₦airaland Forum

Late English singer, songwriter and actor, David Bowie was hugely popular and equally successful, being one of the top sellers of the 20th century. He was known to own a Mini Cooper but in the 80s, his major car that he used daily was a 1981 Volvo 262 C Bertone.


The huge news this year is that the car just sold for a whooping, supercar price of $216,000 (roughly about N78,000,000 without taxes and clearing to Nigeria) in an auction in Swiss auction house, The Oldtimer Galerie Toffen .

In the words of the auction house; "This car was delivered on June 18th 1981 to the musician David Robert Jones (David Bowie) and registered in his name on June 22nd 1981 with the license plate VD 122 922. In 1985 the 262 C was registered to the Bewlay Bros. S.A.R.L - the record label of David Bowie and Iggy Pop - and continued to be used by Bowie during his stays in Switzerland with the plates VD 267 584. In 1998 the car was finally taken over by the current owner. The original service booklet and a copy of the first vehicle registration are available. Fully equipped with automatic transmission, leather, aircondition, power windows and Volvo Hi-Fi System with Blaupunkt speakers. 53‘000 km, very good and well maintained original condition".

The car is said to have a hardtop instead of the vinyl usually found in other Bertone-edition Volvo coupes and powered by a 2.8-liter V6 and a 3 speed automatic transmission.

This car obviously has been very well looked after judging by the pictures but at N78 million, will i buy it?

You tell me first. Lol.


Lalasticlala
Seun
Nurey
Obinoscopy




Culled from www.naijacarlovers.com

Weststar Associates Limited has been the franchise owner of Mercedes Benz brand for a long time in Nigeria. Then they added the FCA brands consisting of the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM and Fiat brands.

Sadly this relationship with FCA has come to an amicable close as news coming from Weststar reveal that with effect from Monday 5th December, 2017, the distributorship agreement they had with FCA ceased to exist.

Weststar plans to consolidate and expand the Mercedes Benz business in Nigeria.


But according to Mr. Mirko Plath (Managing Director/CEO - Weststar Associates Limited), "on customers that have purchased FCA vehicles, Weststar owes a duty to continue to support its customers with after-sales services for the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM and Fiat vehicles until a new distributor is announced by FCA.




http://naijacarlovers.com/index.php/2017/12/08/mutual-termination-of-distributorship-arrangement-between-weststar-and-fca/


Seun
Lalasticlala
Mynd44
Ishilove
Marpol
Obinoscopy
Gazzuzz

whitebeard:
Cena it seems they can see u..!!

Just finished watching WWE all I see are upcoming wrestlers everywhere, they justafe the whole thine look dry, I miss the trues legends that made wwe fun, lesnar vs undertaker, lesnar vs cena, lesnar vs roman, lesnar vs dean, authority vs team cena,

I love new day

They can really see him

The current model Ford GT got automotive pundits drooling in want of the car but Ford had other plans to make the car exclusive and appreciate in value by handpicking only 500 lucky people to buy the GT. Not that these were the richest folks around but well Ford chose them.


One prominent person on this exclusive list is none other than legendary American wrestler, John Cena.

Unfortunately Ford has taken John to court for quickly selling his 2017 GT earlier than their contractually agreed 2 years he was to have owned the car.

They are also very vexed that he sold the car and made some cool profit.

This past Thursday, Ford took John to the U.S. District Court in Michigan for breach of contract, fraudulent misrepresentation, and unjust enrichment:

"MR. CENA HAS UNFAIRLY MADE A LARGE PROFIT FROM THE UNAUTHORIZED RESALE FLIP OF THE VEHICLE, AND FORD HAS SUFFERED ADDITIONAL DAMAGES AND LOSSES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF BRAND VALUE, AMBASSADOR ACTIVITY, AND CUSTOMER GOODWILL DUE TO THE IMPROPER SALE."

The bottomline now is that Ford wants Cena to hand over any profits he made from the sale and is also asking for compensation for “other damages including, but not limited to, damages for loss of brand value, ambassador activity, and customer goodwill, which exceed $75,000.”

According to Jalopnik; "Ford picked a number of celebrities and other “influencers” to own its new GT, no doubt because they could broadcast how cool the car was to more people. Cena, a known car collector who also had a 2006 Ford GT, was chosen out of approximately 7,000 applicants to buy the car after touting his reach and car-nut cred, per the text of the lawsuit. Ford clearly wanted its GT owners to continue to be seen driving the GT for a while to positively represent its brand.


Per the lawsuit, Ford made the rules on reselling the 2017 GT extra clear to its buyers at numerous times during the purchase process. The Order Confirmation that Cena signed for the car reads:

"BY SIGNING THIS ORDER CONFIRMATION FORM YOU ARE VERIFYING THE FOLLOWING: ... (B) YOU UNDERSTAND THAT BEING SELECTED FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE THIS VEHICLE IS NON-TRANSFERABLE AND AGREE NOT TO SELL THE VEHICLE WITHIN THE FIRST 24 MONTHS OF DELIVERY".

