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BMW Progressive Activity Sedan teaser

January 31, 2009 at 2:35 am By Paul Tan Filed Under BMW, Cars, Concept Cars, Videos

BMW PAS Spyshot

BMW PASBMW has released a teaser video where a narrator uses scribbly drawings to describe what the whole BMW PAS (Progressive Activity Sedan) concept is all about. The BMW PAS is what many consider to be a 5-Series with a coupe-like stationwagon rear end.

You may be wondering what’s the difference between this and taking an X6 and just lowering it and replacing the wheels with more road-like ones? Well, BMW hopes this video will continue to spark your curiosity until the unveiling (in concept form), which is expected to be in the next 2 months or so.

From the video here are some details we can obtain:

  • 2 rows of seating, with the 2nd row having reclining and sliding seats to vary between legroom and luggage space as needed.
  • A dual-opening rear hatch which also includes a regular sedan bootlid, much like the new Skoda Superb’s “TwinDoor” hatch.
  • A semi-command seating position for the driver, somewhere in between a sedan’s sitting position and an SUV’s.

It’s somewhat like taking the Audi A6 Allroad or Volvo XC70 concept abit further with a coupe-ish roofline, the special two-in-one rear hatch and the comfortable 2nd row seats.

Watch the video after the jump.
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Open top MINI goes through an automatic car wash

January 30, 2009 at 5:13 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under BMW, Cars, Videos

MINI Cabriolet

What happens when you drive a MINI Cabriolet through an automatic car-wash machine, with the top down? Find out in the viral video after the jump.
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Peugeot 308 NZ Line bodykit based on Irmscher RC Line 308 bodykit design

January 30, 2009 at 12:48 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Peugeot

Peugeot 308 NZLine

For soon to be owners of the Peugeot 308, here are some accessories that are in the pipeline. The bodykit you see above is inspired from the RC Line by Irmscher bodykit and produced locally under the NZ Line brand for price reduction purposes, as there will be no import taxes on the bodykit.

The front lips, side skirts and rear spoiler go for RM 2,800. There is also a rear diffuser in the works but not shown in these set of photos that will retail for RM 980. One thing odd about the 308 – not even the THP version has any visible rear tailpipes to speak of, kind of weird for a sporty model, so to complement the diffuser and give the car a sportier look a set of tail taipipes are also being developed and is expected to retail for RM138.

The wheels you see there are original fully imported RC Line Irmscher Peugeot 308 wheels that will go for RM9,950. Nasim Sdn Bhd has no plans to localise the wheels (they are Peugeot and TUV certified) for safety purposes. The Irmscher wheels are 17 inch in size and should be a direct swap for the 308 Turbo while retaining existing tyres, but 308 VTi owners will have to get new tyres because their stock wheels are 16 inch.

The dark colour of the wheels go well with the sporty red of the 308 and I’d imagine they are lighter but for such a price you may consider just painting a similiar colour on your existing 308 Turbo 5-spoke wheels instead!

Look after the jump for two more shots of the Peugeot 308 NZLine bodykit.
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Peugeot 3008 Crossover – details and photos

January 30, 2009 at 10:54 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Peugeot, Videos

Peugeot 3008

Peugeot attempts to define what a crossover is with the new Peugeot 3008 crossover, previously internally known as the T84, built on the 308′s platform. Peugeot says basically a crossover is a vehicle that has a combination of qualities that are usually deemed incompatible, such as driving pleasure inside a “tall” vehicle, etc. It says the 3008 is a fusion between a SUV, an MPV and a hatchback.

On the inside it presents to you a possible future design direction for Peugeot interiors. The dash is now quite driver-centric and gives you the feeling of a “cockpit”, especially the horizontal row of switches below the center air conditioning outlets. If this is where Peugeot dashboard is headed to then I definitely approve!

Peugeot 3008

Peugeot says it has engineered the 3008 to have a comfortable sedan-like driving position despite being a tall vehicle. That means feeling like you’re sitting snugly in the seat instead of on it like a stool. It also means an optimum sedan-like steering wheel position, and Peugeot has equipped the 3008′s steering column with 3 joints instead of the usual 2 to ensure this “perfect position”.

There are also some nice driver-air gadgets such as an automatic parking brake, hill assist, distance alert to the car in front of you and finally a heads-up display. You will find near the gear lever a knob that allows you to select between 5 “Grip Control” modes – Standard, Snow, Off Road (Mud/Dirt/Wet Grass), Sand and ESP off.

