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Ingress Auto launches its BMW Premium Selection website – browse, compare models quickly and easily

In BMW, Cars, Local News / By Anthony Lim / 21 October 2020 7:33 pm / 0 comment

BMW dealership Ingress Auto has introduced its new BMW Premium Selection website that will allow those shopping for a pre-owned BMW the ability to browse and compare models quickly, making the buying process a much easier experience.

You’ll be able to browse quickly through a number of BMW Premium Selection offerings in a particular model range at one go to help you shortlist potential choices, and if you know what you’re looking for specifically, you can filter your search by model, body type, price, year and mileage to streamline choice picks in even faster fashion.

You’ll also be able to find out all the technical aspects and other relevant details about any car that catches your eye. That’s because all the listings on the Ingress BMW Premium Selection website features comprehensive specifications, providing you with all the information that you need about a specific car model.

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Available data on a car is extensive, and that’s because the website is integrated with CarBase.my, the complete car buyer’s guide website. Another feature to make the selection process easier is a comparison function, where you can select up to four models and compare their specifications directly, side-by-side.

If you still want to know more about a particular model, the site will provide you the means to do so, in the form of model-specific news and reviews by paultan.org. When you’ve determined your choices, add them into your favourites and make an enquiry via an online form.

To further sweeten the deal, Ingress is offering a RM1,000 petrol card for any pre-owned BMW purchased via its BMW Premium Selection website, which you can find out more about here.

Also, if you’re looking to sell your current BMW, you can ask for a valuation on it via the website, and the programme also provides specialised appraisals on trade-in vehicles.

All BMW Premium Selection vehicles go through a comprehensive 360° check and are completely refurbished, technically and visually. All relevant information about each vehicle in the programme, pertaining from age to mileage, is verified and recorded, and all inspections and maintenance work is documented. To ensure worry-free motoring pleasure, customers purchasing a BPS vehicle will enjoy a 12 month warranty.

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MotoGP 2020: Petronas Sepang Racing principal Razlan says, “it’s all about your performance.”

In Bikes, International Bike News, MotoGP / By Mohan K Ramanujam / 21 October 2020 7:22 pm / 0 comment

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Spanish MotoGP 2020

Racing is a harsh mistress, as Malaysian racer Khairul Idham Pawi, a.k.a. “Super KIP” found out after receiving marching orders from Petronas Sprinta Racing (PSR) in the Moto 3 category of the MotoGP World Championship. An injury suffered during qualifying for the Czech Republic Grand Prix resulted in Khairul needing surgery and amputation of a finger.

With Super KIP serving out his contract term of four more races for PSR, his place has been taken by South African Darryn Binder, with one Moto 3 victory and a second place finish to his name. Binder, nicknamed “Divebomb Darryn” for his aggressive riding, is currently riding for CIP Green Power before moving to PSR in 2021, riding with current PSR rider John McPhee.

But right now, Khairul is left without a ride for next year’s race calendar and questions were being asked about the team structure and “what is a Malaysian racing team without Malaysian riders?” Sepang International Circuit (SIC) organised a video press conference with Datuk Razlan Razali, team principal of Petronas Sprinta Racing as well as Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team (SRT) and PSR in Moto 2, to shed some light on the matter.

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Spanish MotoGP 2020

“It’s all about performance,” said Razlan in his opening comments. “We absorbed Khairul in our Moto 2 team in the beginning (2019) with the expectation he would fight for his target which was to at least be in the points,” Razlan said.

“After his unfortunate injury in Jerez last year where he hurt his finger, a decision was made to demote him to Moto 3, where he had previously won a race in 2016,” continued Razlan. “The target we set for Khairul was in the top 15, in the points,” said Razlan.”

Super KIP was expected to improve his performance after surgery at the Misano round with Khairul’s race target adjusted for him to show in the top 20, elaborated Razlan. “He finished among the back markers and again, possibly because of his finger injury, we made an exception heading into Catalunya, one of his favourite tracks,” the PSR team principal said.

