Chevrolet Camaro Convertible previewed on Facebook

November 12, 2010 at 10:04 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet, International News

The long awaited Chevrolet Camaro Convertible is due for an early 2011 launch, but instead of doing the usual teasers, Chevy has given the world a first view of the full car via Facebook. The page is called the Camaro Den. The open top Camaro will be getting its proper debut at next week’s LA Auto Show and sales will start in the first quarter of next year.

The rag top (sorry, no folding metal roof) will come in 3.6L direct injection V6 and 6.2L V8 engines at launch; the smaller engined RS with 312 hp and the range topping SS with 426 horses. A six-speed manual transmission will be standard on the RWD Camaro, with a six-speed auto on option.

Pics after the jump.
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Second-generation Toyota RAV4 EV set for LA debut

November 12, 2010 at 8:53 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Toyota

rav4 ev 1

Toyota will be unveiling its second-generation RAV4 EV in concept form at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show, which begins on November 17. Ahead of it, the company has released a couple of images of the vehicle’s badging and instrument dial as a teaser.

It has certainly been a long while coming, the replacement for the original NiMH-equipped RAV4 EV – built on the first-generation XA10 RAV4 4-door platform – which the company leased in the US from 1997 to 2003.

rav4 ev 2

The new RAV4 EV, sitting on a third-gen RAV4 XA30 platform, is the first development brought about by the collaboration between Toyota and Tesla Motors to develop battery-powered vehicles.

The SUV will feature a lithium-ion battery supplied by Tesla and is planned to have its market introduction in the US in 2012. No details have been released as yet, but the debut in LA should take care of that.

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Rendering: Proton Inspira Coupe – next generation Putra?

November 12, 2010 at 12:08 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Malaysian Makes, Proton

What do you think – does a two-door Lancer-based Proton Inspira look good? We’ll probably never see such a Proton Putra replacement in real life but it can exist on your computer screen thanks to these renderings by Theophilus Chin!

There used to be two-door versions of the Mitsubishi Lancer, but in the past two generations such models have gone missing probably as the world simply stopped buying non-premium 2-door coupes outside of North America, and that’s a market that Mitsubishi isn’t really doing that great in in the first place.

In fact in the C-segment there aren’t that many two-door coupes remaining, I can only think of the Honda Civic Coupe, and the Focus Coupe and the Kia Forte Koup at the moment, and the first two are only sold in North America. It sure would be nice to have a 4B12-powered 2.4 litre Proton Putra or Inspira Coupe! :)

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Petronas Formula Xperience – Formula BMW FB02 driven!

November 12, 2010 at 12:01 am By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Local News, Motorsports

Motorsport, as we all know it is expensive, very expensive and that even starts with the most basic form of motorsport, go-karting. It’s either you are backed with hundreds of thousands of ringgit or you have raw natural talent. Even a Formula 1 rookie would have to bring money into the team, such as Hispania’s Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok. However there are various organizations out there that are trying to find workable talents and subsidize, if not fully cover one’s motorsport endeavors.

Take Petronas as an example. The national oil and gas giant has been putting loads of money into motorsport, such as MotoGP with the Fiat Yamaha Team and Formula 1 with Mercedes. Not only that, the company has been promoting motorsport at lower levels. One such campaign is the Petronas Formula Xperience. The company pretty much sponsors a group of budding young talents to part in the Petronas Formula Xperience. These young drivers, aged between 10 till 16 get to race professionally in single seater race cars. The idea is that they first go through a selection process, based on natural talent, not how much money you are bringing in and who your daddy is.

The kids have their to prove their worth on the track and natural talent is not the only thing the guys at Petronas look for. These potential racers will have to carry good PR skills. As a professional race car driver, one would have to deal with sponsors and fans, and teams require this. Gone were the days when all one needs to do is just race, although some Formula 1 drivers today still lack PR skills, such as Kimi Raikkonen, judging from his demeanor during interviews.

In Petronas’ Formula BMW Xperience, the kids will be professionally trained in both theory and practical. They will have take care of their diet and fitness levels too, which are important in motorsport. They will go into extensive testing and practice to sharpen their skills, so they can take on bigger things in the high-octane world of motor racing. Did I mention that all expenses are paid for by Petronas? One Formula BMW single seater already costs hundreds of thousands, not including cost of tires, crew, marketing, track rental, other equipment and more.

It’s not easy what these drivers have to go through, as some of them still have to attend school. To make us appreciate and experience what these kids go through, Petronas has invited a select few, including yours truly to the Sepang circuit recently to drive the Formula BMW, with the kids giving us some useful pointers!

