Footdown
Good things come in small packages
Richburg Lotus will present the entry-level Elise S (below) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre at 10am on Friday. Powered by a 1.8-litre, 134 brake horsepower, variable valve timing Toyota engine, the Elise (HK$435,000) promises a cracking sprint to 100km/h in 6.3 seconds and is said to top out at 205km/h.
We look forward to testing this fastie's handling in Hong Kong and are impressed by the manufacturer's claim that it drinks 11.3 l/100km of petrol in town, and 8.3 l/100km in combined runs.
'We 'll display all Lotus models,' says Richburg spokesman Fai Tsang. 'We're planning to have the Elise S series on display, from the very first edition Series 1, the Series 2 and the current one so that people will see the development over the years.'
We also hear tales of slick police driving displays, wheel-squealing Altezzas and Aston Martin Vanquishes and drifting BMW M3s at Richburg's five-day Grand Sale at the Tamar site last week. And that the dealers shifted a few motors. 'We did about HK$20 million worth of new and used MPV and SUV business over those few days,' says a spokesman. 'It was very successful.' The Elise S will be on display until 7pm next Sunday. Let the good times roll.
Bussed up
The new Toyota Alphard seven-seater (above right) is available in two versions, the MZ Deluxe (HK$486,260) and MS Sporty (HK$436,140), says Shirina Kwan of dealer Crown Motors. Both are equipped with a three-litre VVT-i engine and five-speed electronically controlled transmission to deliver 220bhp at 5,800rpm and up to 304Nm of torque at 4,400rpm.
The dealership has yet to tell us about the Alphards' carbon-monoxide emissions by deadline, so watch this space. Instead, Crown Motors says the 'emotive exterior' of the Alphard is 'striking' and 'streamlined' to convey its 'active, contemporary character'. You get a dual auto-closure sliding door, a remote-control power back door with jam protection and high-intensity headlamps.
Front and rear sensors suggest that parking it could be tricky, but the lure of leather seats and independent front and rear automatic climate control could ease the search for free space at the beach. The MZ version has power windows and a comprehensive entertainment system with a 10-inch monitor that could distract the driver.
Fitted with eight airbags, Lo- Jack Security, cruise, stability and traction control systems and more, both Alphard models are now on display at Crown Motors' Wan Chai showroom (tel: 2866 1020).
All Dunhill from here
The classic bikes in the Dunhill shops reflect the elbow grease of their restorers, but they return to their owners tomorrow, says Ian Foster, who organised the inaugural Motorcycle Show in November.
At Pacific Place you can see Aussie pilot Tim Hesforth's 1971 Norton Commando 850, he says. 'This bike was originally owned and raced at the Macau Grand Prix by the now 80-year old Graham Large,' says Foster.
British businessman Colin Davison's 1960 BSA 650 Rocket Gold Star is in Dunhill's Princes Building window and Dave McCurdy's 1971 Norton Commando Cafe Racer (below right) is at its Canton Road store. The promotion helps Dunhill reach rich bikers 'and helps us get the word out to the public about preserving Hong Kong's automotive heritage', the Irishman says.
Foster has campaigned for a classic vehicle museum at spots such as the Fanling Magistracy for the past seven years. 'The plan is to keep asking the government until they say, 'Yes, OK'', he says.
Flaunting it
Memory lane
