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Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, April 21, 1993, Page 23 G'riffith is popular sports car in England By Glen Konorowski What's Great Britain's answcr ta the Viper? How about the TVR Griff»ith. The Griffith is a rip-snorting littie bcast wei hing in at about 2,300 lbs. (1059 kg) with 280hp and 305 lbsift. of torque. This aIl amounts ta zera-100 k ph in just 4.6 seconds. This two-scat, hand-built sports car features a tubuls' steel chassis and fibreglass body. Introduced at the Birmingham Motorfair in 1990, it has cap- tured the heaits of motoring enthusiasts throughaut England. In fact, it is outselling Porsche in Enffand. The engine is the latcst rendi- tion of the Rover V8 displacing 4.3 litres. This is connccted toaa f-ive-speed transmission driving the rear wheels. Suspension; ail independent, with disc brakes at ail corners. Inside one will find comfor- table seating and civiiizcd driv- ing enviroament, suited to both novice and hard core enthusiasts. Like any great expensive English sports car, it cornes with lots of leather and walnut-vcneered dash. I was the first journalist to ~ e the Griffith a short test rive. Was 1 impressed? You bet. This has ta be one of the best ail- around truc sports cars I have driven in years. At a price of $74,000, it's a sports car lovcr's drearn. by JiI Mclntosh 1Off th e mark Perhaps the most overworked abject in literature has ta be the cr3stal bail, a device that suppesedly enables people ta sec intô the future. Everyone from science-fiction te romance writers has used them and, in between, a few automotive writers as weli. One day when we were cleaning out the warehouse we cali a cellar, we came across a pile of car magazines frarn the 1960s. Those writers looked into their awn crystal balîs and, while they might have been taken seriously back then, their predictians faîl a littie shart naw. Try these.. *In December 1969, Mator Tren d magazine quoted a Chrysier manager who said that American companies weren't ging ta find smali cars very profitable. e Mter Magazine ai January 1966 mentioned that Fard was working on frant-wheel drive, but didn't think it would ever bc used on passenger cars. They aiso th3)ught that disc brakes wauld neyer be used on any but tap-price luxury jobs, since "if switch-overs ta dises were in the affing, engineers would not be working s0 diligently ta imprave drumns." * Mater alsa mentioned twa items that 'are not mare than a couple ai model years away": a screen giving the driver a view af traffic at the rear, and glass that autamatically turned dark or iight depending on sunlight. e Road and Track af 1965 didn't think that radial tires would ever be ofl'ered as standard equipment; they also didn~t think much ai dise brakes. e Mater Trend ai July 1965 q uoted a Canadian scientist wha thaught that smog could be eliminated by making the tailpipes on trucks and buses taller, that would "disperse the black carbon in the air." e In June 1965, Mater Trend reported on Chrysier's new safety program that includied a new SER.PAGE 25> DRI VING;M SAFELYj whRANDY RANDV McLEAN IS A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER WHO SPECIALIZES IN TRAFFIC SAFETY. Mr'. McLean has reviewed thousands of individual motor vehicle accident reports and his close working,, relationships with police agencies, goverflmép.ts. safety associations, industry andi-he*.publc, have gîVen hm ,a true overview of traflïc safety issues, problemns and solutions in Canada. Bicycling and Newton's Law First of ail, I will confess that I amn only an occasional bicycle rider - very occasional. But -my wife has promnised or threatened, depending an your point of vew, ta buy me a bicycle this spring. I now borrow her bicycle whenever the spirit or necessity maves me to use two-wheeled, muscle-powered locomotion. So, while I have reviewé'd many bicycle-automobile accident reports, I arn not really able to get fully into the mindset of the involved bicyvIhsts. You may, therefore, want to take the fol]ljwing advice with a grain of sait. Nevertheless, there is one very important scientific observation that ail bicyclists should keep in mind. It's a refinement of one of Newton's laws of gre.vity and motion which, paraphrased, states that "when two bodies collide, each exerts an equail and opposite force on the other.' As applied ta bicycling, this law would be "when a bicycle and car collide, the bicycle loses." Yet alrnost every day I see bicyclists tempting fate in traffie. This is not to say bicyclists are aiways in the wrong - although they do run through red lights, stop signs, yield sigas, change lanes and turn without signalliag mare than any other type af vehicle I knaw af. But the first law ai bicycling means that even when a bicyclist is right, he or she stili loses in a collision. An extension af this law is that "in a fail from a bicycle, when an unprotected human head strikes asphaît or concrete, the head loses.' How do you protect yoursolf? Do-not be the cause ai î n accident -- obey the rules'ai the road. The rules\,are intended ta bri ng some degréeeai predictability to driver behaviaur. Accidents happen when people break the rules and do the unexpected. Do not become invoived in someone elsc's accident. The most serious auto-at-fault collisions with bicycles occur at intersections when the automobile is turning. Make yourself as visible as possible -- brighit-colourcd clothing, lights, reflectors, etc. -- but still assume the auto driver has not seen you. Be prepared ta stop when you sec a vehicle signalling or slowing dawn ta turn in fro>nt of you. Glance over your let shoulder ta check vehicles approaching from the rear. If yau're riding beside a raw ai parked cars, look ta see if there is anyone inside who might open their door. Again, be prepared ta stop. Always %vear a heirnet. Each year in Canada more than 5,000 children ýare seriously hurt in bicycle accidents.' Up te 75 per cent ai these injuries could be reduced by wearing a helmet. Remember the first law ai bicycling. In a bicycle-car collision, the bicycle and bicyclist lase. My wiie has promised that along with the bicycle she is buying nme a helmet, a light, a reflecti ve jacket and a large tube ai Absorbi ne Jr. Cycle safely. You can't buy love. But nobody said you couldn't lease il for 3 years. If you have a love for style and meticulous engineering. the Audi Lease lets you enjoy il in bolh the Audi 90 and 100 ineups. But only until April 30/93. So visit your Audi dealer today, and try one on for size. INTRODUCING A LINE 0F RINGS FOR THOSE WHO ONLY WANT A SHORT-TERM COMMITMENT. THE __$EE49 9 «1100 YEARS DOWN *as*d on a36mmob W» OIan Aa~Su& 95m tlÃ"w andSOOOÃ"mo payuwn OÀAC. by Valsuag.aCu.Ã"I Cvada bi. - -- ----s ku ý -- -- - -- C-- Iý -.4u -p-mnw a u ~ ~ . lnu »s. l « WVR GRIFFITH ()OWASCO VOLKSWAGEN INC. Expe rience the Owasco Feeling. Pro yento serve y ou best sînce 19D72. 1 1 An 'f Care. and CAA award wnner. 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