Unfortunately, Khairul’s poor performance continued into the Le Mans and Aragon rounds and despite full support from the team, there was no improvement. “At the point we were perplexed at Khairul’s performance, it’s not like we were asking for a podium or even the top 15, we only wanted a top 20. Finally, all we said to Khairul was “don’t come last,”” said Razlan.

“It is difficult for us with our objective of being a professional team, a competitive team and with six riders, we have one Malaysian rider who could not improve,” Razlan added. “I am the first person to support Malaysian riders with potential to come into our team but we had to make the difficult decision to let him him (Khairul) go,” he said.

“If a Malaysian rider does not perform, does not get results, I will be the one to make the decision to not renew his contract,” said Razlan. As for Khairul’s future racing career, Razlan expressed the hope Super KIP would use the opportunity to continue working hard for the remaining four races in the season to improve his chances for the future.

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Spanish MotoGP 2020

Talking about future opportunities for Malaysian riders in 2022 and beyond, Razlan emphasised the fact that PSR is a Malaysian team, with six out of 56 team members Malaysian and 22 other nationalities. “There are two aspects to this, one, we have a Malaysian team that is run by Malaysians, and two, is to develop Malaysian talent. The infrastructure is there for Malaysian talent,” Razlan said.

But infrastructure and having a Malaysian racer is not the only part of the equation as Razlan explained. “We want to make sure that the Malaysian talent has the potential, that is competitive in every sense of a rider. So, with that, together with SIC we are developing a couple of riders in the FIM CEV junior championship the likes of Adam Norrodin and Syariffudin Azman,” he said.

“Unfortunately, they are not ready. Those that are in CEV are not ready to be brought up into the world championship and that person is Syariffudin,” said Razlan. “I do not want to bring a guy right now for the sake of filling in the gap that we have no Malaysian (riders),” he continued.

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Aragon MotoGP, 16 October 2020

Touching on the subject of Malaysian race fans, many of whom are commenting on Khairul’s dismissal and opportunities for Malaysian riders, Razlan said they are emotional and passionate and accepts that PSR will receive a lot of criticism. “We cannot please everybody but we ask for them to be patient, we are developing young riders but we do not want to put a boy who is not ready under undue pressure,” said Razlan.

“If we put the boy in the Moto 3 world championship, yes, the fans will say well done Sepang Racing Team, fantastic.” “But if the boy doesn’t do well, the same fans will criticise this boy,” Razlan said.

Razlan says such comments will have the effect of demoralising and demotivating him, not just from the fans but also from his own performance because he is not ready. “We have experienced this before with Fahmi, with Adam, with KIP because our boys, they are super talented. In terms of talent they are comparable to the Europeans,” he said.

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Catalunya MotoGP. 24 September 2020

“But what they are lacking of is in terms of mental strength. The moment the slightest issue that people criticise them or they don’t do well their mental strength just drops and their performance drops,” Razlan explained. A team programme of communication and mental strength training is there to help Malaysian riders adapt to the high level of competition in Moto 3.

Razlan did express some confusion as to why Khairul did not avail himself to every possible avenue of help within the team, aside from his crew chief. “We have channels of communication within the team for crew chiefs to talk to one another, to share data and setups,” Razlan said.

“If a rider is in a difficult situation I would expect them to spend more time analysing data, analysing videos and that is something I don’t see with our Malaysian riders,” said Razlan. “With the European riders, they spend a lot of time analysing data and don’t forget we also have a riders’ coach, an ex-rider, he is a rider coach for all our riders that need him,” added Razlan.

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Spanish MotoGP 2020

“A rider can easily go to him and consult and seek advice on what he needs to do on the track. What I am saying is if a rider is on a situation where he needs to do better what I expect is for him to spend more time talking to their crew chief, our riders coach or other riders in other categories,” Razlan said.

As team principal, Razlan expects that every rider and every team member must help each other irrespective of category, as a direct instruction from him. “And we have seen that. Why I think Jake Dixon – riding in Moto 2 – does very well, to some extent, is that his team went to Franco Morbidelli’s team and consulted on how to do better. Same with all the other riders, if they feel the need to do better, by all means please do so,” added Razlan.

