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Proton Saga 1.6 B-Line M/T now available for booking at Proton Edar’s website!

June 1, 2009 at 8:02 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, New Proton Saga, Proton

Proton Saga 1.6

The Proton Saga 1.6 litre B-Line with manual transmission is now available for public booking on Proton Edar’s website. The B-Line M/T listed at RM39,000 is the sole 1.6 litre model on sale, and is only available in Chilli Red. That’s about roughly a RM3k premium over the 1.3 litre B-Line M/T.

No specs for the B-Line 1.6L M/T have been made known on the site but based on various ads placed on online classifieds: it has power windows for the front, air conditioning, an alarm system and a CD player so it should satisfy the bare requirements of creature comforts, but with no safety features as there is no airbag.

The car comes with steel wheels so if you want to spend some money you can quickly junk them and put something else on to match the more powerful engine.

Proton Saga 1.6

Interestingly the cheapest and most affordable N-Line which was priced at RM31.5k seems to be completely gone from Proton Edar’s website now.

It is not unusual for car manufacturers to launch a car model with the very baseline model priced without profit or even at a loss to draw customers to showrooms, and then later get the sales staff to try to sell them the more profitable trim levels. This baseline model will then be phased out later.

Also, is it just me or have the prices changed since launch?

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F10 BMW 5-Series Saloon Interior Videotaped!

June 1, 2009 at 3:09 am By Paul Tan Filed Under BMW, Cars, Spyshots, Videos

BMW F10

Now this is the 5-Series that alot of you will be alot more excited about – the sedan version of the next generation BMW 5-Series codenamed the F10.

Sure the 5-Series GT may be a new-ish segment entry for both BMW and the automotive world but Malaysia is a sedan market.

BMW F10

The next generation 5-Series will include 3 bodytypes – sedan, estate and the already unveiled GT. This prototype videotaped by German news agency TVnews Hessen after it was stopped by German police on the autobahn because it looked suspicious – I cannot blame them, just look at the heavy disguise!

BMW F10

Not much detail on the headlamps either but I think we can most probably expect the front end of the 5-Series sedan to look quite similiar to the 5-Series GT.

BMW F10

The cameraman also managed to take a peek into the interior of the vehicle. Like the outside the interior is also heavily disguised so not much can be seen except that the new steering wheel design that debuted on the F01 as well as the black panel instrumentation will be in the F10 – notice the chrome ring around the meter panel does not extend into a full circle at the bottom – that’s where BMW’s new multi-info display is.

Our resident photo-manipulator Theophilus Chin has already presented to us his take on how the F10 Sedan might look like, with cues taken from both the F01 and the 5-Series Gran Turismo.

Look after the jump for the original video.
[Read more...]

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Honda Accord CrossTour aimed at the Venza

June 1, 2009 at 2:36 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Honda, Spyshots

Honda Accord CrossTour

Honda will not leave BMW and Toyota to play alone in the new segment that they seem to have carved out for themselves with the Toyota Venza and the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo. VWVortex forum member GoVdubSPEEDGo/M. Balisky spotted two of these lightly taped up Accord CrossTour crossovers up in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in southeastern US.

The side profile can be quite positively identified as similiar to the US/Asian market Honda Accord, with a sloping hatchback rear end and previous gen Accord Coupe-like rear lights. Acura will have its own similiar segment vehicle called the Acura ZDX.

Look after the jump for more photos.
[Read more...]

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New BMW M3 Edition Models available in White, Black, Yellow and Blue

June 1, 2009 at 12:37 am By Paul Tan Filed Under BMW, Cars, International News

BMW M3 Edition Models
Click for enlarged image

We’ve long ago found out and mourned BMW’s decision not to produce a hardcore lightweight track-ready CSL version of the new V8-powered BMW M3. Yes, no M3 CSL but we do get this – a foursome of BMW M3 Edition Models, which are basically a choice of 4 M3s that are colour coordinated inside and outside with minor mods such as a lowered suspension.

To go into specifics, the four M3s come in either Alpine White Non-Metallic, Black Non-Metallic, Dakar Yellow Non-Metallic or Monte Carlo Blue Metallic. On the inside, the Black and White models get a white-coloured surface for the Alpine White and Black models on the center armrest, center console and door panel armrests. The Dakar Yellow and Monte Carlo Blue models get yellow or blue contrasting seams on the armrests and door close handles.

BMW M3 Edition Models
Click for enlarged image

All the 4 models get Checkered Flag Design entry trim bars, Carbon Structure Leather interior trim with white contrasting seams. The cars also get Black Novillo Leather seats with contrasting seams (white on the Alpine White and Black cars, body colour for the Dakar Yellow and Monte Carlo Blue cars) and vertical trim stripes on the upper section of the backrest and at the front of the legrest.

BMW M3 Edition Models
Click for enlarged image

On the outside, the cars get a dark eloxy-plated chrome finish for the kidney grilles, side gills and dual exhaust tailpipes. The openings on the engine compartment lid are finished in black. The 19 inch forged M light alloy wheels are either available in black or regular, and for the Alpine White, Black and Monte Carlo Blue models, the same rims are also available in contrast white with polished spokes. The suspension has been lowered by 10mm on all four corners.

I’m not sure on what occasion did BMW release these models, as they are simply called Editions, not Special Edition, nor Anniversary Edition, or even We Just Feel Like It Edition.

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