We can say goodbye to the W203 Mercedes Benz C-Class now, as the last of it’s production rolled off Mercedes Benz’s plant in Sindelfingen, 15km south west of Stuttgart, Germany. This particular generation of the C-class was introduced in 2000, replacing the previous W202 C-class introduced in 1993. Following the 7-8 year model cycle that the C-class has always had, this phasing out was expected, and the new W204 Mercedes Benz C-class is expected to have a public debut either at the Detroit Motor Show in January 2007 or the Geneva Motor Show in March 2007.

Above is an undisguised spyshot of the third generation Mercedes Benz C-class, and one again following the tradition of C-classes, it looks like a downsized S-class. The size of the boot looks abit small from the looks of the rear overhang, but then again it might be an optical illusion of sorts to make the car more sporty.

DRB-HICOM has presented their rationale for their proposal to buy 32.9% of Proton to the Cabinet commitee on transportation last Monday. Among DRB-HICOM’s plans for Proton if the government allows them to take over part of their 39% stake in Proton is the merger of Proton Edar and DRB-HICOM’s distribution unit EON, which also sells Proton cars amongst other marques.

DRB-HICOM says it can turn Proton into a profitable company within 2 years. DRB-HICOM also has no issues with working with a foreign partner in efforts to turn Proton around and lead it towards success. If no foreign partner is selected, DRB-HICOM already has existing working relationships with Renault and GM.

Other local parties interested in Proton include Naza and Mofaz, but DRB-HICOM is pretty confident in this matter. DRB-HICOM executive adviser of the groups automotive and component division Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Omar says he believes DRB-HICOM has a 100% chance, as it makes sense for the government to put Proton under DRB-HICOM considering the Government is a common shareholder in the three companies involved - Proton, DRB-HICOM and EON. Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Omar used to be Perodua’s managing director, and spearheaded Perodua’s restructuring in 2001, which saw Daihatsu and other Japanese companies taking up equity and management control of it’s manufacturing division.

In other news, Proton Holdings Berhad chairman Datuk Azlan Hashim said talks about Volkswagen being shortlisted as a forerunner for Proton’s foreign strategic partner was pre-mature, and no decision has been made yet. The decision will be made by the shareholders, and an announcement will be made when the board is ready.

Source

If you’re free with nothing to do this weekend, you’re spoiled for choice for events to attend! Other than Auto Eurokars’ event, you also have Cycle & Carriage Bintang’s promotions in the Klang Valley. There will be Cycle & Carriage Bintang Carnivals at both CCB’s Lot 9, Jalan 219 showroom along the Federal Highway, as well as the CCB Mazda Showroom at Jalan Ampang from 10am to 5pm. The Lot 9 Carnival will have refreshments. You’ll be able to take a pick from a wide range of well-maintained Mercedes-Benz and smart company cars, demonstrator units, showroom models and pre-owned vehicles - Mercedes Benz A, C, E, and S-class as well as smart demo cars. The demo cars are attractively priced and in mint condition, complete with the latest registration, full after-sales facilities and fast delivery. Up to 90% financing, up to 9 years is also available.

There is also a road show being held at The Street in by far the classiest shopping mall The Curve, Mutiara Damansara from the 15th December to 17th December 2006, from 10am to 10pm. All latest models are being displayed with discount prices just for visitors of the roadshow. Also, the smart cars are being sold at CCB staff price. There are also door gifts upon test drive enrollment.

For more information, contact Cycle & Carriage Bintang Berhad - PJ Autohaus ( 03–7872 8000), Mutiara Damansara (03-7727 3213), Ampang (03-2144 9999), Johor Bahru (07-238 2299), Ipoh (05-506 4266)

French automotive engineering company Valeo says that it’s camless engine development project will likely be ready by 2010 or 2011, and it already has a few customers working together with them, though Valeo board member Martin Haub declined to name who the customers are.

Valeo’s camless engine is not a full camless engine, but rather half camless, where only the intake valves are electronically actuated with a camshaft. The exhaust valves are actuated using the traditional camshaft method. Valeo says it took the half camless approach because this gives the Valeo half camless engine 80 percent of the performance of a fully camless engine while keeping costs down by half as much - as it is, a four-cylinder half camless engine is about 300 euros more than a normal camshaft engine. As for benefits over a normal engine, Valeo says the engine has 15% to 20% better fuel economy, as well as 15 to 20% better torque at the low end of rev ranges.

Mercedes Benz already has it’s own camless engine project called KDI EVT, with the resulting cam-less valvetrain engine expected to be supercharged with direct injection. BMW is also researching the technology, but is concerned with cost and durability, says BMW general manager for calibration V8 engines Christian Bock. Bock says the technical barrier to camless engines are not the valve actuators themselves but rather the sensors to make it all work with precision. Currently sensors are no accurate enough and have engine-life durability and reliability issues.

Look after the jump for a diagram from Valeo explaining how their electronic valve actuators work.

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Camless Solenoid Valve Engines
KDI EVT in the new 2008 C-Class

Click here to read the rest of Valeo has customers for half camless engine

This is a sneak peek design sketch of another concept vehicle that will be unveiled at the 2006 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The Kia Kue Concept is a crossover SUV, or crossover utility vehicle as Kia prefers to call it. It is based on a monocoque chassis.

Size wise, the Kue measures up with an overall length of 4,720mm and a 2,900mm wheelbase. This compares to 4,810mm and 2,890mm for the new Sedona (Carnival) and 4,590 and 2,710 for Sorento. Kia says the Kue focus is very much about an exciting driving experience, as opposed to the typical SUV or CUV lifestyle.

Don’t expect this to be a Kia Sportage replacement though, as it is a pure concept, basically a design exercise that will show a number of strong styling indicators to the direction of Kias future models.

