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EDITOR’S COMMENTS

March 28, 2013

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LOCAL

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There’s a war taking place right now. Over the past few years auto enthusiasts have been targeted in a manner approaching genocide. Everyone has been telling them that their love for the automobile is irrational. That the car is the source of all the ills of the world,

pollution, wars for oil, the devaluation of the dollar, etc. Slowly but surely car owners have been squeezed from every angle of regulation to extract as much money possible from their pockets.

If you enjoy your car society views you as an outcasts holding on to an outdated concept while the government treats you like an informal pocket book for their coffers. We have been forced into the shadows, hiding the light from our passion under the guise of sensible transportation, environmental and social responsibility, effectively reducing the numbers for those that hold dear their vehicles.

This is where IGNITION comes in. It’s time to fight back. It’s time to re-ignite the passion that made you purchase whatever you’re driving right now. We will do this through education. We plan to be the go to source for anything automotive under the hot Jamaican sun. We love cars here, and by keeping you, or reader, informed this will serve a two-fold purpose, arming you with the knowledge to fight back against the ignorance surrounding your interest, and the voice you need. IGNITION is your propaganda rag, not the other way around.

This is intelligent warfare. Just like the brave men and women through time who passed messages back and forth, printed anti-tyranny information, IGNITION is the modern day equivalent. Stop emailing lame jokes, links to videos of cats, and the other millions of useless stuff you do all week on-line. Spread your gospel, email, link, like, and even print IGNITION to nail it Martin Luther style to the door of any authority oppressing your automotive rights to get the word out, that we’ve got your back. Hopefully our combined efforts will add even more significance to the number one on the front page.

Viva la revolution.ignitionweeklyja@gmail.com

After gaining attention on the Internet when Nissan blended their Supercar R35 GT-R with the

Juke to create the Juke R, it’s finally here courtesy of Fidelity Motors. No, not the Juke R, the Juke itself, but that doesn’t mean you should look away. The reason Nissan was able to create such a hybrid of economy and Supercar is because the Juke is a pretty good base to begin with. The first element is clearly the styling. The Nissan Juke has design cues like no other vehicle in its class, a huge plus in a market segment where bland tends to be the norm. It draws on Nissan’s Motorsports history with huge front lamps that mimic a rally car, and has a deep angular rear with lights that copy the sportier Nissan 370Z. Inside, the theme continues as the middle console is shaped to look like the body of a superbike, and on the higher models its color coded in a bright metallic look. Seats are comfortable, especially in the matching leather of the steering wheel. Despite its compact

dimensions, space isn’t a premium and the Juke offers proper seating for four adults. If the unusual exterior wasn’t enough, then the I-CON system for the vehicle’s controls lifts what could have been a mundane interface to a cool way to interact with the car. A small screen provides the necessary information between the three available driving modes, and doubles as duty for the climate control, however the icons on the buttons switch to represent whatever function is called for. Drivers can choose between NORMAL, ECON, and SPORT modes that significantly adapt the car’s attributes such as throttle control and steering effort.

Powering the Juke is an 117bhp 1.6-litre engine through Nissan’s Xtronic CVT transmission and then on to the standard all-wheel drive. This gives the Juke basic off-road capabilities, while having the security of maximum traction through all four-wheels both in dry and adverse weather conditions. Future engine options include a 190bhp turbocharged motor mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. The Juke will be launched to the media this Thursday, to be made available to the public the

following day.