Peugeot 3008
Click for enlarged image

Under the hood are a range of both petrol and diesel engines, with the petrol units as expected being from the Prince family co-developed with BMW. The 1.6 VTi is available in 120hp and 160Nm form with a 5-speed manual, while the 1.6 THP comes in two slightly different variants. One is a 150hp, 240Nm version with a 6-speed manual that puts out 176g/km of CO2 while the other is a more powerful yet less polluting 156hp and 240Nm Euro 5-compliant version that puts out only 170g/km of CO2.

The diesel versions are from the HDi FAP range with either 1.6 litre or 2.0 litre displacements and outputs ranging from as low as 110hp and 240Nm with a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automated manual (AMT) to a 2.0 litre with 163hp and 340Nm of torque mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Peugeot 3008

While these regular engines are available from various times this year onwards, from the year 2011 onwards, the 3008 will be equipped with Peugeot’s HYbrid4 technology which uses a diesel engine to power the front wheels but goes into all-wheel drive mode with an electric motor powering the rear wheels. The HYbrid4 can also turn the vehicle into a rear wheel drive vehicle in an all-electric mode with zero emissions.

Check out a whole photo gallery with a video after the jump.
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Say goodbye to the Honda S2000 with the white Honda S2000 Ultimate Edition

January 30, 2009 at 8:44 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Honda, International News

Honda S2000 Ultimate Edition

The Honda S2000 first made its debut in 1999 and after nearly 10 years, it’s finally going to be laid to rest. Honda has announced that production of the S2000 for all regions will halt at the end of June this year. There should be approximately 110,000 S2000s on the road around the world, if most of them aren’t totaled yet. Of that figure, 20,000 units were sold in Japan and another near-20,000 in Europe.

Honda is of course having a final go at the S2000 with this new Honda S2000 Ultimate Edition, which will be unveiled at the Geneva motorshow in March and sold until June 2009. The engine is still the 240 PS 2.0 litre 9,000rpm high revving engine powering the car’s two rear wheels. It is painted with the Grand Prix White colour which is supposed to evoke memories of Honda’s 1964 F1 car. This will be matched with a red leather interior.

This would also mean the high-revving FR Honda engine will now be in limited supply, making it harder to do modifications such as this.

Look after the jump for more shots of the S2000.
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VIDEO: McLaren MP4-22 against W204 C350, etc

January 30, 2009 at 1:16 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Formula 1, Mercedes Benz, Videos

W204 C350

Track lap comparisons between Formula One cars and lesser track and road cars have been done to death now (here is an older version of the McLaren F1 car versus Mercedes road car etc), and even this video is 2 years old but it’s one of the more fairly updated comparisons, as one of the cars that’s pit against the F1 car is the new W204 C-Class in C 350 form. The other two cars are the Mercedes-Benz CLK 63 AMG Black Series and the C-Class DTM race car. The Formula One car is the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-22 piloted by Fernando Alonso. Watch the action after the jump.
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New facelifted Porsche 911 GT3 initial details

January 30, 2009 at 12:19 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Porsche, Videos

Porsche 911 GT3

The 911 GT3 has been updated and is set to make a public debut at the Geneva show in March, so Porsche has released an initial set of images for those of us hungry to check out the changes made to Porsche’s latest “track car for the road”.

The GT3 is the most powerful normally aspirated Type 997 Porsche 911, as the Turbo and the GT2 are turbocharged. The engine has been upsized to 3.8 litres and peak power is now 435hp, up 20 horses from the pre-facelift model. Porsche VarioCam is now active on both the intake and exhaust valves, as the predecessor only had it on the intake valves. 0 to 100km/h takes 4.1 seconds, if you shift the manual gearbox perfectly.

The new facelifted Type 997 Porsche 911 GT3 now has a sports-oriented variant of the Porsche Stability Management system which offers the driver the choice to deactivate Stability Control and Traction Control in separate steps. If turned off, they won’t kick in even at the most dire of circumstances, only when the driver pushes the necessary buttons to let them kick in again.

Porsche 911 GT3

The car’s aerodynamics have been improved, and Porsche claims overall air pressure pushing down on the car is more than twice greater than the former model. Both front and rear downforce has been improved. Springs and anti-rollbars are now stiffer, and the wheels are lighter, and all of this improves handling.

Along with the improved VarioCam, the keyword for the updates to the new GT3 seem to be “variable”. The 911 GT3 now has the option of Porsche Active Drivetrain Mount (PADM) engine mountings. The PADM recognises when the driver is driving sportily and automatically makes the engine mounts harder and resistant. During normal day to day driving they remain “elastic”, which improves comfort. The front axle can be raised via the active suspension at the touch of a button. It goes up by 30mm to help the car navigate bumpy surfaces and steep gradients.

