nissan work ute.

Safe and happy driving,

Megan http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/oneclickmoney-zaim-na-kartu.html

New Wheels: What's On The Way For Australia.

Holden and Toyota have released details of what Australia can expect to see in the near future; Toyota with its rebodied and updated (for the interior) Camry whilst Holden has shown off the Euro sourced models, including the all wheel drive Insignia from Opel. Let’s take a look.

Toyota.

It’s the Camry, but not as we know it. Key to the new model, which will be the final Australian built version, is a classy and assertive new look. Design hints have already been seen in the Corolla and Yaris, plus Toyota’s sports car arm, Lexus, with a familiar profile backed at either end with some knife sharp angles for tail and head light enclosures.

The profile looks almost unchanged from the outgoing model, viewed directly side on, however the tail light extends further into the rear quarter panel, not unlike a Lexus design from some years ago. The front end is more dramatic, with a sweeping design for the headlights starting from a teardrop before terminating in a blade like design.

Power from the 2.5L four is 133 kW in the Altise, with a dual exhaust system bumping it to 135 kW in the Atara range. If it’s grunt you want, it may be worth checking the Hybrids; an “Atkinson Cycle” 2.5L engine delivers 151 kW plus the electric motor adds in another 105 kWOne aspect of the front, which is sure to raise eyebrows and provoke discussion, is the whale shark mouth look the new air intake grilles have. Flanked, as they are, by forward leaning vertical LED driving lights, the sloping angles of the outermost parts may be a bit much for sensitive souls.

There’s seven models: Altise, Atara S, SX and SL, with sharper pricing, making it the cheapest  Camry for 18 years, for the American designed Camry, plus three hybrids. Locally, Toyota has sold over thirty thousand hybrids, more than the Prius range.

The Cascada, formerly known as the Astra convertible, lobs with the 1.6L and auto, offers a folding, triple acoustic layered, roof that will close in 17 seconds whilst the car is in motion at speed up to 50 km/h and perforated leather seats for that luxury touch.

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The Perfect Equation: Super Touring Cars and Brands Hatch

Photo taken from: supertcc.com

On any normal occasion the end of the month is a time of relief, happiness and impending financial gain. But this is no average month. On May 24th, the HSCC Super Touring Car Trophy returns to Brands Hatch for the Masters Historic Festival. With an expected bumper grid of over 25 cars, the glory of the 90s will once again flood back to Brands Hatch. After a strong opening race for the field at Donington Park, the excitement builds for Brands. And did I mention that there are two legends of the BTCC competing as well?

The 2015 BTCC season has already proven that it is fast returning to its status as one of the best race series anywhere in the world. The NGTC regulations have left other championships reeling in jealousy; cost-effective and ultra competitive make for some of the most entertaining races you will see. The combination of the modern championship with the returning HSCC Super Touring Car Trophy creates a beautifully poetic message about the timeless strength of touring cars as the best race category on the planet.

If the current BTCC represents everything forward thinking and fan-orientated about the modern era, then the glitz, glamour and excess that characterized the 1990s is perfectly epitomized in the Super Touring era of the championship. Big names, big budgets and titanic battles dominated proceedings throughout that time. The circuits may have changed and teams may have come and gone, but it was the iconic machinery that truly represented the golden age of touring car racing. When the HSCC announced it would run the Super Touring Cars, I was returned to my excitable years of innocence when as a child I would be glued to the television every time the BTCC was on. In an instant I was a child again, filled with wondrous joy and reveling in the beauty of Super Touring noise.

And Muller takes Cleland! Oh wait, its not 1998.. Photo taken from: supertcc.com

Last year, the Masters Historic Festival at Brands Hatch produced some beastly action from the F1 cars of days gone by, including a tear-jerking tribute to Jack Brabham. However, the Super Tourers were somewhat of a disappointment for those who had come to celebrate the height of the BTCC. After promises of large fields and intense action of a rumoured 30 cars, 7 turned up to the Brands Hatch meeting. In the case of one of the races, one car did not make the finish which did therefore mean there were only 6 cars that crossed the line. I have not seen a touring car race so embarrassing since the opening round of the 2001 season.

