This huge billboard can be found in the city of Hamburg. It’s basically quite a huge scale cheeky ad where something happens when you SMS the codeword “SM” to a certain 5-digit mobile number. I’ll let the rest of the video do the talking! This is the kind of weird ads you can find in countries that are not so conservative I suppose! 
VIDEO: “Naughty” MINI billboard in Europe
Honda Freed set to launch tomorrow – report soon!
April 21, 2010 at 11:59 pm Filed Under Cars, Honda, Local News
LATEST: Honda Freed Review – first impressions in Indonesia
UPDATE: Honda Freed premium compact MPV launched for RM112,980
Lightly covered Honda Freeds (likely for protection against stone chips and scratches more than anything else) have been spotted on trailers along the highways this whole week, leading up to the launch of the Freed tomorrow morning after of which we’ll be able to tell you all about the car including the finalized prices. The Freed is a B-segment MPV based on the City and Jazz platform and it even uses a similiar 1.5 litre SOHC i-VTEC engine, though power is down 2 PS compared to the City.
Don’t expect the Freed to be an affordable alternative to the Grand Livina though – the positioning is supposed to be ‘premium’ with its dual automatic sliding doors and whatnot. Pricing is expected to breach RM100k significantly for the sole 1.5 litre model while the most expensive 1.8L Grand Livina remains comfortably under it at its RM97,300 price point.
Hat tip to Yoon Sam Choo and Saiful Haziq for the shots!
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Ford SYNC AppLink – in-car voice control for phone apps?
Ford’s SYNC is getting a new feature to debut on the 2011 Fiesta and its called the SYNC AppLink. It basically allows you to use the Fiesta’s voice control feature to control apps on your smart phone. But no, iPhones are not supported, probably because SYNC is built on Microsoft software. But AppLink will definitely talk to your Blackberry and your Android phone as those are the two app platforms it supports.
And of course not all apps are supported – the apps have to talk to the Sync app installed onto the phone and at launch time, three apps will support this – Pandora internet radio, Stitcher internet radio and OpenBeak, a Twitter client formerly known as TwitterBerry.
“The growth in smartphone mobile apps has been explosive, and Ford has worked hard to respond at the speed of the consumer electronics market. SYNC is the only connectivity system available that can extend that functionality into the car. AppLink will allow drivers to control some of the most popular apps through SYNC’s voice commands and steering wheel buttons, helping drivers keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road,” says Ford Connected Services director Doug VanDagens.
Look after the jump for demos of SYNC AppLink working.
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Proton launch silver jubilee celebrations – limited edition “tiger themed” Saga, Persona and Exora coming soon
April 21, 2010 at 5:56 pm Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton
I just got back from Proton’s Centre of Excellence, Shah Alam, where the national car company unveiled the official logo of its 25th anniversary, kicking off silver jubilee celebrations that will go on throughout this year. Proton has lined up a spread of contests, events and activities that will involve all stakeholders, including customers, the media, and since it’s a national car company – the Malaysian public.
Internally, there’s this logo design competition, which won Rosaidatul Nor bt Rosli RM5,000, and “special gift sets” to 651 pioneer employees who have been with the company since day one. For the public, there will be a Saga Snap & Win photo contest, which will offer RM25,000 cash to a snapper with the most sentimental and/or inspiring image of the Proton’s first car or the new Saga. I’m looking forward to throw my name in the hat with pictures of my rusty but trusty 1992 Saga.
Proton will also organise a charity road show of 125 cars from the 11 official Proton car clubs. Called “Jelajah Amal 1Proton 1Malaysia” the convoy will tour the nation with a shipping container transformed into a Mobile Technology Exhibition Unit. Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal, Proton’s MD, said that since not everyone can visit Proton, “we’ll bring the factory and R&D to the people”. Perhaps they’ll bring the EMAS concept car for its first Malaysian tour. Who knows? In addition, there will be a charity fund where RM25 from each car sold will be channelled to 25 worthy organisations.
All this leads up to a gala dinner on the 9th of July, where Proton will launch 25th Anniversary special editions of the Saga, Persona and Exora, limited to 25 units each. What do we know now? Not much except that the cars will carry a “tiger” theme based on the animal’s “powerful, brave and elegant” characteristics. A 5,000 issue commemorative coffee table book will also be launched on that date, which is the date the first Saga rolled off the line in 1985. Over 3.3 million Protons have been made since then.
At the event, Dato’ Syed Zainal gave a rousing speech saying that “every time we had to swallow a bitter pill, we emerge stronger,” adding that the company’s current hurdle is to compete in the international environment. “Times have changed, customers have changed, and we need to adapt. It is time for us to evolve from local hero to a full-fledged global and competitive automotive player,” he said.
He also revealed Proton’s growth targets for this year, which is to achieve 6 to 7% growth in this financial year and double exports. The company is aiming at a 70:30 domestic export ratio, from the current 75:25, and is looking at China, India, Middle East and of course ASEAN to provide the export growth.
Renault Laguna Coupe coming to Malaysia next month!
April 21, 2010 at 1:23 pm Filed Under Cars, Local News, Renault
Is white still the new black? Renault clearly thinks so, because it has launched a Monaco GP limited edition of the Laguna Coupe in that colour. To be exact, it’s in pearlescent white metallic with a contrasting “pearl black” roof. Strange name though, since the Renault F1 Team’s most recent win in Monte Carlo isn’t that recent – it was in 2006, courtesy of the Spanish guy now racing for Ferrari.
