Issue 31 — Spring 2016
MILES AHEAD...
The Beautiful Experience that is the Geneva Motor Show Wheelspin travels to Geneva for one of the most awaited yearly events in the motoring calendar
Driving Skills—or the death of them!
With the advancement in car technology, are driving skills a thing of the past?
Being Classic in London
Pierre Vella has his first experience at a Classic Car event
Soil, Rain and Dust on your car may have a bright side too How one man became world famous for his art on dirty cars
WHEELSPIN • Issue 31 - Spring 2016 Issue 31 - Spring 2016
Editor’s Note Fleur Balzan Publishers b.Right new media Ltd. 19, Parish Street, St. Paul’s Bay, SPB 3362, Malta
Editor Fleur Balzan fbalzan@b.rightnewmedia.com
Contributors Pierre Vella Ben Glover Mark Attard Kenneth Rizzo Naudi
Hair
Nothing beats spring weather for test driving cars around the island! This period is perfect to have a taste of the many new cars arriving in Malta soon after these have been unveiled in one of the international Motor shows. In this issue we take a look at some of the beautiful cars seen at the Geneva Motor Show whilst Kenneth Rizzo Naudi and I take a look at how recently launched vehicles perform on our roads. The Wheelspin team has come up with different topics to bring to our readers and some are worth reading time and time again. Ben Glover looks at ‘Driving Skills’ or how these are being lost with the introduction of new technology in vehicles. Pierre Vella writes about his first experience at a Classic Motor Show in London that may have just got him hooked on Classics, whilst Mark Attard has come up with a very positive idea of why one may appreciate a dirty car.
Cut Coiffeur Original writings just for you our reader. So go ahead and start turning the pages!
Make Up Shasha
Advertising & Sales Fleur Balzan (+356) 21 576 154 (+356) 99 805 763
Pre-Press & Printing Impressions Ltd., Marsa
No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the prior written consent of the publisher. WHEELSPIN
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In this issue Spring 2016
Features 4
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The Beautiful Experience that is the Geneva Motor Show Wheelspin travels to Geneva for one of the most awaited yearly events in the motoring calendar
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Driving Skills, or the death of them! With the advancement in car technology, are driving skills a thing of the past?
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Soil, Rain and Dust on your Car may have a bright side too How one man became world famous for his art on dirty cars
Being Classic in London Pierre has his first experience at a Classic Car event
Test Drives
Launches
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More Cars Driven Some of the many cars driven lately
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Head to Head with two Fords Experiencing the Ford Ecosport and the Ford Tourneo Courier
Launches Kinds launches the Mercedes GLE Coupé, C-Class Coupé and E-Class together with the SMART Cabrio. Also launched were the new Kia Sportage and the Porsche GT3 RS.
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FEATURE • The Beautiful Experience That Is The Geneva Motor Show by Fleur Balzan
THE BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE that is THE GENEVA MOTOR SHOW
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by Fleur Balzan
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arly in March we kept our yearly appointment with the Geneva Motor Show. Of all Motor Shows this is a favourite with all the team at Wheelspin. The reason being that, besides the fact that its size gives one the opportunity to see more cars, many manufacturers choose this motor show to present their new production vehicles as well as their many concepts. This year was no less of a fashion show for beautiful vehicles so we are going to name some of the cars that caught our eyes to bring them to our readers.
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We’ll start by looking at some of the most popular segments at present, SUVs and crossovers. There were quite a few to choose from in these segments but the ones that caught our eyes were the Toyota C-HR1, the Opel Mokka X2 and the SEAT Ateca SUVs3, and the new BMW X4, the Kia Niro4, the Audi Q25, the new Peugeot 20086 and the new Renault Scenic7 as crossovers, with the last one actually being presented as an MPV. Other spacious cars worth looking out for were the Kia Optima SW GT and the new Renault Megane SW which fall in the Estate segment, a segment which has seen an impressive improvement when it comes to style and elegance.
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Spacious cars or stylish vans were not lacking in Geneva too. Amongst the ones we looked out for were the Peugeot Traveller and Peugeot Traveller iLab8 and the Citroen Spacetourer and Spacetourer Hyphen Concept9. With the style and comfort and new technology being presented in these vans, I surely wouldn’t mind having one parked in my garage!! WHEELSPIN
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WHEELSPIN • Issue 31 - Spring 2016
FEATURE • The Beautiful Experience That Is The Geneva Motor Show by Fleur Balzan
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As with all car lovers, we cannot refrain from mentioning the cars that left us flabbergasted! The sporty vehicles simply came in so many shapes and sizes and different engines too, from high powered monsters to softer engines and hybrid and cleaner engines too.