The event fell close however to the prestigious Silverstone Classic, which did present a considerable conundrum to the teams. The touring cars of the 1990s were so highly engineered and so specialist that one cannot wander into a mechanic and pick up some spare parts on a whim. There will likely come a time when the tyres that were made for the Super Touring cars will simply run out altogether. So in some ways, the increased television coverage and bigger crowds explains why many drivers chose to not enter the Brands rounds. Not only that, any touring car race at Brands Hatch is never without incident (ask John Cleland about 1995, I dare you), and the bill for repairing one of these BTCC icons will take more than your pocket money that’s for sure.

This year however, the time difference between the two is great enough that the full grid is expected to take to the tarmac. Just to add to the excitement, touring car legends John Cleland and Patrick Watts return once more with their ex-BTCC Vauxhall and Peugeot. They may be in their later years but lost their determination and skill they most definitely have not. On top of this, highly experienced historic racers James Dodd in his Nissan Primera and Stewart Whyte in his Honda Accord have been showing they have what it takes to fight it out at the top. The field itself consists of cars from across the full spectrum of BTCC history, including a Ford Sierra RS500, a Ford Escort Mk 2, BMWs from across the 1990s, the fearsome Renault Laguna, Ford Mondeos, Nissan Primeras (including the ex-Team Dynamics car of Matt Neal) and new for this year Audi A4s.

Multi-generations of Nissans: The beast is back! Photo taken from: supertcc.com

The first round at Donington Park saw a massive grid of 27 cars take on the track, with honours shared between Patrick Watts and Stewart Whyte. Moving forward, the rounds at Brands Hatch are expected to be something truly memorable. The sweet combination of BTCC and Brands Hatch has always created an electric atmosphere both on and off track. The elevation changes, overtaking opportunities, daunting corners and high speed straights make for one of the best circuits you will find anywhere in the world.

To name some of the historic touring car moments from Brands Hatch would take a lifetime. But who can forget the Reid – Rydell battle that ended in a post-race scuffle, or Simoni in 1994 who managed to barely keep his Alfa Romeo in a straight line while his team mate Tarquini powered to victory or perhaps more recently when Andy Jordan proved exactly why he deserved to be 2013 champion in the rain soaked final race of the year?

So many wonderful memories.. Photo taken from: supertcc.com

With such a packed grid, expect action from lights to flag as some of the most iconic racing machinery in the world come together to transport you back in time to reignite a fire long extinguished. Who needs Doctor Who and his Tardis when you have the Super Touring championship? The championship itself is fast gaining more support and recognition; it would not surprise me if in a few years time it becomes a regular support to the BTCC package itself. To describe me as excited would be a colossal understatement; my life is touring cars and those of the 1990s truly epitomize everything I love about tin top racing. If I could change anything, all I would want is the addition of some Volvo’s on the grid, lining up alongside some Rouse-prepared cars such as the ’92 Toyota or the Kaliber Sierra. And at that moment, my life may well just be complete.

I hope to see you there on May 24th. 

They’re back, and better than ever. 

You won’t want to miss this.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @lewisglynn69 

Keep Driving People!

Peace and Love!

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BTCC 2015: Home Advantage for Honda at Thruxton?

Image Credit: 2015 Honda Yuasa Racing Press Office

The first two rounds of the British Touring Car Championship have already more than proven the sensational form the series has returned to. If Brands Hatch and Donington Park proved anything, its that the old guard of the touring cars are anything but safe; the new generation of drivers are encroaching on the top positions. Heading to Thruxton however, the established teams remain on top, and it looks like it may well remain that way on Britain’s fastest and most daunting circuit. 

Over the years commenting on the motorsport world, a common observation has often been that I hold a great deal of faith in the underdogs. Apparently I have some cognitive roadblock when it comes to me aligning with any dominant team. The most relevant example I can muster must be the case of Honda in the BTCC. When they returned to the new look championship in 2002 I was a die hard fan, especially when Andy Priaulx got the team and made them a top scorer by the end of the year. However, as Honda became more and more dominant and transformed into the Neal-Shedden hybrid we know today, my love for them seemed to fade. I can only imagine that with dominance comes a sense of predictability, which in turn removes that drama and excitement that attracted you in the first place. This year however, the situation seems a little different.

