Bossforeva: Peace Mass Transit Buses has been Using it...YET!

Exactly!!!

Hit the LIKE button if you find this document useful!

Gee2728: Just got it, yet to use it but it appears helpful. Nice 1

When you do use it kindly share your experience

The same Nigerians keeping quiet about this will be screaming blue murder when the chips are down!

dannysteve99@ya:
Noted,but asking me nt to speed because of Tyre! hell no. if i don't hv money for Tyre,I did better forget to owed a Car.

No one said you shouldn't speed;wise folks that understand the topic at hand value the information presented will take extra measures to curtail wasteful spending. If you have so much money you should own a heli-pad.

Do you know properly used tyres can last as long as 40,000km in active use? This might sound vaguely true for vehicle owners that pay very little attention to proper tyre care. Tyres significantly take up most of the road stresses induced on the vehicle; this explains why inflated rubber remains the best option for this purpose. Tyres can be broadly categorized as tube tyres and tubeless tyres which both have treads and groves in common.

The fact that the poor state of roads in Nigeria heavily affects average life of tyres-which is between 15,000km-30,000km-is quite debatable as the effect of bad roads on tyres is just one out of several contributory factors like poor driving, improper applications etc. Based on observations, some factors which speed up tyre deterioration have been spotted and will be further discussed to help vehicle owners squeeze out as much life as they can from their tyres.

Avoid Over speeding: the major down-side of vehicle over-speeding is primarily the inevitable loss of ‘thinking time’ which results in making forceful decisions in a snap. Anti-lock braking systems(ABS) which come standard in almost every car you find on the road prevents wheel locking in occasions where drivers are forced to brake harshly; nonetheless, if you don’t over-speed you may never have to contend with harsh braking which results in speedy tread wear.

Avoid Overloading: common sense should tell you that when excess weight is exerted upon a vehicle, the tyres primarily suffer and the suspension system is rendered inflexible. Road traction may be maximum in such instances but this will be the case at the expense of experiencing higher rolling resistance which doesn’t just affect the tread’s structural integrity but also results in higher fuel consumption.

Maintain proper wheel geometry: simply put, maintaining proper wheel alignment reduces the likelihood of uneven tread wear-relative to other wheels- and also helps in smoother driving with lower levels of road noise and vibrations. For this to be possible suspension and steering components and even adjoining components like bearings and final drives components have to be in top shape.

Keep your tyres balanced: tyre balancing isn’t a collective activity as it concerns wheels independently; what this means is that one imbalanced tyre can affect the whole vehicle dynamics. Hence, ensure your wheels are balanced.

Inflate properly:what is the correct manufacturer stated tyre pressure limit for your car? If as a driver you can’t answer that question it means you simply go with what your ‘vulcanizer’ suggests. This may be right, but the chances of it being wrong are looming all over the place. So get your facts right and inflate your tyres correctly.

Rotate your wheels: most Nigerian vehicle owners don’t even recognize the need for periodic wheel rotation. If I am to summarize the explanation on why this process is necessary, I’d simply say it’s an added measure to ensure even tread wear of all the tyres. This process entails switching the positioning of tyres periodically.

Use correct wheel sizes: to avoid any abrupt explosions, use the right rim-size for tyres as stated by your car manufacturer.

Shop wisely: stay off sub-standard tyres; especially tokunbo tyres wrapped in shinny wraps. Remember these tyres are cheap for two reasons-1) they don’t last 2) such can disappoint without any notice whatsoever.

http://autobaseafrica.com/tips-for-extended-tyre-life/

Very easy and useful document;hit the download button and share what you feel.

The signs are more than glaring, what Nigerian road transporters and maybe motorist as a whole should expect anytime soon is the enforcement of the use of speed limiting devices to tackle over-speeding. This process seems to be in top gear as we’ve witnessed various stakeholders forums on this issue (speed limiting device enforcement) in Nigeria held in Abuja and Lagos, which have been spearheaded by the F.R.S.C(federal road safety corps) and government officials.