Cena took delivery of the car on September 23, 2017, yet Ford learned that he sold it on October 20, 2017—less than a month after he got it. Cena confirmed to Ford that he had sold it in a phone conversation with a company representative shortly afterwards. He promised to work with Ford to make what they called an “unlawful sale” right, but Ford claims he has not."


Culled from http://naijacarlovers.com/index.php/2017/12/01/ford-motors-drags-legendary-wrestler-john-cena-to-court-for-selling-his-own-car/



Lalasticlala
Nurey
Gazzuzz

Last week Saturday I gave y’all a teaser of the takeoff of the first ever dedicated motorsports race track in Nigeria.

Now the ‘sauce’ is ready to be served hot.

The day started off very bright and hot which every race event craves for instead of a wet weather. Getting to the venue; KM32 Benin-Agbor Highway, Evbuobanosa which is in Edo State though closer to the boundary with Delta State, one is marveled at the massive expanse of land cleared and prepped for the motorsports facility. The track alone is 2.5km in length.

Having not had breakfast we were wondering how to get food there but a quick look around revealed a food and recreational court were we got food and drinks at very good prices. As I ate I fell in love with the sparkling blue waters of the swimming pool and the sands of the volleyball court there. I just wanted to eat, play some games then swim but the thoughts of the race was having an upper hand in my mind.

Shortly just after 12pm, the national anthem was sang as the entourage of the representatives the Benin royal kingdom and government officials representing the Executive Governor of Edo State; H. E Godwin Obaseki came in.

First to give a welcome address was the paramount ruler of the village and patron of the racing facility, Prof G. I. Akenzua, the Enogie of Evhuabanosa. He highlighted the struggles the founder Mr Odu Okao (aka Motor) went through to get the place to its present status. He also appreciated the previous administration of H. E Comrade Adams Oshiomole who rapidly approved and signed the Certificate of Occupancy for the facility thus helping to make the track a reality without bureaucratic bottlenecks. He was equally excited at the huge potentials his community hosting the race facility will bring to them.

Thereafter, the representative of the Oba of Benin; Oba Ewuare, High Chief Edebiri, the Esogbon of Benin Kingdom offered the traditional prayers and broke the kolanuts declaring the track and event open.

Next was an address by the Director General of the National Agency on the Prohibition on Trafficking of Individuals and Persons (NAPTIP) Mrs Julie Okoh Donlin. She also praised the efforts of the founders and prayed for more growth for the event. She stated that the local government area hosting the event has the 3rd highest rate of people being trafficked (from Edo State) hence their active participation in the event. With this type of event, the people should realize that most of those things they are enticed with abroad are now here with us in Nigeria and even in their community. They can partake in them and still make money in different capacities. She admonished all to always report incidents of human trafficking around us so that vulnerable people can be saved from the devastating effects of human trafficking.

The road x started on Wednesday with racers and teams given free practice lap sessions, this continued on Thursday for teams that could not make it on Wednesday while the grid position qualifiers was done on Friday.

The race proper on Staurday started with the 600cc category for the powerbikes and 5 bikes participated in the race including a very brave female rider DOT. At the end of which the winners emerged in the following order:

1st place went to Alpacino with a time of 1:24:78.

2nd place went to Badblood with a time of 1:27:65.

3rd place went to Blow with a time of 1:30:47.

After the 600cc came the higher capacity 1000cc category and 8 powerful bikes raced. The winners emerged in the following order:

1st place went to Jack Afara of A41

2nd place went to Argo of Argotios racing

3rd place went to B9

After the motorcycle categories came the supercars category. 3 cars; a BMW M6 (driven by Antonio Sandouk), a Tiger Avon (driven by Theo) and a Chevrolet Camaro participated. At the end of which the BMW took the 1st position while the Chevrolet took the 2nd position and the Tiger took the 3rd position.

The next category to race was the BMW E30 ‘homologated’ Team cars. These are race prepared cars with rollover cages, racing seats, steering and other race bits. After a thrilling race the winners emerged in the following order:

1st position – Outdoors Racing 1:32:02

2nd position – Forth worth (rage) – 1:32:78

3rd position – Autobarn – 1:37:46

Next in line was the presentation of the prices which was done by Chief Edebiri, Prof Akenzua, his wife, and the representative of Tecno Mobile, one of the leading sponsors of the event.

The next program was a pool party at Feligold Hotel, Benin City. It turned out a grand bonding time for all as the music, drinks, gals and guys were all on point. There was no segregation of who was a biker or a driver, the motorsports family in Nigeria proved to be ONE family that night.

The question on everybody’s lips now is when is the next edition.

If you missed it, you missed big-time.


Culled from www.naijacarlovers,com

Arctic Trucks has just built a very macho-looking truck aptly named Bruiser. This was done with the blessing of Toyota as a tribute to the radio-controlled scale model made by Tamiya in 1980s.

Sadly for Hilux enthusiasts, this is a one-off car so keep your cheque books to yourself. They are, sorry, it is not for sale rather for displays at various events. But you know how this works, if many of you ask well enough, they just might change their minds at Toyota to get it on to production.