“The minimum KIP should do (in this situation) is to talk to his team mate. He has a fast team mate. It is impossible for us not to do a good setting for KIP when we can do it for John. To some extent, whether KIP likes it or not, his crew chief tried to do the same setting as John McPhee. But he needs to talk, if he keeps quiet to himself, that’s it. He has to communicate, to seek advice, to compare data.”

“KIP has six years in the championship, he’s not a rookie. He needs to do something for himself. If he was a rookie we would treat him as a rookie rider and what a rookie expects,” Razlan said. “But he’s not, he’s a seasoned Moto 2 and Moto 3 rider.”

Khairul Idham Pawi , Moto3, Catalunya MotoGP. 26 September 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3 race, Calatunya MotoGP, 27 September 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Calatunya MotoGP, 26 September 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Catalunya MotoGP. 24 September 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Calatunya MotoGP, 25 September 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Aragon MotoGP, 16 October 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Aragon MotoGP, 16 October 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Aragon MotoGP, 16 October 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Aragon MotoGP, 16 October 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Aragon MotoGP, 16 October 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Aragon MotoGP, 16 October 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Aragon MotoGP, 16 October 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Aragon MotoGP, 16 October 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Aragon MotoGP, 16 October 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Aragon MotoGP, 16 October 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, 2020 Austrian MotoGP

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Spanish MotoGP 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Spanish MotoGP 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Spanish MotoGP 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Spanish MotoGP 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Spanish MotoGP 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Spanish MotoGP 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Spanish MotoGP 2020

John McPhee, Moto3, Spanish MotoGP 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, Moto3, Spanish MotoGP 2020

Khairul Idham Pawi, 2020 Spain MotoGP

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Nissan Magnite makes its global debut in India – sub-four-metre compact SUV with 1.0L turbo three-cylinder

In Cars, International News, Nissan / By Gerard Lye / 21 October 2020 5:38 pm / 0 comment

This is the all-new Nissan Magnite, a sub-four-metre SUV (required for favourable tax exemptions) that is set to go on sale in India early next year and in other markets later. The model was first previewed by a similarly-named concept earlier this year and occupies the space below the Kicks in the company’s line-up.

Dubbed a B-SUV, the Magnite – combination of the words “magnetic” and “ignite” – was designed in Japan, with the automaker saying it was “crafted to suit the unique requirements and aspirations of customers across India.”

In terms of styling, the Magnite in production guise remains faithful to the concept that previewed it. At the front, there’s a large grille that is flanked by slim headlamps and daytime running lights, which run down the sides of the SUV’s face at the edges.

Meanwhile, the lower apron sports a silver skid plate and small fog lamps that are integrated into blacked-out sections of the bumper. According to Nissan, all lighting elements at the front use LED technology and the SUV boasts 205 mm of ground clearance.

Along the sides, the Magnite’s relatively boxy profile and two-tone paintjob are complemented by prominent haunches and black cladding over the wheels, while the lower section of the doors features aggressive creases and rugged rocker panels that are 205 mm off the ground. Like the concept, there’s a small piece of trim near the side mirrors that visually extends the window line, except they have the “Magnite” script on them.

Around back, the shape of the concept’s taillight clusters has been retained, albeit with revised graphics within. The sporty roof spoiler also made the cut, but the expressive rear bumper has been simplified, with arched, overlapping structures finished in black and grey, with narrow reflectors squeezed in.

On the inside, Nissan says the Magnite offers a spacious layout that includes a high seating position and best-in-class couple/front seat distance of 700 mm. Rear passengers are also said to enjoy a “level of knee room usually found in vehicles one class above,” and owners will have access to 336 litres of boot space.

The tiered dashboard design sees hexagonal-shaped air vents placed above a wide-width trim, which has a detailed honeycomb pattern on it. An eight-inch touchscreen head unit takes its place on the centre stack, just above controls for the car’s automatic air-conditioning system (with rear vents).

Progressing towards the centre console, you’ll find a small shelf to keep small items, followed by the engine start button. Below that is another storage cubby that also houses a power outlet and USB port, but curiously, is closed off to the front passenger. Beyond that is the gear lever, cupholders and an armrest.

