Third time lucky for Peugeot

Rain was coming down in sheets, Africa-style, and visibilty on the heavily populated motorway was none too good but not bad enough to prevent me from spotting the Junction 6 exit which we needed to take in order for me to pay an in-transit visit to a business called Helmet City. The visor on my prized Michael Schumacher helmet has seen better days and all efforts to find a replacement proved fruitless, so a new helmet was on the cards. The master driver and now racing motorcyclist of some repute, uses Schuberth helmets as do Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa and Nic Heidfeld to name some of the current F1 drivers who value their kops. If that brand is good enough for them, it’s certainly good enough for me, and Helmet City had advertised a huge range on their website, some at “bargain prices” owing to changes in model ranges.
The business gave pretty clear access instructions on its web site. Follow the “Reptile Zoo” signs proclaimed the instructions but we were not prepared for what we found. The business is housed in a large wooden shed in the middle of rural Kent and inside is the biggest array of the best helmet brands you’ll find anywhere on the planet!  Fortunately, my first choice design was in stock and at not much more than half its original price. Deal done and we were on our way to the Chunnel check-in.
In marked contrast to Beit Bridge, things could not be easier in terms of departing a country.  Because we already had a reference number to access the train, we selected the “pre-purchased” booth on entry to the assembly area and to our amazement, all our details flashed up on a screen alongside the unmanned booth.  You see, a camera read the Audi’s number plate which had been entered on the papers by the tour operator so there was no human hand involved. Instead, a machine of sorts buzzed and clicked for a second or two and out popped our “ticket” to hang on the rear view mirror. A quick visit to the shopping area revealed the true extent of the recession – there couldn’t have been more than 30 people in evidence and as a result, there was no queue to board the train and away we went.
Thirty minutes later we were in  France, although thanks to the sheets of rain, we could have been anywhere. These weather conditions, plus the memory of a few brushes with the gendarmerie in prior years, conspired to reduce our pace just a tad when compared with days of yore.  The reality was that the conditions were bad enough to keep Pierre the Policeman firmly ensconced indoors although we did observe an unfortunate Brit pulled over by at least three gendarmes on the outskirts of Rouen at a time when the relentless rain had dissipated for a few moments. If it hadn’t been him, it would doubtless have been us, so many thanks to our unknown benefactor!
On arrival at our familiar campsite at around 1945 hours, we were shocked to observe how much smaller the area was compared with prior years (that recession again) just as we were shocked by the vast expanses of muddy water that covered large areas of the site, but thankfully not ours.  Putting up our tent in a howling gale was not fun but worse still was the fact that the night time temperature dropped so alarmingly that intrepid explorers of the ilk of Scott and Amundsen would have turned for home rather than endure such a frigid environment.  Seriously, it was so devastatingly cold that my mate abandoned his stretcher and plonked himself in the front seat of the Audi with the seat heater on full bore.  Needless to say, he was greeted with a flat battery in the morning.
Thereafter, thankfully, the weather gods decided that this really was European summer time and things looked up to the extent that by Sunday, it was too hot!  As for the race itself, a big battle between Audi and Peugeot was on the cards and qualifying times confirmed this view.  The reality though, was that the new Audis suffered niggling problems not normally associated with this team (for various reasons, not least a last minute change in rules, there was insufficient time to fully test the new cars) and also lost a car to a big accident, whereas two of the four Peugeots ran with pace and fewer niggles to bring off a well-deserved 1-2 ahead of an Audi.  This was a big win for the French team on home soil and marked the first time since 1993 that a non-German engine had won the big race and the first time this century that an Audi powerplant was not at the front.
Chinese copy cat
50 years ago, it was far from unknown for Japanese manufacturers to copy items from Europe and the USA and thereby avoid huge development costs aside from effectively stealing the technology.  That practice has long since passed into history as the Japanese became innovators in their own right. Unfortunately, there is a lot of evidence around to suggest that the Chinese have taken over the mantle of copy cats as many court cases prove.
In the car world, quite the most blatant copy imaginable comes from a company called CMEC which markets a device called the CMEC City Smart.  Not only is the name absurdly similar to Daimler’s Smart Car, its external design is as good as identical.  (See photo above).
Daimler recently went to court to ban the importation of these cars into Europe and for some extraordinary reason, lost its case.  Now who said the law is an ass?
 
Along the fairway
I recently gave a very brief account of the new Golf 6 fitted with the astonishing Twincharger 1,4 litre engine and raved about the car’s refinement and amazing performance.
I’ve now had an opportunity to give the TSI version a good run thanks to Cape VW dealers running a very liberal ride and drive week which allowed potential customers the chance to head for the hills without being encumbered with pushy sales people.
If anything, I’m even more impressed now and can state categorically that no rival in the Golf class offers such refinement, insulation and quality of interior fittings.  Close your eyes and you could easily be in a C-Class Merc.  A question and answer session after the drive  was most revealing as a gentleman who’d been on the run with his daughter complained that VW was offering a 1,4 litre engine which, he opined, would be far too gutless to propel a Golf with any gusto.  It turned out that this fellow thought he’d been driving a 2.0 litre Golf when in fact he’d been at the wheel of the aforementioned 1,4 TSI. He didn’t even have the grace to blush!
Just to confirm this engine’s remarkable credentials, it has recently been the recipient of a raft of international awards.  Only last week, the 1,4 Twincharger was voted 2009 International Engine of the Year, seeing off BMW’s superb twin turbo 3,0 litre six.  Overall honours were just the beginning though as in the same competition, the engine was voted best in the 1,0 to 1,4 litre category and won Green Engine of the Year, beating out hybrids from Japan.
 
World of Mercs
In my brief time in the UK, my son took me down to Mercedes-Benz World which sits within the famed pre-war banked track known as Brooklands.  This was my second visit to this truly amazing expo of cars and facilities and gave me a chance to see the new E-Class in the flesh.
It’s much more imposing in the flesh than in pictures and in my view, the only slight glitch is evident over the rear wheel arches where the somewhat exaggerated mudguard shape tends to clash with a waistline crease.  Otherwise, it’s all sweetness and light and I can tell you that visually at least, all those old Merc qualities are back.  The interior is beautifully executed with smart soft-touch plastics harmonising with leather and chrome detailing to create a really smart, inviting cabin that exudes class.  And, hooray, the doors shut with that granite-like thunk that once belonged to cars with the three pointed star.