Related follow-up stories:
New Honda Jazz S and V launched in Malaysia!

AutoExpress carried a story late last month saying that Honda will be replacing the Jazz with a new version, however it’s styling will be following that old adage “don’t fix what’s not broken”. It will look more like a facelift of the current Jazz rather than an all new model, however it will be 50mm longer and 20mm wider. The new 2008 model Honda Jazz will make it’s debut October at the Tokyo Motor Show and will go on sale in 2008.

The images in this blog post is AutoExpress’ own artist’s impression. However, a Japanese magazine has a different take on the new Jazz. I somehow trust the Japanese magazine a little more as the same issue also had an artist’s impression of the new 2007 Honda CR-V way before it launched and the production model turned out to look exactly like it. This Japanese magazine artist’s impression is available after the jump, or in the related post linked below. The Japanese take on the new Jazz looks somewhat like a smaller version of the new Honda Stream.

So who is right, AutoExpress, the Japanese magazine, or neither? Or perhaps both will be right and two different Jazz designs will be done for different market tastes, just like how the Civic has both USDM and JDM designs.

Check out more images after the jump.

Related Posts:
2007 Honda Fit/Honda Jazz

Click here to read the rest of New 2008 Honda Jazz

If I ever had somehow enough dough to purchase a Mercedes Benz S-Class for myself (though the cash would likely go towards an LS460L instead) I know there would be one tuner I would never let touch my car. ASMA Design. This is the ASMA Design Eagle II Sport Edition. The strange paint job also makes the car look like a camouflaged car that’s undergoing road tests. That’s all I have to say. I’ll let the photos do the talking.

More after the jump.

Related ASMA Design Cars:
ASMA Design CLS Shark

Click here to read the rest of ASMA Design Eagle II Sport Edition

Since Audi is working on the Audi A7, it’s only natural that Volkswagen have an equivalent model in it’s line-up. Platform sharing at it’s best. Work on the new car has started, and it’s Volkswagen internal development codename is the CC or I/O 511. The new Volkswagen CC I/O 511 4-door coupe is expected to make it’s first public debut at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, and go on sale as a Summer 2008 model. Shown above is an artist’s impression of how it might look like.

Related Posts:
2009 Audi A7 Coupe - New CLS Contender
Audi A7, Q5 and another mini-SUV coming up next

The Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 barely needs anymore tuning, so this package is what Hamann calls an Appearance Package. It’s basically aerodynamically tuned bodykit parts - a two-part front spoiler, two-part rear diffuser, roof-mounted air intake, side sills, side intake covers and a rear wing. These components can either be made of Carbon-Kevlar or fiberglass.

Wheels are sized 8.5×20 in the front and 13.0×20 in the rear. Interior touch-ups include an eight-piece carbon fiber design kit that replaces the paneling around the instrument cluster, air bleed jet, gearshift panel, and ashtray console.

The single large exhaust pipe design is thrown away in favor for some really ricey-looking huge diameter twin oval pipes. The sound that emits from these twin exhausts have been tuned to sound more brutal than the stock system, and also comes with a new high flow catalytic converter.

Two more shots after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Hamann Lamborghini Murcielago LP640

Porsche has unveiled the open top version of the tech-packed Porsche 911 Turbo, naturally called the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet. Following the 20-year old tradition of open top 911s, the new type 997 Porsche 911 Turbo features a classic soft top.

Powering the new 911 Turbo Cabriolet is the same 3.6 liter six-cylinder boxer engine force fed through twin turbocharging with Variable Turbine Geometry turbochargers. Power output is 480 horsepower and 620Nm of torque from as low as 1,950rpm, which can be upped to 680Nm through an optional Sport Chrono Turbo Package overboost feature that increases turbocharger boost pressure momentarily when the situation arises. 0-100km/h with the manual takes 4 seconds, while the Tiptronic S auto takes 3.8 seconds.

Other than the absence of the roof, what are the differences between the coupe and the cabriolet? The additional chassis reinforcements required with a cabriolet only adds 70kg of extra weight to the car. The three-layer soft top goes up or down in 20 seconds. The rear spoiler which automatically extends at speeds of over 120km/h now extends 30mm further than the coupe model, and it would be interesting to note that the 911 Turbo Cabriolet is the only standard series convertible that generates negative lift at the rear axle.

Rollover protection includes steel tubing integrated into the windshield frame and an extendable rollover protection behind the rear seats, fulfilling all legal requirements for passive safety in worldwide sales markets.

Three more photos after the jump.

