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F30 BMW 3-Series: first clear aerial view of the car

August 16, 2011 at 10:23 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under BMW, Cars, Spyshots

At long last, we finally get a clear undisguised view of the upcoming F30 BMW 3-Series. These shots are courtesy of a F30Post forumer, who snapped the F30 from above while it was on a shoot in Spain. The car you see here will probably end up being the same car in the F30′s future press publicity photos, and if that’s the case the colour you see here will be the launch colour for the car.

It really looks like a smaller F10, but with a much more youthful and sharp front end – check out the angle of the headlamps towards the kidney grilles. There’s also a glimpse of the interior which reveals that the car will have the option of a heads up display system. The iDrive screen is also the pop up style which first made its debut on the F12/F13 6-Series.

Look after the jump for two more shots.

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Ferrari FF is here in Malaysia – 4WD, 4-seats, RM2.8 million

August 16, 2011 at 1:18 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Ferrari, Local News


UPDATE: Big image gallery from the event added

Naza Italia gave the media a preview of the Ferrari FF at their Petaling Jaya showroom this morning. The FF is the latest product wearing a Prancing Horse badge and it made its debut at the Geneva show in March. A replacement for the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, the FF is what Maranello calls “a completely new take on the sporting Grand Tourer theme”.

FF stands for Ferrari Four. The FF is a four-wheel drive (a first for the brand) four-seater GT with its engine in a “front-mid” position under that long hood. The powerplant in question is a direct injection V12 displacing 6,262 cc. It makes 660 horses at 8,000 rpm and 683 Nm at 6,000 rpm, 500 Nm of which is available at just 1,000 rpm.

Needless to say, performance is staggering – the 0-100 km/h sprint is covered in 3.7 seconds on to a top speed of 335 km/h. The FF weighs in at 1,880 kilos by the way.

Coupled with a seven-speed F1 dual-clutch gearbox, efficiency has been significantly boosted too, with fuel consumption standing at 15.4 litres per 100 km and CO2 emissions at 360 g/km. This is 25% lower compared to Ferrari’s previous V12s, thanks to the HELE (High Emotions- Low Emissions) System that incorporates Stop&Start technology. Yes, even Ferrari has to think green in today’s landscape.

The patented 4RM four-wheel drive system has torque delivered mainly to the rear wheels, but a Power Transfer Unit sends drive to the front wheels when necessary on low grip surfaces. Torque to divided to each of the four wheels individually, and the car’s dynamic vehicle controls (E-Diff, F1-Trac and PTU) have been integrated into a single CPU.

The weight distribution is 53% to the rear. Those brakes are third gen Brembo carbon-ceramic items that are now lighter and longer-lasting, with “virtually negligible wear during normal use on the road”.

The CF rich interior features four individual seats (they look very body hugging) divided in the middle by a high tunnel.

With this Ferrari, once can bring the family along with their luggage – boot space is a generous 450 litres, and the independently folding rear chairs can expand it up to 800 litres. The matching luggage set looks really good, too.

There’s even a rear-seat infotainment system screens for watching DVDs and a 1,280 watt, 16-channel stereo with Dolby Surround Sound. Yes, this is a Ferrari!

Is this four-wheel drive, four-seat, Ferrari for the family your kind of thing? If all is agreeable, what’s left is the small matter of writing a RM2.8 million cheque to Naza Italia, and your own FF will be flown in from Italy.

Full gallery from the event is after the jump.
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Honda’s 2.2 liter i-DTEC gets power and torque bump

August 15, 2011 at 10:02 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Honda

Honda has unveiled the first details of its next generation 2.2 litre i-DTEC diesel engine, which so far hasn’t seen service outside of oil burner loving Europe. The 2.2 litre i-DTEC set to debut in the new European market 2012 Honda Civic hatchback will produce 148 horsepower and 350Nm of torque, up the previous 138 horsepower and 340Nm.

While power is up, emissions have dropped – the Civic i-DTEC is expected to emit just 110g/km of CO2, down 29 g/km from the outgoing model. Of this drop, 5g/km alone is attributed to the incorporation of automatic idle start/stop technology. The engine lubricant flow has also been optimized to reduce circulation friction losses.

So far the Ford Focus TDCI is the only oil burner C-segment passenger vehicle sold here in Malaysia. A turbodiesel Civic with 350Nm of torque seems like mighty fun, but I don’t think diesels will be offered for the ASEAN region anytime soon.

There might be hope for India though, but I don’t think the engine offered will be this 2.2 litre. Honda is said to be developing a smaller turbo diesel engine about 1.5 litre in displacement and it is likely that oil burner lump that will be offered for ‘developing’ markets.