With all these, it shouldn't come to anyone as a surprise if we wake up one morning to hear that it is now mandatory to install these devices in our vehicles. In the face of the path FRSC has chosen, I want to quickly ask one question; is this really the way out? Another question the people of Nigeria are asking now is whether this could be yet another money-making agenda to further milk Nigerians dry? Nigerians are still yet to recover from the new plate number and new driving license scheme, and now they might have to contend with this.

For now let’s leave the bickering aside and face the areas I feel the FRSC should be channeling their resources and energies to instead of simply laying the full blame -on the spate of road accidents- on Nigerians over-speeding.

More road/traffic signs needed:Rather than the Nigerian government whining about safe driving, the several levels of government should sit up! In one of my many visits to Ghana, I began a road trip from Accra to Kumasi around 11pm using one of their 24hrs bus services.

If there is anything I noticed during this late night drive, it had to be the heavy presence of pertinent road/traffic signs to guide both day and late night drivers; these roads signs are mostly made of reflective objects placed by strategic portions of the road.

But back here in Lagos, Nigeria, it’s a shame we still have to wake up to see trucks stuck along BRT paths and almost all BRT lanes concrete demarcations are shaved almost to the asphalt surface especially at the main entry points.

The simple point I am trying to make here is that government needs to invest more in road signs and other accompanying traffic effects which ideally should form integral components of a complete road design.

What about speed breakers/road cameras? More advanced and developed nations depend on infrastructures like these to punish traffic offenders and help reduce the likelihood of over-speeding on some portions of the road.

What incentives are in place for transport companies with low accident rates? If the FRSC is serious about its safe driving campaign; it won’t hurt anyone if companies with fewer or no crashes pay lower-income taxes and are exempted from some imposed payments and levies. This is an example of what they should be clamouring for which overtime will truly encourage various companies to set up independent safety programmes, better driver welfare and sufficient drivers training which indeed are the root causes of most road accidents incidents.

In conclusion, I’d like to state that government has a responsibility to the people and it shouldn't always be the people being solely responsible for themselves and the government too.
http://autobaseafrica.com/use-of-speed-limiters-the-way-out/

You asked for it and now you have it! Autobase Africa has been around for more than a year now, and in this short period we have studied local motoring trends and upheld vehicle maintenance attitudes of car owners on this part of the globe. After thorough and detailed analysis of data we have gathered, we today have come up with a concise document for vehicle owners.

This ‘car maintenance workbook’ is basically a document for orderly documenting of vehicle maintenance history. A noteworthy feature of this 6-page document is the easy-to-use template which equally can serve as a checklist for proper vehicle maintenance.

What this means is that with one simple document you can ensure you don’t miss out any key procedure in upholding proper car maintenance standards. Other added features are some specific maintenance schedules and limits to help you plan your maintenance.

Simply follow the link below and download this FREE document. Take full control of your vehicle maintenance NOW.
http://autobaseafrica.com/what-every-car-needs/

What could be described as a show off of unquestionable robustness is the new YouTube video presentation where the president of Volvo Trucks 'puts his neck on the line in his own exciting stunt'. There isn't much left to be said here as this video has gotten over 1 million views in less than 48 Hrs; just hit the play button on the sidebar and watch or follow this link.
http://autobaseafrica.com/new-volvo-fmx-ad/

Just last week, I witnessed a commercial Mazda bus’ left rear tyre pull off from the wheel hub assembly; fortunately, the vehicle wasn’t moving too quickly at approximately 50-60km/hr and the bus headed towards the right end of the bridge till it came to a halt owing to the tremendous frictional force between the brake drum (of the affected wheel) and the road surface. If the driver was driving the bus any faster or swerved in a frightened manner, I can assure you that we would have heard news about a fatal accident along Lagos-Ibadan expressway involving more than 18 persons with almost no one surviving. This is one out of so many incidences of avoidable accidents causing death in numbers. The point am trying to make here is that lives have been lost because of the carelessness and reluctance of vehicle owners to spend on their cars and carry out the basic required maintenance. The bus incident here was simply caused by very loose bearings connected to the main drive-shafts off this rear-wheeled drive vehicle; apparently due to negligence on the part of the commercial bus driver and/or owner.