It is actually a fully working vehicle and based on the Extra Cab version with Arctic Trucks' AT35 conversion, upgraded suspension, new differential ratio, and flared wheel arches accomodating giant 35-inch off-road tires. And the muscle powering it is a four-cylinder turbodiesel engine that channels 148PS (146hp) to the all-wheel drive through a six-speed manual transmission.


To complete the badboy looks is a large antenna fitted behind the cab.

So do you like it?


Culled from www.naijacarlovers.com

A lot of people especially the younger ones have been misusing phones especially smartphones in different forms especially by combining it with driving or walking along the roads leading to avoidable consequences.

To curb this, the government of Honolulu, starting from Wednesday, will activate a law that outlaws texting and crossing the street. This law also empowers the police to fine defaulters up to $35 when caught using a phone while walking and crossing an intersection in the Hawaiian city and surrounding county.

The reason for this being that according to Brandon Elefante, a City COuncil member who proposed the bill in an interview with the Times, "Pedestrian deaths jumped nearly 10 percent in 2016, up to roughly 6,000. The Times reports that’s the highest rate since 1990—but it’s ultimately inconclusive, for now, whether pedestrian deaths can be linked to texting while walking".

Distracted driving and walking is becoming a global issue leading to road incidents and crashes resulting in an escalating loss of lives and properties.

I support this move provided there will be evidence of the commission of the offence to avoid arbitrary arrests.


Do you want this for Nigeria?


Culled from www.naijacarlovers.com

Lalasticlala
Obinnoscopy
Nurey
Gazzuzz
Obafeme
Autojosh

The automotive industry in Nigeria is about to witness a major shake-up as the largest multibrand automotive workshop is set to start operations this coming Thursday, October, 19th

The High-tech auto company can service and repair all passenger and commercial automotive brands- from Ferrari to Toyota and has announced that it will offer 30% discount on service and repairs from October 19th to October 31st.

Corporate bodies who register their fleet with TSL between October 19th and October 31st will receive special pricing.

After the promotion date, TSL will price match any reputed workshop in Lagos that has over at least 18 service bays.

TSL will also engage in the sale of new and used vehicles. They will provide Gold Certification and Peace-of-Mind Warranty on used vehicles, as well as 24/7 roadside assistance.

TSL’s founder is none other than Mr Raju Sawlani, a veteran in the Nigerian Auto Industry. He is the former MD of Stallion Motors and the former ED of Coscharis Motors and Kewalram Chanrai Group. Being at the helm of these top auto companies, he gained exposure to over 30 automotive brands. Mr Raju has over 21 years of experience in the Nigerian Auto Industry. He has set up numerous automotive showrooms (including the Porsche showroom), several workshops and a few assembly plants. He was the first to implement breakthrough service campaigns in Nigeria like the 4yr/100,000km free service campaign. In 2015, he was awarded the OnWheels Leadership Award for his outstanding vision, dedication and commitment to the Nigerian Auto Industry.

Speaking at the TSL HQ, Mr Raju said, “having sold over 200,000 vehicles (valued at USD $7.2billion), in Nigeria over a 21-year period, my customers have voiced their concern about after-sales issues. For this reason, I decided to launch TSL. I handpicked the best technical personnel in the Nigerian Auto Industry-these are highly experienced individuals who i have observed over a 21 year period. in addition, our machinery and equipment are from the top manufactures in the world. We will prove to the world that supercars do not need to be flown out of Nigeria for service and repairs. Nigerians are highly talented and capable people”

He added, “the main parameters that define repair quality are: quality of workmanship, genuineness of spare parts. lubricants and fluids used, and the overall customer experience which includes a reasonable price and the least amount of downtime”.

TSL will provide only genuine lubricants fluids and parts.

“The downtime and stress caused by fake and substandard motor oil and motor parts drain billions of naira from the economy. Customers have lost confidence in most high and low-end workshops. Another issue is the used vehicles being purchased from sellers of no repute. We are already taking appointments for next week to assist customers who were duped into purchasing flood damaged vehicles from the United States,”Mr. Raju said.

TSL is here to bring back customer confidence in the auto market- from sales to after sales, whether used or new vehicles. In addition, the company will provide a safe haven for used car sales. “If you wish to purchase a used vehicle in Lagos but don’t know whether to buy it because of high mileage, i suggest you book an appointment with us and liaise with the seller to bring the vehicle to our workshop. We will do a complete check on the vehicle in front of the seller and the buyer, thereby creating a transparent automotive marketplace. We can provide the buyer with a Peace-of-Mind warranty, “Mr. Raju added”.

TSL’s highly experienced technical manpower will be the highest paid in the Nigerian Auto Industry with perks that will set a benchmark in the sector.

With the amount of sales and after-sales transactions set to take place at TSL, the company has promised to share market data with motoring journalists and the Nigerian government to help improve automotive regulations. TSL will also assist the government in creating a level-playing field in the auto industry, which will take the Nigerian auto market to a global level.



Launch: October 19th, 2017

Address: TSL Compound, Plot 3, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Lagos, Nigeria, just some gates before Guardian Newspaper Compound.

nurey:
op you are a very wicked somebody, so driver cannot make a few naira on the sides? is it your land cruiser?