JukeAin’t noThe Nissan Juke goes on sale this Thursday.

grillUp in yah INSIDE

MOTORCARS

Extravagance for xDrive - 4

MOTORSPORTS

Driven to the Max - 8

MOTORCYCLE MAYHEM

Full Tilt Indeed - 14

INTERNATIONALLamborghini Celebrates 50 - 12

by John Bridge

By John Bridge

In early February Stewart Motors, local dealers for BMW pulled out all

the stops to highlight the capabilities of their line-up of Sport Utility Vehicles by transforming Barbican Circle into an exclusive test track for the BMW X Challenge Off-Road Experience. For four days, media and the public had access to BMW’s SUVs including the X1, X3, X5 and X6. All were encouraged to test their mettle against the tough obstacle course. From deceptively simple bumps to a treacherous hill climb and descent to a makeshift sandy riverbed, it was all designed to show those that participated the full benefits of BMWs xDrive permanent all-wheel drive system. Introduced in 1982 on the then new e30 model 3 Series, the basic xDrive technology was an option to enable buyers seeking all-weather operation, or those that lived in traction limited environments, the ability to still enjoy their vehicle. It continues to be an option on all of BMWs sedans, however as the company moved into the sport utility vehicle market with the X5, the development of xDrive expanded exponentially. Currently it’s standard on all X models.

The key to xDrive is its lack of a traditional center differential to distribute power to either front or rear wheels. The BMW system instead uses an electronically controlled multi-plate wet clutch mechanism attached to the end of the transmission. The car retains a 40:60 power ratio, but can modulate this split quickly and infinitely between 0 to 100% as

needed for traction as determined by the vehicle’s Stability Control (DSC) and anti-lock braking system (ABS). Upon loss of traction xDrive moves the appropriate power to the correct axle and works in conjunction with the braking system to disable the spinning wheel. Off-road this keeps the wheels that have the most grip active and moving.

In normal driving xDrive helps to retain the BMW mantra of the Ultimate Driving Machine by invisibly reacting to normal over and understeer conditions for maximum cornering stability. At extreme low speeds, such as parking, the clutch opens reducing the drag associated with normal four-wheel drive systems, as well as driver effort.

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LOCAL

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xDriveExtravagance for

Even with passengers, the X5 equipped with xDrive permanent all-wheel drive makes short work of the Hill Climb obstacle BMW X Challenge Off-Road Experience.

The X6 prepares to enter a 60ft long trench of deep water to simulate a river crossing.

Thirteen million US dollars and a year later ATL Automotive’s VW division found itself with a swanky new home on February 18th.

Still located on Oxford Road, New Kingston, the brand new facility represents a major push in the market by VW and the first such newly constructed showroom dedicated to a European brand in the island. Far from the old stodgy building, it’s a fresh design that has had a major visual impact on that strip of road. Punctuated by large glass windows passers-by are free to ogle the loads of VW products on sale. Those that do choose to step inside will be greeted by the open f loor design that allows them to browse at will while still having any member of the sales team within ear or eye shot. VW is currently enjoying new levels of sales success as it aims to achieve the same goal as its parent company wants worldwide, unseat Toyota’s hold on the number one position. A large chunk of the sales increase has been due to ATL Automotive’s aggressive move into markets traditionally dominated by the Japanese, such as pickup trucks like the Amarok, and VW’s high concentration on small but powerful engines which matches Jamaica’s import duty structure. The VW showroom will be joined by sister brand Audi next door this month. Expansion on the property will continue for ATL Automotive’s other premium brand Land Rover in a year’s time.

Volkswagen getsnew digs

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At extreme angles the X3’s xDrive system simply reroutes power to the wheels with more traction rather than waste energy spinning those without.

Normally a barren wasteland, Barbican Circle was transformed to show off all Stewart Motors had to offer.

MOTORSPORTS

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MOTORSPORTS

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Fans of Douglas Gore were thrilled at the March 3rd season opener billed Circuit Attack at JamWest

Speedway. The venue played host to its first

official Jamaica Race Drivers Club event and potentially set

the tone for the rest of the year.

