GT 4 European Series at Monza, April 24

Anselmi-Sernagiotto, Villorba Co ... GranTurismo MC GT4 A Maserati one-two at Monza in the Competition102 GT4 European Series Fine results in the AM category

Monza (I), 24 April 2016 –  Maserati claimed both races at Monza in Round 1 of the Competition102 GT4 European Series. It was an fine achievement for the Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4s as they made their debut in this European Series in the best way possible. Race 1, held on Saturday afternoon, saw the Luca Anselmi-Giorgio Sernagiotto crew from Villorba Corse take the win. On Sunday, victory went to Romain Monti. It turned out to be a fantastic weekend for the team from Veneto: they also celebrated Patrick Zamparini-Alessandro Fogliani's win in the AM category (fifth overall), the third spot claimed by Piotr Chodzen and the twelfth place secured by his son, Antoni, in Saturday's event. Romain Monti, was able to count on the backing of the staff that oversaw the Maserati Trofeo in years gone by and, thanks to his 2015 title in the single-make series, he earned the right to drive a round in a European GT4 series. The Frenchman pocketed top spot in Race 2 as he left the pit lane following his compulsory stop; he was fourth in the early stint.  Monti claimed victory even though he was overtaken by two Chevrolet Camaros because the red flag was flown two minutes from the end, freezing the positions as they were on the previous lap when the safety car was on. Race officials decided to call time on the race as one of the cars had leaked oil all over the track, making racing too risky. In Race 2 came another encouraging result for Villorba Corse as Anselmi/Sernagiotto took eighth and the pairing of Fogliani-Zamparini again finished on the podium with third in the AM category (tenth overall). Completing the “Squadre Clienti Maserati” line up was Swiss Team, with its crew of Giuseppe Fascicolo-Mauro Calamia, winner of the 2014 Maserati Trofeo World Series. The Italo-Swiss pair were hampered by a suspension problem, one that made qualifying tough and race results a struggle. Another name from Maserati Trofeo history, Alessandro Iazzetti, appeared behind the wheel of a GranTurismo MC GT4. He finished in eighteenth and twelfth, respectively. Luca Anselmi (Villorba Corse) – Race 1 winner: “I am really pleased with this result. It was my first race in a GT Championship and it took a bit of time to get used to the car, one that I feel is very competitive for this series. I would like to thank the entire team and my team-mate, Giorgio”. Giorgio Sernagiotto (Villorba Corse) – Race 1 winner: “It is always a pleasure being linked to the Maserati name. I am proud to have made a winning debut; it is a great start to the championship”. Romain Monti – Race 2 winner: “I'd like to thank Maserati for giving me this opportunity. The car is really quick and competitive and I'm happy to have won again in a Maserati. I couldn't defend my first position once the safety car had gone off as the other cars were faster in the straights. Then came the red flag that gave me the win”. Race 1 result 1) PRO Anselmi/Sernagiotto, Villorba Corse, Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4, 25 laps in 53:44.362 minutes 2) PRO Van der Ende/Van Oranje, Racing Team Holland, Ekris M4 GT4, +6.034 3) PRO Knap / Severs, Racing Team Holland, Ekris M4 GT4, +7.543 5) (1 AM) Fogliani/Zamparini, Villorba Corse, Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4, +10.691 12) (3 AM) Piotr Chodzen/Antoni Chodzen, Villorba Corse, Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4, +1:00.780 Race 2 result 1) PRO R. Monti, Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4, 20 laps in 45:02.297 2) PRO D. Huisman/L. Braams, V8 Racing International, Chrevrolet Camaro GT4, + 0.196 3) PRO J. Beelen/M. Nooren, V8 Racing International, Chrevrolet Camaro GT4, + 0.533 10) (3 AM) Fogliani/Zamparini, Villorba Corse, Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4, + 5.432

Unified Standards: China and the Future of Self-Driving Cars

Li Zengwen, a development engineer at Changan Automobile, lifts his hands off the steering wheel as the car is on self-driving mode during a test drive

By Jake Spring

BEIJING (Reuters) - In the race to develop self-driving cars, the United States and Europe lead in technology, but China is coming up fast in the outside lane with a regulatory structure that could put it ahead in the popular adoption of autonomous cars on its highways and city streets.

