Weststar LDV Sdn Bhd will soon launch a short-wheelbase MPV version of it’s Weststar LDV van for private use targetted at middle-income earners, and willl price it slightly over RM100,000. The Weststar LDV is basically a rebadged LDV Maxus light commercial vehicle, with the CKD kit coming from UK and assembled locally at DRB-HICOM’s plant in Pekan with 18% local content.

Originally production was planned for sales of 50 vehicles a month, but overwhelming response and 200 orders upon launching have prompted Weststar LDV to consider upping production to 1,200 units a year. Weststar also plans to export the vehicle to countries like Vietnam and Indonesia under the Weststar LDV Maxus badge.

I think some of you may remember the name Weststar. Yes, the company belongs to Syed Azman’s Weststar group of companies, who used to hold the franchise APs for Honda.

It seems that we will be able to enjoy the new Vios recently launched in Thailand for less than RM70,000! This is for the lowest spec version of course, which could possibly be offered with a manual transmission. The Edge Daily has an exclusive report that UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd plans to offer the new third generation (second gen in our market) Toyota Vios at a price of just under RM70,000, the first for a brand new Japanese sedan in a very long time.

If all goes well, this is very good news for the rakyat indeed. While still more expensive than our northern neighbours in Tomyamland who get to enjoy the Vios for between RM50,849 to RM69,830, beggars with the NAP over their heads can’t be choosers.

I really have to give it to the guys at UMW Holdings Bhd. They practically have the whole market cornered. The current Perodua Kancil and the upcoming Perodua Viva should conquer the below RM40,000 market, the Myvi rules the RM40,000 to RM50,000 market, and the new Vios will most likely conquer the B-segment Japanese sedan market as well, following the success of the current Vios. The Camry has proven to be a hit despite rumours of deliveries being hit by AP issues, and while the Civic currently reigns in the C-segment sedan sales, there’s no telling what the new Corolla will do to that segment once it is launched. Kudos to UMW’s outstanding performance.

Source

The very lucky folks over at AutoWeek have managed to be the first in the world with a story on the new production E92 BMW M3, powered by a new 4.0 liter V8 engine. They are of the opinion that the new M3 is now so much more grown up, being more of a practical GT than a car to trash around on the track this time. Perhaps we’ll get the trashable M3 with a possible new E92 M3 CSL that might be introduced later?

The V8 engine doesn’t disappoint, possessing the rev-hungry attitude of the previous 3.2 inline-6 engine instead of behaving like a slow and sleepy cross-plane V8, but an improvement over the inline-6 would be alot more low and mid-end torque.

Read AutoWeek’s first impression test drive.

This is one of the most radical facelifts I’ve seen on a car model yet, changing from something radical into something not so radical. This is the face of the facelifted Subaru B9 Tribeca, transforming it into something that looks not bad at all, a huge improvement from it’s previous fascia that looked like something out of a horror movie.

The new Subaru B9 Tribeca gets Subaru’s new nose identity, also seen on the recent new Version 10 Subaru Impreza. The new nose is executed alot better on the new Tribeca than it is on the Impreza. Even the round Porsche-like headlamps have been dropped for more conventional ones. It looks like there are no re-used body panels from the old to the new, except for perhaps the roof.

Not only has the exterior been updated, but the Subaru B9 Tribeca gets a new engine under the hood too. The new 6-cylinder normally aspirated boxer engine now has 3.6 liters of displacement, and puts out 256 horsepower, up slightly from the previous engine’s 250 horsepower. Torque is now rated at a peak of 335Nm at 4,400rpm, up from 297Nm at 4,200rpm. Why the small gain? This is because the new engine is tuned to run on regular-grade fuel, while the previous engine needed premium fuel. The gearbox remains a 5-speed unit but it’s logic has been tweaked for better shifting.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of 2008 Subaru B9 Tribeca Facelift

Click to view larger image of Lexus GS-F

The first in the new Lexus F brand was the Lexus IS-F that many expected to be a competitor to the BMW M3, but the end results was quite different. Even though blessed with hardcore, perhaps even borderlining on ricey looks, what the car was made of was suited more to a fast luxury cruiser instead of a track monster.

The next car in the Lexus F line-up will be the Lexus GS-F (artist’s impression above by Theophilus Chin), supposed to be aimed square at the BMW M5. The GS-F will most likely be powered by the V10 that’s supposed to be slotted into the Lexus LF-H supercar, making over 500 horsepower.