Scenarios of this kind prompted me to finally write about this and what government can do to curb this menace. I have always been an advocate of Nigerian and Africans as a whole upholding a proper vehicle maintenance culture; in the light of the reality before us I feel the only way out here is government taking a firm stand by creating new laws which will unequivocally ‘force’ the larger chunk of the Nigerian motoring populace to start imbibing proper vehicle maintenance culture if they deem it important to own a car.

So what kind of laws am I suggesting? The answer to this question is criminalizing certain poor vehicle maintenance attitudes, especially the ones that are most likely to lead to fatal accidents. These laws should be enforced by the police. Defaulting vehicle owners should be jailed or heavily fined and in some cases, the option of auctioning these vehicles should be welcome. Nigerians over time have shown that they need a heavy hand and I think the government should do just that. Since MOT centres and V.I.O (vehicle inspection office) are not as effective as anticipated, I feel this is the only way out.

The economic benefits of this move will be enormous and basically we will have fewer scraped vehicles plying Nigerian roads. Some of the areas worth considering are:

1)Bearings/wheel hubs assembly

2)Tie-rods(steering arms)

3)Ball joints

4)Brake pads

It’s high time government took a stand to reduce the spate of road accidents. The downside of laws like these is the inevitable abuse by unscrupulous police officers who might see this as another means of ripping motorist off. But on the brighter side, it will make motorist more aware of their responsibilities as vehicle owners.

http://autobaseafrica.com/criminalizing-poor-vehicle-maintenance-attitude/

After 9months of detailed artistry by Eric van Hove and his team of 35 master craftsmen- from various regions in Morocco- the result is this V12 Laraki which is a replica of a Mercedes V12 engine. According to thisiscollosal.com, artist Eric van Hove headed to Morocco on receiving a Cda-Projects Grant to build this detailed art work made from 53 materials-mostly fossil materials- which were hand-forged to create this artwork.

Just in case you are still curious about how this came about, it will interest you to know that a full sized Mercedes engine was dismantled and fully replicated piece by piece, consisting of some 465 parts and 660 bolts made of casted copper. Nonetheless, this engine isn’t made to work or power any vehicle.

Some of the enlisted materials involved in this production include white cedar wood, high Atlas red cedar wood, Moroccan beech wood, pink apricot wood, mother of pearl, yellow copper, nickel plated copper, walnut wood, lemon wood, orange wood, ebony wood of Macassar, mahogany wood, thuya wood, , red copper, forged iron, recycled aluminum, nickel silver, silver, tin, cow bone, goat bone, malachite of Midelt, etc.

for more images follow this link: http://autobaseafrica.com/mercedes-v12-engine-replica/

Victorsky: yuzedo: Great article!

For some of the points raised, kindly elucidate/englighten greenhorns on how to carry out preventive checks; e.g. Brake pads, transmission, etc.

Also if Siena can help answer a personal query: My car dashboard has had the ABS light ignited for months now. Mechanic tells me not to worry about it. Your take? Many thanks in anticipation of a helpful response..


Top up your Hydralic fluid. My sienna indicates ABS on the dash board and I consulted the manuals that followed the SUV and add more Hydralic...the ABS light disappeared. try it.

Here are a few helpful topics: autobaseafrica.com/more-facts-about-obdii-scanning/
autobaseafrica.com/basic-brake-system-care/

autobaseafrica.com/getting-the-best-from-your-local-mechanic/

adeaugustus: Thanks for this great post. I have the following questions that beg for answer from a car expert.