I will like to enter that kind car, same tfare but more comfortable sitting abeg go iyano woro, you go see Porsche enter to lekki sef

Its is a very bad practice as if its my car too, i wont like my driver to do such with it. Its the kind of country we find ourself in, poverty in the land has made everyone to try and make money anyway or anyhow they can, if you interview the driver now, he will call him self an entrepreneur nonsense

Lol. Entrepreneur indeed.

Some days ago i had an early morning appointment in Victoria Island, Lagos and as i approached Law School Bus-stop i saw a late model, shiny black Toyota Landcruiser SUV idling there. I noticed that the DVD on the two front seats headrests were on so i felt probably the owner just stepped down from the car.

As i got closer and passed, i realized that there was a young man discussing with the driver. The next thing i heard was "Lekki 1st Gate, Lekki 1st Gate". Whoa, it just dawned on me that the driver of the car just negotiated with a tout to load passengers into the car for him. For starters it was very obvious it wasn't the owner of the car that was driving and probably not a child of the owner from his looks. He also didn't look like a mechanic, even if a mechanic, i don't think the owner sanctioned that transaction.

I felt pity for the owner of the car because wherever he was at that time, he most probably won't guess that his driver was using his car to ferry passengers.

I am not saying that one can not use such a car for passenger services but this particular transaction from the look of things was definitely not sanctioned by the owner of the car.

Many car owners who employ and use drivers to drive them and their family members or staff can never fully know the things their cars are used for once their eyes turn away.

But on the flipside i asked my self if the owner of such a highend car pays his driver well, will the driver still have the temerity to use such car without permission to run commercial transportation. And where was such a driver employed from?

Some Nigerians are fond of living in opulence of wealth and knowledge yet employing people of questionable competence and background to do very delicate and sensitive things for them. Just so that they can pay them pittance forgetting the saying that; "if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys to work for you".

But we also know that some of these drivers can be said to be very inconsiderate, some out-rightly wicked that no amount of salary and care from the employers is deemed enough to stop them from doing bad things to the cars or their employers. But i believe the employers should at the very least employ well trained people and pay commensurate salaries to them so that the blame won't fall squarely on them.

This act doesn't end at only using such cars to run commercial transportation, as some will buy less fuel and other parts than the boss provided money for. But the most dastardly aspect is when they buy sub-standard parts or use untrained personnel to fix such cars when issues arise thereby endangering the lives of the owners and their family.

Do you have your own 'horror' story of such situation?

How do you think one can mitigate against such?

We would love to hear from you.

Pictures: Toyota Landcruiser 2015 Model. For illustration purposes.


Culled from www.naijacarlovers.com


Lalasticlala
Obinnoscopy
Gazzuzz
Nurey
Myndd44

An apparently solo crash happened on Rivonia Road in Sandton, South Africa in the early hours of Sunday morning.

A lady driving an Audi TT somehow got her car airborne crashing through fences and signposts in what will make movie stunts men green with envy...though reports have it that she sustained injuries from this crash.

Right now no one seems to know what could have caused such a terrifying crash. But investigations are ongoing to this effect according to eNCA.


Watch the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfCAqh4FTuE


Video credit: Youtube.

Culled from www.naijacarlovers.com

Every single day advancements are made in the automobile world especially as regards cars.

Every car needs a source of power and a means of controlling and regulating this power properly; and timely sending the power to the tires so that propulsion can take place. This smooth transmission of the power to the tires necessitates the need for a gearbox or transmission.
In the beginning, cars came with manual transmission but which was soon automated to ease driving and also help the disabled drive.

More improvements were added to this type of transmission such are Tiptronic, Sequential Manual Gearbox, Continously Variable Transmission, Semi Automatic or Manual/Automatic aka Manumatic or the manual shift mode etc.

This latter type is simply where an automatic transmission also has the feature that allows the driver to manually select the gear of his choice depending on the driving conditions and is usually represented by the sign M on the automatic gear lever, on shift-paddles where equipped and on the gear mode icon on the dashboard though some cars won't give you the M sign but only a + or a - sign.

There are two main types of using this feature, either by using only the gear lever to push up or down into either a higher or lower gear and having shift-paddles on the top of behind the steering wheel.

When this feature was introduced it was a wow feature as people who loved automatics for their comfort and ease of operations but loved manual transmissions for their more sporty feel could now have the best of both worlds. It was also portrayed to help conserve fuel as the driver will be more in control of the car and determine when to shift up or down. This shifting of the gears is achieved without the use of a clutch hence the name ...Semi-Automatic.

Then the race began as nearly all the car makers jumped on this for nearly all their models especially the top of the range models.

Personally i went gaga for this feature and looked forward to when i could lay my hands on one (i was much younger when it came out).

Fast-forward several years later and presently i drive a car equipped with this feature and i have tried several times to use it but each time i use it i don't use it for more than 30 mins.

I drive both manual and automatic transmission cars very well even switching between both without issues but this Manumatic is a different ballgame entirely.

I realized that it needs getting used to as you will at most times forget to either upshift of downshift at the right times especially downshifting. The good thing is that the developers knew this would always happen so they programmed the car to take over once it detects an anomaly in the operations so that the gearbox doesn't get damaged.