As far as features go, there’s a seven-inch TFT instrument cluster, cruise control, fabric upholstery, while the head unit has support for wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The company also touts a Tech Pack that adds wireless device charging, an air purifier, a JBL sound system, ambient lighting and puddle lamps. On the safety front, the Indian-market Magnite is offered with two airbags, ABS, EBD, Vehicle Dynamic Control, traction control, hill start assist and a 360-degree around view monitor.

Under the bonnet, the SUV is powered by a HRA0 1.0 litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine, although the company did not provide output figures. The mill is also used for the Almera, where in Thailand, it makes 100 hp and 152 Nm of torque. Nissan’s X-Tronic CVT is paired with the engine, but reports say a five-speed manual will be available as well.

Pricing for the Magnite is not available just yet, and neither is the list of available variants, seeing how the model will only go on sale in India in 2021. At launch, it will take on the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, and Kia Sonet. What do you think of the Magnite? Would you buy one if offered? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

GALLERY: Nissan Magnite Concept

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McLaren High-Performance Hybrid IP filing sighted

In Cars, Hybrids, EVs and Alternative Fuel, International News, McLaren / By Mick Chan / 21 October 2020 5:15 pm / 0 comment

Following McLaren’s teaser of its forthcoming High-Performance Hybrid (HPH) earlier this month, images of the hybrid V6-powered sports car have emerged on the Global Design Database of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) this week, around the same time our spy photographers have spotted a development vehicle running road tests.

This will the Woking-based carmaker’s first series production hybrid model, after the limited-run P1 that once topped the range as part of the Ultimate Series, and will thus mark a new age of electrification for the marque when it debuts in 2021, after production ends for the current Sport Series range which is comprised of models like the 570S, 600LT and 620R.

The test vehicle sighted by our spy photographers appears to be in a similar state of development as the car in McLaren’s official teaser, minus the latter’s Pirelli sticker on its side. Beneath the camouflage, the latest design cues on the brand’s current models such as the McLaren GT can be seen, albeit with a more aggressive edge overall compared to the grand tourer.

The upcoming V6 hybrid has been described as capable of delivering “astonishing levels of performance and a uniquely intense driver experience,” which means it will likely improve upon the performance levels of the 570S, which makes 570 PS and 600 Nm of torque from its M838TE 3.8 litre twin-turbo V8 engine, while offering a ‘medium-range’ fully electric drive capability.

The forthcoming HPH is pitched between the GT – the first under the marque’s Grand Tourer range – and the 720S which is categorised as a Super Series car, therefore it will likely show stronger numbers than the 3.2-second 0-100 km/h time and 328 km/h top speed figures of the 570S.

The new powertrain will be joined by another McLaren first; a new carbon-fibre structure named the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA) that will be made at the McLaren Composites Technology Centre (MCTC) in Sheffield. This will form the basis of future McLarens and accommodate their hybrid powertrains in the years to come.

McLaren V6 High-Performance Hybrid spyshots

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Fast and Furious 11 to be the last entry in the film saga

In International News / By Gerard Lye / 21 October 2020 4:23 pm 2 comments

The Fast and Furious franchise has been around for a very long time, with the first film hitting the silver screens in 2001. Since then, seven more films have been launched, with almost all of them centring around Dominic Toretto and his family, with the notable exception of 2003’s 2 Fast 2 Furious and 2006’s The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift – the latter did include a cameo of the protagonist.

With so many films already released, one has to wonder when we will say goodbye to the Toretto family. Well, the answer is 11. Variety has confirmed that the main Fast and Furious franchise will come to a conclusion after the tenth and 11th films, with Justin Lin set to direct the final two entries.

Justin Lin is no stranger to the franchise, having directed the third, fourth, fifth and sixth Fast and Furious film. He is also at the helm of the latest, ninth film – F9: The Fast Saga – which was originally supposed to be released in May this year, but has since been pushed back by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

While the main storyline involving Toretto will draw to a close with the 11th film, this does not mean that the Fast and Furious cinematic universe is gone for good. As we’ve seen with last year’s Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, there’s plenty of potential for spin-offs based on other characters, with Universal Pictures reportedly having a few in development.