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Maybe the cutest of the sporty vehicles was the new Opel GT Concept10. Certainly not a high performance sport car but a young, colourful attractive number for the young and young at heart. Then there was the dynamic BMW M211 and the new Mercedes C Class Cabriolet12, the elegant and stylish car which is just so posh! Other extreme sporty and high performance vehicles one had to look closely at were various, amongst them the Ferrari GTC4 Lusso13, the Jaguar SVR14, the Porsche 718 Boxster S15 and Porsche 911R16, two vehicles from Zenvo17 and the clean vehicles by Quant18. However the car that in my opinion stood out in style, sportiness and clean technology was the concept presented by DS Automobiles, the E-Tense19. Wow, wow and wow again. We love you Geneva!! WHEELSPIN
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FEATURE • Being Classic In London by Pierre Vella
BEING CLASSIC IN LONDON words & images by Pierre Vella
Well the time comes when classic is bestowed upon you. It could be an item of value, a car or even a human being. Well yes my title of classic was honourably presented at my last birthday; definitely this time around the celebrations had to be different, so I ventured towards London to visit the London Classic Car Show, now in its second edition. Honesty is the best medicine, so in reality I was not that keen on attending a classic car show. The reason being that my knowledge of classics is rather limited to a particular Italian red colour car. Being in London is always a treat, it has become my regular visit and my new found fun is watching musicals. So this event had to temporarily take at least one evening away from the theatre as the inaugural opening event was in the evening. London transport is very efficient unless you take the wrong train which ends at a rather secluded station in pelting rain and cold. The train I took was going in the wrong direction. Finally I arrived, whilst trying to dry myself to make myself presentable. I glanced inside one of the halls and waiting to be interviewed was one of my ‘all time’ heroes Ari Vatanen. Hmmm, the show might be classic but definitively has class. I followed the Finnish rally legend to where he had to be interviewed. There he was surrounded by other racing rally legends in the form of the outlawed Group B cars, the monsters that had been banned for their uncontrolled power. The exhibits were all battle scared which brought a totally different dimension to all those present. Ari Vatanen was having a field day explaining the ability to control such power at various rally stages during those times. It just seemed that I might start to enjoy myself! One interesting thing at the London Classic Car Show is that the exhibits are displayed on the side of the exhibition centre; the middle part is made up as an avenue where most of the cars on show are taken for a stroll down the road. This
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brings a different dimension to such exhibitions were these unique cars are driven for everyone’s delight. Moving along the exhibits were Minis, Jaguars and Porsches, Bentleys restored to their former glory, FIAT’s 500, BMWs and obviously Ferraris. Closely examining the cars one could see the meticulous restoration done on them. But besides the description of restoration and ownership, most of them carried a price tag. Yes the price
tagged cars were all up for grabs. It took me by surprise as I barely could afford an original Jaguar badge. This was just incredible because one could appreciate not just the visitor but the connoisseur who examined a desired model and was going around the model with such detail. Not all cars were restored; there were others that were in their original paintwork with limited mileage. This was just incredible as the feeling was of living a dream with these cars at their original starting place, the showroom. However there was a slight difference in the price tag. A 1966 Ferrari 275GTS was selling for £1.5 million just to mention one example. This was one of the most expensive, but the latest La Ferrari was priced double that amount. A Ferrari Enzo in original carbon fibre finish actually had no visible price tag. But these were the cars I could easily recognize. In an adjacent exhibition hall there were car manufacturers that possibly in their life time constructed around fifty cars. This was somewhat like living through the history books, viewing such incredible machinery. Then there were also one offs that car manufacturers like Mercedes and Ferrari had created for a specific client. Were these also on sale? Well nearly. Those not for sale were privately owned and still created a stir like the 1972 Nissan Skyline GT-R, 1969 Datsun 240ZG, 1980 Lamborghini Khamsin plus, not one but five McLaren F1 cars. There was another pinnacle at the show. One of the greatest in car design and F1 design Gordon Murray was present to open the Mclaren F1 exhibition. He took the time to talk about his time in F1 and creating McLaren’s first road car. Considering that I was rather reluctant to visit the show, I did return for a second viewing and I can assure you that I really enjoyed it. For sure it will be on my wish list for 2017. I just hope you enjoy the images of some of these magnificent cars. WHEELSPIN
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MORE CARS DRIVEN A
mongst the cars test driven over the last weeks are those from various segments. From hatchbacks to SUVs to the sporty vehicles that are just a dream for many. So here we are again to take a look at some of these beautiful cars we have had the chance to drive. by Fleur Balzan
TEST DRIVES • More Cars Driven by Fleur Balzan
The drive is a beautiful one with excellent torque. The car is very responsive with a slightly sportier suspension than the 308 hatchback though one that still offers a comfortable ride. The car reaches the 100 km mark from standstill in
On the inside the materials used are distinctively of high quality and 10
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Daimler. It has been said that the manufacturers put this car through a safety test dropping it on its top and the cabin remained intact. This took me back to a trip we did last year in which a Smart for two was crashed with a Mercedes sedan and although the front of the Smart for two was smashed, the cabin remained untouched. Quite a feat considering that this is a small car!
