As you’ve previously read here, BMW has announced the new 2nd generation MINI Cooper, coded the R56. I’m sure MINI fans and car enthusiasts alike are curious to find out more about BMW’s new take on the iconic little car that has charmed the hearts of generations, but do you want to know where the MINI Cooper is made? Read about the MINI’s new triangle of production here, check out my first hand report after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of MINI Production Triangle and Oxford Plant Tour

Hyundai has just opened it’s new 50 million Euro headquarters in Germany, part of the company’s strategy to become one of Europe’s top automotive brands. The new HQ in Offenbach, near Frankfurt, will be Hyundai’s central for European sales, marketing and aftersales divisions.

Hyundai’s headquarters was previously located in Russelheim, Germany. The center will now be expanded into a dedicated European Research and Design Centre.

Combined with Hyundai’s first European plant in the Czech Republic, Hyundai will now centralise planning, design, production and sales for the European market within Europe itself. Shown above is the Hyundai Arnejs Concept, the base for a new European Hyundai.

Mitsubishi has developed another vehicle for electric vehicle research, the Mitsubishi i MIEV. Mitsubishi took the Mitsubishi i, and installed a lightweight motor into it, hooked up to a pack of high-energy density li-ion batteries, retaining the rear-midship layout. The Mitsubishi i’s rear-midship engine location allows the new motor and battery packs to be placed in front of the rear axle line, which ensures ample cabin space for passengers. The Mitsubishi i MIEV is also equipped with an on-board charger which supports charging from ordinary electric outlets - plug-in capability!

Mitsubishi will begin joint research with the Tokyo Electric Power Company, and The Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc., in November 2006 and with Kyushu Electric Power Co., Ltd, in January 2007. MMC will provide each power company with Mitsubishi i MiEV cars. The power companies will evaluate how fast-charge infrastructure can be developed for electric vehicles. Fast charging will allow the Mitsubishi i MIEV to be charged in about 20 minutes, compared to the hours it takes now.

After this first phase, fleet testing will begin in Autumn 2007 in order to verify the vehicle’s technical capabilities in daily use and to evaluate the commercial acceptance in collaboration with the power companies above along with, the Kansai Electric Power Co., Ltd, and Hokuriku Electric Power Company. The data collected from the test of daily use shall be used to assess the commercial viability of EVs in the market place.

The 1080kg electric vehicle is powered by a permanent magnet synchronous motor developing 63 horsepower and 180Nm of torque. This motor spins up to 8,500rpm, which translates to a top speed of 130km/h. This is hooked up to a pack of 330 volt lithium ion batteries which will have a 16 kWh capacity at first, but is expected to be 20 kWh during the fleet test phase. With a 100V power supply, it charges in 11 hours to 80%, and with a 200V supply it fills up to 80% capacity in 4 hours. And did I mention it’s rear wheel drive? I just did Check out Mitsubishi’s other electric vehicle, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MIEV.

One more diagram after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Mitsubishi i MIEV Research Electric Vehicle

BMW Malaysia Sdn Bhd had recently organised the MINI SPEEDMINIA Drive Day 2006 for MINI owners, which let the users experience a day of activities and festivities at the Sepang International Circuit.

50 MINI owners, divided into 3 groups called Flash, Speedy Conzales and Road Runner began a convoy escorted by 8 police outriders at Auto Bavaria’s dealership in Bukit Bintang, and headed to the SIC. Upon arrival, lunch was served, then it was time for a theoretical introduction to professional driving, driving safety and a circuit briefing.

Then on to the practical track sessions. Times were measured, and the two best drivers as well as the slowest from each group were rewarded with being driven around the SIC by pro drivers in a MINI Cooper S John Cooper Works as well as a MINI Cooper S Cabriolet. All drivers received Certificates of Participation.

More photos after the jump, click for enlarged versions.

Click here to read the rest of MINI SPEEDMINIA Drive Day 2006

Apparently, the new turbodiesel 2007 Range Rover TDV8 is so refined that Land Rover is afraid customers might mistake it for a petrol unit and accidentally fill petrol into the tank, especially if the driver is not a regular user of the vehicle. As ridiculous as it sounds, there was over 100,000 cases of mis-fueling reported in 2005. Needless to say, the cost of reversing such a muck-up can be very very painful to your bank account.

