Paul Tan on the Automotive Industry
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The Volkswagen CrossPolo is based on the Polo, its less rugged-looking sibling. It is essentially a Polo with larger wheels, a rugged SUV-like bodykit and a raised suspension. Don’t expect to go very far off the tarmac with the CrossPolo, though a higher ride height may give you a little more peace of mind when negotiating mildly flooded highways – like the Middle Ring Road near Bandar Tasik Selatan.
Read my test drive report after the jump.
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Reader Fabian Bigar was at the 78E Salon International De L’Auto & Accesoires, Geneva (otherwise more commonly known as the 2008 Geneva Motor Show) last week, and he snapped a few photos at the exhibition.
He was generous enough to send them in. Must have been hard work as they were pretty high res and it must not have been easy waiting for them all to be attached to multiple emails.
View the rest of his photos after the jump.
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Reader Donovan Chin (he has the new D300 SLR, lucky fella) spotted this unregistered white Nissan GT-R parked next to the new Jaya One building in Section 14, PJ. Look after the jump for more shots of the car, including a glipse of the quad large diameter tailpipes that looks oh so menacing.
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The Transport For London created this test to create awareness on the importance of paying attention and looking out for cyclists. Though we don’t have much cyclists here on our roads, I guess the same could apply to pedestrians, motorcyclists and etc.
Did you pass or fail the test? I failed. Take the test after the jump.
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Here are some teaser shots of the upcoming 2009 Ford Focus RS, and a concept version of the car will be shown at the 2008 London Motor Show in July this year.
The 5-cylinder turbocharged engine under the hood will be putting out between 280 to 300 horsepower, but the word is that all of the power will be going through the front wheels through some clever differential.
More photos after the jump.
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Alfa Romeo has revealed three teaser images of their new B-segment hatchback, recently christened the Alfa Romeo Mi.To. Not Junior, not Furiosa. The name Mi.To is short for Milano and Torino (Milan and Turin), cities which host the Alfa Romeo and Fiat headquarters respectively.
The Alfa Romeo Mi.To will be 4060mm long, 1720mm wide and 1440mm tall. Under its hood will be the same family of Fiat engines ranging from 90 horses up to 155 horses, and all petrol and diesel variants will be force inducted. What’s new would be a new range of dual clutch transmissions, replacing the trademark Selespeed.
It will be equipped with a system Alfa calls DNA – Dynamic, Normal and All-Weather. DNA settings will adjust the responsiveness of the throttle, steering, brakes and gear shifts for sporty, city or slippery roads.
Two more photos and a video after the jump.
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UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd has unveiled the new 2008 Toyota Corolla Altis here in Malaysia. Read the rest of the article after the jump to find out more about the latest fully imported C-segment sedan to reach our local shores.
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Prodrive is currently developing an innovative system called Active Toe Control that may eliminate the need for complicated multi-link rear suspension setups.
Active Toe Control works on the rear axle of a front wheel drive car to adjust the toe angle depending on the speed of the vehicle. Toe angle is typically set between a compromise of giving a vehicle agile handling at lower speeds (toe-out on the rear axle) or making it more stable and predictable at high speed (toe-in). Active Toe Control eliminates this compromise, ensuring optimum toe angle at all times.
“Typically most drivers stay well within 60-70 per cent of their car’s capabilities. This means vehicle manufacturers are increasingly focusing on making their cars feel more sporty in this region, without necessarily increasing their outright performance,” says Matt Taylor, Prodrive chief dynamics specialist.
According to Taylor, handling characteristics are increasingly becoming attributes of vehicle brands. A German car is expected to have its yaw rate and lateral acceleration build at the same time, so you feel as if the rear wheels are following the front wheels, with the car turning around the rear axle.
A typical French front wheel drive car however, is expected to have its lateral acceleration lag behind the yaw rate gain where the suspension flexibility allows the rear wheels to move sideways before ‘pushing’ the rear of the car.
“This gives the driver the sensation that the car is momentarily turning on the spot around its centre of gravity, as the nose tucks in and the back kicks out, giving an agile feeling. Neither approach is right or wrong, it’s a matter of preference. Vehicle manufacturers really want ways to reduce the production cost of their cars. Replacing simple twist beam axles with more expensive multi-link systems goes against the grain, but as they all strive for class leading handling, it is direction they are being forced to take. With Active Toe Control you have the added benefit of refining the handling simply by changing the control algorithms on the production line or at the dealer, to give the characteristics favoured by whichever market the car is to be sold,” adds Taylor.
Active Toe Control is still conceptual at this time, and Prodrive is looking for a hardware partner to take the project to a working prototype.
Related Links:
What is Toe Angle? (Wikipedia)
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Naza Corporation Sdn Bhd is organizing a contest for buyers of the 2007 stock Naza Sutera where the buyers can win a Naza Sutera Sportivo.
As there will only be one winner for the car, those who buy a Sutera during the promotion period will also be able to bring home a 29 inch “Slim Fit†television set upon successful registration of their new car. This means all Sutera buyers will go home with a gift.
The promotion will be on from 14 March 2008 to 23 March 2008. 23 Naza Corporation dealers are participating in this promotion and interested buyers are advised to check out the nearest Naza Corporation dealer. Alternatively, interested customers may also call the Customer Careline at 03-2617 7777 for more information pertaining to this offer and the whereabouts of the participating dealers.
The selected dealers will also be having open houses for customers on the 14th to 16th March and 21st to 23rd March 2008 at their premises. All customers are invited to the open house.
Here is the trailer for the upcoming Speed Racer live action movie, directed by the Wachowski brothers. The movie is set for a May 2008 debut. Speed will be played by Emile Hirsch, who played Johnny Truelove in Alpha Dog and Matthew in The Girl Next Door. Speed’s car is called the Mach 5, and it is supposedly powered by a 5,000 horsepower V12 engine that spins up to 30,000rpm. Fictional or not, that is some very crazy numbers there. Watch the trailer after the jump.
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