Gore, reunited with his Audi TT-R DTM after a 9 months hiatus for repairs in Germany, returned with a point to prove, and that he did smashing the lap record twice, first in qualifying and then in the day’s second race. It now stands at 1:06.946, effectively four seconds lower than the 2012 record set by the Mazda RX-7 of rival Peter Rae. While the Audi performed f lawlessly, Rae had to overcome a host of problems through out the day, fuel pump failure before qualifying, and a loose battery tray during qualifying itself. This all culminated in a frightening end to his day when in final race he ran off the track when due to binding brakes, and a broken

steering wheel spline which left him unable to control the vehicle. The circuit’s safety systems proved more than sufficient to handle the RX-7’s high-speed exit. Rae could take home the fact that he’d lowered his own best time to 1:07.723. Natasha Chang, Gore’s ATL Racing teammate, feared much better overcoming gearbox issues all day to win her class in the first two races, while giving a gritty drive to second place in the last challenge of the day, the Thundersport staggered start race. As drivers were set off individually using the time gap between their fastest lap she cruised home ahead of the Audi TT-R DTM. Victory in that race went to Nigel Edwards in his VW Golf GTI.

MaxDriven To the

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The Jamaica Karting Association’s (JKA) hard work to bring new and

fresh talent through the ranks in the off season was evident at its first meet for the year earlier this March. New rules, a revamp entry-level class, and external training options w i t n e s s e d the younger competitors p r o v i d e some of the best racing yet, an impor tant f a c t o r

given that with the country in GSAT mode two of the main classes were not run due to a lack of entries. This left the Comer 50, Comer 80, Rotax Junior and Senior groupings to entertain the fans on

hand at Palisadoes I n t e r n a t i o n a l

Raceway that Sunday.

C o m e r 50, or Baby Karts as it’s known, s t a r t e d t h i n g s off with

a bang.

The experienced Zander Williams won both round finals by a hefty margin, but will most definitely be watching his back for the rest of the season as Duncan Stanley and Mattea Issa, now joined by rookie Ryan Chisholm displayed that they have what it takes to win under the correct circumstances. One class up, Williams’ former 50cc rivals Mark Moodie and Thomas Gore, have moved up the faster Comer 80 class, now modeled after the Rotax classes, featuring rolling starts, full use of the circuit and ten laps. Both Moodie and Gore went home with a round final victory apiece, but it was the second final that showed the pedigree of these two when

Moodie spun off early putting him at the rear of the field. He managed to pull it back together challenging for positions every lap to eventually take second place. The first Rotax Junior round final was won by William Myers after he inherited the lead on the final lap. Thomas Issa had put in a dominant performance, but was nursing a sick kart which failed on the very last lap of the race to his disappointment. However, once fixed, he returned with a vengeance and easily took the second round final victory. Rotax Senior was a tight battle as it contained only three entrants. Fraser McConnell and Matthew Williams went home with a win apiece.

Gore returned with a vengeance, smashing the lap record during qualifying and then again at race time.

Rae put in an excellent performance despite being plagued mechanical troubles.

Natasha Chang kept things going even with a broken gearbox.

Nigel Edwards reflects on a hard fought final race with Warren Lamey.

Kids kick off karting season

Zander Williams on his way to one of his class final wins.

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MOTORSPORTS

March 28, 2013

Two names forever tied in automotive history are Ferrari and Lamborghini, the latter born out of dislike for the former’s product. While Enzo Ferrari sold road cars to finance his racing habit, Lamborghini’s expertise lay in

farm tractors. Today Ferrari still plies its trade in Formula One and other high level racing series, Lamborghini, not so much. This makes their latest creation sort of an oddity for them as the Lamborghini Veneno, announced at the recent Geneva Motor Show, claims to be the combination of a racing prototype and road-going Hypercar. A famous motor journalist once accused Lamborghini of going corporate. One glance at the Veneno says different. Looking like something out of Japanese child’s nightmare, the car has been developed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the company and in similar fashion to the F50 and Ferrari Enzo, attempt to give its owners the feel of a hardcore racer in a road car. I say owners, because the three examples have already been sold at three million Euros each, not including local taxes and delivery. Externally, the Veneno is all about aerodynamics with bold angles, and sharp lines due to the scoops and vents strategically positioned all over its body. There is liberal use of carbon-fibre throughout including the racing derived monocoque chassis making it 275lbs lighter than its closes relative, the Aventador. To motivate the 3,190lbs is a 6.5 litre V12 engine developing 750bhp. Like all modern Lamborghinis, all-wheel drive is standard. Performance figures are listed as 0-60mph in 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 221mph. The crazed visuals are aerodynamically functional giving the car as much grip as possible to keep it in contact with the road, and more importantly, make any corner thrown at it.

