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Maybach models get facelifted at Auto China 2010

April 23, 2010 at 8:51 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Maybach

Maybach

The latest (and possibly last) facelifts of the Maybach 57, 62, 57 S and 62 S will be unveiled at Auto China 2010 in Beijing. The Maybachs have been updated with a a more powerful 630 horsepower V12 engine for the “S” models, a new front grille, a reshaped engine hood, LED daytime driving lights on the front bumper, dark red tail lamps, a new paint shade called Bahamas Blue, and new 20 inch and 21 inch wheels.

Maybach

The 57 and 57 S will also now be able to be equipped with the reclining seat from the 62 models. There are now even more customisation options for the cars including Swarovski crystal, a flacon perfume atomiser and a WLAN router for wireless internet access which uses HSDPA/UMTS/EDGE/GSM for mobile data access.

Maybach

That last option should be very very useful for the businessman who wants to work while slowly crawling through Beijing’s traffic congestion, otherwise there is also a new DVD player. You’d better be making the most of your time in the car considering you’ll be burning as much as 15.8 litres per 100km for the S models and 15 litres per 100 km for the non-S models on the combined cycle.
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Ford Start Concept features 3-cylinder EcoBoost

April 23, 2010 at 8:11 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Concept Cars, Ford

The Ford Start Concept will be Ford’s Beijing International Auto Show show car. It has Audi A1-like cues and most likely previews a next generation Ford Ka type of car. It’s exterior shell is built with a lightweight composite and are snap-fitted onto an aluminium safety cell structure. It’s got laser-cut LED headlamps too.

“With the Ford Start Concept, we didn’t set out to design some sort of utilitarian concept to save the world, nor were we interested in following the competitive trend toward an overly noisy design language. What we did set out to do was design a personality driven car that exudes warmth, charm and aspiration – to design a car worth bonding with,” said J Mays, Group Vice President Design and Chief Creative Officer of the Ford Motor Company.

But most importantly it showcases a new 3-cylinder EcoBoost with 1.0 litre of displacement which delivers the power of a small 4-cylinder normally aspirated engine. Right now there are no power, torque or fuel consumption figures released for this engine but CO2 emissions are said to be under the 100g/km range. In the Start Concept, it is mated to a 6-speed transmission, a Powershift would have been sweeter!
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New Michelin Pilot Sport 3 tested in Thailand

April 22, 2010 at 7:02 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Local News, Test Drive Reviews

Having done my fair share of tyre test events over the years, I can tell you that they’re the most tiring and wearing trips. Morning till evening, lots of waiting between sessions, and always accompanied by blazing heat, but we still enjoy them nonetheless. Why? Unless you’ve got good connections with the Sepang International Circuit boss, it’s not always that one gets to test the absolute limits of grip in a controlled environment without the risk of breaking car and bones.

So we jumped at the chance to test Michelin’s latest – the Pilot Sport 3 – in Thailand. Making it more intresting was the unheard of track in the middle of nowhere – Kaeng Krachan Circuit near Hua Hin. We also hoped to find out if the PS3 is the new benchmark for performance tyres, as claimed by its maker.

Continue reading the report after the jump.
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Next generation Mercedes-Benz CLS – artist rendering

April 22, 2010 at 7:00 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Mercedes Benz

Mercedes-Benz CLS
Click for enlarged version

Mercedes-Benz CLS
Click for enlarged version

This artist’s impression of the next generation Mercedes-Benz CLS was whipped up by Theophilus Chin based on the Mercedes-Benz Shooting Break Concept that was unveiled earlier this week along with the guidance of taped up spyshots of the CLS that have been snapped over the past few months. If you check the spyshot gallery, you can see that the shape of the disguised rear lamps are pretty much similiar to the shape of the lamps on the Shooting Break Concept, though of course because of the disguise we cannot see the lense design. What do you think? Do you think the rendering is accurate?
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Volkswagen Phaeton facelift for Auto China 2010 exhibit

April 22, 2010 at 6:27 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, China, International News, Volkswagen

Volkswagen has given the Phaeton a makeover and is set to launch it at the Auto China 2010 expo. Other than the aesthetic changes, the car also gets some new equipment such as a satnav system with a 30GB hard drive that can pull Google Maps “Satellite Hybrid View” data via UMTS (3G), a camera-based main beam adjustment system called Dynamic Light Assist, and speed limit signboard recognition. The Phaeton’s recognition system can also recognize the “no overtaking” signs and this is claimed to be a first in the world feature.

