d motorofficial f motor_mag^19
cessation of German production? Assuming,
of course, the Yanks and/or Chinese could be
convinced to slide the steering wheel over to
the right side of the car...
Brian Wood,via email
LUCKY FOR KIA
Lucky for Kia we don’t make cars anymore
and have lost incredible potential. Because
if we kept making Falcons, with our local
engineering talent, imagine a new 2017
Falcon XR6 Sprint with an updated Barra
inline six and eight-speed ZF Auto. It would
wipe the Stinger off the map, I reckon.
Ben Parsons, via Facebook
TESLA’S FAST TIMES
Even though I’d never find the new Tesla
Roadster as interesting as an atmosphere-
eating combustion engine, I like the fact it
single handedly shows how small-minded
drag racing is.
You can go to all lengths to build a
demonic drag car. But then you have an
electric motor’s light-switch like power
delivery, high rpm, and monster torque,
which means it’s so much more effective.
For example, the Dodge Challenger Hellcat
Demon needs 9.65 seconds to do the quarter
mile, while the Tesla needs 8.8.
Yes, it’s a concept, but one not too difficult
to put into reality. I wonder if bogans will
still like drag racing if it doesn’t involve
disturbing the peace?
Tim Washington, via email
DRIVERS WANTED
Amongst all the hype and all the back
patting about how fantastic it is that cars
can drive themselves, I have seen very
little on the actual benefits of this “leap” of
both technology and faith. Is it that we are
eliminating driver error? If so, I am not sure
the alternative of system or device error is
better or safer. There are so many variables
that I don’t believe have been considered.
The obvious ones are instant choice based
on the conflicting circumstances such as
swerving to avoid a car braking suddenly
in front of you to then potentially hit a
pedestrian or another vehicle. The more
complexonesarenotevenrumouredin
anything I have read – such as a ‘software
virus’, a faulty microprocessor or relay within
a vehicle, or an application update patch
that is not done successfully in the vehicles
control systems... Surely there are override
functions built into these vehicle systems
as a safeguard – and that in itself begs the
question, what is the point?
Secondly, whilst car manufacturers do
amazing things with the technology in their
vehicles, the most sophisticated vehicles
are those zooming around above us.
Commercial jet aircraft truly are on another
dimension to motor vehicles... and yet, even
though the inherent technical capability of
these machines is at an autonomous level,
we still stick at least two heads, four arms
and four legs in the flight deck to fly them.
Sean Smith,via Facebook
MORE BRAKES
So only front Brembo brakes on the new
Commodore, did somebody forget the
rear? Almost like the days Ford put power
windows in the front of the Falcon and
winders in the rear!
Sure Holden has put a lot of effort into the
new Insignia, but how can it sell in numbers
when stuffed over by GM?
Traditional Commodore buyers want rear-
wheel drive, V6, V8, and built here. Then
you have the buyer looking for a sedan not
a make or model who wants lots of features,
and a good price.
Al Smith,via Facebook
MORE POWER
It’sbeensaidthatoneofthebest
performance upgrades for your car isn’t
necessarily ‘MORE POWER!’, but instead
‘better brakes and suspension’. It allows
you to brake later and go into corners faster.
Plenty of proper sports cars have had the
philosophy: a sweet chassis, decent brakes,
and ADEQUATE power.
John Brandt,via email
Agreed, John, that power isn’t everything.
PROTECTING WHAT?
If we no longer have a car manufacturing
industry, why do we need to pay so much for
imported cars to protect an industry that is
now extinct?
Matty Hayes,via emaill
WRX STILL COOL
I’m sick of people seeing the WRX/STI as
old school and in dire need of an upgrade.
These things sell themselves. They have a cult
following that most other manufacturers can
only dream of. Subaru can build a car, put an
STI badge on it, and it will sell.
Dan Cave,via Facebook
MUSCLE BOUND
I’ve owned Holdens and HSVs since I got
my licence, but there is now nothing in their
range I’d look at.
Funny enough, loving my new Mustang
too. Well played Ford.
Dean Drummond, via Facebook
[email protected] ́FLDOfmotor_mag
NEW COMMODORE
Genuinely intrigued to see the public
acceptance (or lack there of) to these new
Commodores.
Maybe this is the vehicle the buying public
actually want? Time will tell.
Denzil Charles, via Facebook
LOSE FAT, KEEP FIZZ
The fizz has gone flat for performance cars
in pursuit of lap times.
Keeping cars modern means filling them
to the brim with new, heavy driver-aid
technologies. Keeping them fast means
incredible power and reliably putting the
power down means bigger wheels, heavy
AWD and tech-heavy diff systems. Seems
a reasonable progression, until you have a
look back at where we started at the start of
all that. A lot of current models have lost a
certain something.
Cars across the board have jumped up a
size from 10 years ago. Have you seen how
big a new Honda Civic is? The wheelbase is
longer than the handsomely proportioned
CL9 Accord Euro, and I’m betting they weigh
roughly the same. All this from a car that
started out as a small and simple, well-
sorted hatch, potentially with the Type R’s
frenetic engine, which moved your soul. No
wonder the new Type R needed a turbo.
I can’t help but think if we all stopped
measuring how long everyone’s (kilowatts)
are or how cocooned we can get inside
and instead worked on assimilating all this
necessary technology back into lighter,
smaller packages, we’d get that fizzy,
connected feel back in more cars that were
originally designed for driver sensation
rather than lap times.
Derram Jones,via email
“Genuinely intrigued to see public acceptance
(or lack there of) to these new Commodores”
Chat with us online
Sometimes our letters are comments from our
Facebook fans. Join 42,000 MOTOR fans at fb.com/
motorofficial. We’re also on Twitter (@motor_mag)
and for piccies, Instagram (@motorofficial).