The 911 GT3 will go on sale in the UK and Ireland for £81,914 and buyers will also receive a complimentary course at the Porsche Driving Experience Centre in Silverstone. For those that cannot enjoy such a privilege at the moment, look after the jump to enjoy some photos and a video.
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Locally assembled Peugeot 308 VTi and Peugeot 308 Turbo launched in Malaysia: RM96.5k to RM111k

January 29, 2009 at 10:24 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Peugeot, Videos

The prices for the Peugeot 308 has been revealed by Nasim Sdn Bhd this morning. The cars are locally assembled and are available in two variants, the Peugeot 308 VTi at RM 96,500 and the Peugeot 308 Turbo at RM 111,000. These prices are with insurance.

Both are powered by 1.6 litre engines from the PSA-BMW Prince family and mated to Porsche Tiptronic 4-speed transmissions, but a key difference is in how air gets pushed into the engines, which directly affects its power output.

Peugeot 308 VTi – RM 95,500

Peugeot 308 VTi

The Peugeot 308 VTi shares the same powerplant as the MINI Cooper. That means variable valve timing and Valvetronic variable valve lift that enables the engine to be operated without a conventional throttle butterfly. This decreases pumping losses, which improves fuel economy. The following are the specifications for the 308 VTi model, as well as a torque curve and shift diagrams:

Peugeot 308 VTi specifications
Exterior
16″ 10-spoke alloy wheels
205/55R16 tyres
Headlamps with follow me home function
Daytime Running Lights [DRL]
Auto Headlight Sensor
Auto Front Windshield Wipers
Electric Folding mirrors

Interior
Active carbon/pollen filter for dual zone air cond
6 speakers
MP3 CD player with aux input and remote control
Rake and reach adjustable steering
Underseat storage drawers for front and rear
Adjustable front armrest with storage compartment

Engine
PSA-BMW Prince 1.6 engine
120hp at 6,000rpm
160Nm @ 4,250rpm
4-speed automatic

Safety
4 airbags (Front and side)
F/R Ventilated and solid discs
ABS, EBD, EBA


Peugeot 308 VTi 4-speed auto shift diagram

Peugeot 308 Turbo – RM 111,000

Peugeot 308 Turbo

The Peugeot 308 Turbo has power output equivalent to a 2.0 litre competitor, but with much more torque thanks to its turbocharging technology. This is actually the engine in the MINI Cooper S but detuned to 140 horsepower (the manual version gets 150hp).

Peugeot 308 Turbo specifications (on top of VTi specs)
Engine
PSA-BMW Prince 1.6 engine
140hp at 6,000rpm
240Nm @ 4,250rpm
4-speed automatic

Interior
Rear air-cond vents
Auto dimming rear view mirror
Rear center armrest with storage compartment and 2 cupholders
Built-in fragrance diffuser

Safety
6 airbags (front, side, curtain)
ESP with Traction Control and Dynamic Stability Control


Exterior
Automatic electric folding mirrors
Body color side protection
5-spoke 17 inch alloy wheels


Peugeot 308 Turbo 4-speed auto shift diagram

I think it’s safe to say that these specifications are the best in class at their respective price levels, especially when it comes to safety standards. There’s nothing with 4 airbags below RM100k before this, but now you have the 308 VTi. For those who want more, the 308 GT is still for sale in fully imported 3-door body form, but it is now on an order basis only (RM 159,999) as there are no more ready stock available.

Look after the jump for a full gallery of the 5-door 308 as well as a video.
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Lexus LS flagship may get baseline V6 engine

January 29, 2009 at 2:42 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Lexus, Rumours

Lexus LS460

Sources say Lexus will most likely add a baseline V6 model to its flagship Lexus LS range, in line with recessive market trends as well as expected benefits to the company’s overall CAFE ratings. This could happen when Lexus unveils the facelift for the LS, which would be due anytime soon as it was launched in the year 2007.

A Lexus LS 350 could be powered by the 2GR-FSE 3.5 litre V6 engine incorporating Toyota D4-S twin injection technology, which combines port injection with direct injection. It produces 315 PS and 377Nm of torque, which puts it somewhere in line with the F01/F02 BMW 740i.