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Land Rover Defender gets new 2.2 liter turbodiesel engine

August 15, 2011 at 9:31 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Land Rover

While the iconic Land Rover Defender still looks very similiar to the Defenders of the past, its heart has been undergoing a few revisions over the years, with the most recent engine being a 2.4 litre Ford Duratorq that replaced the Td5 engine before it.

And now it’s time for the Defender’s oil burner to be replaced again, with the Euro 4 2.4 litre retired in favor of a new Euro 5-capable 2.2 litre engine, that despite the lower displacement, makes around the same power – 122 PS at 3,500rpm and 360Nm of torque at 2,000rpm.

The engine is Euro 5 compliant if a Diesel Particulate Filter is installed, which I can bet won’t be found in the Defender in Malaysia if we go the 2.2 litre path along with the global engine config revision.

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Kia Picanto 3-door launched to meet rising demand

August 15, 2011 at 8:52 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Kia, Koreans

The Kia Picanto – Kia’s smallest car – gets a three-door body, for the first time in its history, mainly to meet the demands of the European market which tends to like 3-door A-segment cars just as much as their more practical 5-door siblings.

According to Kia, the market for A-segment cars (Picanto-sized city cars) will be about 2.4 million units in 2014, and 3.3 million by 2015. And about a third of this demand will be for 3-door A-segment cars, so without this 3-door Picanto, Kia will have no car to offer to this 1 million odd buyers. In the UK, the split between 5-door and 3-door are even closer 55 to 45 between the 5 and 3 door.

Kia did not simply remove 2 doors and replace them with fixed sheet metal. The main grille opening is larger than that on the five-door and is available with silver or red trim surrounds. The front bumper has been re-profiled to make the car appear wider and lower. There are also new doors, rear panels and glass aft of the A-pillar. The rear bumper has a faux diffuser design as well.

There are two petrol engine options – a 1.0 litre and a 1.25 litre from the Kappa family, making 68hp/95Nm and 84hp/121Nm respectively. Look after the jump for a small gallery of the Picanto 3-door.
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Chevron seeks to expand Caltex network via enhanced retailer program, all systems go for B5 biodiesel launch

August 15, 2011 at 5:39 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Local News

Chevron Malaysia Limited, the operator of retail brand Caltex, is seeking to expand Caltex’s footprint in Malaysia, and the company plans to draw in retailers via its revitalised Retailer Owned, Retailer Operated program, RORO in short. This comes after the 75-year old Caltex brand received an image refresh and new brand campaign plus tagline – Enjoy the Journey – last month.

RORO aims to bring about greater ownership of the business with greater flexibility in selecting backcourt offerings such as convenience stores or franchise offerings. At the briefing, Jeremy Oh, Chevron’s Country Chairman, gave a few examples such as kopitiams, 1901 hot dog outlets and even an Indian barber shop that exists in one Caltex station. RORO outlets can also customise promotional offerings to fit unique geographical needs.

Retail partners also have access to dedicated retail business consultants, aggressive Fuels Marketing strategies and reliable supply chains. Besides those, Chevron will also assist ROROs in supporting business processes and retail business systems.

“Our unique value propositions ensure prospective and current retailers alike are able to leverage on the value of a world class brand and learn from the experts committed to a profitable business. Chevron has also developed training modules targeted at improving customer service by retailers and customer service reps and making a competitive market work for you. This comprehensive program translates to an opportunity to earn potentially higher returns,” explains Oh.

So what does one need to open a Caltex RORO station? Prospects must already own, or have identified a land of at least 40,000 sq ft and have investment capital of at least RM2 million. That sum doesn’t include the cost of the land, but includes building construction, equipment cost and working capital.

Total costs vary depending on location, size and facilities. For more info on the RORO program and its requirements, go to www.caltexforinvestors.com/MY.

On a separate note, Chevron updated us that they’re on schedule with the B5 biodiesel (diesel blended with 5% palm methyl ester) rollout as mandated by the government. The Central region must be B5 ready by November 1 2011, and Chevron already has 29 service stations in Melaka and Negeri Sembilan offering B5 biodiesel with Techron D (engine cleaning additive), with 73 to come by November.

The company’s B5 blending facility in Pulau Indah, which took eight months to complete, is already fully operational.

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Test Drive Kia on Tour 2011 roadshow heads to Penang

August 15, 2011 at 3:53 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Kia, Koreans, Local News

Naza Kia, the official distributor of Kia vehicles in Malaysia, will take its Test Drive Kia on Tour 2011 roadshow to Penang this week. The five-day event will be held from 17 to 21 Aug at Queensbay Mall on the island, from 10am to 10pm daily. Head to the mall’s Centre Court to participate.