Since Lexus also seems to love one-upping it’s competitors on numbers, perhaps a tweaked up and modernized version of the 1GZ-FE (1GZ-DE?) will be offered. The 1GZ-FE was a 5.0 liter V12 offered in Toyota luxury cars like the Toyota Century.

While power figures on paper might defeat the M5, but that’s not all it takes to win the hearts of enthusiasts.

[ LATEST UPDATE: Click here to find out more details on the Toyota Vios that will be available here in Malaysia, straight from the Malaysian press preview launch! ]

[ UPDATE: Toyota is currently having a pre-launch promo campaign for the new Toyota Vios. Click here to find out more! ]

The new third generation Toyota Vios has been launched in Thailand, without much suprise as spyshots of the new Belta on test in Thailand as a Vios have been captured recently. The new Toyota Vios is based on the Toyota Belta, or the Toyota Yaris Sedan, which is currently being sold globally. This means the third gen Vios is now a global model instead of being a regional ASEAN model. You can already see the hatchback version being sold in the Malaysian market, the Toyota Yaris. Of course, trim level and some other variables are changed here and there with the different regions.

Compared to the 2nd generation Vios still being sold in Malaysia, the third gen Vios wheelbase is longer by 50mm at 2550mm, which is also longer than the Yaris hatchback which only stands at 2460mm. It is also heavier, now weighing 1045kg compared to the 2nd gen Vios’ kerb weight of 980kg. The 1NZ-FE engine and 4-speed Super ECT gearbox is retained, producing 109 horsepower and a maximum torque of 142Nm at 4,200rpm. This means you may feel the 2nd generation Vios is slightly more zippy than the 3rd generation Vios once it gets launched in Malaysia.

On the interior, dash layout is pretty much the same as the Toyota Yaris being the same car, and the plus point is it shares the Yaris interior’s abundance of storage space. However it also shares the Toyota Yaris meter panel’s centrally-mounted location, which some dislike and prefer a conventional location.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of New Toyota Vios launched in Thailand

Malaysia has been appointed as the regional hub for the Asia Pacific market by Kleemann, a tuning company specialising in Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Running the operations in Malaysia is Kleemann Asia Pacific Sdn.Bhd., a joint venture company between Kleemann and a local team, headed by Chairman Datuk Subhi Dziyauddin and Executive Director Khairul Anuar Abdul Rahman.

Kleemann intends to get 3% of current Mercedes Benz owners to upgrade their cars with Kleemann parts and technology, and also intends to increase sales of Kleemann pre-tuned Mercedes Benz cars by 5% by the end of 2008.

Yet another German tuner has laid their hands on the new W204 Mercedes Benz C-Class. This time, it’s Carlsson, who took the standard Mercedes Benz C350 and engineered this new Carlsson CK35. It features a race-proven Carlsson kit, with a bodykit made of high-grade polyutherane, an upgraded interior, as well as Carlsson 1/11 Brilliant Edition 19″ wheels wrapped with Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tyres.

What does Carlsson mean by race-proven? Basically, the 3.5 liter V6 in the C350 had been tuned up and used in a Mercedes Benz SLK in the VLN Long Distance Trophy at the Nürburgring for many years. The 3.5 liter V6 now makes 295 bhp and 385 Nm of torque, and 0-100km/h now takes 6 seconds.

The polyutherane bodykit includes a front lip, a rear diffuser-style skirt, side skirts, as well as an aerodynamically functional rear spoiler. The bumper grille gets a new insert made from electro-polished material, and this is matched to double-headlight units with fog and driving lights. These parts can also be fitted with the W204 standard bumper instead of the CK35’s bumper.

Check out two more photos and a video after the jump. Enlarged versions of all photos in this post available by clicking on the original images.

Related Posts:
Brabus tunes the W204 C-Class
2007 Mercedes Benz C-Class W204 unveiled

Click here to read the rest of Carlsson CK35: Carlsson tunes up the W204

I missed a very important photo in the recent coverage of the new Infiniti G37 Coupe. A photo of the interior! Well, here’s one, and you can click on it for an enlarged version for your viewing pleasure. For more details on the Infiniti G37 Coupe, look at the related posts linked below.

Related Posts
Infiniti G37 Official Details Released
Infiniti G37 features new VQ37VHR engine

Maserati is preparing a Spyder version of the new Maserati GranTurismo, essentially a short-wheel-based cabriolet of the car. It will make it’s public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2007. Engine and transmission will likely be the same, and you’d be happy to know it will come with a proper automatic instead of a computer controlled manual clutch which is seen as some to be too unrefined for a luxury car.