Back in 2016, Vin Diesel – the actor playing Toretto – confirmed that the franchise would end at 10 films, but with this latest bit of news, it’s going up to 11. Given the various delays associated with the ninth film – it has been pushed back twice due to the first spin-off and now Covid-19 – it’ll be a while before we get to see the tenth and 11th films.

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Toyota takes top spot as most valuable automotive brand in Interbrand’s 2020 Best Global Brands list

In Cars, International News / By Gerard Lye / 21 October 2020 3:04 pm 7 comments

For yet another year, Toyota has been named the most valuable automotive brand in the world, according to Interbrand’s 2020 Best Global Brands list. As with last year, 15 automotive brands secured places on the top 100 list, with Tesla re-entering the rankings after being absent since 2017.

Toyota’s brand value was estimated to be USD51.595 billion, which is 8% less than last year, but still sufficient to secure first place among automotive brands and seventh overall – Coca-Cola, Samsung, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Apple are ahead of it.

Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz retained its spot on the list as well – second among automotive brands and eighth overall – with a brand value of USD49.268 billion, 3% less than last year. Similarly, BMW remained the third most valuable automotive brand (and 11th overall) with a brand value of USD39.756 billion.

Coming in fourth (and 20th overall) is Honda, which saw a significant 11% dip in brand value to USD21.694 billion. Further down the list, Hyundai (USD14.295 billion) gained 1% in brand value to take the fifth spot (36th overall), while Ford dropped to seventh (42nd overall) after a 12% decline to USD12.568 billion.

Taking its spot between the Korean and American carmakers is returning Tesla in sixth, with a brand value of USD12.785 billion. The strong return to the list is backed by an increase in market capitalisation of 769% in 12 months and growing revenues, Interbrand says.

Brands in the Volkswagen Group occupied the next three spots after Ford, with Audi taking the eighth spot (44th overall), Volkswagen in ninth (47th overall) and Porsche in tenth (55th overall). All three saw their brand values dip by between 2% and 5%.

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Nissan missed out on the top 10 this year, with an 8% drop in brand value to USD10.553 billion for 11th place (59th overall), followed by Ferrari in 12th place (79th overall). As for the final three remaining brands, they are Kia in 13th place (86th overall), Land Rover in 14th place (93rd overall) and lastly, MINI in 15th place (95th overall). Harley-Davidson, which was last year’s bottom brand, dropped out of the list in 2020.

Brands included in the list must meet several conditions, including having a significant presence in Asia, Europe, and North America, as well as geographic coverage in emerging markets. Additionally, at least 30% of revenue must come from outside of the brand’s home region, and there must be sufficient publicly available data on the brand’s financial performance.

Their economic profit must also be expected to be positive over the longer term, delivering a return above the brand’s cost of capital. Lastly, the brand must have a public profile and awareness across the major economies of the world.

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2022 GMC Hummer EV debuts – three-motor electric pick-up truck with 1,000 hp and 15,591 Nm of torque!

In Cars, GMC, Hybrids, EVs and Alternative Fuel, International News / By Mick Chan / 21 October 2020 12:49 pm 8 comments

Here it is – the return of the Hummer nameplate on a fully electric pick-up truck, after several teasers from the beginning of the year. Its headline output figures of 1,000 hp and an estimated 15,591 Nm of torque come courtesy of a three-motor powertrain with a double-stacked Ultium battery pack, which has been estimated by General Motors to offer 560 km of driving range in Edition 1 guise.

The Hummer EV Edition 1 can support 800-volt DC fast charging at up to 350 kW, which enables nearly 160 km of range to be acquired in 10 minutes of charging, says GMC. This launch variant will be available in the Northern Hemispehere autumn of 2021 with a starting price of US$112,595 (RM466,706), and will be the first of an eventual four-variant Hummer EV line-up.

This will be joined by the Hummer EV3X a year later in the fall of 2022 starting from US$99,995 (RM414,479), with a three-motor setup producing 800 hp and 12,880 Nm of torque, here offering 480 km of range.

