Do you want a truck that's a truly relaxing drive?
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Kevin Swallow tagged along when an MAN fleet transported race cars across Europe and found the TG 46oA to be a dream machine.
• "SIT BACK AND TAKE A LOAD OFF" is probably the best way to describe the driving experience of the MAN TG 460A. Its manufacturer has placed more demand on technology, and its excellent torque characteristics allow the driver to concentrate on more defined duties leaving an experience just short of pipe and slippers.
A comprehensive test drive of the MAN TG-A will take place later in the year but in the meantime we were handed a golden p • opportunity to check out this
A' truck in more relaxed conditions
• without a minder.
c. MAN provides seven 4x2 trac • tive units to the Formula Palmer o • Audi team to move its racing series, lock, stock and smoking tyres, from its base near Bedford to racetracks across Europe and back again.
We drove an MAN TG 46oA, complete with tandem-axle 13.1m racing car transporter at about 26 tonnes GCW for 600krn to the Nurburgring racetrack in Germany for round 2. of the Formula r championship.
First impressions lie with its size—"big as a barn", commented a Palmer Audi truck driver, which is fair comment. Despite its bulky look and feel the drive did not disappoint.
The single-H four-over-four ZF 16 S221 r6-speed gearbox is smooth. At first you get the feeling that going from a standing start to 55mph in four shifts is ambitious, but the gearbox copes easily if you accelerate to 2,000rpm between the final three changes.
The splitter is easily accessible, while the move down to the high/low switch only becomes a problem when improvising and not pre-selecting.
In high range all gear changes can be made without the clutch pedal using ComfortShift. This is a small button mounted on top of the gear lever which is pressed by the thumb to disengage the clutch. It also disengages the accelerator, allowing you to keep the accelerator on the floor while shifting gear.
Foot pedals
You only need foot pedals from a standing start or when coming to a halt—technology now requires the driver to listen with his eyes rather than his ears. Two green lights on the rev-counter offer advice on which gear you ought to be in for the most economic travel, though they are not all that sophisticated and only seem to change position when you engage the MAN exhaust valve brake (EVB).
This came into play on the M25 crossing the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, dealing easily with the sharp descent from the bridge; this provided the first opportunity to use the EVB and the thumboperated clutch on the gearstick. The service brakes were only used to stop at the toll booths.
The next time the footbrake was required was turning off the M2o /A2 o and travelling through Dover to the terminal. Impressive stuff. It's hard to imagine something so powerful being operated from a button, the gearstick and two column sticks.
The final leg of the trip to the Nurburgring across the twisting and hilly 412 off Autobahn 61 proved the most taxing. It would normally demand a fair amount of gear changing and crawling up short and long curving bends with significant braking coming down the short sharp inclines into blind corners at the bottom.
Albeit with reduced tonnage, and apart from a couple of splitter changes in top gear, only two block gear changes were required: 81. to 6H and back again. At 9oorpm the big MAN romped up hill and down dale only held back by traffic. No foot braking, no smashing the speed limit on descent, and no hairy situations incurred.
Engine noise
You can start the engine with just the tickover and the in-cab noise, both standing and driving, is barely audible. The only time you are aware of engine noise is during acceleration and braking manoeuvres.
When braking, the driver might be put off from using the EVB because of excessive engine noise. But a little faith and a quick check of the dials will confirm that the engine is coping with the braking task.
Handling was good going forward but reversing in tight spaces can be a little, alarming. The amount of low-rev torque means it can lurch around a bit due to the sheer size of the cab before reverse is fully engaged, and this without the accelerator.
Prospects
The proper test drive will reveal just how economic the MAN TG 46oA really is, but the prospects look good. Low wear and tear on the clutch and brake pedals should reduce maintenance costs.
There was a tear in our eye when we parted company: the 600km trip ended far too soon. Such is the level of comfort and the engine's willingness to work that the driver can sit back and enjoy the ride—leaving him free to concentrate on his driving.