Mad Manny's Monthly Motoring Magazine Review...

[Mad Manny]

ADVENTURE AFRIKA Magazine Issue 5

I finally found a copy after a week & going to 4 different supermarkets - Checkers Rock Cottage is where I finally found it.

Issue 5 has the New-Look Masthead & a grey Ranger FX4 on the cover.

This issue is dominated by 3 things:
* Anton Willemse
* The Northern Cape
* Two great new Trailers

Let's get into it:
Social Media:
Their feedback - Anton getting stuck with a trailer in tow is featured.

Headlines:
The hookup between Ford & General tyres.
Fords big SA investment.
Toyota winning Brand of the Year & more...

Cover Story:
The Ford Ranger FX4 - looks like the changes are largely cosmetic.

Article:
The Porsche rally car story continues.

Northern Cape 1:
A Couple take a LC 76 through the Northern Cape.

Malawi:
War Medic & Baby Jane do Malawi, this follows on from their Zim trip in an earlier episode.

Honeymoon:
A couple 'gippo' Lockdown to go on honeymoon in the EC & KZN

Northern Cape 2:
Augrabi's in full flood.
Leilani Basson - who used to do a 'Bush Babes' series on Leisure Wheels is back - she takes you around.

Towing:
A nice introductory article on how to tow.
That's when you pull something with your vehicle.

Trailers:
Review of the Thunder Outbound Camper.
R320k.
Looks good.

Then Anton reviews a nice little Micro Trailer from Afri Trak.
R70k, then you start building.
It only weighs 310kg.
I think it's unbraked.


Passes:
Price Alfred pass...
I think this is the 3rd article on this pass I've seen in a Lifestyle mag in the past year.

Western Cape:
Lekker Kampplekke do the Karoo...

There's more - but that's all I looked at.

Get a copy!

[Mike Nel]

Colour of the Black Series Off Road Caravans is, Uncle Henry Ford's favourite colour. Mostly with some grey two tone. Most significant feature is a 100 l grey water tank in addition to 100l water tank, other than all the bells and whistles the Americans build into anything.
Two models:
C12 double bed and single bed R 630 000
C15 double bed and 2 single beds R700 000.
Depending on exchange rate.
Oh yes. There are bigger models. but apparently too big for our market. Imagine that!

The Black series is too expensive and too heavy. Had a look at them.

[Mad Manny]

ADVENTURE AFRIKA Magazine Issue 10
Issue ten is out, I find this to be a particularly nice issue.

It has 'Bots, you beauty on the cover.

Angus Boswell, the editor writes a nice intro.

They post an answer from Arnold of MitsuTech (Kurt has a poster of Arnold on his wall) to a technical question (fitting an oil cooler).

Protea Coffee add - wasted on you savages who drink Kits Koffie.

Headlines: Covers the LC300, the new Corolla Cross.

New Mazda BT-50 - the base 4x2 Manual with a1.9 Ddi motor is R611k!

The Gear & Gadgets: Nice stuff from a Tauro load net, a camping Pizza Oven (R1 285) to a new Microphonef for all the Youtubers popping up all over.

Botswana article: I haven't read it, but I will.

The New Navara Review: Seems they finally got it right.

Then a Trailer - the Outbound Thunder - looks nice..

A West Coast trip - looks nice.

Ultimate Adventures (Simon & Desiree) do the Kaokaland... (this is Part 2).

Then: Stuff on; Camping Solar, Berg En Dal in KNP, Part 4 of Gamkaskloof - Die Hel, the Free State, Pythons,an Instagram page called Toyota_Tribe, Photography, Singer Appel's (never heard of him) ONCA LC79, Camping 101 - Gear, Mid Size SUV's...
It's a very varied & full issue... Go buy it!

[KurtG]

*Mitsitech

[Mad Manny]

CAR Magazine October 2021 issue:
There is not much of interest to the 4x4/OffRoad/Overland enthusiast in this issue.

They do discuss the New Defender V8 (386kW@ a whopping 6000rpm & 625Nm from 2500rpm to 5000rpm) R2.4 million.
But then they go on to say they think the upcoming Defender PHEV will be better.