Continue reading to check out our experience.
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Megane Renault Sport 250 Cup launched – RM230K!

November 11, 2010 at 3:28 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Renault

UPDATE: Live gallery from today’s launch added

TC Euro Cars today launched the Megane Renault Sport 250 Cup at the Sepang International Circuit. The latest Megane RS is a much anticipated entry by enthusiasts and at the time of launch, 11 people have already put their names down for it. This made in Spain 250 hp three-door “coupe” is attractively priced at RM229,800 OTR without insurance (RM188 cheaper than the old R26), making the VW Scirocco look expensive in comparison.

For that money, one gets a high spec performance machine that’s comes with a limited slip differential (LSD) by GKN Driveline, lovely Recaro seats (with Renault Sport logo and yellow seat belts), 4-piston Brembo brakes with 340 mm slotted discs (largest in class, 35 mm bigger than cross drilled R26 discs) and the R.S. Monitor showing real-time data (stopwatch with memory function, acceleration timer, g-force meter, turbo pressure, oil temp, torque/power figures) plus the option of five throttle map settings.

The wheels are 18-inch items with 235/40 Michelins. TC Euro chose not to opt for the dramatic 19-inch “spider style” wheels due to our road conditions and tyre replacement costs.

But the most vital inclusion is the Cup chassis, which is 10 mm lowered with uprated springs, dampers and anti roll bars. Suspension flex has been reduced by 35% and 38% respectively for the front and rear while the front anti roll bars have been stiffened by 13% over the standard chassis. The Performance Hub allows for an independent steering front axis, eliminating torque steer. Aluminium pivots and lower arms reduce unsprung weight while ball joints are used in place of bearings for less friction. Speaking of weight, the Megane RS’ kerb weight is 1,387 kg. The ESP system is a multi mode affair which can be fully switched off.

The 2.0-litre engine from the R26 has been updated with around 30% of new parts, including a twin-scroll turbo, reinforced piston/conrods, new coolers, sodium coated valves and piston ring carriers. The result is 250 hp and 340 Nm of torque at 3,000 rpm, 80% of which (272 Nm) is available at 1,900 rpm. This is 20 hp and 30 Nm more than in the R26, which is why performance is improved – the 250 Cup does 0-100 km/h in 6.1 seconds on to a top speed of 245 km/h compared to the R26′s 6.5 sec/235 km/h. To compare, the 207 hp Scirocco’s stats are 6.9 sec and 238 km/h.

Renault Sport is a “keep it true” brand dedicated to the enthusiast, which is why there’s no twin-clutch or auto option – you can only have it with a six-speed manual. This gearbox is a new one with revised ratios and a more precise feel over the R26. Combined cycle fuel consumption is 8.4 litres per 100 km or 11.9 km/l.

The 250 Cup is positioned as a track tool that’s perfectly comfortable on the road, so it gets plenty of luxuries. Keyless entry and start, Bluetooth handsfree, dual-zone air con, auto lights and wipers, iPod and USB ports, bi-xenons with daytime running lights plus six airbags. By the way, not only did the Megane RS score a five-star Euro NCAP rating, it did so with maximum 37/37 points.

We posted up a video last week showing racer Denis Lian doing a 2:43.02 time at Sepang. He was at the launch today and said that better conditions would have seen him do half a second better. The Singaporean praised the Megane for combining both driver feel and the ability to set fast lap times (they don’t always walk hand-in-hand!) , as well as its amazing punch out of corners, adding that the car’s German rivals feel “anodyne” while British rivals (Ford Focus RS?) have lots of feel but are “too wild”.


Lucky first eight buyers sampled their own cars on the track today

Available in three colours (yellow, white, grey), the Megane RS 250 Cup comes with a 3-year warranty. An optional GT Pack (moonroof and leather seats) is available for RM10,000. Gallery from the launch at SIC is after the jump.
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Lotus Racing to use black and gold colours for 2011

November 11, 2010 at 3:26 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Motorsports

Lotus Racing announced today that it will be using a black and gold colour scheme for its race machines next year, which brings the company back to its old colour scheme such as the one found on the John Player Special Lotus 97T Formula One car shown above.

“When we first unveiled our 2010 car there was unanimous praise for our decision to bring the historic green and yellow livery back to the modern F1 grid. I know the return to the track of the legendary black and gold will be met with even more universal support as it strikes such an emotional chord with fans around the world,” said CEO Riad Asmat.

Apparently fans will be able to get a chance to participate in the design of next year’s livery through some kind of competition, but exactly how will only be announced later. What we know for now is the winner of the competition will join the team at their first test next year to see next year’s car with the new livery out on the track for the first time.

