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There is another factor.Most of us are nolonger parish pump

villagers, we are either fully-fledged, or unenthusiasticcitizens of the global uni-verse. But none of this af-fected our judgement of theCorvette. The origin of thecar was irrelevant. Our firsttask was to establish whetherthe Corvette could live up to its

fabulous billing.Two other famous stablemates of the Corvette, theChevrolet Camaro, theChevrolet Blazer and theCadillac Seville were allequally inviting in the carpark outside our hotel, I didnot conceal our eagerness tograb a Corvette before the oth-ers did.The 2000 Corvette is the fifth

generation of an aristocratic andpolished breed.Its makers describe it as a“muscular two-seater sportscar”. It first appeared in the1950s. Most film buffs andadmirers of the American wayof life may not know muchabout cars, but they have seenso much of the Corvette onscreen that they may be ableto tell you a thing or two aboutits thrilling performance.The much-loved Chevrolet‘small block’ engine powersthe latest Corvette. Chevroletengineers tell us that the‘small block’ is mounted be-hind the front axle to optimiseweight distribution. Themanual version of the Cor-vette leaps from 0-62mph in5.2 seconds. It has a top speedof 169mph. Their Americanowners must be frustrated by the

strict 55mph limit on the mo-torways. They can do littleabout it because the Americanpolice take a grave view ofspeeding. It is likely that theaffluent owners of the Corvettesports model vent their frustra-tions on privately owned rac-ing tracks!The car is not indifferent tothe environment. It has twocatalytic converters. Youhave a choice of six-speedmanual or four-speed elec-tronic automatic transmis-sion.My long-standing complaintabout most sports cars is thatthey are uncomfortable, andthe ride is far from pleasant.Perhaps this is because theyare modelled on authentic rac-ing cars where the emphasis ondiscomfort seems deliberate,obviously to wonderfully con-

What makes the ChevroletCorvette the World’s

best-selling Sports Car?

New World and Telegraph-On Line Motoring Editor, Jafa Raza, goes to the South of Francewith its echoes of by-gone American men of letters, particularly Fitzgerald and Hemingway, forthe launch of the fifth generation of an icon

So you are surprised that the world’s best sellingsports car is not Japanese or German, but quintes-sentially American. Frankly, I myself, in commonwith some of my colleagues at the Corvette launchin the French Riviera, were not au fait with this pal-atable fact. There would have been cause for anti-American envy a few years back, but this has givenway, albeit reluctantly, to an acceptance that with-out the formidable American industrial presencehere, especially in motor manufacture, the Britisheconomy would be the poorer.

centrate the mind of the driver!The Corvette’s designers andengineers have skilfullyeliminated the discomfortsyndrome. It probably has thebest ride, handling and roadholding in the business. Cer-tainly that was my exhilarat-ing experience at top speedson open French roads, wherethey are not as fussy as theAmericans about speed vio-lations. For this highly civi-lised level of comfort, wemust be thankful to the crea-tors of the car’s ingenioussuspension. This has inde-pendent double wishbones,front and rear. Corvette engi-neers point out that the frontupper control arms are madeof wrought aluminium; the restof cast alloys. The companyholds the patent on Corvette’s

Continued on page 10

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2.synthetic cantilever springs,which are mounted crosswaysat front and rear.As for the superb handlingand smooth ride, they can beattributed to the adroit tuningof springs and dampers. GMengineers point out: “The Cor-vette buyer can order variable

shock detection, with a choiceof three different settings -Tour, Sport and Perform-ance. The system reacts to thevehicle’s movements so that athigh speeds the dampers auto-matically switch to a rigid bias.Speed sensitive servo steeringfurther enhances the Corvette’s

sporty handling.”What about the all-importantsafety factor? The Corvette’selaborate safety measures willonly help when you drive sen-sibly, not like a maniac. Thenormal well-adjusted driver willfind much comfort in ABS andtraction control, which are

standard. You also have “AnActive Handling System” as anoption. This is a clever elec-tronic device, which deals withover steer or understeer by se-lectively applying the brakesand throttle to keep the car onan even keel.The Corvette is available as a

The 1950’s TheBiginningThe Corvette debuted inJanuary of 1953 as a show carin the GM Motorama. It wasa stylish two-seat convertible,designed to show the worldthat GM could create a sportscar to compete with Europeannameplates like Jaguar andMG. All 1953 Corvetteswere Polo White with red in-teriors.The response to theMotorama show car wasoverwhelmingly positive,and production began thatJune in Flint, Michigan. Itwould change the landscapeof the American road for-ever.The 1953 Corvettes werebuilt by hand and appearednearly identical to theMotorama car. They werepowered by the existingChevrolet 235-cu.-in. 6-cyl-inder engine that was modi-fied with a three-carburetordesign and dual exhaust togive it more sports car-likeperformance. Named theBlue Flame Special, this en-gine generated 150 horse-power, and it was teamedwith a 2-speed Powerglideautomatic transmission. Thispowertrain, however, did notlive up to the performanceexpectations of sports carbuyers. Although salesclimbed to 3640 units in1954, they fell off dramati-cally to just 700 in 1955 set-ting off rumors that Corvettemight be a short-lived auto-motive experiment. But Zora