Lamborghini channels Ferrari

MOTORSPORTS

March 28, 2013

Driving with Motorsports in their blood are Mark Moodie (back) and Thomas Gore in the Comer 80 class.

Matthew Williams leads Fraser McConnell and Najee Scott.

Thomas Issa speeds ahead as Jonathan Law tangles with William Myers.

INTERNATIONAL

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LOCAL

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Toyota Motor Company launched what it believes to be a new

form of transportation on March 5th at the Geneva International Motor Show. The new i-ROAD, a compact, all-electric, three-wheeled vehicle, two-seater, draws on Toyota’s expertise in producing environmentally friendly cars and personal mobility vehicles. Toyota believes that the market exists for electric vehicles that can handle short urban journeys, and has low running costs. At only 2,350mm in length and 1,445mm high it offers more comfort, safety and protection than a comparable motorbike or scooter, yet still retains the width of both. This provides drivers with the parking and around town ease of use associated with two-wheelers.

The second round of the Formula One

championship was a wet one, not only due to the torrential rain that affected the race itself, but from the many tears of anger and disappointment of the drivers themselves as the event presented controversy that could last the entire season. It was Sebastian Vettel that took the win Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix, but the man in second place, his RedBull teammate Mark Webber was the moral victor making no bones about his anger towards Vettel and the loss of a Grand Prix win. Webber had been leading the race, but was told to conserve fuel and his tyres to the end. Vettel, behind him, had been ordered to hold. The German ignored the order and pounced unsuspecting on

Webber to take the win by 4.2 seconds. Third position went to Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, and like RedBull, team orders came into play. Hamilton’s podium was an improvement on his previous result and spectacular for a car he claimed wasn’t going to be competitive this year, but he wasn’t a happy man. The second Mercedes, driven by Nico Rosberg was lapping faster than Hamilton. Regardless both were told to hold station effectively handing the third place to Hamilton. No reason was given by the team for the decision and Hamilton refused to celebrate on the podium as he felt Rosberg should have been there instead of him. Further tears came from Ferrari fans as Fernando Alonso found himself in a gravel trap out of the race as first corner damage came back to haunt him. Formula One heads to China for the next round.

Fans of things two-wheeled were thrilled at Pizza Hut Full Tilt on Sunday, at the National Arena on Sunday. The bike stunt show took over a stretch of road in front of the stadium entrance on

the property to provide the Motorcycle crews the opportunity to show off their skills to the adoring crowd. The format was simple, riders were given unlimited time to formulate and perform any trick they wished using their bikes. Pleasing the audience was the aim of the game, as many of the country’s top talent gave it their all. Making their presence felt were names like Damion Hughes aka Dunga, Elvis Stewart aka Mad Dog, both from out of town, while Kingston was well represented by Marlon ‘Crazy Cutter’ Fletcher from Crazy Bikers. As if the bikes weren’t enough, quads were on hand to display their abilities and patrons had many extra entertainment options from musical performances to family friendly rides.

Toyota’s i-ROAD no push over

Formula won?

The men at the top of the podium were far from happy as Mark Webber (left) was denied a race win by teammate Vettel (right). Caught in the tail-end of it was Lewis Hamilton who was told to stay in position despite having a slower car than his Mercedes teammate behind him.

The I-ROAD seats three and uses a gyroscopic system to allow the vehicle to lean into corners like a motorbike without the inherent instability.

Full Tiltindeed

Vendor row had lots to look at.

It was Motorcycle mayhem all day.

A patron enjoys one of the many rides available at the show.

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March 28, 2013

Burnouts got the crowd going.

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