Skoda has unveiled a major update to it’s smart supermini, the Skoda Fabia. The new Skoda Fabia carries Skoda’s new front facia look as shown on the new Skoda Roomster, and from what I can see, there’s also some Suzuki Swift-like design elements in the side profile design. Thanks to the new front bumper, it is a little longer than the previous Fabia (read review here). External measurements of 3992 mm x 1642 mm x 1498 mm make it one of the largest superminis in it’s class. The boot has a basic capacity of 300 litres, up to 1163 liters when the rear seats are folded down.

The new Skoda Fabia comes with 4 petrol engine options as well as 3 diesel engine options. Petrol engines include a 60 horsepower 1.2 liter, a 68 horsepower 1.2 liter, a 84 horsepower 1.4 liter 16 valve, and finally a 1.6 liter 16 valve making 103 horsepower. The oil burners include a 1.4 liter turbodiesel making 68 horsepower, a higher output 79 horsepower 1.4 liter turbodiesel with diesel particulate filter, and a 103 horsepower 1.9 liter turbodiesel also with diesel particulate filter. All engine options come with 5-speed manual transmissions, and the 1.6 liter petrol option can also be equipped with a 6-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission.

New safety features include head airbags for both front and rear seats. In the rear, a childs seat can be affixed with a top-tether belt which limits the forward movement of the upper part of the childs seat in the event of a head-on collision.

One more photo after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of New 2007 Skoda Fabia unveiled

A concept for the Volvo XC60, Volvo’s competitor for the future Audi Q5, Merc GLK, Volkswagen Tiguan and other small crossover SUVs like the BMW X3 will be shown to the public next month at Detroit 2006. As part of the Ford group, the Volvo XC60 will be based off the Ford EUCD platform (Land Rover LR2/Freelander, Volvo S80, future Volvo S40/V50), which is in turn loosely based on Ford’s C1 platform (current Volvo C30/S40/V50/C70, Mazda3).

While remaining mostly Volvo-like on the exterior, the interior features a futuristic look including a floating center console which looks like all data is displayed using OLEDs, and controls are touch sensitive. Even shifting the automatic gearbox is via touch sensitive buttons on the floating center console, as you can see from photos.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Volvo XC60 Concept Photos

UPDATE #2: Read this post for a nice analysis.

The government has announced the new rates for five highways, ending our anticipation ever since the announcement back in late November this year. The list below shows 7 new toll rates, as some of the highways have more than one toll points.

Cost of living is going up, and this is our new year’s gift I suppose, hopefully this is the only new year’s gift we’ll get - another rumoured one is a petrol price hike of which RON97 grade petrol is expected to hit the psychological limit of more than RM2 per liter. RON97 petrol is currently priced at RM1.92 per liter.

LDP - RM1.60 (previously RM1)
KESAS - RM2.20 (previously RM1.50)
Cheras-Kajang, Batu 9 - RM 1 (previously 70 sen)
Cheras-Kajang, Batu 11, 90 sen (previously 60 sen )
KL-Karak-Gombak - RM5
KL-Karak-Bentong - RM3 (previously RM2.50)
Guthrie Corridor - RM1.40 (previously RM1)

UPDATE: Brace yourselves, for the toll rates for the following highways will come under “review” for 2008, and you know what are the results of reviews, always a hike!

North South Highway (Plus)
Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway
North South Expressway Central Link (Elite)
Seremban-Port Dickson Highway
New North Klang Straits Bypass (Shahpadu)
Malaysia-Singapore Second Link
Butterworth-Kulim Expressway
Penang Bridge.

Related Posts:
Tolls to go up
Toll hike amount yet to be determined

Details on Lexus Malaysia’s operation plans was revealed to the public on the 13th of December 2006. The Lexus brand is a young one, only 17 years old and despite being a division of Toyota, Lexus only made it’s appearance in Japan last year. Majority of sales remain in North America where it is the top selling luxury marque, and it has also expanded to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and now Asia - Singapore got an official Lexus presence last year.

Now it is our turn - Lexus Malaysia will operate from a sales, service and spare part 3S outlet in Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya. Lexus plans to sell 150 units in 2007, about 12 units a month of the Lexus LS460L long wheel base and the smaller but sportier Lexus GS300 sedan. The RX SUV (Harrier) and another model is expected to come in soon next year, but for the moment it is a two model line-up.

More details on the two Lexus cars after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Lexus Malaysia: Lexus LS460L and Lexus GS300

As the year ends, there are more and more car manufacturers holding promotions, either in conjunction with the festive season or to clear out old stocks. Some examples have been Volvo and Naza. Auto Eurokars, the distributor of Saab and Porsche in Malaysia also has something for car buyers, with great deals on existing stock Porsche and existing stock Saab cars. All new Saab cars are offered with 4 years/100,000 km warranty and 3 years/60,000 km FREE maintenance service, whichever comes first.

Interested buyers or fans of either Porsche or Saab or both can visit the Auto Eurokars Auto Fair this weekend, 16th and 17th December 2006 between 9am to 5pm at the Eurokars Centre in Glenmarie, Shah Alam.

There will be Saab and Porsche cars on display and available for test drive, as well as refreshments and fun activities for the whole family. You can also sign up for the Porsche World Road Show 2007 at the fair, as the deadline for registration has been extended to the 17th of December 2006.

For more information on the offers available during the Autofair, customers may call Eurokars Centre Glenmarie at 03-5032 9911 / 9595. The showroom is generally open from 9.00am to 6.30pm on Mondays to Fridays, 9.00am to 4.00pm on Saturdays and on Sundays from 11.00am to 4.00pm.