Arkus-Duntov had differentideas.Arkus-Duntov, an engineer onthe Corvette team since 1953and a former European roadracer, set out to give Corvettethe two things it needed most— better performance andbetter handling. Corvette’sevolution into a true sports carbegan in 1955 when a 265-cu.-in. V8 that generated 195horsepower was offered; andby the end of the model year, a3-speed manual transmissionwas also available.In 1955, driving a prototypeV8-powered Corvette, ZoraArkus-Duntov set a newrecord in the Daytona “Mea-sured Mile” at just over 150miles per hour.Corvette received its firstmajor styling update in 1956.Changes included an all-newbody with “scooped out”sides, outside door handles,roll-up windows and an op-tional removable hardtop.Corvette got a performanceboost to go along with itsstyling in 1957. The 283-cu.-in. V8 was modified with fuelinjection to produce an un-precedented 283 horsepower,and a new 4-speed manualtransmission was offered asa $188 option — makingCorvette one of the first carsin the world to mate a fuel-injected V8 engine with a 4-speed manual gearbox.Corvette lit up the streets in1958 in more ways than one.The fuel-injected 283-cu.-in.V8 was now producing up to290 horsepower, andCorvette’s new body designfeatured four headlights.

The 1960’s Gain-ing MomentumIn 1960, Corvette productiontopped the 10,000 mark forthe first time. It was now carv-ing out a solid niche in themarket and becoming a part ofAmerican culture.In each year between 1960and 1962, performance andstyling enhancements made itmore and more appealing toa wide variety of buyers.1961 was the first year forCorvette trademark quad tail-lights. In 1962, engine dis-placement was increased to327 cu. in. and top horse-power was up to 360.But the most excitingchanges were still a yearaway.In 1963, Chevrolet unveiledits all-new Corvette Coupeand Convertible models —the Sting Rays. This was thefirst time Corvette was avail-able as a hardtop coupemodel as well as the tradi-tional convertible. Both carsfeatured an all-new body de-sign that was significantlytrimmer and more stylishthan the previous generation.It was also the first year forconcealed headlamps. Thechassis was all new as well,including an independent rearsuspension.The 1963 Sting Ray Coupefeatured a split rear-windowdesign, but it was replacedwith a single-piece rear win-dow in 1964 because ownerscomplained about visibility.Today, a 1963 split-windowCoupe is a cherished prizeamong collectors.

The Sting Rays were the au-tomotive success story of theyear. Chevrolet had to add asecond shift to its St. Louis,Missouri assembly plant tokeep up with demand, anddealers reported owners wait-ing months for their cars tobe built. By the end of themodel year, Corvette produc-tion would surpass the20,000-unit milestone.The Sting Rays continued theCorvette evolution throughthe mid-1960s. In 1965, the396-cu.-in. “Big Block” V8was available in Corvette. Itwas rated at 425 horsepower.Four-wheel disc brakes werealso made standard, althoughbuyers could choose drumbrakes as a cost-delete optionwhile supplies of parts lasted.In 1967, the limited-produc-tion L88 Corvette was offi-cially rated at 430 horse-power, although some Cor-vette historians believe thatfigure was artificially low.Only 20 of the L88 Corvetteswere built.The all-new 1968 Corvettewas dramatically different inappearance from any otherCorvette. Bearing a strikingresemblance to Chevrolet’s“Mako Shark II” concept ve-hicle, it literally changed theway people looked at cars.Along with its bold new look,the 1968 Corvettes intro-duced hidden windshieldwipers and removable T-Tops on Coupe models. In1968, Corvette production hita new record of 28,566. Cor-vette received its most radi-cal styling change in 1968,and this basic body design

full convertible, or as a coupeT-top. At the moment it is onlyavailable in left-hand drive forthe good reason that it is sellinglike hot cakes and GM have topull out all the stops for a Eu-rope clamouring for the Cor-vette. The Japanese are said tobe delighted with the Corvette.

The History of the Corvettewould continue to evolve for 15years.

