You’re looking at the product of the first Malaysian commercial engine project, the Petronas E01. This project started back in March 1997 with a collaboration between Petronas engineers and development partners. The engine applies knowledge gained from taking part in Formula 1. The result is a powerful engine, up to Honda K20A performance standards. Click here to read the rest of The Petronas E01
After the weekly Cabinet meeting, reporters hounded the MITI headquarters at Jalan Duta, hoping to get comments from Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz on the current Proton vs. MITI issue.
This is what happened.
Journalists were told by the MITI officials that Rafidah would not be returning to the office today, so they might as well go back. The reporters were persistent.
Twenty minutes later, Rafidah rolls in with her Lexus 4-wheel-drive (perhaps a Lexus RX330?) and rushed in before the reporters could get her. The gates and doors were locked, and remained locked until Rafidah was safely in the lift and entered the building.
Refusing to leave without a story, the journalists lingered around her parked Lexus until 5.50pm where Rafidah finally emerged. She just flashed a smile to the journalists and said “I have nothing to say today.” Then she went home.
Poor journalists.
In related matters, Jeff Ooi has a good post here.
Source: NST via Brand New Malaysian Click here to read the rest of Rafidah remains tight-lipped
Our PM was quoted saying this in a report by Associated Press.
Proton is our car. We want Proton to succeed. We have been protecting Proton. The protection is being reduced gradually because that is the right thing to do. While we gradually reduce protection, Proton must improve quality and capability so that it can compete with other cars.
Looks like Proton has to find someone to buy it fast, otherwise market share will continue to drop below 45%.
The days of Proton vehicles being unnaturally much cheaper than foreign makes are over.
Even now from what I observe, Malaysians are turning to longer and longer loans so they can afford non-Protons. They do not care if they pay an additional 2-3 years longer than the usual 5 year loans people take. They don’t want to suffer with low quality Protons anymore.
Mahaleel has spoken, Dr. M has spoken, and now the PM has spoken. Now the ball’s in Rafidah’s park.
Somehow I think we should not be too happy about this. I don’t think we are going to get cheaper cars in the end. I have a really bad feeling that foreign CKDs will still be as expensive as they are now, just that Proton is going to be more expensive. Sigh. Really, nothing for us to be happy about.
Full story here.
Source: Associated Press, via Yahoo News.
Click here to read the rest of Government Commited to Removing Protection for Proton
Rafidah declined to comment on Proton Advisor Tun Dr. Mahathir’s remarks on Proton’s disadvantagement to the influx of cheap Korean and Chinese cars, after the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. (Though I don’t really think the Chinese cars play any big role here. Haven’t seen any on the road yet.)
Reporters waiting to interview her after the Cabinet meeting only got a “I have nothing to say” out of her. When they tried to interview Deputy Prime Minister Najib, he said “I will not answer any questions on this. You ask Rafidah.”
However, the Cabinet has asked International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz to respond to his criticisms. Unfortunately, she was asked to write a private letter to Tun Dr. Mahathir, as the Cabinet wants the issue between Rafidah and Dr. M to be sorted out away from the glare of the public’s eyes. So we might or might not know it’s contents. Depends on what Dr. M wants to reveal to the rakyat.
Source: Yahoo Business, Sun2Surf
SK talks about it here.
A piece from the long transcript at a press conference with Tun Dr. Mahathir, Proton’s advisor.
Proton is protected simply because Proton has a job to do to build up the automotive and engineering capability of Malaysia. And to do that Proton will have to put up with higher prices, with poor quality. Proton had to go and ensure that these factories are capable to help them to improve the quality of their products. All these things cost money to Proton.
But if Proton is not to be protected, then Proton should not be asked to carry the burden of these vendors - manufacturers of components. It is not a subsidy for Proton but a subsidy to these vendors. Proton doesn’t mind if the subsidies are is taken away. If Proton is not asked to support the vendors, I am quite sure that If Proton does not support the vendors most of them would go out of business.