Penang is the second leg of the Test Drive Kia on Tour 2011, which started in May at the 1 Utama Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya. After Penang, the test drive campaign will go down south to Johor Bahru before ending in the Klang Valley in October.

The event gives the public a chance to test drive the all-new Sportage as well as Naza Kia’s other models such as the Forte and Sorento SUV, the Sportage’s big brother. The Sportage was officially launched in June.

Those who test drive any of the vehicles at Test Drive Kia on Tour 2011 will be in the running to win a Forte 1.6EX. The lucky winner will be announced at the end of the roadshow series in October. Mystery gifts await customers who participate in the test drives or sign up to be a Kia Malaysia fan on Facebook.

Call 1-800-888-542 for more information on the roadshows. Click here to view our technical walkaround and full gallery of the Sportage.

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New power steering gives good vibes to Team Lotus’ Trulli

August 15, 2011 at 3:14 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Motorsports

Jarno Trulli’s performance this season for Team Lotus hasn’t been great. The Italian, who was “rested” to make way for Karun Chandhok at the German GP, but reclaimed his race seat at Hungary, has been highly uncomfortable with the T128′s power steering. The issue became so serious that he started to lose confidence and question his own abilities.

“The worst was at Silverstone. I was totally lost. At Silverstone I stepped into the car and I didn’t know where I was or where the limit was. I was trying to feel it but I didn’t have any feeling. I was not in control of it, and sometimes you ask questions, ‘is it me?’ and you start you have these question marks,” Trulli revealed.

“It’s a much better feeling now. They did a good job with the new power steering system, which is giving me the exact feeling with the car. I think we can still improve the system, but the feeling is okay. For the first time this season I started working with the car and changing many things because many things were becoming very clear for me.

“It’s totally another world. The way I drive is totally different. Before I was a passenger in the car. I just hope now I can build up my confidence day after day and move on. It’s, let’s say not my fault, but my driving style. I’m extremely precise. This has been my weakness and also my strength and when we had this power steering the feeling I was getting it was not the real one. What was happening with the car it was not was transmitting to me,” the old timer added.

“Because I’m so precise, I was reacting to something that was not true. So I was basically chasing something that was not real. I’m not going to say that I’m going to fly now, but I’m now in control of the situation.”

Sounds scary to not feel anything when one’s on the limit in a 300 km/h machine. With that sorted, will Trulli, or Heikki, score Team Lotus’ first points ever in the coming races? Now on a summer break, F1 will be back in Spa on 28 August.

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Infiniti JX Concept – teaser image number six released

August 15, 2011 at 10:27 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Infiniti, International News


Click to enlarge image

Infiniti has released the sixth (and we presume final) teaser image of its upcoming JX Concept, which will be fully unveiled three days from now at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It shows the front grill and headlamps.

The pic before this was a full shot of the rear, which is in line with the Infiniti look seen on the just facelifted FX. Previous images show partially the front three quarter view, revealing the headlights and profile lines. Another shows a distinctive kink at the D-pillar area. We’ve also seen a close up shot of the LED tail lamps.

The JX, which slots in between the five seater FX and jumbo sized QX, is set for production and will join the Infiniti range in Spring 2012. The production car will debut at the LA show at the end of this year.

Nissan’s luxury marque promises “a stunning interior” with “exceptional seating flexibility, easy access to the roomy third row, plus the latest in-vehicle technology – including next-generation telematics”. View the other pieces of the jigsaw puzzle after the jump.
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Frankfurt preview: Production Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid

August 15, 2011 at 9:33 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Toyota

Toyota is finally ready to launch its Prius Plug-in Hybrid, which will make its debut in Frankfurt in production form. The user rechargeable Prius is Toyota’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) to go on sale, and also its first to use a lithium ion battery. In case you’re wondering, this is a Prius that you can plug in to your home’s wall socket to recharge, like a full EV and your mobile phone.

Calling it the “next major milestone in Toyota’s ongoing, 40 year quest for sustainable mobility and the ultimate eco car”, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid features the latest development of the company’s modular Hybrid Synergy Drive full hybrid platform, which has clocked some 200 billion kilometres of driving worldwide.

The new compact lithium-ion battery has been developed to “meet Toyota’s rigorous standards for reliability”. The Prius PHEV’s extended EV cruising range enables it to achieve remarkable fuel efficiency of just 2.2 l/100 km, while CO2 emissions drop to an unprecedented 49 g/km. Other than that, Toyota gives little away than to say that “affordability of its proven HSD technology will make it widely accessible.”

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