The 1970’s ATime of ChangeThe 1970s were a time ofgreat change for Corvette.While a late production startfor the 1970 model year pre-vented the first cars from roll-ing off the assembly line un-til January, sales reboundedin 1971 and continued toclimb. But at the same time,outside forces, such as the oilembargo and increasing gov-ernment regulations, werehaving an impact on Corvetteperformance.The original high-perfor-mance LT1 engine, a 350-cu.-in. “Small Block,” was intro-duced in 1970. It generated370 horsepower. That year,the “Big Block” displace-ment was increased to 454cu. in., and was rated at 390horsepower in the LS5 ver-sion.In 1971, a special-purpose“Big Block” V8 was avail-able that produced 425 horse-power. But 1971 was the lastyear for “gross” horsepowerratings. The industry changedto a “net” rating system thataccounted for the exhaustsystem, vehicle accessoriesand other components. It pro-vided a truer measure of anengine’s performance and isstill used today.The Convertible model wasdropped at the end of the1975 model year. The nextCorvette Convertible wouldnot be available until 1986.In 1977, Corvette hit the 1/2-

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3million milestone as the500,000th car rolled off theassembly line. Leather seatswere standard for the firsttime, although buyers couldchoose cloth as a no-cost op-tion. Production reached49,213 units.Corvette celebrated its 25thanniversary in 1978 and, inrecognition of this event, wasselected to be the OfficialPace Car of the Indianapolis500. Two special modelswere produced for public sale— a Pace Car appearanceedition and a special SilverAnniversary paint package.In 1979, Corvette productionhit 53,807 units — a recordthat still stands today.

The 1980’s Antici-pationSales of Corvette remainedstrong in the early ’80s. It wasclearly now a part of theAmerican fabric, attractingbuyers with its rich heritageand dramatic styling.There were no 1983 Cor-vettes produced for publicsale, but 43 pilot models ofthe new-generation Corvettewere built in 1983 for testingpurposes. Today, one of those1983 pilots is on display at the

Corvette Assembly Plant inBowling Green, Kentucky. Therest were scrapped.Chevrolet introduced the firstall-new Corvette since 1968.It featured an all-new bodydesign, a double-wishbonefront suspension and five-link independent rear suspen-sion teamed with GoodyearGatorback unidirectionaltires. Inside, the cockpit sur-rounded the driver and fea-tured advanced electronic in-strumentation. The introduc-tion of the 1984 Corvette wasone of the most eagerlyawaited vehicle announce-ments in recent history. It wasnamed Motor Trends “Car ofThe Year.”For 1986, the Corvette Con-vertible was back! To cel-ebrate the convertible’s re-turn, Corvette again pacedthe Indy 500 and all convert-ibles were designated PaceCar replicas. The evolution ofCorvette as a world-class per-formance car also continuedwith the addition of new stan-dard 4-wheel ABS, an in-crease in maximum horse-power to 230 from its 5.7 Li-ter V8 and continued suspen-sion fine-tuning. The PASS-Key¨ theft-deterrent system

was also added as standardequipment on all models.Corvette handling made greatstrides in 1989 with the Per-formance Handling Packagebecoming standard equip-ment, along with new 17-inch wheels and tires. TheSelective Ride Control ad-justable suspension systemwas also introduced — al-lowing drivers to choose be-tween three different operat-ing modes: “Touring,”“Sport” and “Performance.”A new 6-speed manual trans-mission was also offered,giving drivers added abilityto maximize the Corvettepower range.

The 1990’s Surgein PerformanceZR-1 roared to life in 1990with an all-new 375 horse-power LT5 engine under itshood. Designed in a coopera-tive effort between GeneralMotors and Lotus, the LT5’sdual overhead cam, 32-valvedesign made Corvette the talkof the automotive world. Tohelp distinguish the appear-ance of the ZR-1 from stan-dard Corvette Coupes, it wasgiven an all-new convex rear

fascia and quad rectangulartaillights. All Corvettes receiveda new cockpit design thatincluded digital readouts andanalog gauges as well as adriver air bag. The maximumhorsepower of the standardL98 engine was increased to250.Corvette received styling re-finements for 1991 that in-cluded wrap-around frontparking/cornering lamps,new side-panel louvers and aZR-1 style convex rear fas-cia on all models. To help dif-ferentiate the look of the ZR-1, its center high-mountedstop lamp remained on theroof, while it was integratedinto the rear fascia on bothCoupe and Convertible.Corvette performance contin-ued to grow in 1992 with theintroduction of the second-generation LT1 — putting a300-horsepower engine backin the standard Corvette. Theengine was designated LT1because it was the first Chevy“Small Block” to surpass thehorsepower of the originalLT1 in 1970. The Accelera-tion Slip Regulation (ASR)system and Goodyear GS-Casymmetrical tires were alsointroduced as standard equip-

ment. ZR-1 received a ZR-1badge on the sides of its clamshell hood. The one-millionthCorvette was built on July 2,1992 in Bowling Green, Ken-tucky.For 1993, LT5 output wasboosted to 405 horsepower,and a special 40th Anniversarypackage was available on allmodels. Passive Keyless Entry(PKE) was also added asstandard equipment.The cockpit of Corvette wastransformed for 1994 with anew single-piece instrumentpanel, a front-passenger airbag, and new door panels.Both the standard and Sportseats were also restyled, andleather seats became standardequipment.The most noticeable change onthe 1995 Corvette was therevised gill panel design. Thisalso marked the last year forthe ZR-1. Corvette served asthe Official 1995 Indianapolis500 Pace Car.Two distinctive Corvettes arepart of the 1996 lineup: theGrand Sport and CollectorEdition. Both celebrate the richheritage of the Corvette, andmark the end of the currentstyle. The new optional LT4engine is introduced (requiredon Grand Sport).