Mack Zulfikli dissects it. Read more at Brand New Malaysian.
Click here to read the rest of Misconceptions over Proton subsidy unfortunate
This is an even more souped up version of the ultimate luxury sedan. The AC Schnitzer ACS7 based on the E65/E66 7-series.
The BMW 7-series combines two excellent properties of a car, luxury and driveability. This competitor to the 7 series was the first in the new controversial and ‘different’ look that BMW cars have now, courtesy of BMW design man Chris Bangle.
Basically what ACS has done for this car is a revised bodykit which just isn’t for so. Every part of the redesigned bodykit has a function, for example the front lip skirting acts as a diffuser, imposing more downforce on the front axle, giving the car more stability at high speeds. This is not your typical ah beng bodykit. It’s an AC Schnitzer!
Of course, you have to have that beautiful 5-spoke AC Schitzer sports rims, from 19 inch all the way up to 22 inch rims with 265/30/R22 tyres on the front and 295/25/R22 on the rear. Must cost a bomb!
Ride height is also lowered by 25mm with ACS progressive spring kits. The interior looks are also updated with aluminium trims and a new air-bag steering wheel.
For more photos, read more. Click here to read the rest of AC Schnitzer ACS7
Proton’s Motorsports Division RaceRallyResearch will be showing a preview of the complete line of R3 cars at Dreamcars Asia this 7th July to 10th July at the New KL Convention Center.
The Proton Gen2 R3 prototype will be there, as well as the Proton Savvy R3 Concept.
Aftermarket R3 parts and merchandise will also be on show.
Go and check them out! They will be in hall 1, between Amprex and Armkread, opposite Netstar.
Kleemann will also be there with their modified Mercedes Benz cars.
Where: KL Convention Center
When: 5-10PM Thursday 7th July, 10AM-10PM Friday, Saturday and Sunday 8th to 10th July.
Read more for the floor maps of the exhibition. Click here to read the rest of R3 Preview at Dreamcars Asia 2005
This is the Pac-Car. It can circle the globe with only 8 liters of fuel. With the prices of RON97 petrol currently standing at RM1.52 per liter, that would mean it would cost you RM12.16 to circle the globe in this car, if there’s an Autobahn that circles around the globe.
Of course, the car isn’t powered by petrol so it isn’t really 8 liters of petrol. The car uses hydrogen fuel cell technology. It was developed by a team at the Swiss Federal Technical University, headed by Professor Lino Guzzella.
Mass production is to be expected in the next couple of years, but how much would it cost?
Source: Ananova
Apparently, Malaysian bloggers who only have bad press media and gloat about mediocre USD100 Adsense earnings are inferior to Singaporean bloggers who get to write for real publications, get offered endorsements and get paid for it!
Its evident from the facts. Mr brown, Miyagi are writing for Today; Wendy is writing for The New Paper, Maxim, endorsing LocalBrand; and most interestingly, commercial entities are APPROACHING the Bloggercon organizers for sponsorship, instead of the other way round.
All these are happening while Malaysian bloggers are still gloating over how they got their first cheques from Google Adsense.
I don’t know why I felt like cracking open Kenny’s coconuts when I read that. But after a while, I’ve cooled down. Always had this temper control problem, losing temper for no proper reason.
This Adsense issue has been played over and over again. Kenny, Adsense is actually serious money. It is not just USD100 after a few months of collecting a few cents of income a day. It depends on the topic of your blog of course.
What do you guys think?
Tun Dr. Mahathir has revealed in the papers today what’s coming up in Proton’s road map. He says that Proton plans to develop a gas-electric car in 5 years time. Proton has supposedly been working on the project for the past 5 years.
The car will be powered by a hybrid powerplant that runs on an electric motor backed up by a small gasoline engine.
Toyota has done pretty well in the US with it’s Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle.
Mahathir did not say whether Proton would be developing it’s own Campro gas-electric, or sourcing the technology from another manufacturer.
Right, why not get the cam-profiling and variable intake manifold in the Campro working first?
Source: StarBiz