This will be followed in the spring on 2023 with the Hummer EV2X, starting from US$89,995 (RM373,029), and this will come with a two-motor, 480 hp/10,033 Nm powertrain offering 480 km of range. The range is completed by the base Hummer EV2 variant that is slated for debut in the spring of 2024, also with a two-motor, 480 hp/10,033 Nm powertrain and 400 km of range.

The top-spec powertrain in Edition 1 guise enables the GMC Hummer EV for an estimated 0-96 km/h time of approximately three seconds, though the domain of a Hummer is in adverse terrain. To that end, the electric truck comes with a first-in-segment four-wheel-steer featuring CrabWalk that turns all four wheels in the same direction at low speeds for the vehicle to move diagonally, somewhat like a crab, hence the name.

The Hummer EV comes with adaptive air suspension as standard, and is available with an Extract Mode that raises its ride height by 149 mm to help the vehicle traverse more extreme terrain such as boulders or water crossings, as well as climbing 18-inch vertical sections. Meanwhile, rolling stock comes courtesy of 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory mud-terrain tyres as standard, with the option of 37-inch tyres available.

Off-roading credentials are further bolstered with underbody armour in the form of steel plates, in order to protect the battery pack against the elements when traversing treacherous off-road conditions. Ultravision front and rear underbody cameras offer additional ‘virtual spotter’ vantage points when navigating obstacles otherwise unseen from the driver’s seat, and when wheel placement is crucial.

The underbody cameras are packaged in a way to be protected against damage from the terrain, and are equipped with a wash function to help clear debris that is accumulated during off-road use. The Hummer EV offers 18 camera views, which is a best-in-class total according to GMC.

The structural rigidity gains afforded by the battery pack enables a structure that allows for removable Sky Panel roof sections, which can be stored in the front trunk, or ‘frunk’ storage compartment that complements the standard pick-up truck cargo tray at the rear end. In terms of aesthetics, there are Hummer badges aplenty; even the headlamps feature elements that are designed with a stylised ‘H’ on each side.

Inside, the 12.3-inch driver instrumentation and 13.4-inch infotainment screens include off-road widgets that display the vehicle’s functions and terrain status, including torque output, differential locker engagement, tyre pressure, pitch and roll angles including maximum values, drift gauge (with maximum values), friction circle, torque vectoring and others.

Unique to the Edition launch variant are functions including ‘Watts to Freedom’, that unleashes the full 1,000 hp/15,591 Nm outputs and lowers the the vehicle by 50 mm in order for it to achieve the 0-95 km/h sprint in three seconds, along with Drive Mode Control that grants the driver control over front and rear axle torque splits, four-wheel steering settings, including Terrain Mode which raises the vehicle by 50 mm.

The Edition 1 also gets a MultiPro tailgate that can be set to six different positions, while the rear glass window and tonneau cover are power-operated for opening and closing.

Production of the GMC Hummer EV will commence late next year at General Motors’ Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center. This is facility that is nearly 40 years old that has been retooled in a US$2.2 billion (RM9.1 billion) investment dedicated to electric vehicle production. Future vehicles to emerge from this plant will be zero emissions, says GMC.

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SSC plans to built a “little brother” for the Tuatara

In Cars, International News / By Gerard Lye / 21 October 2020 12:43 pm / 0 comment

According to a report by Motor Authority, SSC plans to build a new model that slots in below the record-setting Tuatara, a project that it is calling “Little Brother.” This will help to widen the company’s line-up of offerings to draw in more customers in the future.

SSC CEO Jerod Shelby revealed that the Little Brother project will be a mid-engine supercar with a naturally-aspirated V8 that makes around 700 to 800 hp. By comparison, the Tuatara’s 5.9 litre twin-turbo V8 pushes out 1,750 hp when running on E85 ethanol fuel and 1,350 hp on 91 octane petrol.

Power difference aside, the Tuatara’s lesser sibling is said to be priced within the USD400,000 to USD500,000 range (RM1.658 million to RM2.073 million), making it much more “affordable” to those looking to own an SSC. Additionally, it will have higher production volume compared to the 100-unit Tuatara that has a base price of USD1.625 million (RM6.736 million).