Both a short wheelbase and a long wheelbase version will be available, and the rear bench can be configured to be either a 3 seater or with 2 individual seats. There will be one V6 TDI engine making 240 PS and the rest are V6, V8 and W12 petrol engines making 280 PS, 335 PS and 450 PS respectively.

The Phaeton is not sold here in Malaysia, although there are a few running around. We’re much likely to spot the A8L on the road than the new Phaeton. Look after the jump to see the new Phaeton in a hi-res gallery.
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Honda Freed “premium compact MPV” – RM112,980

April 22, 2010 at 2:16 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Honda, Local News

LATEST: Honda Freed Review – first impressions in Indonesia

Honda Malaysia has launched the Freed, which the company describes as a “premium compact MPV” in a new market segment. The “premium” slant is meant to distance this seven-seater from rivals’ compact MPVs, and the Freed’s price of RM112,980 (OTR with insurance) backs up the positioning – it’s costlier than the Nissan Grand Livina 1.8 and the much larger Toyota Innova, for instance.

The Freed has a unique trump card however – automatic sliding doors that can be operated from the key fob (and from within the car, of course). These doors come with anti-pinch sensors and open to a gap of 600 mm. Honda also points out the low 410 mm height from the ground to the Freed’s floor; this plus grip handles enable easy access for children and the elderly, it says.

The doors open to a “walkthrough cabin” that has four “captain chairs” for the first two rows and third row seats that fold up sideways, like in old scool 4X4s. Up front is a dual layer dashboard with the instrument binnacle situated ahead of the driver. Everything else is in the middle – an aftermarket 2-DIN Alpine stereo with USB port, a chunky gearknob and the air-con controls. The parking brake is a foot brake. Safety kit wise, the Freed comes with dual airbags, ABS with EBD, Brake Assist and “neck-shock mitigation seat” – the latter basically reduces whiplash injury in an accident, although Honda’s term for it sounds very bombastic.

The Freed sits on the Jazz/City platform, although its 2,740 mm wheelbase is quite a bit longer than the City’s 2,550 mm. The wheelbase is actually 140 mm longer than the Grand Livina’s although the Nissan is longer overall. The drivetrain is similar to the what we’re familiar with in the City – a 1.5-litre single-cam i-VTEC paired to five-speed automatic. For this application, the gear ratios are shorter and the 116 bhp/146 Nm engine makes 2 bhp less and 1 Nm more than the City. The steering is EPS, suspension consists of MacPherson struts up front and torsion beam at the rear, while the brakes are front discs and rear drums.

We’ve already driven the Freed and visited the Indonesian plant where it rolls out from, and our impressions and verdict will be coming your way soon. For the meantime, check out the live images from this morning’s launch.
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Volvo XC90 D5 comes with extra trim for a limited time

April 22, 2010 at 2:15 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Volvo

Volvo is currently having a promotion for the diesel-powered Volvo XC90 D5 where for a limited time while stocks last, it’ll come standard with about RM40,000 worth of aesthetic accessories like 19 inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, a brushed metal design front bumper, XC Design running boards, a sports tail pipe and bright chrome trim around the windows.

Without the accessory package, standard wheels are 17 inchers. The D5 engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic transimssion to put the engine’s 185 hosepower and 400Nm of torque down to the wheels. Fuel consumption for the diesel is just 8.5 litres per 100km on the combined cycle.

The XC90 D5 goes for RM355K OTR without insurance, the same price as the 2.5T model but the 2.5T will not come with the accessories. It looks like pretty good value for a 7 seater with air conditioning and airbags for all three rows, especially when it has way smaller competitors at the RM300k mark, and its own stablemate the XC60 is going for between RM330k to RM360k.

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Last E60 5-er rolls off BMW Malaysia assembly plant

April 22, 2010 at 2:12 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under BMW, Cars, Local News

The last locally assembled E60 5-Series rolled off BMW Malaysia’s SKD (semi-knocked down) assembly plant in Kedah yesterday, a signal that means the new F10 5-Series that replaces it will most likely be coming very very very soon. It will be here as early as next month in fact.