Author Noland Adamsis highly regardedwithin the Corvette

community for his carefully re-searched and meticulously de-tailed reference books about1953 through 1967 Corvetts.The Complete Corvette Res-toration & Technical Guide Vol1. 1953-1962 and The Com-plete Corvette Restoration &Technical Guide Vol 2. 1963-1967 are serious reading forserious restorers and enthusi-asts.In his latest book, CorvetteAmerican Legend : The Begin-ning, Adams tells the story ofthe 1953 Corvette. Though justas detailed and thoroughly re-searched as his Restoration and

Technical Guides, this book ismuch easier to read. In fact,Adams perhaps takes a cuefrom M.F. Dobbins, anotherwell respected Corvette author.The Beginning is filled withblack and white archive pho-tographs showing step-by-stepdetails of the assembly processand introduction of the 1953Corvette. Each photograph ispaired with a descriptive cap-tion, many of which are lengthyand contain wonderful tidbits ofuseful information.

The Beginning contains 18chapters, which trace the 1953Corvette from its conceptionthrough its development andproduction, all the way to itsformal introduction to the pub-

lic. The last chapter is devotedto the advertisements and pro-motional photos GM used tolaunch its new sportscar to thepublic.

This hardbound book is ap-proximately 8½ x 11 inches ina horizontal format, and is ap-proximately 1-inch thick. Listpriced at £24.95, CorvetteAmerican Legend : The Begin-ning competes with the manycoffee-table books about Cor-vette, but offers a whole lotmore than most in the way ofdetailed historical information.This is an excellent book forany Corvette enthusiast’s li-brary.The large red number 1 in thelower right corner of the cover

Corvette American Legend:The Beginning

suggests that Adams may beplanning to add other titles inthe future. Let’s hope he does!

Corvette American Legend :The Beginning is available online

from Amazon Books for£17.47, a 30% discount off list.

www.amazon.com

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The Chevrolet Corvette is atwo-seater sports car availableas a hard top coupe, a hatch-back coupe, and a convertible.This high performance sportscar has endured while some ofits closest competitors havebeen discontinued. Though it isa low sales volume vehicle in theChevrolet lineup, it is the high-est performance vehicle sold byGeneral Motors. Nearly 75%

1. COUPE TRUNK CA-PACITY — There’s actuallymore room for luggage thanyou’d find in most full-size se-dans — an impressive 24.8cubic feet.2. COUPE REMOVABLEROOF PANEL —Alightweight, one-piece panel.Latches are easy to use, andno special tool is required.Choose from a standardbody-color panel, an optionaltransparent roof panel, orboth.3. HEAD-UP DISPLAY —Program this option to displaya variety of useful information(including vehicle speed andengine rpm) on the windshieldfor fast viewing.4. CONVERTIBLE TOP

Sophisticated safety technology

Its what you expect from one of theworld’s mostadvanced automobiles.The comprehensive safety package in every 2000 Cor-vette includes standard occupant-protection featuressuch as driver and passenger air bags, energy-absorb-ing front and rear crush zones and safety-cage con-struction with integral side door beams.Equally important are Corvette’s many standardcrash-avoidance features, including Daytime RunningLamps, a four-wheel antilock brake system (ABS) andTraction Control. Corvette is also one of the few sportscars in the world to offer the advancedstability tech-nology of Active Handling (optional).Standard personal security features in every Cor-vette include a Remote Keyless Entry system, a totallypassive theft-deterrent system with a horn alarm, andpower door locks with a lockout protection feature.

— Includes a glass rear win-dow with integral electricdefogger. Top colors are Black,Light Oak or White, depend-ing on exterior color selected.5. ACTIVE HANDLINGOPTION — Corvette ActiveHandling works with ABS andTraction Control to help en-hance vehicle handling in cor-nering situations.6. CENTER CONSOLE —A lockable storage compart-ment (with cassette or CDholder) and a cup holder areclose at hand.7. OPTIONAL MEMORYPACKAGE* — “Remem-bers” pre-set positions for cli-mate control, seat, mirror, ra-dio and (if you also select thisoption) power telescoping

steering column. Great forhouseholds with more than onedriver.8. MANUAL TILTWHEEL/POWER TEL-ESCOPING STEERINGCOLUMN* — This optioncombines the standard manualTilt-Wheel feature with a powertelescoping column.9. CONVERTIBLETRUNK — Afully enclosed,lockable trunk is standard.Cargo volume is 13.9 cubicfeet with the top in the up posi-tion (11.2 cubic feet with thetop down).

