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Motorclassica 2022 review, and thoughts on Aussie car shows in general

9 October 2022 Robert Pepper

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Car shows have been around since shortly after the invention of the car and their longevity is testament to their popularity, so why mess with a winning formula? Because there’s room for improvement, and Motorclassica is a case in point. The event modestly bills itself as Australia’s premier festival of motoring, and it’s probably right […]

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Racetrack Mistakes

6 October 2022 Robert Pepper

There’s plenty of mistakes made on racetracks, and they can end up rather expensive or painful. So I’m analysing a few in the hope of helping myself, and others not make those same mistakes again! 1. Lotus Elise Oversteer The first one is one of my own. What mistake was made to enter an oversteer […]

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How to set up a GoPro action camera to record track car laps

17 September 2022 Robert Pepper

If you drive on a racetrack for racing, hotlapping, HPDE, track days, sprints or whatever then it’s a good idea to record your laps. There’s many reasons; it’s fun, and if you analyse the footage or get experts to have their say then you can learn a lot, particularly if you make a major mistake. […]

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Does FWD, RWD or AWD make a difference when towing?

16 September 2022 Robert Pepper

Question from a reader – given identical towcars, would a front-drive car (FWD) be different to a rear-drive (RWD) or all-wheel-drive (AWD)? The short answer is “yes, but not by much from an overall perspective”. The longer answer; let’s look at each phase of towing, starting with manoeuvring such as reversing the trailer. AWD can […]

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What are the driving technique differences between RWD and FWD?

14 September 2022 Robert Pepper

Every car is different, be that say a Hyundai i20N vs an i30N, let alone that i20N vs a Lotus Elise. And so you need to adapt your driving style to suit, but how? If you’re on your first few track days, and you’re not at the stage where you’re happy with a 1/10th second […]

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Electric vehicle realities & myths

13 September 2022 Robert Pepper

Many people are have a negative view of EVs based on incorrect, or outdated information. Conversely, some pro-EV people will take any fact or viewpoint that isn’t absolutely pro-EV and try and argue it away whilst claiming if only we all drove EVs the world’s problems would be solved, and any problems with a move […]

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Chinese carmarker Dongfeng launches the Mengshi electric vehicle 4×4

7 September 2022 Robert Pepper

Another day, another EV but this time it looks like a serious offroader, or at least an attempt at one. Dongfeng is China’s third-largest of four state-owned carmakers, and it’s launched a new sub-brand called Mengshi which is all about offroading, or at least Military, Man, Marvelous and Mission. Yes, that’s typical Chinese-to-English translation going […]

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Why Starlink isn’t an emergency response system for vehicle-based overlanders, offroaders and outdoors people

5 September 2022 Robert Pepper

If you’re travelling far from civilization in a vehicle, you may get into trouble and require assistance. Maybe you’re bogged, maybe you’re injured or maybe you’re fine and found someone else that needs help. Could be you’ve crashed your car, or lost it to fire. There’s any number of reasons why you might need help […]

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The heavy-duty ute Australia really needs but nobody seems to offer

28 August 2022 Robert Pepper

RAM, GM Special Vehicles, Ford with the F-150, and now Toyota with the Tundra. All offer, or will offer big utes which are marketed to tow in the order of 4500kg, as compared to utes like the Ranger and Hilux which max out at 3500kg, along with big wagons like the LC300, Patrol, and Defender. […]

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Where do you put your hands on the steering wheel when towing?

27 August 2022 Robert Pepper

Reader question: Hello Robert, first off, many thanks for your very informative video’s . ( the best on Youtube, by far) please keep them coming. I tell others to watch them.After watching your videos ( on sway, in particular) it highlighted to me, my, long held belief that drivers, when towing, ‘generally’ should NOT have […]

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