Duncan

We have similar laws here. Anyone caught driving at excessive speeds will have their car confiscated for good!! You will NEVER get it back. The confiscated car is then turned into a police squad car, given to some other govt. dept or destroyed. One guy got caught (Audi S4) travelling at 200+km/h in the 120 zone. Had his car confiscated and within two days the same car was running around as a squad car. The car was only a few weeks old and he still had 36 months to go with the bank and since he no longer had the car the bank was taking legal action against him for the immediate recovery of the loan. He will have to wait two years before he can have another drivers licence and wait 5 years before he could apply for another bank loan. BUMMER HUH???

Hi there Before you get all very worried, have your gearbox and engine mountings checked. A worn out mounting can also lead to the vibration you are experiencing. Let me know what happens. Cheers

Williams has signed up with Toyota to supply them with engines from 2007 onwards. Considering that Williams has one of the best chassis in the F1 secene, getting one of the most powerful and reliable engines makes sense. I know Pilla would have prefered a different supplier though

It's not just the looks, it's the entire concept. Since the small hatch that was made famous by the likes of MG several decades ago, it was the MX5 that revived that "wind in the hair" motoring experience again in the late 80's. I think it is a seriously fun can to drive. Especially on weekends driving down a highway or the country side. The MX also brought back the affordable two seater roadester when all the other two seaters were out of reach for the majority.

Yes it is the MX-5. But how come you don't seem to like it that much?

What is the world's best selling two-seater sports car?

Not much of an off-roader. In fact not one at all. Styling takes getting used to. CVT works beautifully and efficiently. Toned down 350Z motor.

A few countries have been experimenting with Bio Fuels for sometime now. Brazil is the world leader in ethanol fuels. All Brazilian fuel has to contain at least 25% ethanol. Some new generation cars run on 100%. If it is a mix of ethanol and regular fuel that is being used, then no modifications are needed to you engine. However for 100% ethanol, some modifications are needed. In either case it will be environmentally friendly and less wear on the car's engine as ethanol replaces the lead in fuel, but still maintains a high octane rating. Development in this area and implementation will certainly cut fuel import bills considerably. But then again all boils down to politics and how much influence the petrol companies have. IMO bio fuels could have been introduced many years ago as the technology is nothing new. I think I did mention this in one of my threads several months ago.

Not likely. At least not by a rival tyre manufacturer. Michelin announced their pull out from F1 long time ago. Even if they were to be the sole tyre supplier, they were not in favour of a single supplier rule.

It really is a pitty that there only be one tyre supplier in F1 soon.

22nd to 5th.......only a handful can do that!! It takes true dedication to pull something like this off, amidst all the Schumi bashing that went on over the last 24hrs. FIA stewards slap MS and send him in shame to the back of the grid, then FIA boss M.Mosely comes along and says that MS is not a cheat .......does FIA know what they are doing?? Williams fans.......that was your win guys!! I would love to be a fly on the wall and witness some of the parties that must be going on in Monacco right now Chicks ahoy!!!!!!!!

Thats for the best mess up

Anyone can say anything they want and they have the right to do so. But having followed MS's carrer since he got into F1 to date there is yet another driver in this era of the sport that is to rival him. Except Senna. But then again IMO we can't really compare drivers from different time periods as the sport has evolved so much and will continue to do so. If we were to perform a blanket comparision then the real greats should be drivers like Fangio and the like, who drove cars that were like trucks (compared to today's cars) with no electronic aid ,pit-car communications and a host of other modern day marvels that makes it much easier for today's drivers. I admit it, I am a die hard fan and no matter what the ruling is will always remain one. This is what happens when you support a team/sportsperson for long as I have and followed each and every single achievement made. It sure wasn't cheating when he became youngest world champ twice and then went on to win five more championships. The sad thing is, in the eyes of us humans a man is only as good as his last deed. Nothing else counts. I sure did not see any Honda fans ( I am talking world over) leave camp when Honda got caught cheating. A true fan will always remain a fan no matter what. It's a different form of Patriotism. Cheers guys PS any Brazil soccer fans out there?

Yeah he is a good friend of mine too. Good to get to know you better Mini.

ahhhhhh....finally i find out You the dude who flies around ??