I have used the car for three years now but am i now in love with this feature? Nope. I actually try to use it as often as possible but it is not the same as a full manual transmission that has a clutch. The funny thing i noticed is that i have never come across anyone using this feature in their cars.

Really, it looks dope in any car but i think it serves more as a bragging feature for many car owners.

But there are some good uses it can be put to. For instance sometimes we get stuck on areas we need only the 1st gear, it becomes easier for a good driver to lock down the gear to the needed gear. Also when a car enters limp mode and the transmission won't function effectively, it's easier to use this feature to drive the car for sometime to get to a repair shop.

Do you use this feature in your car?

What do you think of it?

Picture 1...A semi automatic gear.
Picture 2...A full automatic gear.
Picture 3...A gear indicating Automatic mode (D).
Picture 4...A gear selection showing Manual mode (M).


Culled from www.naijacarlovers.com



Lalasticlala
Obinoscopy
Gazzuzz
Nurey

modsRbastard:
Remember the McLaren P1...well, this a Mercedez Benz way of saying F!#K YOU, Mercedes and McLaren have a history in the F1 world which didn't end well and Daimler is just trolling McLaren... It's no coincidence the Project one bears same POne as the McLaren and looks like the McLaren P1 from the front. No doubt McLaren has been having a bad F1 outing since Daimler stopped building them engine, McLaren turned to Honda who also told them to fvck off. Now, Maclaren is considering building it's own F1 engine

@EgunMogaji ... This your troll no easy oo

Do you know I didn't consider this angle? Brilliant.

Meanwhile don't mind Egun. He owes me beer for that.

EgunMogaji:
No interest at all in these.

Does it have a V6 though (I didn't read your stuff) because you know, if it doesn't have a V6 then it's shyte according to some circle

.

Lol. My man. It does. But guess what? A 1.6l V6. So go back and read it.

Mercedes seems to be smarting from the successes Tesla is ramping up in the electric cars parade and is about to push the boundaries for all her competitors with her new project Mercedes-AMG Project One, a 1,000 horsepower hyper electric/gasoline car.

This aggressive looking car is from the get-go destined to be a speed and performance champ as no AMG-badged Mercedes car underperforms. But the surprising part is that it will push out a thumping 1,000hp from a tiny 1.6liter V6 but augemted heavily by 4 electric motors distributed in a complex manner; two 120 kW motors on the front axle, one 120 kW motor mounted to the crankshaft, and another electric motor integrated into the turbocharger.


The result is a car that will happily blast from standstill to 124mph (200kph) in under 6 secs and zoom all the way to 217mph (350 kph) and production should start at the end of 2019.

At an estimated cost of 2.275m Euros ($2,723,288.75) or about over N1bn, it is not for those with shallow pockets. But Benz, please what is that .75 cents doing there?

According to their press release: “The Mercedes-AMG Project ONE is the first Formula 1 car with MOT approval. Our highly efficient hybrid assembly stems from motor racing and the electrically powered front axle generates a fascinating mixture of performance and efficiency. With a system output of over 1,000 hp and a top speed beyond 217 mph (350 km/h) this hypercar handles exactly as it looks: it takes your breath away,” Ola Källenius says, Member of the Daimler AG Board of Management responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.

The 1.6-liter V6 hybrid gasoline motor with direct injection and electrically assisted single turbocharging comes right from the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 racing car. It’s got pneumatic valve springs and can reach an insane 11,000 RPM.

The front axle is driven by electric motors with even more insane RPM numbers: up to 50,000 RPM.

Despite these extreme race car looks the interior of the car looks very simple and technologically sweet and includes a holder for our phones. Well, why not, you are not Lewis Hamilton who wears his earpiece while racing.

What do you think?

Culled from www.naijacarlovers.com

Lalasticlala.
Gazzuzz.
Nurey.
Egunmogaji.
AutoJosh.

fuckerstard:
After all that epistle, no picture?

Kidnappers would easily kidnap people around that scene.

Would come ASAP. Heavy pics and poor network working hand in hand.

It is always bewildering to see people who seem intelligent, respectable and wealthy end up being directed in traffic by people who obviously have some mental challenges, are not reckoned with in the society due to their very low financial capacity.

At some spots that always have traffic bottlenecks especially in Lagos, these people, mostly young men come out to direct traffic because the ‘intelligent’ ones fail to use their intelligence and sense to drive with decorum and patiently without causing traffic buildups.
One major spot that this occurs is the Doyin Busstop, Orile Iganmu. There is this young man that comes out every evening to direct traffic and believe it, he does a great job even risking his life by blocking impatient drivers with his body.

Another spot is along Ijesha Road, somehow in the middle if approaching the U-Turn near Mobil Filling Station. There is another youngman that also come out to direct traffic though I can’t say how consistent he is with this.

There are two others I remember; one man without teeth and another without an arm and a leg on Lagos Island, inbound Victoria Island. These two if I remember correctly were sometime in the past officially recognized by the Lagos State government for their hard work and consistency in helping direct traffic.