for our Maltese narrow streets and feels like a toy to park.
Sporty, yet with family dimensions that make this car the perfect compromise between practical and fun to drive!
The small cute convertible arrives in Malta and we at Wheelspin got the chance to drive this open city car to find out how it has grown over the years. We tested this vehicle in a mild March day which was just right for us to realise that such an open city car is practically built for a climate like ours, and parking like ours too. But let’s have a look at this car!
Would consider this car for everyday driving any day because it is convenient, and when you think of the cuteness and open air driving, the idea becomes even more appealing!
The Smart Cabrio offers a very good drive. It handles well on our roads and although the suspension may be a bit hard on uneven roads, the ride on normal roads is very good. Moreover the car has such a small turning circle that it is perfect
TOYOTA RAV4
PEUGEOT 308 GT
The car driven had a panoramic roof that is tinted making the car look more like a two tone colour vehicle than one with a glass roof.
system, the blind corner system and others.
SMART FORTWO CABRIO
The Smart Fortwo Cabrio is attractive with a youngish look to it. The interior is comfortable and attractive and, even more importantly, the car is packed with safety technology developed by
The Peugeot 308 is very obviously built on the 308 hatchback. The biggest difference between the two models, besides the esthetical touches on the body, is the drive which is obviously a sportier one. The GT is lower than the hatchback. At first glance one notices the sportier profile with chrome around the windows, chrome that feature prominently also around the grille which is wider and slimmer. With distinctive elegant lines around the whole body, the car is attractive!
just 8.4 seconds and has an agile steering wheel which becomes heavier at higher speeds. It offers a choice of drive mode, eco or sport with technologies that offer a safe drive too, like the emergency collision brake system, the collision alert
very appealing. The car had a large enough touch screen angled towards the driver. Practically all the car information and features are found within this screen. With Alcantara leather and touches of swede and stitching in red around the whole interior, the Peugeot 308 GT is beautiful!
The car driven was the 2 litre Blue HDi with a 6 speed automatic gearbox with pedal shifts for a choice of a more manual drive. It produces 180bhp and offers excellent economy which, according to the manufacturers, is at just 4 litres/100km. Co2 emissions are at 103g/km making the car a very clean one too.
The Toyota Rav4 was the car that introduced the smaller SUVs in the midnineties and things have come a long way from then, and has this car changed! The car is now larger than when it was first introduced and today it is similar to some of the many SUVs in the market though still clearly
identified as a Toyota. Large and practical with an attractive image and with an interior which is very elegant, especially the dashboard which is angled towards the driver. With an asymmetrical design around the same dashboard and centre console, the design is simple yet very artistic too.
The interior is excessively spacious with reclining back seats and plenty of leg room at the rear and also at the front thanks to the higher dashboard. The model driven was the ICON model with plenty of extra features such as Alcantara leather seats with beautiful stitching and heated seats which are just some of the comforts in this vehicle. The engine was the 2 litre diesel offering 143bhp and with a dual clutch transmission offering a choice of automatic or manual drive. Both offer excellent torque and a beautiful drive. The CO2 emissions are also quite low at just 124g/km. On the day we drove the car we had quite a little bit of rain after plenty of dry weather and the car proved to WHEELSPIN
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be excellent at road holding. The grip was brilliant offering the driver plenty of confidence on whatever type of road and even at high speeds.
A car which is practical, spacious, beautiful to drive and also reliable and besides all that, it comes also in Hybrid for even better efficiency.
Certainly an SUV that should be considered!
MERCEDES C-CLASS COUPÉ Sporty, elegant, stylish, stunning, all words that ran through my mind when I first glanced at this car. Taking the C-Class coupé out on the road I knew it was going to be one drive I would really be remembering this season.
The handling is good and the suspension adjusts itself depending on the type of road one is driving on and there is a choice of drive from comfort, eco, sport, sport plus and individual. Depending on your mood you can choose the mode of drive.