Like most motoring journals, the old 'Petrol Heads' are long gone & the younger generation is all about EV's.
Probably why Magazines like CAR no longer interest me.
In this edition:
* The cover is the new Merc S-Class EV, which they also report on.
* The cover the Aston Valhalla - a Hybrid.
* They mention the PHEV Defender on the report on the V8, in fact half the V8 report is hijacked by the PHEV.
* Then the do a comparative test: EV vs Hybrid vs Turbo Petrol vs Turbo diesel - I'll cover this below as it proves what Toyota has long been saying.

Toyota Motor Corporation has long been saying Hybrids, not pure EV's, are the answer, at least in the interim.
Reasons being:
* No range anxiety
* Less disruption to the industry (mechanics & pump attendants out of work etc)
* Less demand for a massive EV charging infrastructure.
* Less demand on the power Grid (especially of interest to South Africans)
* A smoother transition from all ICE engines to all EV.
* Much lower demand for batteries.

Well Car does a Comparative Test of:
1. BMW 330i Turbopetrol (R780 000)
2. Audi A5 Turbo Diesel (R870 000)
3. Lexus IS 300 Hybrid (R900 000)
4. Porsche Taycan full EV (R2 260 000)

It's not a fair comparison as the Porsche costs nearly as much as the other 3 combined.
Obviously they wanted to skew the test in the EV's favour.

The results:
The Porsche used 19.3 kWh/100km = R57.90 per 100km
The BMW used 6.70L of Petrol/100km = R122.80
The Audi used 6.10L of Diesel/100km = R104.00
The Lexus used 5.3L of Petrol/100km = R97.00

Their test completely (& conveniently) ignored range, but the Taycan will, at best, get 320km. That's poor.
The BMW should get 880km of range.
The Audi is good for a range of 900km
The Lexus will get a whopping 1245km, that is outstanding.

I think EV's have a long way to go before they'll have the range, consumption & price to attract buyers in South Africa...

[KurtG]

The benefits of the EV are very evident in those numbers…. Much cheaper and more environmentally friendly than the Lexus (let alone the other evil noxious gas producing murderous vehicles).

That’s EV for the win, in my books

[grips]

If you take the extra over in pricing in account the Porsche is the most expensive to run. With R1 360 000.00 over the Lexus the EV Porsche will never
gain on the the R39.1/100km.
Thanks Manny I do agree with your views

[Onwards]

That is the thing on EVs.
Good for the environment, apparently, but at a huge cost to the user.

For the average user, not sustainable

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

[BushWacker]

Intrinsic Energy contents:
1L Poofy Petrol 9 kWh
1L Mighty Diesal 10 kWh
but internal combustion engines are not efficient applicators… 40-50% Tank to Wheel ?

Evidently a S Tesla's batteries weigh about 1200lbs whilst the 270kw motor only weighs about 70lbs.
I think the weight of the 120kw motor in my Range Rover Classic is about 350lbs.

https://chargedevs.com/newswire/elon-mu ... on-motors/

[Mad Manny]

In South Africa, in September 2021, buyers can choose from over 440 new models.
The Hilux, for example, comes in 37 different models, whilst the New Defender offers 40 variants.

However, of the 440 variants, only 51 are Hybrids & only 3 are full EV.
The cheapest EV (a Mini) is nearly R700 000!

The Honda Fit Hybrid costs R80 000 more than the priciest next ICE Honda Fit.
The Fit Hybrid uses 2 liters/100km less, which means you'd have to drive over 220 000km just to recoup your initial additional outlay.
That means the average South African would have to keep the vehicle for over 12 years.
12 long years of range anxiety & Loadshedding stress.
It's just not an option.

As I said above, EV's are not, currently a workable solution.

Hybrids are a better option, but they need to offer them at a price point comparable to an equivalent model with an ICE engine & offer improved acceleration & significantly lower consumption.

[KurtG]

You’re all a bunch of cheapskates, it’s about the trees and bunnies okes, not the money

[Mad Manny]

EV's are not more environmentally friendly than ICE in most countries.
In fact, off the top of my head, only Norway produces very green electricity.

[AndreasR]

Simple solution.

Buy a huge big V8 gas guzzler, or smoke polluting diesel if you must, and use the savings to plant trees or buy a few bunnies to hug.

[BushWacker]

… mmm … you might have a point there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n-XqSb0iyI

[KurtG]

EV's are not more environmentally friendly than ICE in most countries.
In fact, off the top of my head, only Norway produces very green electricity.

It’s also not about HOW the electricity gets into the batteries, it’s about the image you portray. Why get so technical about it, seriously Manoel