A draft roadmap for having highway-ready, self-driving cars within 3-5 years and autonomous vehicles for urban driving by 2025 could be unveiled as early as this year, said Li Keqiang, an automotive engineering professor at Tsinghua University who chairs the committee drafting the plan. The panel is backed by the powerful Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The draft will set out technical standards, including a common language for cars to communicate with each other and infrastructure, and regulatory guidelines - a unified framework that contrasts with a patchwork of state laws and standards in the United States.

Without coordination, that patchwork could hold back the development of self-driving cars in the U.S., David Strickland, a former safety chief for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said at an event in Beijing this month.

China's top-down approach could see it overtake the U.S. and Europe, where automakers have generally been left to agree among themselves on industry standards. A push for self-driving and electric cars also fits with Beijing's shift to an economy driven by high-tech and consumer industries rather than heavy industry and low-end manufacturing.

"If we can convince the government that every company, every car on the road must use this (single standard) ... then there is a chance China can beat the rest of the world" to the widespread use of self-driving cars, said Li Yusheng, head of Chongqing Changan Automobile's autonomous drive program.

China is ripe for the advent of self-driving cars. It's the world's biggest autos market and is blighted by choking air pollution, traffic congestion and often erratic driving. More than 200,000 people die each year in road accidents, according to World Health Organisation estimates.

As relative newcomers to mass car ownership Chinese also tend not to share the West's love affair with driving. In a 2015 World Economic Forum survey, 75 percent of Chinese said they would likely ride in a self-driving car, versus half of Americans. Within 20 years, China will be the largest market for autonomous features, accounting for at least a quarter of global demand, says Boston Consulting Group.

BIG AMBITIONS

The China draft would be opened up for industry comment and input from a range of ministries, ultimately going to the State Council, or cabinet, for approval.

At a most basic level, the committee will define a 'self-driving' car and set a minimum level of functionality, said Bai Jie, a professor at Tongji University who also sits on the expert committee.

In other respects, China plans to be more ambitious. It may adopt cellular data technology - already used in many cars to access the Internet - for cars to communicate, rather than the dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) standard used in the U.S. and Europe, said Li, the panel chairman.

"The U.S., Europe and Japan spent so much time developing DSRC, so they strongly recommend it for China," Li said. "Here, we're just beginning so why not choose advanced technology like LTE (Long Term Evolution wireless broadband technology) or 5G?"

China's provisional timeline would put it at least in line with, if not ahead, of others developing self-driving cars.

By 2020, Toyota Motor aims to market a car that can drive by itself on highways, and Mercedes, after two decades of research, plans to launch a self-driving car, though drivers would be required to take control in certain situations.

Chinese automakers including SAIC Motor and Ford Motor's local partner Changan have internal targets that match the likely draft roadmap, and are represented on the experts committee, Li said, while foreign car makers are not.

SELF-DRIVE TRIP

To be sure, China has some way to go to become a global pacesetter in autonomous driving.

Li, the committee chief, said the panel was only now looking into legal issues around self-driving cars, such as who is liable in any collision.

Li Shufu, chairman of automaker Geely [GEELY.UL], has said China must revise its laws so the manufacturer, not the driver, is held responsible for accidents when a car is in self-drive mode. "If (our) legislation lags behind, self-driving cars will be difficult to sell in China," he said.

"It's certainly possible for the Chinese auto industry to make significant headway with government backing, but there's still a lot going into developing that technology, making sure it's safe, and that means a certain number of miles driven," said Jeremy Carlson, an analyst at consultancy IHS Automotive.