The flip side of this is that it calls for concern that most road users especially motorists are too selfish, inconsiderate and never yield to the Right Of Way of other motorists, thereby ending up creating avoidable and unnecessary traffic bottlenecks so we now depend in these category of people who look unschooled to direct us and make us do the right thing under the elements without adequat, if any compensation.

I use this opportunity to celebrate these men of valour.

As soon as possible I will try and track them down, interview them and see how we can contribute to better their lives. Meanwhile, you too can do what is possible in your capacity.

I implore all motorists to always be patient while driving, obey all traffic rules and regulations, yield to Right Of Way and drive safely with decorum. Doing this doesn’t make you less of a driver, nor does it make you reach your destination later than others. Rather you gain more this way as you save your car from unnecessary stress, dents and scratches, avoid roadrage, and make our society a saner place for all of us.

One funny truth is that during all the ‘gra-gra’ and struggling in traffic we create enemies that might even be our friends or business acquaintances moreover just check and see that most times all the cars get to the next traffic stop about the same time…..then why the stress?



Picture 1 shows the guy at Orile.

Picture 2 shows the guy at Surulere.



Culled from www.naijacarlovers.com

Nigeria is a country that heavily depends on hydrocarbon fuel for powering cars, machines and power generating sets.

Sadly many filling stations all over the country derive joy in shortchanging customers by underselling the required volume to them. The variances in this crime depend on the level of greed of the owner.

Initially I didn’t bother checking but at some point, I decided to be buying only in a calibrated, 5 liter cans to check for these variances.

What I discovered yesterday was very shocking and annoying. I paid the fuel pump attendant #900 to fill up my plastic can, lo and behold the machine dispensed #900 worth of fuel and stopped. I took my gallon and checked, it it was just slightly above 5 liters. But the proper sale should have been 6.21 liters due to the #145 per liters pump price.

I actually have confirmed from some other filling stations that I need less than #900 to fill up the can so was expecting some change.

I seize this opportunity to thank and encourage the new NNPC filling station just after the Ago Bridge of Ago Palace Way, Okota. I have severally confirmed that their pumps are perfectly calibrated so you get what you paid for. In this particular filling station, i use #830 to fill-up to the brim this same gallon with PMS.

While in those near to perfection, it is #850, #870 to fill up.

I also commend the MRS filling station near ABC Transport Plc junction of the Festac Link Road for also being consistent in dispensing fuel with the right calibration.

But others especially the one on 21 Road, Festac who regularly under-dispenses fuel to the public (they sold me the #900 portion yesterday after buying #3,000 into the car), just know that this is robbery and must stop.

I also pray the relevant authorities can swing into action to nab these offenders and correct such anomalies.

Let’s not keep quiet in the face of this robbery by unscrupulous filling stations. Let’s call them out for wrong-doing. List them out here. But be sure before you make the accusation.

#servemethefuelipaidfor.


Culled from www.naijacarlovers.com

Mobility has once again been refined with the introduction of vehicular control using voice commands. Mercedes-Benz has further enhanced the performance of the LINGUATRONIC voice control system for navigation use and entertainment. This is one of the many efforts aimed at perfecting mobility in the autonomous future.


The new E-class features a new Audio 200 entry-level radio that comes with a larger display, new infotainment software and the option of a widescreen cockpit. Major highlights include the new Mercedes-Benz SD map navigation, which turns the radio to a high-end navigation system, online access and car telephony with fast LTE technology, additional interior appointment options and ambient lighting with dynamic light scenarios.

The LINGUATRONIC Voice control is an evolutionary leap forward as it comes with a wide variety of control options and an additional eleven new languages. For example, when the vehicle is equipped accordingly, blower level, temperature and seat heating can be controlled conveniently by voice command, with no need for drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel or their eyes off the traffic. Other controlled functions include the rear window heater and various comfort and lighting functions. Another new feature enables the driver to call up a wide range of information – such as the date the next service is due, the current speed limit, the vehicle’s range or the current date.

LINGUATRONIC uses commands, which are incorporated in the software, and is thus not reliant on an internet connection. In order to cover the vast range of control options, up to 450 voice commands are available, depending on the language version and the vehicle’s equipment. The commands are designed to be as simple, intuitive and natural as possible to match likely instinctive commands of the driver such as: “Navigate to ABC” to reach a desired destination, “Take me home” for already home addresses, “Call XYZ” triggers a call to the desired number and “massage me” initiates the seat’s massage function.

Several hundred alternatives are stored in LINGUATRONIC for each command, resulting in a high likelihood that the user will hit on the right phrase at the first attempt. By way of additional support, a “teleprompter” presents possible commands on the display as soon as the driver presses the push-to-talk button. In regards to human response, a new function allows the user to interrupt the system’s voice output to halt the current dialogue and move on to the next dialogue step, for example. This makes voice control faster and more efficient.

Another new feature lends the voice control system from Mercedes-Benz an appealing human touch. The system avoids constantly reacting to a command with the same answer, instead varying its response between three or four synonymous sentences. This lends communications with the system a pleasant and almost human touch.