To match the roof, UK buyers get black 18-inch “Interlagos” alloys and folding door mirrors. Based on the GT and powered by the 2.0 dCi 180 FAP engine, the limited edition boasts four-wheel steering, dark grey leather upholstery with Monaco GP logos and gloss white inserts for the dash, centre console and door panels. Other features include Bluetooth, a Bose stereo, electric heated front seats, front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitor and fully integrated Carminat TomTom sat nav.
Good news to those who appreciate the Laguna Coupe’s sleek lines – Malaysian Renault distributor TC Euro Cars will be introducing the car here (not the Monaco GP edition though), and we hear that the launch is planned for next month. A CBU car from France won’t be cheap, but a 2.0-litre petrol turbo engine paired to a six-speed auto should guarantee decent performance. Watch this space.
More images after the jump.
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Volkswagen’s electric Milano Taxi concept is very cool
April 21, 2010 at 12:16 pm Filed Under Cars, Concept Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Volkswagen
This is the taxi of the future, according to Volkswagen. VW, which will launch its first production electric vehicles in 2013 has shown this electric driven taxi at the Hanover Trade Show. Called the Milano Taxi concept, it is a city MPV tailored to the needs of taxi drivers and passengers with innovative details such as a swivel-sliding door that opens in a forward direction and customisable taxi touchscreens.
The green and black paint of the concept cab is a tribute to the fashion capital of Milan, where taxis were once painted like this. VW says that the Milano’s styling bears similarities to the iconic Volkswagen Samba Bus of the 1950s, and this plus its emissions-free drive and practicality could “make it a highly coveted vehicle in cities like New York and Tokyo”.
“One door less is all the more for a taxi,” said Walter de Silva, VW Group’s Head of Design. The safest way to enter and exit a taxi is on the sidewalk side, which explains why the LHD Milano’s single swivel-sliding door opens on the right side. The door also extends well into the roof, so the opening is very tall. The Milano’s dimensions is 1.60 m tall, 3.73 m long and 1.66 m wide. Like the Samba Bus, the outer roof areas are transparent; combined with a panoramic glass roof, passengers get a spacious feel and great views of the cityscape above.
Also, the need for passengers to always have to gaze at the taximeter in front to see the current charges is now a thing of the past (the meter in our Proton Iswara cabs are always conveniently shielded by the gear stick!). An 8-inch touchscreen in the Milano’s rear not only displays charges, but incorporates a credit card reader as well!
This cute cab has a top speed of 120 km/h and is driven by an electric motor with 85 kW (50 kW continuous power) powered by a lithium-ion battery located underfloor. VW says that the battery’s storage capacity of 45 Kilowatt-hours (kWh) and the Milano’s relatively low weight (1,500 kg) allows it to cover distances of up to 300 km. The battery can be recharged to 80% capacity in just over one hour.
More pictures after the jump!
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How the Chinese previous generation Saab 9-5 looks like
April 21, 2010 at 11:36 am Filed Under Cars, China, International News, Saab
This is not a copy, they bought the rights to it. Late last year, Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corp (BAIC), China’s fifth-largest automaker paid $200 million to General Motors for three vehicle platforms and two engine technologies from Saab. This deal, which was done before the Swedish brand temporarily died and got revived, included the old 9-5 design, and BAIC’s BAW brand has a reworked version of that car ready for the Beijing Motor Show.
Called the C71 concept, BAW grafted on a new face to the Saab’s angular, distinctly three-box saloon shape. The front end, which has a pre-facelift Camry style “one-piece nose”, hi-tech looking headlamps and sculpted bumpers, looks almost too modern for the rest of the body. It looks a little disjointed to these eyes, what do you think?
But before we throw arrows at the Chinese for murdering a good design, let’s remember that the old 9-5 in its final iteration wasn’t the best looking car in town either; it had chrome surrounds for the headlights! Don’t remember? We have one waiting for you after the jump!
VIDEO: BMW X5 facelift beauty shots in Miami
The world’s press are in Miami now and will continue to congregate there batch by batch for the next few weeks for test drive sessions of the new BMW X5 LCI, which is BMW speak for facelift. As usual, BMW will normally release some new beauty footage of the car recorded at the location of the test drive in addition to the original stuff they release when a car is first unveiled, so here are the videos after the jump for whoever that’s interested.
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VIDEO: Shell’s “Crystal Clear” Nissan 370Z
Shell commissioned JWT and award winning director Ivan Bird to produce their latest Shell Helix TV commercial – “Crystal Car”. You can watch it above. They basically reproduced an entire Nissan 370Z (why not a Ferrari?) accurate to the smallest details, only made of high grade Perspex acrylic, thus letting you see through the car and every single component. The whole idea is to pour the lubricant in and let you see how it works its way through the engine, coating the pistons, crank, combustion chamber and other parts of the engine.
Look after the jump to watch a “Making Of” video.
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Production at BMW’s US plant may grind to a halt thanks to the volcanic ash cloud phenomenon
April 20, 2010 at 3:22 pm Filed Under BMW, Cars, International News
The effects of the volcanic ash cloud phenomenon is creeping into the automotive industry. A spokesperson from BMW Mathias Schmidt revealed to Bloomberg that the operations at the company’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina may be put on hold if trans-Atlantic flights don’t get the green light within the next two days.
The flight cancelations will disrupt the parts supply chain which involves BMW sending parts to the US plant via air. The Spartanburg plant assembles BMW’s X5 and X6 SUVs and up to 600 cars are rolled out per day. We believe that if the airport shutdown continues, we will see more and more stories on plant shutdowns in the news.
The volcanic ash cloud has been covering airspace in Europe since Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted on April 14th. Airports from Dublin to Moscow have been forced to shut down and it is costing airline companies up to US$300 million a day in revenue.