Ameri-ca’sfavoritesportscar.

The favorite sports car for themilleneum

2000 Chevrolet Corvette

of comfort with such standardfeatures as leather seating sur-faces, air conditioning andpower door locks and win-dows. Originally introduced asa production car in 1953, theCorvette is the oldest survivingname in American performancecars to date. The C5 Corvetteincorporates many new pro-duction techniques including ahydro-formed chassis, full

length perimeter frame andflexible sheet-molded com-pound body panels. The 2000is a carryover with minor revi-sions including upgrades to theZ51 suspension and new 5-spoke aluminum wheels.Major Standard Features in-clude Air conditioning, Driverside airbag, Passenger sideairbag, Alloy wheels, Anti-lock

of Corvette buyers are menwith a significant number hav-ing graduated from college.Most buyers are primarily pro-fessionals or managers. Thefunction of the Corvette is per-formance; each part of the carbeing designed for maximumperformance relating to accel-eration, braking and handling.The Corvette offers a high level

brakes, Anti-theft vehicle,Cruise control, Rear defogger,Keyless entry unlock, Powerlocks, Power mirrors, Heatedside mirror, Power steering,Power windows, AM/FM ra-dio, Cassette, Anti-theft radio,Driver power seats, Leatherseats, Tachometer, Tilt steering,Traction control, Automatictransmission

Your dream Corvette starts right here.

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Cadillac’s vision into the futurePicture this. You are driving down a narrow countrylane. It’s dark, wet and headlights from an oncom-ing vehicle have temporarily blinded you. During thismoment of blindness, a fox darts in front of yourcar and you hit it. The fox is killed outright. Damageto your car looks minimal, but it will cost you over£1000 to repair. It could have been worse, but thenagain, had you been driving a Cadillac, it could havebeen avoided completely.General Motor’s premiumbrand has always attractedplenty of attention. Born in1903, Cadillac has constantlyintroduced leading innovationssuch as interchangeable parts,syncromesh transmissions andstabilitrak. In 1999, Cadillac isintroducing another leading in-novation, it’s called Night Vi-sion and it could just save a life.Integrated into the CadillacSeville’s grille, Night Visionuses a camera to scan the roadahead to provide the driver withan extended view of the roadbeyond the cars headlamps.Effectively a thermal imagingdevice, the camera creates pic-tures by detecting heat omittedfrom moving objects in front ofthe car. It can therefore detectthe heat from humans, deer,

“Seeing beyond you headlights may save your life” says motoring correspondent Jafar Raza as he givesthe thumbs up to Cadillac’s new innovative safety feature, launched in Cap Farrat a few weeks ago.

five times further than wouldnormally be the case withstandard headlights’. Thus giv-ing the driver more time to re-act to the danger ahead.Cadillac’s direct price competi-tors include the BMW 5 and 7series, Jaguar’s XJ series andthe Mercedes E-class. It is notinconceivable that this clientelewould want an innovation likeNight Vision on their way homefrom the Opera to their Surreyhome.With its svelte exterior, luxuryinterior and technologically ad-vanced Northstar engine, NightVision is just another feather inthe Cadillac Seville’s cap – orrather, it’s owners cap. Andgiven that BMW’s, Jaguar’sand Mercedes’ are almostcommonplace in this brand’starget market, owning aCadillac is not just a conversa-tion piece, it’s a bragging right.It’s little surprise then Cadillac’sadvertisement at this year’sLondon Motor Show was‘Don’t stay in the dark. Dis-cover one of the most innova-tive luxury saloons in Europetoday: the Cadillac Seville’, andsave the foxes.

other vehicles and our afore-mentioned fox.To alert the driver of a movingobject, an image is displayedon the windscreen by a headup display (HUD). This en-sures the driver will always befocused on the road rather thanon a display screen inside thecabin. Looking like a black andwhite photo negative, the HUDshows hotter objects as whiteand cooler objects in black.The electronic module that con-trols Night Vision’s camera wasdeveloped by Raytheon Sys-tems. Inside the module is asmall disk, which rotates at1800 rpm. This acts as a shut-ter for the camera, which gen-erates 30 stills a second. Keptat constant room temperature,Cadillac say the module candetect surrounding heat differ-

ences as small as 0.3 Celsius.They also boast that ‘Night Vi-sion remains fully functional atoutside temperatures rangingfrom minus 40 degrees to 75degrees C.’Night Vision is a smart innova-tion by Cadillac. Wanting to in-crease its slice of the Europeanluxury car market, Cadillac rec-ognised the benefit of infra-redtechnology to help night-timedriving. In Europe as a whole,around 45% of all accidents

occur during darkness. Yetonly one eighth of traffic occursbetween the hours of 8pm and6am. Thus, Cadillac’s motiva-tion behind developing NightVision came from the need toincrease a driver’s field of sightbeyond the headlights. Goodthinking Cadillac. Sorry Volvo,this is one cool safety deviceyou didn’t invent.Night Vision is so powerful,Cadillac claims it ‘enables driv-ers to see between three and