In addition to the standard-specification Audio 20 USB multimedia system and the high-end COMAND Online multimedia system, Mercedes-Benz will be offering a new variant of the Audio 20 system in the E with a larger 12.3‑inch media display (basic variant 8.4‑inch) and new infotainment software in the future.

The new E-class comes with a host of improved details such as audible feedback from the Touch Control buttons on the multifunction steering wheel for even more intuitive operation. Boot lid convenience closing feature with additional closing function by means of a gentle push on the lid, Enhanced ambient lighting with 64 colors and three color zones showcases the interior like a work of art. Ten color schemes emphasize the hi-tech setting and lend structure to the interior. A new dynamic mode features changing colors, including a colored “welcome effect” for the driver, for example. The dynamic ambient lighting also offers functional aspects. It confirms the wish for a higher temperature by briefly highlighting in red the area of the vehicle, currently being heated up. E.g. the two USB charging ports in the rear, two new open-pore wood finishes for the center console with matching trim, plus new nappa leather appointments in macchiato beige/yacht blue.

The E-class is available for immediate delivery at Weststar Associates, Authorized General Distributors of Mercedes-Benz in Nigeria and all authorized dealerships nationwide.

Culled from www.naijacarlovers.com

Lalasticlala
Gazzuzz
Nurey

A full bus load of passengers travelling in a minibus belonging to popular transport company; God Is Good Transport were kidnapped this morning.

The bus was on its way from Rivers State to Lagos when the incident took place.

According to reports; “it was gathered that the heavily armed gunmen ordered the passengers and driver out of the vehicle before they were marched into a nearby bush around Elibrada, Emohua axis of East-West road in Rivers State at about 7.20am.

Culled from www.naijacarlovers.com

aasunmoh:
1992 honda accord... bought brandnew
Still in top condition till this day
270,704 km odometer reading

This is awesome. Lets communicate. Email. I sent to you.

Aqva:
My 2003 Peugeot 206 bought brand new has almost 200,000km. About 194,000km or so right now and it's as clean as a whistle. Not a single fault apart from occasional aircon issues. Seems you haven't been around a lot to be hyping the corolla and land cruiser.

That's good to know. Please send me a mail let's talk.

I didn't set out hyping Toyota bro. Just a coincidence. Who knows, yours might make the list.

Five Romanian thieves who can be dubbed the real 'Vin Diesels' have been arrested by Dutch Police after they stole iPhones worth $591,210 from a moving truck, scratch that, a speeding truck. Yup, you read right, a speeeeeeding truck.

Apparently this type of theft had been happening and probably left the police perplexed and wondering how such could have been happening, not knowing some people had been practicing Fast and Furious moves in real life.

According to Carsoops, "the thieves were driving a modified van and the suspects exited the vehicle through a hole in the roof. The van got extremely close to the truck, while the criminals climbed onto the hood and opened the truck's rear doors. The thieves then passed the iPhones back to the van.

The bizarre nature of the crime was so surprising that it even caught police off guard. As police spokesman Ed Kraszewski explained, they have been investigating thefts from trucks for awhile but they were skeptical that such daring heists were actually occurring".

The thieves have been arrested over the weekend and are scheduled to face a judge immediately.

In a similar case, police succeeded in recording an attempted similar robbery in progress while the truck was speeding down the highway oblivious to the highspeed drama unfolding at its cargo section.

From the video, the robbers could be seen opening the door and closing it back without taking anything. Did they have a change of mind or was that one a practice run?

Culled from www.naijacarlovers.com


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCWNAJftXlg

princetom1:
If u are close to me, i would have Flo u this morning. Whats d mileage? For all we know, it might be use for picking up his children from the oda street daily. Awwwwww

Come and flog me with money. I de my house.

Back to the topic. The Corolla is nearly 169,000 and the Land cruiser nearly 157,000 km. Both cars see highway driving bro.

Are you aware that our cars in Nigeria see more 'idle mileage' than rolling mileage? This is because of sitting in traffic. The distances we cover daily are not like you get in USA. The average driver in Lagos does about 60/70 km round trip to and fro work combined.

Finding cars that have successfully run consistently for more than 10 years and still in very great conditions on Nigerian roads is a rare feat. This becomes more difficult if the car has been in the ownership of one person.

Yes, we get to find some mostly commercial vehicles still running around though in bad conditions and can never pass any integrity test especially with their engines, suspension and emissions systems.

Several factors like bad Nigerian roads, dirty environment, poorly trained mechanics that also do not follow standards and largely unpredictable income flow all gang up lead to this situation rampant.

The average lifespan of cars on Nigerian roads for private individuals rarely get to 8 years and the cars would be puffing and grinding, barely able to match foreign used equivalents of the same year.

There is even this joke that Nigerians can never export cars used on Nigerian roads to other countries just like we buy foreign used ones.

It was a massive pleasure for me to be called upon to run comprehensive diagnosis on two cars owned by the same individual that lives at Enugu.

I went from Lagos to do these tests.

The first is a 2004 Toyota Corolla that was bought brand new the year it came out meaning that the car has clocked 13 years of daily active duty on Nigerian roads. After using it for a long time he bequeathed the car to his son who now uses it at Asaba.