Which is why Land Rover has come up with something they call the petrol fuel guard system, which comes with the Range Rover TDV8. The petrol fuel guard system activates when a petrol nozzle is inserted into the fuel tank - it differenciates a petrol nozzle and a diesel nozzle by how deep the nozzle goes into the fuel tank - a petrol nozzle is thinner but longer, while a diesel’s is shotter but fatter. If a petrol nozzle is detected, a mechanical shutter is automatically activated, preventing petrol from getting into the fuel tank.

A short news update on Proton performance in it’s export markets. Proton sales in the UK have doubled in September 2006 compared with the same month in September 2005, which is very good considering year to date car registrations in the UK have actually dropped 3.5% so far.

“I am extremely pleased that we have again sustained a sales increase; we have achieved a rise in sales every month this year. Coming top in 11 different questions in the recent National Franchised Dealers Association Survey and our growing sales figures demonstrate that our dealers are responsive to our commitment and support,” said Proton Cars UK General Manager of Sales and Marketing Simon Park.

Sales look to continue in the upward trend, and the Proton Satria Neo will be launched in early 2007.

What do you get when you take an already gorgeous Alfa Romeo 147 2.0 Selespeed, and slap a nice bodykit and bigger wheels on? You get this little red rocket, now all it needs is to be an Alfa Romeo 147 GTA instead of a 2.0 Twinspark!

For my take on the Alfa Romeo 147 2.0 Twinspark Selespeed, click here. Two more photos with enlarged versions available after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Alfa Romeo 147 with bodykit

The car above may look familiar to you, you probably have already seen it when a Japanese magazine carried scans of the new Toyota Corolla as well as the Toyota Auris hatchback which replaces the Corolla hatch. No longer do you have to look for artist’s impressions based on leaked data - or leaked photos - because Toyota has officially launched the new JDM 2007 Toyota Corolla in Japan! Details after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of 2007 Toyota Corolla Axio launched in Japan

Projek KARS is a project by LS Associates (SEA) Sdn Bhd, a 31-acre area which introduces a convergence concept in car trading here. The project, which costs RM5 million, provides a single place for car dealers, support services, financing and insurance services, in a single location.

Phase one will begin operations in December 2006, with 10,000 sales bays, buyer meets seller bays and 1,200 car parks. Both new cars and second hand car dealers are expected to converge at the center. There will also be stalls for accessories, a hypermarket, JPJ offices and a Puspakom center - everything you need when you purchase a car, whether new or second hand. It would be cool if there were facilities at the seller for buyers who want to buy cars from direct private sellers to jack up the car and check out the undercarriage, perhaps have a team of professionals for hire to check out the chassis for you.

As far as I can tell at a glance, the project seems to be similiar to the Highway Auto City, but Highway Auto City focuses more on new car 3S centers, while Projek KARS also serves the used car market. Projek KARS is expected to be fully operational by April 2007, and LS Associates hopes the depressed market will have recovered by then.

Source

EP Manufacturing Bhd (EPMB) will be supplying a new Intake Air-Fuel Module to Proton for use with it’s Campro range of engines, together with it’s technology partner Bosch.

Currently, Proton’s Campro engine uses an aluminum manifold with a single airflow path. This will be replaced with a reinforced plastic molded manifold with variable airflow activated by flaps controlled by electronics from Bosch, and manufactured by EPMB.

The automotive-grade high-thermal plastic material used to make the new manifold is lighter, resulting in overall weight reduction, which will improve fuel consumption slightly. The new intake manifold will substantially improve the efficiency of air intake into the combustion chamber, and better combustion means better response, and increased torque output and smoother power delivery.

Lower end power will also be better, since airflow can be optimized for both low and high end engine speeds. Basically, this is a variable intake geometry system, also known as variable length intake manifold. Nothing cutting edge or new in the market, and has been in practice for years - like Porsche’s VarioRam, Mitsubishi’s Cyclone and Mazda’s VICS. But anything that can improve the performance of the Campro engine is welcomed, don’t you think? Another added effect is the ability to create a swirl effect in the intake air for a better air-fuel mix, if the manifold is designed to do so.

Development for the new variable intake system commenced as long as 12 months ago, and is currently in final advanced tooling stages. It’s expected that the system will be ready for production in the second half of 2007.

Source: EPMB, Bernama