Cadillac’ 00 Seville ST Fitted with Night Vision Heat seeking sensors behind front grille

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It is superbly styled and driveslike a dream. Pininfarina wereentrusted with the task of re-styling and they have accom-plished the task with artisticaplomb. Over one thousandchanges engineering changesinclude two new engines with

The New Peugeot 406: Beneficiaryof a Thousand engineering Changes

Jafar Raza reports on New World’s Car of the Year

even higher standards of safety.The object of the restyling wasto preserve and capitalize onthe elegance of the original de-sign with some deft, daring andseductive changes to the saloonand the estate. The 406 couperemains untouched, probably

because its legion of admirersis happy with it and would re-gard even slight cosmetictouches as sacrilegious.All 406models have striking new wheeltrims or new alloy wheels.There are six models in therange: L, LX, GLX, GTX, Ex-

ecutive and V6.A new generation of petrol en-gines, the EW with an allycrankcase has greatly improvedthe performance and consump-tion of the 406. That is a sig-nificant development when youconsider that the 406 have for

PEUGEOT 406: Smarter than a SMART bomb – now possible to monitor oil level before starting the engine and the distance tobe covered before the next service, all on the dashboard - A car with a high IQ

Satellite-assistednavigation

This complete system guidesthe driver to the destination ofhis/her choice by providingvisual directions on a screenand vocal indications over thevehicle’s car radio. What’smore, its features - a GPS an-tenna (which provides localiza-tion by satellite), a gyrometer(which continuously transmitsthe vehicle’s direction to thesystem) and a CD-Rom player

(which stores the road maps) -are all totally integrated.

Automatic intelligentgearbox

By adapting to your way ofdriving, this gearbox cuts backon fuel consumption. Itanalyzes both your driving styleand the environment, then shiftsgears accordingly.The HDI Common rail 110horsepower engine was de-signed by Peugeot engineers

for improved comfort. Theroller-and-pawl valve drivingsystem reduces vibrations toaccelerator pedal at low revs,to reduce discomfort in yourlegs.

New features forAdded safety:

A high-yield driver’s airbag anda conical airbag were createdfor better shock absorption toprevent whiplashan electronic brake proportion-

ing valve individually managesthe many parameters (load,adhesion, trajectory) of eachwheel’s braking pressureA new RD2 car stero systemwith a removable-face CDplayer

New featuresfor added power:

A new 2.0-litre gas engine formore power, more torque, andless fuel consumption A modulated-power steering

which adapts to the car’s driv-ing conditions and responds tochanges in engine speed

New featuresfor added style:

A ribbed hood and a honey-comb radiator grill (instead ofbars) Bumpers with chrome in-serts - Diamond headlights withsmooth glas, A redesignedtrunk hood

.

The Peugeot 406 is supreme in its class. There are many impressive contenders but we had no hesitation in making our decision.This was not influenced by the many prestigious awards the 406 has very deservedly accumulated, but by its outstandingqualities in every essential department

most of its existence has beena brilliant exemplar in this re-gard.The 406s have by 5 speedmanual gear boxes or 4 speedautomatic boxes governed byan electronic control systemknown as “auto-adaptive”. Oneof the qualities that in our viewmake the 406 such a remark-able car is the silken smooth-ness of gear change. This is ef-fortless, gentle and precise, atechnical marvel, which com-bined with glorious handling andimmaculate road holding, trans-port one to new heights of driv-ing ecstasy.The ABS and electronic brak-ing system are standard. This,Peugeot say, not only dividesthe braking force between thefront and rear axles but whenbraking on corners, divides theforce between the two wheelson the rear axle to benefit theouter wheel which carries themost load. The car reminds oneof the observation made of thestyle and technique of the illus-trious Bjorn Borg, the icemanof tennis by another genius, IlieNastase. The Romanian said ofBorg: “He does not play ten-nis, he plays something else.’

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The Peerless Yaris!