BMW Malaysia has to date sold 7,735 units of the E60 in Malaysia, of which 6,732 are locally assembled. And that’s not all the E60 rolling around locally – there are thousands more on the road brought in by the grey importers. The F10 will most probably come in first as a CBU model while the plant prepares for local SKD assembly.

The BMW SKD Assembly Plant is operated in partnership with Inokom Corporation, a subsidiary of Sime Darby Berhad at the Inokom factory in Kulim, Kedah. Both BMW and Inokom share factory space but operate on separate and independent assembly lines in the facility. BMW Malaysia itself is a JV between BMW AG and Sime Darby Berhad.

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Team Goodyear all set for Formula Drift Singapore 2010

April 22, 2010 at 2:15 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Local News, Motorsports

Formula Drift is back, and the screech and smoke will take over Singapore’s F1 Pit Building this weekend (24-25 April). Those who enjoyed the action at Formula Drift Malaysia last December, and want to cheer on our fellow countrymen (and woman) might want to make their way across the Causeway – grandstand tickets are priced at SGD50 while walkabout tickets go for SGD30 at the door. Early birds save SGD10. Go to www.formuladrift.com.sg for more info.

Goodyear, which is a huge supporter of drifting in our region, will have a big contingent of drivers in Singapore. Goodyear Malaysia will once again feature three drift veterans – Ariff Johanis, Michael Gan and pint sized Azrina Jane Abdullah, the most prominent female drifter in Malaysia. Some might have noticed the omission of Johan Norman; after some uninspiring drives, he is replaced by Hanizam bin Hazmah for FD Singapore.

Hanizam, 38, who has spent three years behind the wheel of his Nissan A31, was one of the surprises of FD Malaysia. Then driving for Team GT Radial, he qualified second and was in the top 5 out of 53 drivers competing at MAEPS Serdang. Goodyear Malaysia’s new recruit is a regular podium finisher in local drift competitions, recently finishing second at the ACE Drift Challenge 2010 held in Melaka.

Team Goodyear’s big name for FD Singapore is top Formula Drift USA Pro Ryuji Miki. The mild mannered Japanese driver was runner up in FD Thailand and Las Vegas last year, but bowed out tamely in Malaysia. No Mad Mike and his loud RX-7 this time around, but Goodyear has signed up his Kiwi compatriot Daniel “Fanga Dan” Woolhouse, who has been drifting competitively since 2003 and was D1 New Zealand champ in 2006. All cars under the Goodyear banner will be using Eagle F1 Asymmetrics, the brand’s flagship high performance tyre.

Other Malaysians in action are FD Malaysia winner Tengku Djan, Tan Tat Wei and Ivan Lau, all under the Bridgestone banner. Another drifter who caught the eye at FD Malaysia, Mervyn Nakamura, will be representing Team Federal. The home crowd will be cheering on local boy Ivan Lim (Goodyear Binter), while Thailand’s flamboyant Kiki will be swapping PTT colours for RedBull livery.

We will be in Singapore this weekend to catch the action, so watch this space for reports and results!

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Ken Block’s specialised Gymkhana Ford Fiesta

April 22, 2010 at 1:29 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Ford, Videos


Click for enlarged image

Internet phenomenon Ken Block’s new Ford Fiesta (his second after his Fiesta rally car) is no regular Fiesta. The Fiesta will be used in the filming of Gymkhana THREE, Ken Block’s latest video. It can get to 100km/h in just 2 seconds, which is some seriously insane acceleration.

This is thanks to a purpose-built Olsbergs engine capable of up to 850 brake horsepower, but is restricted to 650 horsepower in order to give Block the torque band he needs to control the car, which by the way peaks at 4,000rpm with a grand total of 895Nm. This engine is mated to an Olsbergs MSE Maktrak (magnesium) six-speed paddle-shift sequential transmission.

All of these mods are in order to turn the Fiesta into a specialist ‘Gymkhana’ car, where you have to maneuver around a series of cones, slaloms, 180-degree, 360-degree, figure-8 turns and other obstacles all while utilizing extreme acceleration, braking and sliding.

“Aside from gobs of usable power, the real trick in setting up the Gymkhana Ford Fiesta was building a car for tarmac that handles as if it’s on gravel. While most tarmac race cars are designed to grip, we need a car that will still react quickly, but handle loose, while still providing complete control; this is a very delicate balance,” said Block.

Look after the jump for a short preview video of Gymkhana THREE.
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