Paul Tan's Automotive Industry News

Helang light car for Langkawi tourists

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There is a company called The Island Car Company which are using Kancil parts including the 660cc inline-3 engine to produce a 4-seater light car with a fiberglass body for the purpose of taking tourists around resort islands.

The company will be based in Langkawi and the cars will be built at the company’s workshop with an initial batch of 100 units. No price indicated yet but the company will call it the Helang, which is probably a reference to the eagles found in Langkawi Island.

With a fiberglass body the car had better be intended only for slow speed cruising as I doubt the shell would have much crash safety capabilities engineered into it. Does anyone have photos of the Helang? News reports mentioned Tun Mahathir has tried the prototype out.

15 Comments »

  1. aliBaPa said,

    May 12, 2009 @ 11:14 pm

    First !!
    that’s good idea for tourism.
    ppl has tok-tok, we have vroom-vroom.

  2. MisterBenjo said,

    May 12, 2009 @ 11:30 pm

    I think they got the idea after watching Top Gear Vietnam Journey.anyway its a good idea.

  3. BanyakMasukWorkshop said,

    May 13, 2009 @ 8:24 am

    hmmm.. what i’m more interested in is, how are they getting this approved for use on public roads as “public transport”?

  4. bmpower said,

    May 13, 2009 @ 10:58 am

    100 unit only?
    but why need to setup a factory?
    what a waste.

    they should only made a custom order from p2 or p1.

    BTW, whose company was that?
    is that ’someone’? or GLC or etc is in?

    don’t wasting taxpayer money again and again.

  5. Roti naan said,

    May 13, 2009 @ 11:06 am

    Name like very changgih, but I hate to see when the car turn out like burung pipit only…

  6. mitlanevo said,

    May 13, 2009 @ 11:10 am

    [quote comment="238030"]Name like very changgih, but I hate to see when the car turn out like burung pipit only…[/quote]
    hopefully won’t look like gagak, lol~

  7. leonardo said,

    May 13, 2009 @ 11:19 am

    Since it is a ‘public transport’ it must be approved by JPJ to have insurance and road tax. Or do these cars have ’special permit’ and ’special approval’ by the Govt? If an accident occurs, which is a high probability during peak seasons, it would have serious consequences if it does not meet minimum safety requirements, especially with the fiberglass body.

  8. azhar167 said,

    May 13, 2009 @ 11:39 am

    A 4 wheel vehicle with body shell is still safer than having the tourists riding around the island on kapcais without helmets.

  9. leonardo said,

    May 13, 2009 @ 1:42 pm

    [quote comment="238040"]A 4 wheel vehicle with body shell is still safer than having the tourists riding around the island on kapcais without helmets.[/quote]
    This is an issue of enforcement or the lack of it. Kapcais are NEVER a safe vehicle. Maybe build a Malaysian Beca Nano?

  10. Littlefire said,

    May 13, 2009 @ 2:31 pm

    Tata Nano competitor… LOL~!

  11. red7 said,

    May 14, 2009 @ 12:10 am

    lets wait for the outcome~
    hopefully it could make us proud

    cheers!

  12. 4G63T DSM said,

    May 14, 2009 @ 8:25 am

    I wonder why don’t do one better?

    Make them electric. At least it would be a plus point for those eco crowd, like those eco tourists..

    Afterall, its not much different from an electric golf cart which they use in all the major hotels to ferry guests around.

  13. chaku said,

    May 14, 2009 @ 2:24 pm

    [quote comment="238026"]100 unit only?
    but why need to setup a factory?
    what a waste.

    they should only made a custom order from p2 or p1.

    BTW, whose company was that?
    is that ’someone’? or GLC or etc is in?

    don’t wasting taxpayer money again and again.[/quote]

    pls read carefully..do go accusing w/o proper reading…in the article stated WORKSHOP..not factory…a workshop is completely diff from factory…

  14. no1 said,

    May 15, 2009 @ 12:08 am

    [quote comment="238026"]100 unit only?
    but why need to setup a factory?
    what a waste.

    they should only made a custom order from p2 or p1.

    BTW, whose company was that?
    is that ’someone’? or GLC or etc is in?

    don’t wasting taxpayer money again and again.[/quote]

    my company..why? can not ka? who u to ask?

  15. kari said,

    May 15, 2009 @ 2:57 am

    [quote comment="238510"][quote comment="238026"]100 unit only?
    but why need to setup a factory?
    what a waste.

    they should only made a custom order from p2 or p1.

    BTW, whose company was that?
    is that ’someone’? or GLC or etc is in?

    don’t wasting taxpayer money again and again.[/quote]

    my company..why? can not ka? who u to ask?[/quote]

    hahaha… this bmpower thought like the taxpayer’s money like his own money… do this do that…. hehe …. if other taxpayer give approval… wat can u say ??

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