What do you think – do you prefer a green and yellow colour scheme or a black and gold colour scheme? I am quite a fan of the green and yellow look but it’s premature to say which one looks better as we’ve yet to see a finalized new black and gold livery yet. Share in the comments your thoughts!

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What’s in a name? – Renault gets to use Zoe for its EV

November 11, 2010 at 3:22 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, International News, Renault

renault zoe

So, what’s in a name? Nothing and everything, depending on which side of the fence you’re looking from. In this case, it has all to do with Zoe, Renault’s new electric car planned for market introduction in 2012. A bizarre naming dispute came about recently, but Renault has been given the go ahead to name the EV – introduced in Zoe Preview form in Paris recently – as intended, after a French judge ruled in favour of the automaker.

According to news reports, the parents of two children curiously named Zoe Renault (the families aren’t related to the company) had brought the case to court to get Renault to choose another name for the vehicle, and in doing so prevent the children – and indirectly, the 35,000 or so other Zoes in France – from having to endure a lifetime of ribbing (like, ‘equipped with dual front airbags?’) over the name. The parents of the two Zoe Renaults, aged two and eight, were not seeking any damages.

In what was a fast-tracked proceeding, the judge found against the families, stating that they would only have a case if there was enough proof that naming the car Zoe – which means life in Greek – would cause “certain, direct and current harm” to the children.

renault zoe 2

The automaker has models with female first names, for example, the Megane and Clio, which are popular names for girls in France. None, however, have brought about such organised opposition – with this one, more than 6,000 people signed a petition on a Facebook page called “Zoe’s not a car name.”

Apparently, first names are a pretty serious thing in France – in the past, there was a specific list of names which parents were restricted to in naming their children. Those rules have since been slackened, but even then, an official can still oppose a ridiculous name choice that could potentially damage the child’s future.

So, don’t be a pajero (look up that one in Spanish) and start with those bawdy Elise and Mercedes jokes now. Names, indeed.

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It’s on a roll – Honda’s CR-Z bags another award

November 11, 2010 at 3:20 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Honda, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News

cr-z

Fresh from being named the Japanese Car of the Year, Honda’s CR-Z has picked up another award, this one being a Best 15 title in Japan’s Good Design Award 2010.

Each year, only 15 projects from five different fields (tagged Society, Living, Work, Network and Human Body) are singled out for the select awards, and the CR-Z, along with Nissan’s Leaf EV, were the two automotive-based recipients this year in the Living category.

The judges described the uncompromising pursuit of aerodynamics of the roof and the flow from the front to the side and quarter panels of the CR-Z as a beautifully finished design, which could redefine the benchmark to determine, as the panel put it, “the attraction of cars.” It’s on this basis that the car has been honoured with a 2010 Best 15 Good Design Award.

This marks the fifth consecutive year that a Honda product has received the Good Design Award Best 15 – previous winning products include the Monpal ML200 four-wheel scooter, the HondaJet, the FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle and the Insight hybrid.
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Honda Malaysia to bring in Insight hybrid next month!

November 10, 2010 at 5:39 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Honda, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Local News, Malaysia Budget 2011

It has been only less than a month since full tax exemption for hybrid cars was announced in Budget 2011, but we’ve already seen the sweet fruits of the Government’s decision. First was the Toyota Prius’ RM35K drop in price, then came the Honda Civic Hybrid’s revised price of RM109K, making it cheaper than the CKD Civic 1.8. Now, Honda Malaysia is taking further advantage of the situation and has announced that it will bring in the Honda Insight hybrid next month. The car’s launch should be at KLIMS 2010.

The current Insight is the second-generation car bearing the name, the first being the oddball design with no rear wheel arches. The Insight is a dedicated five-door hybrid model and its hybrid powertrain combines a 88 PS/121 Nm 1.3-litre SOHC i-VTEC engine with a new generation Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system that’s 19% smaller and 28% lighter. It consists of a 14 PS/78 Nm DC brushless electric motor with a Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) battery pack. A CVT gearbox does transmission duties.

The Insight features a new interactive fuel economy assistant called the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist). It combines a driver-activated ECON mode (Effective Control), a feedback function that uses a speedo display with changing background colours (green is good, deep blue means you’re naughty) to encourage efficient driving and a fuel-economy scoring function using a plant-leaf graphic. The latter provides current and lifetime score charts so you can keep track of how much fuel you’ve saved.

Here’s hoping that the CR-Z, which has just been crowned 2010 Japan Car of the Year, will be next up!