1. The AirBag light keeps blinking, is that normal?

2. There is this sensor light on the dashboard, it blinks all the time, I just ignore it; what's the light about?

3. When I got the car (from my dad), the water that was in the cooling system is green in color, somebody said it's oxidant or something, please why is the water green? I have been adding ordinary water (almost 8months now) and the green is beginning to fade, will it cause over-heating if I continue to use ordinary water? What's the name of the gree substance? How expensive is it?

4. By using the car air conditioning system all the time, what effect does it have on the engine at long run?

Am sorry for the long post, am a novice when it comes to car stuff, all I do is kick start the car and drive. Thanks in anticipation.

Airbag blinking isn't normal and it could be a real concern if the bags have already been engaged.
Using A/C all the time isn't bad per say;but fuel consumption level is definately higher especially if you use it when driving below 60km/hr.
I will suggest you stop using mere water;then flush your radiator entirely(reverse flush preferably).Then re-fill the radiator with a mix of water and coolant proportionately(70-30 or 50-50) depending on your car brand.

teskyg: Please,I need help.I usually see the Indicator light at my dashboard.Lastweek.I changed my shaft and the light disapear.Now,its back again.My Mechanic told me it means nothing.Am worried now after it disappear and came back.

Run a proper diagnostic check to be sure;my guess is that your wheel speed sensors are bad or not properly re-connected.

hectoro:
@poster: Thanks a lot for this very useful information, very appreciated- from a single girl with all her brothers out of the country...

Please can you tell us more about gauging tires? Why do the vulcanizer chaps always want to do a different figure from whats on the car?

As for ignoring that ABS light, do so at your own peril. Several years ago, I had a Honda Accord that the mechanic messed up the braking system and told me to ignore the blinking light. Suffice to say I thank God I am still aliv; that was the last tokunbo car i ever bought. I swore that i would never have dealings outside of a car sellers workshop!!!!! So I bought a kia and now use a toyota.

God deliver us from Naija artisans

Don't mind them oh!Do what your car manual states rather than their figures.To be on the safe side buy a handy digital pressure gauge and check your tyre pressure yourself preferably in the morning when you haven't driven yet.Besides you are likely to get false readings under the sun and with your tyres all heated up from driving.

Beaf!:
Thanks. Does automatic transmission needs servicing? And how often can that be?

For most Japanese cars;you need to service your gearbox especially for older tokunbo cars.Servicing entails draining off old transmission oil and replacing with new oil.

What obviously is a welcomed and applauded move for Geely and a largely perceived brand dilution for most Volvo faithfuls is the inevitable joint development of Geely and Volvo cars. It’s no news that in 2008 Geely, Chinese auto-maker acquired the Volvo cars division during its near brink of collapse, but not up until now, Geely vehicles didn’t share any platform(s) with their acquired company, Volvo cars.

Geely CEO, Gui Sheng Yue recently revealed some new details about their upcoming model which will be jointly-developed with the Swedish Volvo, speaking to reporters in Shanghai, Sheng Yue confirmed the car to be currently under development and that it is scheduled to be launched in 2015; however no specifics were given.

The car was confirmed to ride on a new modular architecture aimed at delivering "considerable cost savings in terms of development, testing and sourcing."Geely Chairman Li Shuf has assured that the sharing of knowledge and technology has to be done without jeopardizing brand integrity and individual product development; stating that ‘they believe a stand-alone, yet joint R& Centre with a focused approach is the best way to achieve this’.
http://autobaseafrica.com/first-jointly-developed-volvo-geely-model-set-for-2015/

fastlane84: So on point.... That is whta the white man calls preventive maintenance

Most motorist need a complete re-orientation about maintenance practices!

If not for the popularity of the above idiom, the topic best suited for this article happens to be ‘Top 12 Kobowise-Naira-foolish car practices’; but either way, what this article is about is simply stating a few odd practices most motorist indulge in with the intention of making huge savings. However in reality, these practices lead to relatively higher spending at the end of the day. In this list are the causes and consequent effects of some-may be- regular practices we may just be guilty of as motorist and how such translates to higher spending.