The LS is currently only offered in LS 460 and LS 600h variants. Both are V8s with a 4.6 litre and 5.0 litre engine respectively, the latter also equipped with a high-output electric motor and a NiMH battery pack. In Malaysia in particular where only the LS 460 and LS 460L are sold, the LS is burdened with high road tax costs, and a LS 350 could help boost LS market share with the private buyer “entry level” owners.

Don’t expect anything lower than this at the moment though, as the LS doesn’t have the kind of volumes in 3rd world countries to warrant something like the 730i (yet to be released with the F01/F02 but is said to be a work in progress) or the S300.

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New 2009 Ford Focus RS: full technical details

January 29, 2009 at 1:58 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Ford

Ford Focus RS

Ford has revealed more information on the powerplant in the Ford Focus RS engine bay. The inline-5 “Duratec RS” engine puts out 305 PS between 6,500rpm to 7,050rpm (redline) and a massive 440Nm of torque between 2,300 and 4,500rpm, a good 40Nm more at the peak than the BMW M3. I believe one of the intentions of the press release are to dispel any talk that Ford simply took the easy way out and “rechipped” the Duratec ST engine to produce more power, as many had expected something more exciting such as maybe a twin turbo version with all-wheel drive.

“There was never an intention to try to ‘chip’ the ST engine. We evaluated several approaches using the ST engine and none gave us the combination of power delivery, character and durability that we wanted, so we opted to create an RS Duratec, using the ST unit as our base,” said Ford Team RS powertrain manager Len Urwin.

Ford Focus RS Engine

The engine gets a revised cylinder head gasket, metal-sprayed cylinder bores that are more durable, new pistons and a bespoke camshaft profile and conrods which allows bigger small-end bearings. The turbo has been uprated to a Borg Warner K16 that peaks out at 1.4 bar, double that of the Focus ST’s 0.7 bar boost. Ford says the turbo size was carefully picked to match the “bottom end responsiveness” of the Focus ST. The integration of the turbo to the exhaust manifold had to be strategically configured to optimise crash performance and minimize revisions to other components such as exhaust system, and oil and water pipes. It also has to take into account the car’s 20mm lower subframe.The engine’s larger intercooler can reduce air temperatures from 160 degrees Celsius at the compressor, to a maximum of 60 degrees Celsius at the intercooler outlet, in ambient temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celsius.

Urwin adds that Ford wanted to prevent the engine from feeling like it runs out of steam at the top end, something that turbo-ed engines with very flat torque curves sometimes exhibit. There is just so much of rush right from the start that you don’t feel the momentum of things picking up all the way until the end. Ford wanted to “reward” drivers who took the Duratec RS to the redline. In addition, the car’s rev needles can bounce up to 7,050rpm for about 3 seconds before it is rev-limited to 6,500rpm.

Ford Focus RS

The 6-speed manual shares the same ratios as the Focus ST but has modifications to the bearing and clutch housing as well as had its differential strengthened to take the extra power and torque. The overall gearing is 1% longer than the ST thanks to the car’s larger tyres (larger rolling circumference), and this results in the RS being able to touch 100km/h in 2nd gear. To help manage 440Nm to the front wheels which also have to steer the car, Ford has employed the use of a Quaife helical LSD. This LSD is based on the one in the original 5-speed Focus RS from the year 2002, but revised for the new 6-speed 2009 Ford Focus RS. It now has a sixth planet gear and is stronger, with a more subtle intervention and torque transfer.

Ford Focus RS

I’m sure when you look at the RS, you’ll notice the large gaping front bumper intake. This is actually part of the cooling requirement, in fact 80% of the engine’s external cooling is thanks to this front grille aperture, even down to the mesh density. The car also gets a 25% larger radiator, anda lso has a larger 14 plate engine-mounted water-cooled oil cooler. The bonnet louvres are also there for a reason, to help idle cooling especially after a high-speed run.

At the front, Ford uses a RevoKnuckle suspension. While regular suspension knuckles are a one-piece design; RevoKnuckle has instead two separate pieces. In place of the regular, inverted ‘L’-shaped lower suspension mount, RevoKnuckle features a ‘C’-shaped mount, connected to both the wheel hub, via two arms and to the strut, which is attached at its top. Apparently this allows greater flexibility in tuning suspension geometry to avoid torque steer. This is sort of a hybrid between a MacPherson strut and double wishbone design, which is good as it is cheaper than a double wishbone design.

Of course, you have to pay for performance not only in the price tag of a car, but naturally more power will burn more fuel so the Focus RS also has a larger fuel tank at 62 litres up from 55 litres in the Focus ST.
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