Nothing special or extraordi-nary about this, it happens tomost motoring writers whomanage to stay a similarcourse. I have test drivenabout 2000 cars of mostmakes on British and Euro-pean roads during a long andrewarding career. As I ad-vance, or regress, towards thetwilight years I nostalgicallylook back at some beautifulmoments.I shall always vividly remem-ber the undisputed championof the small car sector, theperfect and pugnacious Yaris,a lapidary Toyota achieve-ment.The normally taciturn. Dr.Shei Toyoda, Director ofToyota Motor Corporation,who can teach the English athing or two about understate-ment, is emphatic about thevery special Yaris qualities:“Yaris is an extremely impor-tant car for us in Toyota. It willbe the core model of our

Robert Govender is grateful to Toyota’s Yaris for giving him one of the mostexhilarating driving experiences in his two decades as a motoring correspondent.

growth strategy in Europe. It isa truly modern compact car,which recognizes the transportchallenges of the 21st century.Yaris is a European car, builtwithout compromise and witha clear human dimension. Ituses advanced technology,clever design and modern en-gineering to deliver new stand-ards. ……”When it was launched on theEuropean compact car market,it revealed some rare attributes:compact body but large inte-rior space; high technology en-gine with variable valve timing;practical and appealing centreinformation display and effec-tive active and passive safetyfeatures.It certainly has character. I hadthe Yaris for a week, but thatwas enough for me to be se-duced by its its magnetic spell.I have never been seduced soeffortlessly before! Lots ofpower, wonderful stability, andsheer ecstasy to drive. My only

complaint is that for so majes-tic a car, the Yaris has a wimpof what, we in India, call a“hooter. It is embarrassinglyfeeble. Toyota should dosomething about that and giveit a “hooter” worthy of one ofthe finest cars ever to leave aToyota factory, perhaps any carfactory.Toyota, once supreme in theirfield, has had to contend withsome fierce competition, par-ticularly in the compact sector.About 12 years ago, I boughta Starlet, for which I had a highregard. The Starlet was theobject of much praise by thepress and the buying public. Butclearly, with so many able new-comers on the field, Toyota hadto do something different. Theyobviously gave much thought tothe new job and aimed for thehighest standards in every de-partment. They have hit thejackpot with the Yaris. I amglad some other perceptivemotoring correspondents take

a similar view. One chap on aSunday paper was, not longago, considering naming it hispaper’s car of the year.This most seductive car, struc-turally and aesthetically in aclass of its own, deserves suchan accolade.The Yaris has some very soundsafety features, and fueleconomy to please Scrooge!The prudent buyer will also beinterested in the Yaris Peaceof Mind package.This includes regular Health &Safety checks by Toyota deal-ers. Ah! I hear you say, giventhat dealers are not always themost helpful people in theworld, and that some have theethical outlook of East Endbarrow boys, is the packagednot a bit fanciful? Toyota is inearnest about their Peace ofMind package and I don’tthink the company is going totake a frivolous view of deal-ers who don’t deliver.Warranty is unrivalled in its

class – three years or 60,000miles for mechanical parts, anti-corrosion perforation for 12years. Toyota claim that serv-icing costs are “minimal.” Andthey mean what they say – theYaris will need a full serviceonly once every 20,000 miles.Interim oil change every 10,000miles or one year takes just 30minutes.The Yaris has one of the larg-est interiors in its division. Smallcar, big, brave heart. To sumup allow me to use a boxingmaxim I picked 50 years agowhen I was still at varsity: “Agood little ‘un will beat a heavy‘un any day.” This referred tothe matchless exploits of thetruly marvelous Henry HankArmstrong who held threeworld titles simultaneously, thefeatherweight, lightweight andwelterweight. That record stillstands. The Yaris is the rein-carnation of the incomparableHenry in another guise!

- MOTORING

New Word Motoring Supplement January 28 2000

8.

The marriage was already on the rocks butthe straw that broke the

camel’s back was theMitsubishi Pajero, betterknown in Britain as the Shogun.This was a real life drama asentrancing as some well madesoaps. It had two star names,the ruling Prime Minister andher scientist husband. It wasalso very un-Asian in that it wasa very public display of maritaldiscord. Asians just don’t likewashing dirty linen in public.For all their pious claims to up-holding family values, they arenot beyond reproach. Theirmarriages, though far les fre-quently than others, also proveto be ordeal by fire.When Sheikh Hasina, long de-