Brake pad wear leading to rotor (popularly known as brake disc) damage: if your brake pads in active use goes below a quarter of an inch, you stand the risk of damaging your rotor, especially when metal-metal contact is made owing to the action of your foot pedal. Some Nigerians even keep using their brake pads until it falls off -no jokes here.

Engine oil overuse leading to poor cooling and high engine wear: many motorist fail to recognize the primary role of oil cooling in engines and how it is hampered when used up oil keeps being circulated around the engine with most of its properties and viscosity lost. Wear rate is higher when you continually use used-up oil and the result is more metal debris in your oil and poor engine conditions.

CV (constant velocity)-joints’ boot rupture: if you change your cv-joints boots just on time, you may salvage the entire joint and even your drive shafts. But most just keep driving like it’s no man’s business with leaky and oily boots.

Poor wheel alignment/balancing leading to uneven tyre wear and damage: your reluctance to perform a process that just may require as little as #2500 would end up causing damages that will require #40,000 or more to fix. It’s just plain and simple maths, as more than one wheel is affected by poor wheel alignment/balancing conditions.

Shock absorber damage leading to more steering work: well this condition may not materialize immediately but whenever your shock absorbers are down; your steering suffers and you stand the risk of changing or repairing steering components anytime soon.

Managing wrongly inflated tyres and spending more on fuel: well this practice just had to get on the list; according to experts, 20% more fuel is expended by cars to compensate for poor tyres (inflation) conditions.

Coolant/water underuse leading to engine overheating and damage: overheating causes irreversible damage like warping of engine blocks and cylinder heads, also irregular expansions in some engine areas eventually leads to the need for total engine replacement. In most cases the simple cause of this can be the use of plain tap water alone and fiddling with radiators.

Driving with your ‘check engine’ light on: at this point your vehicle has ‘limped-in’ and your fuelling budget inevitably goes up by as much as 15%. If you happen to be a regular daily driving motorist, this may translate to as much as #8000 extra monthly for a condition that can be fixed with #5000(for diagnostics) + #10,000 oxygen sensor(just saying).

Not documenting repairs and spending more on fake parts: [/b]without proper vehicle maintenance documentation, it becomes almost impossible to track certain trends and discover fake parts from some vendors.

[b]Not getting your license and vehicle documents and spending more on bribes and tickets: well you might evade this by leaving home early and heading back from work late, but for how long? Unscrupulous/non-bribe collecting LASTMA, VIO, FRSC officials and police men are on the hunt for your type! Last time I checked, in Lagos for instance before even retrieving your impounded vehicle, it will be required for you show a proof of your tax-payment (tax returns) records for 3years and pay as much as #15,000 without the daily demurrage fee.

Not spending on proper driving schools and wrecking your car/spending most of your time in panel-beating(car body) shops: [/b]time is money! Not using your time productively amounts to losses. And guess what you hand-in to Oga-panel whenever you pay him an unpleasant visit? Money!

[b]Not servicing your automatic transmission when due and spending lots of money when your car breaks down on: LASTMA(for Lagosians)+New gearbox + towing fee(God saves you that you are so far from any mechanic workshop)+labour cost +cost of finding good labour. At this point you don’t need any more cash breakdown!

With this sketchy analysis of a few driving practices, the real question here is; are you really saving?

http://autobaseafrica.com/top-12-pennywise-pound-foolish-car-practices/

Mobius Motors- a small Kenyan company has started production its Mobius Two, which is a boxy two-door vehicle designed specifically for the rough roads of rural Africa. This 4WD (four-wheeled drive) vehicle comes powered with a Toyota-sourced 4-cylinder petrol engine and rides on a five-speed manual transmission.
The unique selling point of the Mobius Two is the fact that it rides on a dependable tubular steel frame which can easily be welded if broken. As for the interior, this two-door vehicle can accommodate between six to eight adults when translated to a pickup with parallel-placed foldable seats at the rear. No specifics are available at the moment but this vehicle is said to come handy with a 1,100-pound payload (499kg).