The Mercedes C-Class Coupé is built on the Mercedes C-Class sedan however due to its lower roof lines the car seems much longer. With LED headlights and the AMG Mercedes Grille surrounded by chrome and the large Mercedes emblem, its face is simply stunning. The side lines are striking yet at the same time subtle giving it a beautiful profile.
Safety features are not lacking, again as expected from Mercedes. From the lane departure warning, sign recognition, collision warning alert, attention assist, agility system for even more security and so many, many more features to practically leave the driver and all passengers on board safe at all times.
The interior of the Mercedes C-Class Coupé is what is expected from the brand. Luxuries, beautiful and elegant yet with a good blend of the modern stylish appeal, also thanks to the brushed aluminium along the dashboard and around the air vents. The technology is tremendous all controlled though the knob in the centre console and visible on the screen situated on the dashboard.
Definitely one of the cars to top the list for us for best cars driven this season!
When it comes to the drive, this C-Class is one dream come true. The engine driven was the 220d AMG producing 170bhp and did we feel the horse power!! It reaches the 100km mark from standstill in just 7.5 km and this is just the smallest engine on this model. Certainly appropriate for our country!
LONG TERM PEUGEOT 2008 Our long term Peugeot 2008 test drive continues and have we grown to love this car! The car is the perfect size for those needing space and a more elevated driving position. I have found this car
particularly comfortable to travel in, even more so when travelling with elder passengers though I must admit, my back is also thanking me for the higher driving position!!
with the warm weather we have had this winter and spring, the climate control has been kept quite busy, making this figure even better than it looks.
The car has also been used to transport larger items with the rear seats pulled down and is the loading space convenient! Nothing seems too large for this car and I write this with a smile on my face. I may just have found my ideal vehicle!
Above all this, the drive is ultra pleasant. The 1.6 Blue HDi 100bhp engine is responsive, agile and feels light as a feather at the same time very sturdy and secure at high speeds.
So far the economy reached at just under 3,000 km on the clock is quite good at just 5.6 litres per 100km but we have to consider that, 12
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Our test drive continues and will be concluded in our next issue. In the meantime, we continue to enjoy the drive. Really enjoy the drive!!
FEATURE • Driving Skills—Or The Death Of Them!
I am lucky enough to hold two blue light qualifications for emergency driving. Both took a combined six weeks of learning, many driving exams and theory tests. I have never felt so nervous but I upped my gain, gaining new skills and increasing my passion for driving. My reactions are quicker and they need to be when picking out hazards. Blue lights drivers need to be one or two steps ahead of the game.
Driving Skills — or the Death of them! by Ben Glover
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he skill of driving is dying. Think back to when you had your first driving lesson. The ‘butterflies in the stomach’ moment when you were in the driving seat. Your gateway to freedom had just begun! When your hands first touched what seemed to be a steering wheel the size of a planet and felt like you were in charge. As your right hand trembled at the starting of the ignition, your mind was processing the fact your left hand had to change gear, your feet had to make the car move/stop and your eyes had to stay fixed to the tarmac in front of you. You place it into first gear, gently build up the revs, ease up the clutch, release the hand brake and you are on your way. The first revolution of the wheels seem like a lifetime, but what a feeling. Then after hitting the road and avoiding hazards (i.e, not crashing into anything) the preparation of learning the road signs, stopping distances and then hoping to pass the theory test. The feeling all too familiar when you step into a quiet room ready to click the mouse and remember all that the books and your instructor had taught you. You
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pass and celebrate with a photo of your certificate on Facebook. But it is not over yet as the hard bit is yet to come, the practical test. More hours are logged as you hand shuffle the wheel through the busy streets of Malta, looking for those who are in a hurry or just fail to adhere to the road traffic laws. The noise and sudden jump you make as blue lights come flashing in your mirrors, the panic of a bus or truck grille taking up the space of the rear window. And then test day. Nervous as hell you enter into the room and await your examiner. They look like
they have been around for a while and you hope they are in a good mood as they grasp their clipboard. But let’s face it, you have come this far. If you pass your test on this tiny and busy island, you can drive anywhere! You sweat in places you never thought you would as you glide through the streets on best behaviour and the clock ticks until the end of the test. You pass. Another photo on Facebook ripping up your ‘L’ plates. What you have just become my friend is skilled. Driving is a skill and you work hard for the privilege. But has it been worth it?
Gone are the good old days of reading maps, being replaced by a little voice in a box suckered to our windscreen.