Bet you are having fun trying to pronounce these South African names

OK guys....don't shoot me over this as I am a MS die hard fan. I don't see it as an intentional act. The jury is still out on this one as I write, guess we will find out soon. IMO apart from the high profile and the glamour, Monacco is not really an ideal F1 race circuit. Not for modern day F1 racing. Too many bumps, man hole covers and the like, for finely tuned on the edge chassis. Secondly I feel the Bridgestone tyres are to blame too. They seemed very inconsistant and appeared to give up grip now and then at certain parts of the track. Massa had the same problem and some of the other Bridgestone runners seemed to have the same problem. Especially those running the harder compound. As for being an all time great, I think he is up there with the finest. I have been to many F1 races around the world and the amount of tickets sold purely on MS mania is just unbelieveable.Even during the bad periods. Several seasons ago when MS sustained the injury in Oz, thoughts that MS would not race made hotels and race tickets at subsequesnt races freely available. At rock bottom prices too. But within a matter of hours after MS announced that he was fit to race, it was all sold out. Merchandise went up by almost 500% within minutes of this announcement. I am yet to see this happen with any other driver in present day F1. Alonso is on his way there, but not there yet. Senna is certainly an all time great even in the eyes of those who did not much like him, but Prost certainly not.

Was the Tredia Turbo 4WD marketed in SL? This car came out during the 80's and I was lucky enough to own one. IMO it was the EVO of its day. The power on tap was awsome, with throttle response and power to weight as good as that of modern day performer. EVO of the 80's ?? Cheers

These Corollas were phased out of racing three seasons ago. Now the factory works teams run the Run-X. Also with loads of steriods. However, the phased out Corollas can still be purchased by privateers. Sadly they are as hard as finding hen's teeth. The demand is too high for a handful of units that come out of the factories. The same goes for others makes such as Nissan, Ford, BMW, M/Benz and Audi/VW.

Yes, 4AGE on steriods They change the head, cam and the ignition system. Exhaust and intake is regulated by race rules. They pump these puny engines to as much as 300Kw.

Hi guys I would like to take credit for the pics, but to tell you the truth it was taken by someone else. Yes that is a private entry Noble. The Corolla is an ex-Toyota factory entry rally car. Each season end, the factories auction off their cars. This one was bought by one such customer.

Here are some pics from a recently held "all tar rally" here in SA.

The Hummer 3 went into production at the GM plant in SA recently. All markets apart from the US will be receiving their Hummers from here.

Hi there Like I said, I (personal rule) prefer to change the belt around 20k before the manufacturer recommended change interval. So if for your model it is 60k which is recommended, then certainly go a head and do it. The last thing you need is a broken timing belt which could lead to other consequential damage, costing you a lot more. The other items I mentioned is not a must, only a suggestion. However, if the belt is changed then a tune up should be done. Performing the other items in my list will enhance the life of your car. However, IMO a change of water pump is not necessary. Usually water pumps (especially those in Jap cars) can run well into 150k+ without any problems. Your agents should be able to check if the water pump needs attention or not. Cheers

Hi Hola Timing belt change is usually done around the 100,000km mark. However, I personally prefer to change the belt around 80,000km. Usually 20,000km before the manufacturer recommended interval. Better safe than sorry is my policy. So here you got a bit more time to go before a change is necessary. A more regular change of fuel filters is a must. Especially in coditions such as SL where quality of fuel and other environmental factors can lead to over worked filters. An efficient fuel filter will always translate into better fuel economy as well as smother running engine and better delivery of power. At 61,000km I would suggest that you (in addition to the regular service) get the following done:- - change in fuel filter - change in air filter (if this has not been changed for over 20,000km) - rotate wheels (provided you don't have uni-directional tyres) - have all greasing points (including points such as door/bonet/boot hinges, locks, suspension pick up points, etc) greased. - V-belts checked and changed if necessary. - Radiator flushed and refilled with coolent. - Engine tune up. - Check charging system. - CV joints greased (if necessary) and boots checked for cracks. This should have your car good as new and running efficiently for the next 40,000kms. Cheers