The PMM team braved the rain to report on a new product launched by Motul during the Classic at Silverstone. Ben Lazarus reports on a development which could help workshops get clean and go green at the same time.
On a typically miserable British summer’s day, the PMM team found itself huddled beneath a trackside gazebo at Silverstone, surrounded by equally intrigued, and equally damp, automotive journalists.
Punctuated by the roars of unseen vintage motors, Motul representatives unveiled a new cleaning station for workshops looking to increase their eco-credentials. Luckily for us, waterproof ponchos were also at the ready.
Motul’s role at the Classic wasn’t confined to the product launch, as we discovered wandering from one end of the famous circuit to the other, haplessly trying to navigate our way through the enthusiastic crowds and out of the rain (still poncholess at this point) Being a Friday, it was evident many had opted to take the day off work to visit the races, which were only at the qualification stage. The allure of the classic car and the smells and sounds is obvious, and the technician’s centre would whet the appetite of any automotive enthusiast. We’re sure many of our readers would find much to pore over in the paddock, with the vintage vehicles being put through their paces, although the truth is the appeal extends far beyond petrol-heads.
Whilst we were on our way to the event, we came to realise how strong Motul’s commitment was to its partnership with the retro racing festival. A Motul mobile laboratory, suitably housed in a classic bus, was available for participants throughout the weekend, carrying out lubricant analysis and offering help or advice on lubricant-related matters. On top of this, the firm provided competitors with a free top-up service for lubricants, coolants and essential vehicle fluids.
On the company’s main stand, Motul launched two products for classic vehicles – classic eighties 10w-40 and classic nineties 10w-30. The ‘Youngtimer’ engine oils are suitable for cars that date back to the 80s and 90s.
Also on display was the presentation of the prototype Motul-Edition GBS Zero sportscar. The sports car, built by hand, has a distinctly classic look to it and features a host of Motul-specific features. It sported the livery that won the nationwide design competition, and the brand hopes that this design will make the vehicle instantly noticeable wherever it goes.
The main event
From our point of view, the most exciting part of the day – yes, even more exciting than the racing – was the unveiling of Motul’s BioClean, a sustainable parts cleaning system for workshops.
Despite cleaning parts being an inevitable and vitally important part of the service and repair process in automotive workshops, it is usually done using harmful cold cleaners and solvents. The BioClean system is regarded by the French company as a sustainable alternative to standard cold cleaning technology.
Traditional cleaning systems employ fluids that pose a danger to people because they are harmful substances or unpleasant odour-producing solvents. These substances are a hazard to the environment, bring with them the danger of fire and risk damaging surfaces. They also require high energy consumption, and incur expensive downstream disposal costs, together with all of the hassle of managing the waste they produce.
Motul BioClean is an all-in-one, efficient, environmentally-friendly parts cleaning system that consists of a wash stand and a water-based cleaning fluid that gets its cleaning power from natural bio-microorganisms.
At a stroke, it overcomes all of the issues of traditional cold cleaning. Performance-wise, its cleaning effect is at least as good as traditional cold cleaning. The uses the system can be put to include removing and decomposing mineral oils, greases, waxes, machining oils and other impurities from a variety of surfaces, including steel of all types, aluminium, plastics and even painted surfaces. On top of this, BioClean retains its level of performance over a much longer period of time.
The potential applications for the product are obviously widespread, and BioClean is being pitched at relevant businesses of every size, all of which should see multiple benefits from its use. As with Motul products over the ages, it has already been tested across Motul’s motorsport programme.
On the new product, classic car race preparation expert and former BTCC champion Andrew Jordan had this to say: “It is not always easy to reconcile environmental protection and work. The new Motul BioClean cleaning system helps us to reduce both the environmental impact of cleaning processes and the risk for employees in the workshop from dangerous chemicals. We are pleased that, together with Motul, we are making a major contribution to environmental protection and can still provide the best performance.”