Related Posts:
2008 Porsche 911 Turbo (Type 997)
How does Variable Turbine Geometry work?
2007 Porsche World Road Show Videos

Click here to read the rest of Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet

PEDA (Proton Edar Dealers Association Malaysia) has a new request for Bank Negara: remove the ceiling for hire purchase commission. PEDA wants the commission to be determined by market forces instead, so that the Proton Edar dealers could possibly earn more from each Proton car sold through hire purchase commissions. A dealer gets a hire purchase commission when a hire purchase loan for a sold car is processed and approved through the dealer.

PEDA’s arguement for this: the whole idea of the commission was to help Proton dealers in the first place. It was introduced in the 80s to compensate for low Proton car sales margins. Later, it was extended to all car dealers until 2001. “The origins of the hire purchase commission, to support the low car margin of Proton dealers, were forgotten and neglected and the Proton car margin was never revised since,” said PEDA deputy president Armin Baniaz Pahamin.

Armin also continued to stress on it’s previous request for banks to have a minimum quota of Proton loans to approve. “This will allay banks’ fears of poor KPI due to Proton customers’ profile. This is a normal practice in other developed countries such as South Korea to ensure the survival of their national car,” he said.

I am rather puzzled about one thing. How will a minimum amount of Proton loans approved allay the banks’ fears of Proton car non-performing loans? All it merely does is force the bank to approve a certain number of loans, but the banks will have to continue worrying about those loans. The only thing that will change is the banks will not be able to refuse the risky loan. Indirectly forcing the bank to worry, instead of letting the bank NOT worry by rejecting the loan.

Is there something wrong here or am I just stupid and not able to comprehend?

Related Posts:
Dealers want minimum quota of Proton loans
Banks: No discrimination against Proton buyers

Source

This is the successor to the Ford Escape currently being sold in our market, but it hasn’t been introduced here yet of course. Still, it would be interesting to look at what new SUVs in the 130 to 160k price ranges might come here, since we have no new SUV models here save for the 2007 Honda CR-V. The X-Trail has just been facelifted again so the replacement second generation X-Trail is nowhere in sight.

Anyway, on to the 2008 Ford Escape after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of 2008 Ford Escape

Unlike the 997 911 Turbo which features the latest in technology with twin VGT turbochargers: a first on a gasoline engine and all wheel drive, the 911 GT3 is a more track-day biased vehicle using a high revving race-bred normally aspirated engine and a rear wheel drive setup. Video after jump.

Related Posts:
2007 Porsche World Road Show Videos

Click here to read the rest of 997 Porsche 911 GT3 on the Nurburgring

Hamann has put their tuning touch on the recently launched E70 BMW X5, and all three variants have had their powers upped, with the 3.0d turbodiesel getting the most gains.

The E70 BMW X5 3.0si gets it’s power bumped up from 272 horsepower to 286 horsepower, while torque is boosted from 315Nm to 340Nm. That would be 14 horses and 25Nm respectively. The top of the range 4.8i model now makes 18 more horses at 373 horsepower compared to the stock 355 horsepower. The turbodiesel 3.0d has the most gains, going from 235 horsepower up to 265 horsepower in Hamann-tuned form, with torque going up from 520Nm to a significantly higher 600Nm!

The bodykit includes a new front and rear apron and a roof spoiler. There are 4 different wheel designs to go with the new Hamannised E70, called PG3, Anniversary I, Anniversary II and Edition Race. PG3 and Anniversary I are available in both 20 inch and 22 inch sizes, the Anniversary II in 22 inch size only, while the colossal Edition Race is a large 23 inches in size. Hamann also enhances handling via new suspension springs which lower the car between 30mm to 40mm depending on whether the X5 is equipped with level regulation or not.

On the interior, it is mostly aesthetics to remind you that you are driving a Hamann-tuned X5 - black foot mat flooring, aluminium pedal and footrest, the option for more upmarket leather, and multimedia entertainment options such as an integrated Playstation 2.

[UPDATE: The new second generation E70 BMW X5 has been launched in Malaysia. Click here for prices and other details.]

Two more photos after the jump.

Related Posts:
2007 BMW X5 4.8i and 3.0d Test Drive in Athens
New 2007 BMW X5 (E70) Specifications

Click here to read the rest of Hamann tunes the E70 BMW X5

Another track video for fans of in-car camera recordings from fast cars on tracks. This BMW E30 was just minding it’s own business on the Nurburgring, until a yellow Porsche Carrera GT passes it. The E30 decides to give chase… why? Because it can I suppose. The Carrera GT obviously has more power than the E30, however it looks to me that the E30 has the better driver. Video after jump.

Click here to read the rest of Nurburgring: 1.0 bar boosted E30 chases Carrera GT