I have always loved technology from medicine to 3D printing. It’s a progression that I think is a long time coming. Amazing to think we are now living longer for it and many people are able to walk again thanks to prosthetics that were only printed a month ago. Car technology has been the biggest evolver, more so than that of human evolution. Look at some of the machines we have on our roads these days; BMW M5’s, Range Rovers, Porsche all cars that have come a long way from our Grandparent’s Morris Marina back in the day. The humble little hatchbacks that we love so much are packed with so much technology, they are the safest cars on the road today. But the one thing that each of these cars has become is easy. Many of us (including myself) remember when cars didn’t have any power steering. My cute little Nissan Micra I learned to drive in had just four gears and took all the gravitational pull in our solar system just for it to turn corners. Braking was non-existent and it had drum brakes on the back making the stopping distance similar to a supertanker. Today’s cars are quite the opposite. Many Citroen cars about ten years ago would start to vibrate the seats if you strayed across the lane on the motorway as it thought you may have fallen asleep at the wheel. Ten years ago! Now look what we have. Cars now park themselves (which will be handy for some islanders) into the tiniest of spaces, an option that is available on models as small as the Corsa and on larger cars too. There are cars that brake automatically if a hazard gets in the way of your driving
line, cars that can detect if you need full beam or even follow the direction in which you steer. Doors that can open at the swish of your hand, suspension that changes according to the terrain. Tyre pressure indicators that in effect quash even the basic of motoring maintenance which was once handed down to us by our fathers. And it is not just cars; vans, trucks, motorbikes, even ambulances talk to the driver if things are not happy behind the wheel. Only recently a fleet manager friend of mine in the UK was looking for a new MPV to satisfy his workload. The Volvo XC90 served the purpose: a 4x4, high driving position, plenty of room and great economy. But that wasn’t the killer deal in the purchase.
by Ben Glover
But all of the above comes at a cost. Not just financially but physically as it takes the skill out of driving, it makes us lazy. It probably took you a number of times to parallel park your car after your driving lessons and once you have done it you were fine. Knowing when to break tests the reflexes, gives the brain a good workout and keeps you alert. As does reading a map instead of being instructed where to go by the little voice in a box suckered to our windscreen. Don’t get me wrong, the safety aspect of car evolution and the driving experience has been a Godsend. Road traffic accidents reduced thanks to traction control systems and anti-lock braking.
Google has been testing driverless cars in the USA. (Google.com)
What did it for him was ‘Pilot Assist’. A mode described as, ‘Helping the driver to drive the car between the road lanes whilst at the same time maintaining a preselected time interval to the preceding vehicle’. It regulates the speed smoothly with the help of a built in radar and camera system, or in other words a car that is one step closer to ‘Auto Pilot’. We have seen Google attempt to have driverless cars in the USA. BMW have had a specially adapted 5-series learn the Top Gear track in Southern England and actually complete it a number of times without any incidents or crashes with no driver. No driver! Amazing.
Intelligent steering to help us park our cars for those who are weak in the arms due to medical conditions as well as automatic gearboxes give a freedom to those less abled. But let me conclude with this. My 1993 VW Golf GTi is a fine example of the point I am trying to get across. She may not have the park assist, the doors open manually, the engine has no computer and the only tech I have on board is a digital clock on the dashboard. But it was made for the driver. A car that you can feel through your feet and hands, a car that responds from your foot and brain, a car for the skilled driver! WHEELSPIN
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TEST DRIVE • Head To Head With Two Fords
HEAD TO HEAD WITH TWO FORDS F
ord has recently launched two new models that although both are very suitable for family life, they approach this from very different angles.
We’re talking about the Ecosport and the Tourneo Courier. The Ecosport is a compact SUV with a very elevated driving position and that typical chunky style and feel that compact SUV lovers crave so much. The Tourneo Courier needs some explaining first: Courier is the model and Tourneo is the family-transporter version of it, while its twin called Transit (Courier) is a light goods van. This relation or derivation means that the amount of space the Tourneo Courier offers is simply phenomenal, but more on that later. Both examples tested were the excellently 16
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volume-inside’ is done with clever use of blackening out the B-pillars in such a way that complements the privacy glass that extends seamlessly all the way to the back ending in an elevated line. This makes it look much longer, thus balancing and concealing the height very well indeed. Both are 5-door cars but each has its own peculiarity: the Tourneo Courier’s rear doors are sliding which in our opinion is a great feature for family life practicality with kids and carrying stuff around. The downside is that their windows are then only tiltable as those found on many 3-door cars. The Ecosport’s luggage door is a side-hinged single-piece massive aperture with a cleverly concealed handle in the rear right light cluster. Though stylish and necessary when a heavy spare wheel is hanging on the door, this does hinder opening easily when parked with cars behind you.