Ahead of next week's Beijing auto show, Changan took a couple of its prototype self-driving sedans for a 2,000 km (1,243 mile) trip from its Chongqing headquarters to the Chinese capital.

With a test engineer behind the wheel, but with his hands in his lap, the automated system guided the car along the highway at 80 km per hour, adjusting speed for traffic and speed-limit signs, while keeping centered in its lane - roughly on par with the self-drive capabilities of Tesla models already on the market.

Changan's Li said a self-driving model should be on the market in 2-3 years, with the automaker spending 5 billion yuan ($773 million) to further the technology by 2020. It is also in talks with Internet giant Baidu on developing automated driving technology.

"The intersection between technology companies and automakers is the space to watch," said Wang Yanmin, a professor at Beijing Normal University.

(Reporting by Jake Spring, with additional reporting by Norihiko Shirouzu and Sue-lin Wong; Editing by Ian Geoghegan)

Cars & Coffee April 23 At the Greene, Beavercreek, Ohio

So I got there at 8:45 a.m., and maybe got the last open parking spot!  Clear and cold this morning.  And the reputation of the event is growing -- I talked to one guy from Columbus who came with 20 others and their cars.

The event clearly has one of the most eclectic group of automobiles you will find anywhere. Here are photos of cars that I found of interest. One regret -- I did not photo a Laser 917 kit car, and hope I get another chance in two weeks!

About a 1971 Alfa GTV?

What can I say -- a clown car!  But I liked it.

1964 Pontic GTO -- always a favorite, as my older cousin Fred bought a midnight blue convertible new in 1964.

I always had a soft sport for Triumph TR4s

My own ride this day.

Automobile Industry Deceit and Denial -- Volkswagen and Mitsubishi

"Honesty is the best policy," so they tried to teach me as a child. That principle, however, seemingly has not caught on in the global auto industry. It seem that the industry, always blinded by hubris, lived in a world past. But 2015 is hardly anything like 1975, or even 2000. GM had its ignition switch, and  an embarrassing and costly fix. Now Volkswagen is in superheated water, with alleged civil violations that could cost more than $42 million as well as buy backs totaling $9.4 billion. It seems that VW will have to get 600,000 vehicles off the road one way or another. the initial monies set aside for damage control pale what might be the realities. Currently individuals ware being investigated as well.

Mitsubishi, always running at the edge, is also in trouble with shares falling today 15% as the result of manipulating fuel economy tests.

What has happened is that government as regulator has become far stronger in the past few years.  It began in the 1970s, but hardly took on the cast then as it exists today. Most consumers don't love their cars they way they once did, and thus are hardly as forgiving to an industry as in the past. Cars increasingly seen as appliances with expected performance ratings.  

The Gasoline Price Grade Gap and the Need for Higher Octane Fuel

Over the past few yard, I have been shocked at times by the price differential between regular and premium grade gasoline. For years one paid about 10 cents a grade step for gasoline -- thus 20 cents to jump from regular to premium. But now the gap is much higher -- 45 cents or more, thus causing one to go with lower grade fuel and trusting the knock sensor to compensate for the loss in efficiency.

We know that higher octane fuel allows engines to be designed with higher compression and thus higher thermal efficiency.  We also know that higher octane fuel is a low cost remedy to carbon-dioxide reduction.  It seems that the oil companies and auto manufacturers need to come together on this important issue.

Insurance Wars: Minimo Verses The General

 On antenna TV (we do not have cable or satellite) we are bombarded with insurance ads.  Minimo and The General represent two insurance companies that sell the minimum coverage required in the state of Ohio.  Minimo is a particularly interesting character -- a white guy with a South Beach tan with an obviously black speech intonation. The General has his iPad ready to go for customers.

As an aside, my wife often thinks I am a Minimo in terms of work around the house.  I do the minimum!  I am also known around here as "chief of the half-assers."