The Ford/Lazarus Motor Company team dominated the Total Economy Run for the second successive year, winning the Index of Petrol Fuel Efficiency award in Nylstroom at the weekend. Ford also won three classes.
The Ford/Lazarus Motor Company team dominated the Total Economy Run for the second successive year, winning the Index of Petrol Fuel Efficiency award in Nylstroom at the weekend. Ford also won three classes.
The driver/navigator combination of Roger Rouessart and Gerhard Visser achieved an index figure of 3,678 litres/100 km, which is calculated by taking the fuel consumption of the car and its weight into account. Rouessart and Visser also won Class H for business class vehicles.
Tammy Baker and co-driver Dawn Coetzee, in a Ford Mondeo, won Class E (for vehicles between 1 841 cm3 and 2 300 cm3), and finished third overall in the Index of Petrol Fuel Efficiency.
A Ford Ikon 1,6 won Class C for vehicles between 1 491cm3 and 1 600 cm3. Campaigned by veteran driver Collin Burford and his co-driver Wynand Gerber, this was the second year in a row that a Ford Ikon won this class.
“The Total Economy Run is one of the most important events on the motorsport calendar because we believe that fuel efficiency plays an essential role in influencing car buyers,” said Colin Lazarus, MD of Lazarus Motor Company. “As fuel prices rise and environmental issues come more to the fore, fuel economy will increase in its importance to customers in the market to buy a vehicle.”
The husband-and-wife crew of Willie and Rentia Nel headed a one-two for the new Toyota Camry 2,4 XLi in the class for petrol-engined cars with a capacity of more than 2,3-litres.
The fuel consumption of their Camry was 6,94 l/100 km for the route of more than 1 000 km. This year’s route included more than a quarter of the distance on gravel roads in the Bela-Bela/Naboomspruit/Vaalwater area, with “brisk” speeds.
“We are very proud of the fuel-sipping heritage Toyota has built up in the Economy Run and the results by our latest models show they remain highly competitive in the fuel economy stakes,” said Toyota SA’s vice-president: marketing communications, Francois Loubser.
Class K (diesel) for SUVs and pickups was won by a BMW X530d. This class winner is scored on index only and the BMW achieved an index of fuel consumption figure of 3,122 litres/100 km/ton. In Class L, the diesel-driven Renault Laguna dCi won with an index of fuel efficiency figure of 2,875m litres/100 km/ton.
A VW Jetta TDi with an index figure of 2,456 litres/100ikm/ton won the experimental class M. The driver in this class was Ernest van den Bergh and the navigator was the only blind competitor, Marius de Bruin.
The rest of the class wins were spread among Daihatsu, Kia, Renault, Subaru, BMW, VW and SAAB. Fifty-eight vehicles entered the 2003 Total Economy Run, of which 56 started and 54 finished the event.
Class winners:
Class A for vehicles over 750 cm3 up to and including 1150 cm3: Daihatsu Charade 5,334 litres/100 km
Class B for vehicles over 1151 cm3 up to and including 1490 cm3: Kia Rio 1,3 5,9387 l/100 km
Class C for vehicles over 1491 cm3 up to and including 1600 cm3: Ford Ikon 1,6 6,011 l/100 km
Class D for vehicles over 1601 cm3 up to and including 1840 cm3: Toyota Corolla 180, GSX 6,704 l/100 km
Class E for vehicles over 1841 cm3 up to and including 2300 cm3: Ford Mondeo 2,0 Ghia 6,436 l/100 km
Class F for vehicles over 2301 cm3: Toyota Camry2,4Xli 6,943 l/100 km
Class G for sport-utility vehicles: Subaru Forester 2,5X 8,018 l/100 km
Class H for business class vehicles: Ford Mondeo 2,0 Ghia 6,325 l/100 km
Class I for executive cars: BMW 330i 7,118 l/100 km
Class J for luxury class vehicles: Saab 9-5 Aero 2,3T 7,947 l/100 km
Class K for SUVs and pickups: BMW X530d 7,773 l/100 km
Class L for diesel or petrol-aspirated passenger cars: Renault Laguna dCi 5,060 l/100 km
Special Class, Class M: VW Jetta Tdi 5,337 l/100 km.