BY KENNETH RIZZO NAUDI
packaged Trend versions that both retail similarly for between €20,500 and €20,900. Starting with aesthetics, the Ecosport looks chunky yet elegant with a high front end, chunky alloy wheels, black unpainted bottom section all round (typical offroad SUV style), and a stylish wrap-around rear window that hugs the C-pillars at the rear giving the car a very distinctive focal point at the rear. The Tourneo Courier’s van relations are quite clear yet at the same time camouflaged too. It has an extremely high roof line, yet with a normal hatchback driving position (just a tad more upright actually). This translates to humongous headroom that you can literally enter it with a top-hat on and still fit perfectly. The trick to camouflage so well the ‘van-
The engines on both were the 1.5TDCi turbo diesels in 75bhp guise for the Tourneo Courier and a more spirited 90bhp for the Ecosport. While not excessive, both offer enough pulling power but we’d need to judge this with a loaded vehicle to be sure. Neither offers that big kick in the back when squeezing your right foot but the 1.5TDCi is flexible and offers what seem excellent CO2 and consumption figures of well under 5ltr/100km in both cases which for cars of these proportions is pretty good! The Ecosport feels sportier especially thanks to its quicker tuned steering. Despite the chunky wheel, the feel and ratio of the steering felt more Ford Focus-like and surely that’s an excellent thing
with remarkable feel on long higherspeed bends. Surely the Ecosport would be a delight to guide around the curves of a highway in Sicily! The Tourneo Courier offered a little less emotion in this regard, but the car’s character is absolutely not for that so we cannot regard it as a minus at all. Its ride was then plusher and more relaxing. Visibility in the Tourneo Courier is impressively excellent in all directions: no trouble at all looking over your left shoulder at a junction. The Ecosport was more restrictive in this regard because of chunky butch rear pillars. Both cars came quite loaded with kit in Trend guise including 16” alloys, colour coded everything, remote locking with alarm, steering controls and Bluetooth with usb and media streaming capability, split rear seats (also removable on the Tourneo Courier), driver armrest, aircon, lots of 12v sockets, fog lights, traction control, rear parking sensors with graphic display, etc. Their Ford Sync Media Centre was quite remarkable and intuitively easy to use. Remembers where it left off
by Kenneth Rizzo Naudi
while streaming from your phone that in turn we had streaming online via Spotify and even can offer to read an sms for you should it come in while driving. Practicality, although abundantly present in either model, was practically spawning itself in the Tourneo Courier! With a roof so high you nearly need to stretch to touch it, it offered a massive shelf, yes really, above the windscreen! With compartments all round, sliding rear doors, and an upward opening rear hatch that practically takes most of the rear bumper up with it, it offers really easy loading bay into which you can fit most things you’d only manage to in a van. Yes of course its twin is actually one but the Tourneo version is so well family-oriented that you easily forget this and then only remember when needing to load stuff in it – excellent in our opinion! The Ecosport is still spacious but cannot compete in this regard with the Tourneo. Its glory moment then comes at higher speeds or on rough terrain thanks to its elevated ground height and chunky wheels: it’ll cruise on it all blissfully! Similarly priced, the question would then be which to choose. Of course we cannot tell you this or that model is better because that would be pointless due to their differences. However there are clear things that one does better than the other and vice versa. It therefore depends which of these things would be your priority. Whichever you choose though, both offer excellent value for money within a lovely Ford ambience of efficient quality where it matters and rugged robustness when it’s needed. WHEELSPIN
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Launches
LAUNCHES
Kia Sportage The fourth generation Kia Sportage has made it to our shores. The car has grown over the years, grown into a stunning SUV with beautiful lines and features that nowadays compare to many luxuries brands. With slight changes to the previous model, especially on the face
Mercedes and Smart
the Kia Sportage is, at present, one of the most sought after SUVs. The car may be viewed at the Kia Showroom, in Mdina Road Qormi.
In mid- February Mercedes launched two new vehicles which, although completely different from each other, have one similarity, they are both Coupés! The Mercedes GLE Coupé and the C-Class Coupé. The Mercedes GLE replaces the M Class and with the introduction of the Coupé variant Mercedes continue to fill every gap between segments to further increase its competitiveness. A Sporty and adventurous SUV, the GLE Coupé is also elegant and filled with all the luxury known to Mercedes vehicles.
The Mercedes GLE Coupé
The C-Class Coupé is a beauty at first glance. Sporty and muscular yet with a wow factor that just makes you want to look closer at it as you explore the detail of its design.
