Jean Todt has been elected as the President of the FIA which is the world’s motorsport governing body. The Frenchman was contesting against Finland’s Ari Vatanen who is a former world rally champion. Todt replaces Max Mosley and won the elections by 86 votes from a total of 184. Jean Todt was the executive director for the Ferrari Formula 1 team before serving as Ferrari’s CEO until 2008.

He then remained with the company with a “special appointment” and left a year later. Todt will be joined by Nick Craw who will serve as the President of the Senate and Brian Gibbons, Deputy President Automobile Mobility & Tourism. Malaysia’s Tunku Mudzaffar bin Tunku Mustapha who is the chairman of the AAM will serve as a Senate Member.

Our PM Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has just revealed the annual budget for the year 2010, which is his first since taking office on April 3rd 2009. The RM191.5 billion budget would be the final budget under the 9th Malaysia Plan.

The Government expects the economy to grow by about 3% next year. The premier revealed that the budget for 2010 will focus on the ‘rakyat’ and aims to turn the Malaysian economy into a high-income economy.

Apart from unveiling various plans and measures to further improve the overall economy under the budget that is themed “1Malaysia, Together We Prosper”, the PM also briefly spoke about the local automotive industry and issues that relate to motorists.

First of all – one of the most important things for motorists – the combustible stuff we put into our cars so they can move. The Prime Minister says the fuel subsidy currently given to the public is being utilized by people who don’t deserve the subsidy.

The Government plans to introduce a fuel subsidy management system to determine the eligibility of a citizen, to find out whether she or she is eligible to enjoy the subsidy. The system is to be implemented in early 2010 and will incorporate the use of the MyKad. We’ve already saw a potential vendor demonstrating their ePetrol system at the WCIT 2008 (picture above). Not much other details regarding this was revealed.

There will also be a implementation of a new insurance and Takaful scheme for motorists. According to the PM, right now the structure of the motor insurance scheme is rigid (premiums are fixed) and fails to take into account rising business costs and claims. So in mid-2010, a new system will be introduced that will include an affordable ‘basic’ insurance and Takaful scheme.

The premium for the insurance will be figured at an ‘appropriate’ level and will be on par with the level of coverage. The scheme will provide mandatory coverage for bodily injuries and the death of a third party. Policy holders will also receive their compensation expeditiously without delays. I have a nagging feeling that this means the cost of entry to get a motor insurance policy will be low but to get the same amount of coverage we enjoy now, we’ll be paying higher prices.

Also announced is a RM10,000 price tag for an Open AP (Approval Permit). The change will be implemented on January 1st 2010 and a portion of the proceeds will be channeled to the automotive sector of Malaysia’s “Dana Pembangunan Bumiputera”. Four years ago in 2005, a total of 17,526 Open APs were issued. If the figure is used as a gauge, the Government can potentially earn over RM175 million. I wonder how the grey importers will deal with this new cost to them – will the buck be passed onto customers?

There was nothing revealed on the National Automotive Policy review in the Budget so we’ll have to continue waiting for updates on that issue.

Look after the jump for the full Budget 2010 text.

Click here to read the rest of Budget 2010: what it means for Malaysian motorists

The Prime Minister has just announced his 2010 Budget and it contains a few interesting bits of information to do with the automotive industry and motoring in general.

Look after the jump for the speech in both English and BM.

Click here to read the rest of PM’s Budget 2010 speech text available here!

Nissan has unveiled the ROOX which is a “super space” compact car at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show. The vehicle that will make its debut in Japan in December measures 3,395 mm long, 1,475 mm wide, 1,735 mm high and has a wheelbase that is figured at 2,400 mm. The 4-seater ROOX has an interior width measuring 1365 mm and an interior length that is 2085 mm long.

According to Nissan, “No matter where you sit, the ROOX’s design gives each passenger a sense of the great outdoors”. The seating arrangement in the vehicle can be altered to suit the number of occupants. The rear seat back can be flattened as well to create a large luggage space.

Along with rear sliding doors, it also features a remote-control door opening keyfob, a drink cooler inside the upper glove box, a storage box under the passenger seat, dual airbags and more. Nissan is still being tight-lipped about what is under to hood and has only released a single image. However we now have two live images of ROOX being presented at the motor show.

Look for more images after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Nissan ROOX “super space” minicar shown in Tokyo

Volkswagen announced that a new 1.2 TSI powerplant is now available for the Polo, Golf and Golf Plus models. The engine is able to output 105 PS and 175Nm of torque that is achieved from as low as 1,500 rpm. As the term TSI suggests, the engine is fitted with a turbocharger and features direct injection.

The 1.2 TSI motivator is treated to an aluminium crankcase and a completely re-tuned direct injection system to help make the engine lighter and more fuel efficient. It also enables to the engine to achieve smooth power development and output lower emissions. The above mentioned features are also used in the 1.4 TSI, an engine that has been awarded the prestigious “Engine of the Year” award three years in a row since 2006.