On that mention, Shelby said that the project has been on the back burner for a few years, but it won’t enter the design phase until the Tuatara reaches full production levels. Due to the current pandemic, the company is only expected reach its peak production target of 25 cars per year in 2022, with 20 orders for the Tuatara accounted for so far.

As for other details, Shelby revealed the Little Brother will adopt various cues from the Tuatara, with its design set to be a scaled down version of its flagship. When launched, the model will compete against models like the McLaren 765LT, Ferrari F8 Tributo and the Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG) 004.

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2021 Suzuki Across plug-in hybrid SUV launched in the UK – based on the Toyota RAV4, priced from RM245k

In Cars, International News, Suzuki / By Matthew H Tong / 21 October 2020 12:31 pm 3 comments

The 2021 Suzuki Across plug-in hybrid SUV has officially been launched in the UK, with prices starting from £45,599 (RM245k). Suzuki’s first PHEV model is actually a rebadged version of the Toyota RAV4, particularly the overwhelmingly popularly RAV4 Prime. Suzuki even said supply availability will be “very limited” in the first year.

For design, the Across gets its own unique front face with slimmer bi-projector LED headlights and signature LED daytime running lights, a huge hexagonal radiator grille, new 19-inch wheels emphasised with wheel arch mouldings, and a front skid plate. The rest of the car is basically carried over from the RAV4. Colour options include White Pearl Crystal Shine, Silver Metallic, Attitude Black Mica, Sensual Red Mica (seen here), Grey Metallic and Dark Blue Mica.

The cabin is also completely carried over from the RAV4, with the only difference being the steering boss with the Suzuki badge. It gets a nine-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, as well as MirrorLink functionalities for compatible smartphones. Features such as smart entry with push start, Optitron instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control with rear vents, and leather seats come as standard. Boot volume is 490 litres, and a 12-volt socket is available as well.

In terms of performance, the Across is powered by the 2.5 litre A25A-FXS Dynamic Force Atkinson-cycle engine making 176 hp and 228 Nm. It’s augmented with an electric motor to produce a total system output of 302 hp, allowing the SUV to do the 0-100 km/h sprint in six seconds flat.

The e-motor gets juiced by an 18.1kWh (50.9 Ah) lithium-ion battery offers an all-electric range of 60 km (based on the WLTP cycle; best in class). It also gets Toyota’s E-Four electronic 4×4 system, which uses an independent 40 kW rear motor that works in tandem with the front motor to provide a front:rear torque distribution between 100:0 to 20:80.

Safety features include Pre-Collision System (PCS), Lane Tracing Assist (LTA) and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC) as standard, as well as Road Sign Assist (RSA), Blind Spot Monitor (BSM), and Rear Crossing Traffic Alert (RCTA). Deliveries of the Suzuki Across PHEV will begin in November, after which Suzuki will introduce the Swace, a UK-built Toyota Corolla Touring Sports hybrid rebadge.

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Bugatti teases new model with X-shaped taillights

In Bugatti, Cars, International News / By Gerard Lye / 21 October 2020 11:52 am 4 comments

Bugatti has another model set to debut soon, but this one looks rather different from its current crop of cars. The company didn’t provide any details to keep things a surprise, with only the question of “what if…?” accompanying a teaser image on its official website.

Said image shows the vehicle’s rear taillights that form an X, a light signature not seen on Bugatti models. However, this X-shaped structure does remind us of the aero-focused Chiron Pur Sport, where the uprights for the rear wing and the diffuser create the look.

It’s certainly very spaceship-like, and the mysterious car could serve as a preview for the brand’s future design language. A concept is a safe bet, but reports say that this could be an actual production version of a rumoured four-seat electric car, which does somewhat answer the question at the start.

With news that Rimac could take over Bugatti from the Volkswagen Group, we could see the brand’s first electric vehicle come into fruition. Alternatively, it is also claimed that this will be another variant of Chiron, with possibilities ranging from a one-off track car to a roadster. Whatever it is, we’ll have to wait for Bugatti to reveal more soon.

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