The Mercedes C-Class Coupé
On the same day Kind’s Autosales Ltd also launched the new Smart Cabrio, a cute car which has grown yet which still offers the young at heart feel driving a SMART can give you. Small, cute and one offering open driving. A car perfect for the island life!
Mercedes E-Class Only recently, Kind’s Autosales Ltd launched another of their beautiful vehicles which has made it to our shores. The Mercedes E-Class executive vehicle was unveiled during a pleasant event held at the Mercedes Showroom which was beautifully transformed especially for the occasion. Again, luxury and remarkable technology at its best in this latest Mercedes vehicle.
The Mercedes Models may be viewed at the Mercedes Kind’s Autosales Showroom in Lija whilst the SMART Cabrio may also be viewed at the SMART showroom at the same Kind’s Autosales Ltd. establishment.
Porsche GT3 RS arrives locally Continental Cars Ltd and Porsche recently launched the new Porsche GT3 RS, the race car for the road. Two of these models in a beautiful orange colour were unveiled at a media event held at the Porsche showroom, an event which was also a showcase for an exhibition by photographer Keith Ellul titled ‘Harvesting Light’. The Porsche 911 GT3 RS is equipped with the maximum amount of motorsport technology that is currently possible in a street legal 911. The 911 GT3 RS is powered by a four-litre six-cylinder engine developing 500 HP and 460 Nm of torque, combined with a specially developed 7-speed PDK transmission.
The SMART Cabrio’s dashboard The Mercedes E-Class
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WHEELSPIN • Issue 31 - Spring 2016
Soil, rain and dust on your car may have a bright side too! by Mark Attard
D
irty work, but someone has to do it: one of the world’s leading dirty car artists Scott Wade turns grubby car windows into works of art. This guy developed his talent after years spent living at the end of a long dirt road that left his family’s vehicles caked in dust. He started doodling in the dirt and eventually developed techniques in this unusual art form. To most people a dirty windscreen means it’s time to take your car for a wash but for this one man in Texas it’s an excuse to create a piece of art. Wade has made a name for himself as one of the pioneers in dirty car artist and his unusual talent has taken him around the world. He was also an inspiration for many other artists who developed what is known as reverse graffiti were the artist creates his art by means of reduction of dirt on whatever makes them happy. The inspiration behind Wade’s craft dates back to when he was a teen, when he lived at the end of a long
dirt road in Central Texas. According to Wade, frequent trips up and down the lane caused the family cars to become quite dirty which prompted him to casually doodle and draw faces on the windows. ‘My father was a great amateur cartoonist and I must have picked that up from him, because my natural tendency was always to draw funny faces,’ he writes on his website. As time progressed he started to experiment with his drawing technique and found that he could use the pads of his fingers to brush very lightly to get grey tones. Next he progressed to using paintbrushes and nowadays he uses a rubber ‘paint-shaper’ tool and assorted brushes. Wade enjoys reproducing famous paintings by the old masters on backs of hatchbacks, trucks, and SUVs, but he also has a tendency to try and reproduce almost anything. ‘To me it’s not so much the subject, but the beauty of the medium that attracts me,’ he explained.
Wade uses a collection of rubber ‘paint-shaper’ tools and assorted brushes to create his art (wikimedia.org)
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Depending on the complexity of the image, the artworks can take just a few minutes or as long as six hours to complete. On average he says he spends between an hour and a half and three hours on each drawing. Wade was also asked to reproduce a likeness of Pippa Middleton’s famous bottom from her WHEELSPIN
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FEATURE • Soil, Rain And Dust On Your Car May Have A Bright Side Too!
SPOT INFO
by Mark Attard
NEW DS 3 AND DS 3 CABRIO: Putting the magic back in everyday life The DS 3 has become a true icon on the strength of its big personality, unique styling, at-the-wheel pleasure and leading edge equipment. In Cabrio or hatchback, the model brings the best possible blend of comfort and vitality. The New DS 3 and DS 3 Cabrio are even more attractive with their new
design features and functionalities. For top-notch performance, the DS brand’s versatile model is powered by the latest PureTech 130 three-cylinder turbo engine and available with the latest-generation EAT6 gearbox on the PureTech 110. The icing on the cake, a Performance version packing an impressive 208 bhp.