The vehicle is clearly D-I-Y(do-it-yourself) friendly and is claimed to be built in Kenya with about 35% of its parts sourced locally. Mobius founder Joel Jackson (a British computer engineer), hopes to sell about 500 examples of the Mobius Two before the year ends with a base price of roughly $6,000.

for more pictures visit: http://autobaseafrica.com/kenyan-company-to-produce-cheap-off-roader/

The first thing that comes to mind on seeing this GTR1 supercar crafted by American company,Galpin Auto Sports will be its glaring semblance with the well known retro-styled Ford GT which was built by Ford in (late) 2003 to go on sale in 2004;only a total of 4,038 of these cars were made.

Well today we have a more robust version of the Ford GT most reckon with and surprisingly, not made by the Chinese; as it features a top notch make-up which comes with well machined aluminum instrument cluster, Scottish leather seats upholstery, premium McIntosh sound system and a whopping 1,024 horsepower engine (739 lb-ft. Torque).

To further justify the $1million-plus price tag, buyers have the option of either an aluminum or carbon fiber body, as well as the colour of the headliner and stitching on the seats. Other noteworthy features include; LED-infused headlights, a carbon fiber front lip spoiler and 20-inch aluminum wheels with Pirelli P Zero Rosso tires.

Its twin-turbo 5.4-liter V8 engine is claimed to be capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in approximately 3seconds with top speed in excess of 225 mph (362 km/h). For such speeds comes equipped a Brembo aircraft-inspired carbon-carbon brake rotors gripped by six-piston callipers.
These hand-built cars will be highly limited with just 24 cars slated to be built by Galpin Auto Sports.

Follow this link for more photos: http://autobaseafrica.com/is-this-car-worth-1million/

If you lived in Lagos, Nigeria around the early/mid 90’s, you should know the original ‘Danfo’ bus with its popular rear-engine like the Beetles car. Well, if you happen to be a fan of this popular vehicle like myself, it will intrigue you to know that these vehicles are still actively in production under the aegis of Volkswagen of Brazil. Unfortunately, they just announced that they will discontinue the production of this iconic vehicle.

Their reason being the recent mandatory law by the Brazilian government for all vehicles to come standard with ABS (anti-lock brake system) and airbags, therefore making it difficult to continue building these legendary buses. But not to worry, as the exit of this iconic bus will be grand; with the roll out of a special edition called Last Edition (last 600 examples) to celebrate the Kombi's long and successful production run.

According to leftlanenews.com, all examples will be painted in a two-tone light blue and white paint job and ride on 14-inch steel wheels mounted on Goodyear whitewall tires with ”56 Years - Kombi Last Edition" stickers on the hatch and on the quarter panels. Also inside the bus will be a small dashboard with a single-gauge instrument cluster. As for the seats, coming with the bus will be a two-tone blue and white upholstery that matches the paint job. All last Editions will feature state-of-the-art audio system with an auxiliary jack and a USB port.

This 1.4-liter water-cooled, 4-cylinder engine (80hp and 91 lb-ft. of torque) bus will go for a whopping $36,000 with dual capability of running on either ethanol or gasoline; riding with a 4-speed manual transmission.
For more images visit: http://autobaseafrica.com/original-danfo-production-comes-to-an-end/

Just when there are strong indications that the next Rolls-Royce Phantom re-design in 2016 will be based on the BMW 7-Series architecture, Cosharis motors, West-Africa’s largest distributor of BMW cars recently added the premium Rolls Royce (motor cars) to their many brands like Ford, Landrover Jaguar, etc.
Coscharis motors confirmed this business alliance in the earlier signing of an agreement between Coscharis Group and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars of Germany. According to news reports, the senior management team of the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars represented by its Managing Director, Mr. Geoff Briscoe, and the Regional Dealer Development Manager, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited, Middle East, Africa and Latin America, Mr. Mohamed Fawzi, alongside members of the Coscharis team attended the event. Also, Cosmos Maduka, the Coscharis boss, said that the choice of Rolls-Royce was borne out of the company’s continued stance of identifying with world class brands and keeping to its vision of building timeless institution.