We may have only had the first two rounds, but one thing that is clear beyond any shadow of a doubt is that nothing is certain anymore. The new breed of touring car stars have started their campaign for glory; Team BMR have shown blistering form, while names such as Aron Smith, Josh Cook and Aiden Moffat have taken their stand against the establishment. If there was a word to describe the 2015 season, it could only be unpredictability. Therefore, my attempt to make predictions ahead of Thruxton has already given me multiple headaches. Nevertheless, let’s give this a go.

Since 2011 there have been 12 races at Thruxton, 9 of which have been one by a single manufacturer. Of those 9 races, 8 of those have been won by the same team. The 2015 season may well be filled with uncertainty, but to put your money on a dominant Honda performance may well be one of the safest bets you could make all year. Not only is Thruxton the home circuit for the Honda team, but their composed chassis and strong engine has already given them 50% of the victories this year.

Honda are expected to be on flying form at Thruxton. Image Credit: 2015 Honda Yuasa Racing Press Office

“We’ve had some brilliant results so far this season that have exceeded expectations – and long may they continue – but we need to keep on pushing the boundaries so we stay at the sharp end in this fast-moving championship.” – Gordon Shedden

Considering Honda have seemingly out-performed their own expectations already this year, moving towards a historically Honda safe track must be a great confidence boost for the team,

“We’ve got our heads down and are working hard on the car, because we know there’s still plenty of room for improvement – but we’re feeling positive. I’m looking forward to Thruxton; it’s traditionally been a happy hunting ground for us and the new Type R is monstrous through the high-speed areas, which is what this circuit is all about. That should definitely play to our strengths”  – Matt Neal

Speaking of tradition, Thruxton has never quite suited the Triple Eight MG team; the best placed MG last year was Jason Plato who managed 6th in the opening race. However, the all new line-up of Andy Jordan and Jack Goff have shown they are not be messed with this year. Andy Jordan took a win for Honda at Thruxton last year, so he knows exactly how best to tackle the tarmac for victory. I do think however that MG will struggle at Thruxton, having already fallen foul to the monstrous Honda team this year on multiple occasions.

In many ways the same can be said of both the BMW and BMR teams, who both possess either cars or drivers that are able to win at Thruxton, but question marks still hang over whether the 2015 combination will prove fruitful. I have faith that Priaulx will return after a disappointing Donington and be challenging for the podium positions and possibly even a win, following in the footsteps of Turkington who won the final race in the eBay Motors BMW last year. The new look BMR team have proven brutally fast already, and will certainly be on contention but I do not know if they will be able to match the Honda menace. Whatever happens, Turkington, Plato and supercharged Smith will be challenging from start to finish.

The high speed, abrasive circuit of Thruxton does often throw up some unexpected action, such as Simon Belcher’s stop drop and roll off the circuit last year. Questions have already been asked about the soft tyre and its suitability at Thruxton; given its performances so far it is likely that the soft tyre would not last a race. Personally I think the running of the soft tyre should be stopped at Thruxton, from a safety point of view.

The Moffatt Mercedes may surprise at Thruxton. Image Credit: BTCC.net

The final race at Donington Park saw the dramatic rise to form of both Josh Cook and Aiden Moffat, with Cook nearly taking the outright race win if it wasn’t for the safety car. Moffat in the Mercedes is a proven racey combination already, and his determination is sending him soaring up the grid. Last year the Mercedes of Morgan finished with three top tens at Thruxton, which bodes well for both him and Moffat considering the drastic improvements that are already apparent this year. Thruxton in the past seems to have favoured the hot hatches, which would give some advantage to the A-Class over perhaps the VWs, Chevrolets and MGs. Possibly.

If the past is anything to go by, my attempts at making predictions ahead of a BTCC race meeting have been futile and utterly wrong when the results come in. The most skilled statisticians and race analysts in the world would struggle to predict the events of a BTCC race weekend. But I am nothing if not a courageous man. My predictions for Thruxton will be two race wins to Honda followed by a win for Aron Smith.

There we are, my money has been placed where my mouth is. Let’s see what happens shall we?

Bring it on!

Follow me on Twitter @lewisglynn69

Keep Driving People!

Peace and Love! 

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