Nissan has unveiled the new Fuga sedan at the motor event in Tokyo. The Fuga will be available in Japan with two engine options including a VQ25HR 2.5 liter V6 and the VQ37VHR 3.7 liter V6 that can crank out 325hp. The Fuga that is also sold in the US as the Infiniti M comes with features like Double Piston Shock Absorbers, a Lane Departure Prevention system, Intelligent Cruise Control, Cornering Stability Assist and more. It also features a four-wheel steering mechanism.

The Fuga also has an Intelligent Transport System that is integrated into the navigation system. The system supports safe driving by providing information to alert the driver at blind intersections for example, based on information on nearby vehicles and traffic environment which is transmitted to the Fuga from optical beacons installed all across the country.

Along with an eco-driving indicator integrated into the instrument panel, there is also something called an ECO-pedal. Basically, each time the driver steps on the accelerator (when the system is activated), a counter push-back control mechanism is activated if the system detects overly zealous throttle work, helping to inform the driver that they could be using more fuel than required.

The new Fuga will hit showrooms in Japan later this year. The automaker also announced the hybrid variant of the Fuga will hit the Japanese market by autumn 2010. It will feature a 3.5-liter V6, high-power Li-ion batteries and a highly efficient one-motor-two-clutch parallel hybrid. Look for more images of the Fuga after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Nissan Fuga revealed in Tokyo, hybrid version coming in 2010

Perhaps considered as one of the most anticipated reveals at Tokyo 2009, the FT-86 Concept (”86″ pronounced “hachi roku”) is one vehicle many of us are eager to see on our roads. The good news is that the production version is already being developed as it was recently seen lapping around the Nurburgring circuit.

The rear wheel drive FT-86 Concept is powered by a 2.0 liter D-4S boxer engine that is paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. Unfortunately the automaker has yet to release official output figures so your guess is as good as mine. Speculators are looking at a horsepower figure between 160hp and 200hp.

The concept that measures 4,160mm long, 1,760mm wide, and 1,260mm high with a wheelbase of 2,570mm also features ADVICS brakes. Inside, the 2+2 concept features an instrument panel with a gray and white base, gauges with red neon lights and digital displays as well as a navigation system.

Subaru will also produce its own version of the FT-86 and there is also word that an STI version may join the line up as well. The STI variant could produce about 250hp.

Continue reading to more live images.

Click here to read the rest of Toyota FT-86: live from the Tokyo Motor Show

The only recently unveiled Lotus Exige Scura was at the Tokyo Motorshow 2009 with the name Exige Stealth, which will be its name for the Japanese market. The Lotus stand was one of the very very few non-Japanese stands at this year’s Tokyo Motorshow and they displayed the Exige Scura/Stealth and the new Lotus Evora.

The Lotus Exige Stealth looks pretty good in real life. The matte black paint made it look like a military stealth vehicle of sorts. Lotus managed to execute the whole mini Reventon look kind of thing well. Look after the jump for the rest of the photos.

Click here to read the rest of Lotus Exige Stealth makes debut at Tokyo 2009

With the Honda FR-V (also called the Edix) now gone, many are calling this new Skydeck concept a preview of what could end up being the next generation 6-seater Honda. But in reality while it seats 6, the seating positions are quite different from the Edix.

The Edix was Honda’s take on the Fiat Multipla’s seating configuration – it sat three people each in two rows.

This new Honda Skydeck Concept sits 6, but in three rows of 2 individual seats each. This makes it look more like a Japanese Mercedes-Benz R-Class instead. The seats are quite interesting – it uses a mesh construction for the backrest, much like the ergonomic office chairs that you see on sale very often these days.

The Skydeck’s interior is actually quite bare and devoid of any details, with the dashboard instead just being paneled mostly with a light wood grain. The rest of the cabin also carries a minimalist theme.

I managed to snap up-close shots of the interior. The above knob shows that Honda might be up to a new iDrive-like interface for its cars. What we can see here is a knob flanked by three buttons saying Back, Audio/Navi and Menu. It might just be a funky position for a main audio system control knob though.

Look after the jump for the gallery of Skydeck photos I snapped.

Click here to read the rest of Honda Skydeck: live from Tokyo Motorshow 2009

The MINI brand’s advertising quite often never features an actual MINI at all, as with this latest promotional clip featuring the difference of what MINI claims as ‘MINI drivers’ and ‘non-MINI drivers’. “MINI drivers can be recognized by the mixture of lust for life, individuality and spontaneity. No matter what, they do not take themselves and their life too serious. We simply call it the MINI attitude” – the exact words BMW used to describe MINI drivers. Do you agree with that?

Whether you do or not, enjoy the clip after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of VIDEO: MINI Driver vs non-MINI Driver