The second is a Toyota Landcruiser bought brand new in 2000 and still in active duty this day meaning that the car has clocked 17 years of active duty on Nigerian roads.Guess what?

I ran a scan on the engines and none of them threw a DTC (Diagnostic Trouble Code) and even their Fuel Trims were not far from the factory specs.

The only issue with the Corolla was that the local mechanic at Asaba had adjusted the RPM so it is now slightly above normal.

Then the only issue with the Landcruiser was that the special hydraulic suspension was recently messed up by the mechanic too at Enugu but i have sorted that out to a very great extent.

Another beautiful thing is that the bodies of these cars are still in great conditions unexpected for cars used daily on our roads.

I celebrate the man and his son for their diligence and zeal in taking great care of these cars despite the times and clime.

Though in other climes, cars have been documented to have clocked upto 1,000,000 miles (1,600,000km) and more. Some of which are listed by Wikipedia…..“in 2013, Irv Gordon had accumulated 3 million miles in his 1966 Volvo P1800. [5] In 2006, a 1995 Dodge Ram was reported to Chrysler as having gone 1 million miles.[6]

A 1976 Mercedes-Benz 240D in Greece of Gregorios Sachinidis has reached 2,858,307 miles[7] before retiring to the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Germany.

A 1989 Saab 900 SPG belonging to Peter Gilbert of Wisconsin had put in 1,001,385 miles before it was donated to the Wisconsin Automotive Museum.

Another was the 1963 Volkswagen Beetle belonging to Albert Klein of Pasadena, California that had accumulated 1,442,044 miles on 25 Jan 1993.[8]“

Recently i did an article about a Toyota Tundra that just clocked 1,000,000 miles and the owner was given a brand new 2016 truck so his own could be taken back to the factory for ‘debriefing’.

Last year, a client invited me to run a pre-purchase inspection for a Toyota Camry he wanted to buy and i saw 350,000miles on the odometer which they cleverly hid under the Trip A function then broke off the stalk. Trust me, i used something to poke inside and got the actual reading, converted it and got 560,000km and it was a Nigerian used car, i did the scan and saw loads of DTC, you can bet what i did next, i ran with the client.

So you see why it is good we celebrate our own ‘high-mileage’veterans on Nigerian roads.

If you know of any car that needs to be celebrated, please do get in touch with us.



P.S

I apologise for not including more pictures of the Landcruiser, i forgot to take more shots when i finished the job, as it took me just a few hours to sort it out.


Culled from www.naijacarlovers.com

The world is waiting with bated breath for the product of the ‘marriage’ between BMW and Toyota. Yes, the German company has a working partnership with the Japanese company to develop a new sportscar platform.

While Toyota had been dropping some teases of what the new ‘baby’ will look like, BMW has been more ‘zip-lipped’, nothing released from them until now.


Word in the industry is that this might be revealed very soon. Specifically, during the forthcoming Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 17.

But for now, no one knows if it will end up German or Japanese branded. Will it follow up in the Supra form or the Z4 form? We keep our fingers crossed.

What do you think?

Culled from www.naijacarlovers.com

eaglechild:
The Mercedes would be the last key I will pick from that collection cause it could belong to a budget A class.

When I can spot a Rolls Royce, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini,Bugatti and Maserati that do not dabble into budget vehicles.

Fantastic point. But you get bad mouth shaa.

Hello folks, i need engineers in the house to look at the bridge being built at Orile. There are some issues i feel should be brought to light in my opinion.

The crux of the matter is that though i am not an engineer, i feel alarmed with what i noticed with the bridge.

I noticed that it is obvious some of the expansion joints for the bridge that will carry the trains running from Marina to Badagry seem to have joints that look suspiciously built. This is because these joints were precast and it seems like they were later discovered not to meet the required length so extra concrete was added at the edges to make up the correct length after the original cast had cured or dried.

Basic science tells me that once concrete has cured or dried, an additional mix of concrete at a joint that will bear heavy weight is not advisable. Unless these engineers and the supervising ministry have superior argument and proof to back this action, i feel the construction should be reviewed at this stage.

My fear grew worse when i also realized that the Eko Bridge section that was built long after the Orile section also has many of such similar spots.

Culled from www.naijacarlovers.com

Check out this dish of car keys.

Which will be your favourite one?

How many of them can you identify?

Hello house.

I need your candid opinion on our new look. We had to shut down for sometime to revamp this blog and re-jig our services.

I use this medium to appreciate a member of this great forum; Mr Turner who searched us out and insisted he redesigns our blog for us.

God bless you real good bro.

Thanks too to Nairaland for reconnecting us.


www.naijacarlovers.com

lonelydora:
Was the ac filter removed before this?

Not at this operation. But I did earlier.

Some days ago I asked what you guys thought was happening to this car.

Many had different views including funny people who felt it was Shisha that was being smoked in the car.

Though some very sharp people got it right.

Yes the car was being cleaned with steam. That's how to deep-clean and deodorize the AC vents.

I have attached the original picture and another. I deliberately left a portion of the hose dangling when blurring the picture in the original post..

Well-done guys.