Shogun drivesa permanent wedge between

a Prime Minister and her husband

nied by gerrymandering andfraudulent polls, finally becamePrime Minister of Bangladeshin 1966, the public was giventhe impression that theirs wasa happy marriage. They hadtwo children in their 20s livingin the United States.But about six months ago, thetruth surfaced when the PrimeMinister’s husband, Dr. Mia,a nuclear phycisist and formerhead of the country’s atomicenergy commission, returned tothe Prime Minister’s residencein Dhaka.Dr Mia was enraged when hefound his room “was being oc-cupied by some thugs” and leftin a huff.He had had enough he said ofbeing pushed around by his

wife’s “underlings”, and de-cided to hit back, especially af-ter he was denied the use of the£45,000 Mitsubishi Pajero thecouple owned. He was told thatit had been given to an “under-ling.” He was curtly told that thattold he had been banned fromdriving it. Dr Mia went ballistic.He kicked in the headlights ofthe Pajero.In a more reflective mood later,he confessed to a Dhaka news-paper that he “had this to drawthe attention of the Prime Min-ister He added: “I had no in-tention of breaking the head-lights but they simply shatteredwhen I kicked them.”Dr Mia also added for goodmeasure that the Prime Minis-ter was “half educated and sim-

ply not fit to govern. “Dr Mia’s unscientific behaviourearned him widespread con-demnation in the Bangladeshipress. One of them describedhis own unique form of roadrage as “nuclear insanity.”This did not upset Dr Mia, whomagnanimously replied: “I thinkit’s a good comment. Scientistssometimes behave in a strangefashion.”We had the Shogun twomonths after Dr Mia had in-flicted such grievious bodilyharm on the unoffendingPajero. We can understand hisfrustration at over hius banning.Not many will go to such ex-tremes in similar circumstances,but I am sure the massed ranksShogun owners will also sym-

pathise with the scientist.Not surprising when we learnthat the Shogun (Pajero orMonterro in some countries )is one of the world’s best sell-ing off roaders. Over 21 mil-lion have been manufactured in14 years with over 2000 unitssold every year in 158 coun-tries.The Shogun’s irresistible charmlies in its style, luxury, safety andeconomy. They say once aShogun owner always a Sho-gun owner. What better con-firmation of this than by a sci-entist like Dr Mia. Had theybeen a little more considerateand given him the use of thePajero, he may have thoughtmore kindly of his wife who hedismisses as “half educated andunfit to govern.”

THE SHOGUN: More than a touch of class; it is simply smothered by it.

MOTORING -

New Word Motoring Supplement January 28 2000

9

The new Fiestas are conspicuously stylish. Theexterior has been rede-

signed with some eye-catchingfeatures – trapezoid headlamps,body coloured bumpers andmathematically precise andaesthetically appealing new linesin the bonnet and front wings.The line-up is: Encore, Fi-nesse, Zetec, LX and Ghia.The sporty Zetec-S model,apparently something of a sen-sation, was an absent friend.This reportedly alluring modeltakes its bow in the showroomsin early 2000.The Fiesta is the first car in itsdivision with head-and-chestside airbags. There’s also air-

conditioning and ABS with newtrim options, a security immo-bilizer and a high-level thirdbrake light as standard.Ian MaAllister, Chairman andMD of Ford, has got it right:“Part of its (the Fiesta’s) attrac-tion is undoubtedly its excellentvalue for money.”The new Fiestas, like theirpredecessors, retain the charm,practicality and dignity that ap-peals to male and female andthe young and not so young. Itis a gentle, unaggressive, yetlively and vigorous car. Its ap-peal has always been to theprudent car-buyer, one who isnot concerned with power andthrust, but with a comfortable

ride, easy handling and secureroad holding. The Fiesta per-sons, and Britain seems to befull of them, are economy con-scious. They set great store byfrugal fuel consumption. TheFiesta is as charming as Shake-speare’s Portia. It is also asparsimonious as Shylock.In addition service is reason-able, and there is a sensible in-surance rating starting from 4E.The facia is bright and cheer-ful, especially in winter nightswhen drivers appreciate awarm and hospitable ambience.There’s plenty of leg and head-room, and a quite spaciousboot.Barcelona’s rural and main

roads, originally built for moreprimitive forms of transport,have not completely adjusted toa relatively new phenomenon –democratic car ownership on amass scale and an industrialgrowth that spawns jugger-nauts. The roads are still verymuch like they were in pre-CivilWar times when cars were fewand mule- driven wagons weremany. The roads are hazardousand particularly treacherous inthe rural areas. The Fiestaswere reassuringly serene andunruffled. They also called foran equable, unexcitable drivingtemperament.With this combination, we didthe necessary. Drive safely and

The New Fiesta was launched in Barcelona in October. Robert Govender who testedthe very first Fiesta in 1977, was there to welcome the latest incarnation of Britain’sbest-selling small car over the past 15 years.

Still as Economical as Ever, andmuch more Stylish too!

enjoyably. On more urbaneroads, such as in this country,the Fiestas will give you evengreater pleasure.Car manufacturers make muchof a car’s potency. Ford havewisely refused to play thatgame with the Fiestas. Theirappeal is not to the power lust,but to reason. About time too,for there are probably morepeople in Britain who attachgreater importance to safety,security and reliability than tospeed and tinsel glamour.

FORD FIESTA ZETEC-S:The elegant embodiment ofFord’s “value for moneypolicy.”