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Proton Inspira launched – full details and photos

November 10, 2010 at 9:29 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton, Proton Inspira - full details, specifications and test drive

We are now back from the Proton Inspira launch this morning at Proton’s Centre of Excellence and are ready to share with you what we have digested (the info, not the lunch). Here it goes…..

At a glance, there’s almost zero difference between the Inspira and Lancer save for Proton’s unique front end design, which is of a V-shape as opposed to Mitsubishi’s trademark trapezoidal “jet fighter” grille. Besides the obvious fact that the change is needed to differentiate the cars, Proton deliberately wanted to move away from the Lancer “too aggressive” look, according to the engineers.

At the rear, you’ll find 2.0 P or 1.8 E to mark the variants, the latter available in both manual and CVT versions. As mentioned in our preview drive, P stands for Premium and E stands for Executive in Proton’s new naming scheme, P being the higher spec. There’s a chrome strip at the bottom edge of the boot, like on the Lancer EX. The Proton’s bumper is unique as it has a black painted “diffuser style” design, as opposed to the straightforward item on the Lancer. The reflectors sit within the black area.

Like the Lancer EX, the Inspira wears 16-inch wheels with 205/60 rubber. With the Proton, you get unique Continental Comfort Contact CC5 tyres with compounds that were specifically developed for the car. The rim design looks much better without the black disguise tape on the pre-production cars. Suspension tuning also differs from the Lancer, as detailed in two rounds of preview tests we did. Click here and here to read them.

Inside, the differences are minimal. The three-spoke steering design has a Proton badge of course, and the instruments look the same. However, we just noticed that the “left speedo, right tacho” layout of the Lancer has been reversed for the Inspira, which has its rev meter on the left side. The multi-info screen is the orange one as per the Lancer sedan, not the full colour version on the Lancer Sportback. The wood trim in the P spec Inspiras are dark brown coloured (Lancer EX has greyish wood) while the 1.8 E gets a matte silver trim that’s nice to touch. All else is identical to these eyes, including the grade of plastics.

The 4B10 1.8 litre pot found on the two Executive variants offers 140 hp at 6,000rpm and 177 Nm at 4,250rpm, while the 4B11 2.0 litre block in the Premium has 150 hp and 197 Nm at the same rpm as above. Performance-wise, the 1.8 manual has a claimed top speed of 202 kph and a 0-100 kph sprint time of 10.0 secs, while that of the 1.8 CVT is 191 kph and 11.4 secs. As for the 2.0 Premium, it gets to 198 kph and does the century sprint in 10.5 secs. As for kerb weight, the manual rolls in at 1,300 kg, while the 1.8 CVT and 2.0 P are 1,325 kg and 1,335 kg respectively.

Four colours are available for the Inspira, and these are Plum Red, Solid White, Genetic Silver and Tranquility Black. In terms of specifications and equipment levels, the Inspira gets a fair bit of kit, though the 2.0 Premium version does naturally get more in the way of added gear.

Nonetheless, all three variants come with dual SRS airbags, leather steering wheel, front pre-tensioner seatbelts, ABS with EBD, immobiliser and alarm system, central door locking, Isofix point, reverse sensor, solar and security tinted film and steering wheel-mounted audio controls.

Other items on the features list across the board are trunk lid remote release, front fog lamps, welcome home light system, driver’s side anti-trap/auto up-down power window, height adjustable driver’s seat and a MP3/Bluetooth-enabled CD player audio system with Arkamys 3D DSP.

As befits its Premium suffix, the Inspira 2.0 gets a number of differentiation points and features compared to the two 1.8 Executive models, and these are:

  • Cruise control (with steering wheel-mounted switches)
  • Column-mounted paddle shift controls
  • Automatic climate control
  • Auto headlamp and rain sensors.
  • Body kit and rear spoiler.
  • Leather seats and door trim finishing (the 1.8 versions are in fabric)
  • A GPS navigation system.

Peninsular Malaysia Prices

  • Proton Inspira 1.8 M/T – RM78,999
  • Proton Inspira 1.8 CVT – RM84,999
  • Proton Inspira 2.0 CVT – RM91,999

East Malaysia Prices

  • Proton Inspira 1.8 M/T – RM80,999
  • Proton Inspira 1.8 CVT – RM86,999
  • Proton Inspira 2.0 CVT – RM93,999

Langkawi Prices

  • Proton Inspira 1.8 M/T – RM71,999
  • Proton Inspira 1.8 CVT – RM75,999
  • Proton Inspira 2.0 CVT – RM82,999

There are some videos as well as live and promo galleries available after the jump.
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