Max Auto Updates - 16/10/2009

Taxi warlords prey on mourners

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Families transporting bodies from the Western Cape to the Eastern Cape for burial have now become the target of taxi bosses in Cape Town.

Hearses are intercepted and not released until a ransom of up to R7 500 is paid.

Members of the Western Cape provincial legislature were horrified on Wednesday to hear how bodies are taken, and ransoms are then claimed from grieving families.

Apparently taxis intercept the hearses and prevent them from driving off until they hand over money.

MMPs from several political parties expressed their shock and disbelief about this.

Positioned at Hugenot Tunnel

Western Cape Transport and Public Works MEC Robin Carlisle said an investigation into this phenomenon was launched last month, and meetings were held with the Association of Undertakers.

An investigation by the dispute resolution unit found that the taxi crime bosses are operating in Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Gugulethu, Kraaifontein and at the Huguenot Tunnel, usually on Thursdays and Fridays. They claim an average fee of R7 500 from grieving families.

"The majority of the bodies come from Khayelitsha.”

Carlisle said one undertakers association had already gone to the Western Cape High Court complaining about intimidation and exploitation, and was granted a court interdict against the extortioners, but in certain cases the police refuse to enforce the interdict.

"(There are) cases where people like the police or security companies allegedly encourage such cases themselves, and are even accomplices.

'Disgraceful and shocking'

"I consider this to be one of the most disgraceful and shocking criminal activities in the province," Carlisle said.

He added that plans are being made to get the police and the metro police to join forces against these crime bosses.

"It's highly unlikely to be a peaceful process. It's going to be extremely difficult but it will, most definitely be eradicated."

He said a provincial task team in collaboration with the police is being assembled in order to take on these criminals.

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Porsche takes Ring SUV record

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In an attempt to set one of the more irrelevant Nurburgring records, Dunlop hustled a Cayenne around the world’s most famous track in under nine minutes.

Although most car aficionados live in the hope that a standardised class system might perhaps one day add relevance to the litany of Nurburgring records claimed week after week, it sure doesn’t stop people trying to set new ones in the meanwhile.

Simply put, manufacturers just can’t help themselves using any unexploited record niche to market product.

Cayenne fastest SUV round the 'Ring?

Porsche, after its epic spat with Nissan concerning 911 turbo/GT-R lap times recently, will be heartened by Dunlop’s decision to send a Cayanne Turbo round the Ring on a quest for lap record bragging rights.

For Dunlop it was an opportunity to showcase the performance credentials of the new SP Quattromaxx SUV tyre range.

This new tyre is moulded with a trick double tread compound to render superior feedback in both wet and dry conditions.

Dunlop settled upon Patrick Simon to do the driving. Seeing as Simon is a Porsche Supercup racer expectations were high.

We don’t quite know why Dunlop selected the 368kW Cayenne Turbo instead of the S version, as the latter boasts an additional 36kW…

When the howls of tortured rubber finally fell silent, Simon had piloted the world’s ugliest 2.3t worth of car around the Nurburgring in 8:33.99.

Hardly a sub eight minute hero time, yet a second faster than Ford’s ST nonetheless.

Then again, it’s a significant 17 seconds adrift of something more focussed, like Renault’s Megane R26.R.