As history is made, what should we expect from this union? We have heard of exorbitant spending attitudes exhibited by a few popular Nigerians who own these cars like the Esama of the Benin Kingdom, Duncan Mighty and just of recent, comedian I-go-dye; but does this indicate that this may just be the right business move? I guess time will tell, however the Group Managing Director, Coscharis Group, Mr. Josiah Samuel, expressed optimism and promised its potential customers full after-sales service for the brand.

Rolls-Royce Motor Company Limited (originally British but vehicles built by BMW) doesn't need any introduction as we all know the premium class and craftsmanship embodied in every product by this brand which is only natural owing to their high price tags.
http://autobaseafrica.com/rolls-royce-cars-lands-in-coscharis-motors/

Its FREE AND VERY EFFECTIVE ; get listed now http://autobaseafrica.com/service-reviews/

Mercedes Benz redefines the compact crossver SUV with the all-new GLA-Class which can be described as the baby sister of the GLK-Class in the Mercedes-Benz's lineup. In the warm-up for its official release at the Frankfurt Motor Show (next month), pictures and specifications were released.

With the standard front-wheel-drive, the GLA clearly takes a cue from the earlier released CLA; however, Mercedes-Benz will also offer a new version of its 4Matic electronic all-wheel-drive as an option. What may be a distinguishing factor for this crossover would be the inclusion of an off road mode (capability) and its claimed ability to conquer paved roads with optimum stability.

Another styling cue drafted from the CLA is in the GLA’s interior which is very appealing to the eye with very expensive looks and as described on leftlanenews.com,‘purely Benz’.

GLAs for the U.S. market will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine rated at 208 hp and 258 lb-ft. of torque, capable of sprinting from stop to 60 mph in just 6.4 seconds. This baby GLS comes with a seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission to optimize every fragment of the engine power.
Fuel economy estimates and exact release dates have not been announced; however there are speculations that this new crossover will be available in the U.S by late 2014 or early 2015.
for more pictures visit: http://autobaseafrica.com/2015-mercedes-benz-gla-class/

theSpark: Watch out for the money vans and their police escorts. These guys drive like horsemen from hell.

Do anything to keep away from the governors', president's convoy. They are worse than the money vans.

You are so correct.

Do you drive in Nigeria? Here is a quick download of the various kinds of drivers to keep off whilst driving. You probably also have your fair share of experiences with these type of drivers or you might actually be one yourself but nonetheless, here is the list below.

The Danfo drivers: Without a doubt, by far the most erratic set of motorists you will find on the road. The ratio of vehicles to motorable roads in densely populated states like Lagos may be highly disproportionate; but don’t ever make the mistake of driving without adequate space (standard safety distance)between your car and these popular commercial mini-buses. These bus drivers seem to have a different kind of blood flowing through them and are dare-devils even in the face of the law or law enforcers. An example that comes to mind is along Ikorodu road, especially along the Ketu axis where these buses conveniently drive on pavements on a daily basis (especially late in the evening) like it’s no man’s business. As for the BRT lanes; these specially segregated lanes are more like testing lanes for checking their vehicles’ quick engine response to sudden acceleration.

Unannounced Learners: Every driver in Nigeria almost as a matter of necessity passes through this phase-well if you didn't quite learn on the road without the big ‘L’, thumbs up to you! The real question here is how does one really identify an unannounced learner? The first sign is the driver’s closeness to the steering; whilst jerking acceleration during traffic jams could pass as a second sign. Other signs are overly tolerant drivers and cars with too many dents on several portions of the car.

Swaying Jumbos: These drivers find it really difficult to maintain a steady drive on a straight path. It might not necessarily reflect driver inexperience because in most cases, it may be due to bad suspension systems and/or poorly aligned vehicles.