“An icon.” “A unique object.” “The DS 3 has revolutionised automotive cues.” “A car that has marked its time.” This is how drivers talk about their DS 3. On display at Michael Attard Ltd, Mdina Road, Attard. www.facebook.com/DSMalta
Stephen and Albert: Piece created for the San Marcos Public Library, January 2015 (Scott Wade, dirtycarart.com)
Renault confirms Ivan Grech as local ambassador with a Kadjar The Renault Brand distributed by Auto Sales Ltd popularly known
sister Kate’s royal wedding to Prince William! His drawings certainly attract plenty of attention and he says that he and his family regularly get stopped by people who want to have their picture taken with his artwork. Wade claims that days and days of accumulated dirt make for the best canvases, but he’s also perfected a 22
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routine that prepares a car for art in about 10 minutes ‘I couldn’t do the many events I do each year without having developed the “artificial canvas,” as I call it,’ explained Wade. ‘When I was mulling over how to dirty up a window, a friend told me about Fuller’s Earth, used in the film industry. Buying bags of it is sure easier than scooping dirt off the road and sifting it!’
Here in Malta we also are doing something similar actually, it is still a form of art I must say, maybe escapism art. It consists of accumulating dirt on the side and back windows of our cars to avoid being seen by wardens and the police while using our mobile phones in traffic... But the question is, shall we ever be world famous for this?
as Kind’s has renewed its agreement with Ivan Grech, frontman of Winter
Moods. During recent years Mr. Grech played a leading role in promoting the car brand locally. During a presentation held on Thursday 3rd March at the Renault Showroom, Ms. Bernadette Bonnici Kind presented Ivan Grech with the keys of the new Renault Kadjar, which is Renault’s latest addition to their attractive range of cars. ‘Our collaboration with Ivan was very successful and we are delighted to have partnered on various events in the past years. Ivan’s first Renault, the Captur was an overwhelming successful model locally, and we are sure that the new Kadjar will be just as popular with Maltese drivers,” said Ms Bernadette Bonnici Kind, Sales & Marketing Director. WHEELSPIN
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SPOT INFO
SPOT INFO
Toyota Launch a new Hub
Exclusive stock offer available on the SEAT Leon FR!
Michael Debono Ltd, have refurbished their customer reception area to further improve their customer care. Beautifully modern and colourful, the area offers individual attention to Toyota customers in an area that can make waiting so much more pleasant.
Benefit from very generous reductions for a top spec Leon FR, available in various colours, diesel powered by a 2.0TDi 150BHP engine. All stock vehicles are equipped with a Navigation system having full European maps including Maltese Islands, Dual zone climatronic air conditioning, Full LED kit, Front and rear parking sensors, Full colour touchscreen infotainment including DAB radio, 18” Alloy wheels and much more. Avail yourself from this offer whilst stocks last; visit Continental Cars in Testaferrata Str, Ta’ Xbiex or call on 23476342/350 to book your test drive today.
The new Tiguan Sicily – Sampieri a little detour The Sicilians just love their Sagre – food festivals. If you happen to be in Sicily any time between 30th April and 4th May, make a little detour and nip into Sampieri, only 15 minutes from Pozzallo and on the way, wherever you are going. Sampieri, is a picturesque old fishing village that also boasts one of the finest beaches in Sicily, a long sandy beach with beautiful rocky cliffs. Unusual for a fishing village
to have a Sagra del Pomodoro, but that is exactly what they have in Sampieri. If it is sun kissed tomatoes you want, in whatever shape or form, washed down with plenty of wine, make the detour.
For many years, the Tiguan has been an important pillar among Volkswagen brand products. With the new Tiguan, Volkswagen intends to continue the success story and
has not simply enhanced features such as comfort and function. The new design is also more elegant and radiates both power and confidence. At the same time, the interior is
May be a little early for a swim but the beach is gorgeous, beat the tourist to it or just have a lazy fish lunch in a trattoria in one of the quaint cobbled streets and on your way.
more generous compared with the predecessor and the infotainment sector has been extended. The successful compact SUV from Volkswagen received the award in the category “Off-road vehicle and SUV up to €30,000”. Since its market launch in 2007, the Tiguan has now won the coveted title of “All-wheel Car of the Year” for the fifth time. The new Tiguan will be available for viewing and for a Test drive shortly at Continental Cars Ltd, with prices starting from €29,900. For more information visit the VW Showroom or call on 23476315/6/7 or 99433330.
Audi A1 Competition winner The winner of the Wheelspin Audi A1 competition running through the first few months of the Wheelspin TV season was won by Clinton John Saliba.Clinton was presented to the keys of the Audi A1 Wheelspin long term test drive by Robert Calafato from Continental Cars Ltd. Clinton drove the Audi A1 for a full week thanks to his participation in the Wheelspin Competition. 24
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