Pedal thirsty freaks: These drivers over-speed even on very tight streets and risk the lives of others in the process. The major underlying drive for such high risk behaviour is impatience; which in most cases is masked by secondary reasons like being in a hurry, enjoying driving fast and experiencing boredom. If you love your life, simply stay clear and don’t be one. Another group of drivers that naturally fall under this league of drivers are the drivers of empty full-sized trucks.

Determined Law breakers: Just of recent I witnessed a full-sized MAN truck almost falling on the road in the process of evading arrest by the Nigerian police that kept pursuing with their Toyota hilux van. These individuals will do anything possible to evade the police, FRSC or any other law enforcement personnel. Your natural instincts at this point ought to be telling you to keep off but then, you just might want to watch the whole drama unfold forgetting you need to be alive to even tell the story.

Lastly, it’s very important to note that there are dozens of disgruntled individuals manning most vehicles you find on the road. Most people have lost lives because someone had a bad day; so be very careful, sensitive and focused while driving.
http://autobaseafrica.com/5-kinds-nigerian-drivers-to-keep-off/

mojounited:

It is still at developmental phase, I think a rail link project would be too immature at this stage... Albeit it's a good idea that requires early planning, I don't foresee Ibaka port experiencing too much activities as there's Onne Port in Port Harcourt, hence there'll be lesser traffic and vehicular activities on the proposed road. Meanwhile, the revamped or proposed standard gauge rail tracks for the eastern part of the country will be extended further, either from Aba - Uyo or Port Harcourt - Uyo, which would make it easy to construct rail link to the port. Source below:

And have you been to Onne?That port is highly monopolised that is why people prefer Lagos inspite of the distance.

You know that sensation when you feel you would have done it better than he/she did? Or maybe you feel grossly dissatisfied even when everyone else feels you are getting it right? That’s your ‘smart’ gene at work! Everybody might be driving and getting from one point to the other; but how does one optimize the consumption of fuel, control overall cash spending on cars and still achieve extended vehicle life? The simple trick is by driving smart; to achieve this, here are a few nuggets worth considering:

Hold some spare cash: In the U.S or U.K you get speeding tickets, but over here in Nigeria you either pay on the spot or gear up for higher payments plus demurrage when you find yourself on the wrong side of the law. You should never underestimate how far you can go bargaining with your temper in check. However, if you are lucky to get a ticket, take it in good fate and let it serve as a deterrent.

Love the freeway: the expressway alternative may seem quite longer and maybe more time consuming, but the truth is your engine needs an inner bump every now and then and those seemingly favourable short-cuts don’t do your engine any good. Driving on freeways with high speeds foster better engine lubrication and helps improve mileage (lower fuel consumption) comparatively especially when you use air-conditioners and higher gears.

Maintain your car the right way: cut down your overall spending by spending on the right things at the right time.

Select the right car: arm yourself with all the necessary car selection tricks before reaching out to your wallet or bank account. The first step is to identify your core needs before even deciding on your budget. With your budget in mind you can select the car you need and research further; yes research further! More than 80% of Nigerians don’t research; they will rather depend on referrals.

You don’t always need to drive: the Lagos state government for instance has been an advocate for green driving; in recent times they even made concerted efforts improve the efficiency of the BRT (bus rapid transit) scheme and also making it cheaper (as low as #20) to commute along some routes. With this even if you are not thinking ‘green’ at least you can use to green note to get around.

Love your Cabin: This is the only reason I try not to judge people when I see all manner of weird objects as decorations; besides it’s their interior and their haven. Getting your cabin conditions right means you spend more time focused on driving instead of fussing.

Love you: go beyond bearing it in mind that you need to love you and start acting like you actually do love yourself. According to FRSC, ‘about 1,936 persons were killed in road traffic accidents across the country between January and June this year’, also it’s important to point out that a large percentage of these accidents are as a result of human factors and errors.
source: http://autobaseafrica.com/7-smart-driving-tips/

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