VIDEO: Embrace life – always wear your seat belt!

March 10, 2010 at 12:02 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Thoughts, Videos

We hanker on and on about wanting at least dual airbags to be standard in our cars but yet a lot of us (not everyone of course) sometimes forget to wear our seatbelts. I’ve observed many times where people usually drive around without their seatbelts and only put them on when they reach a main road or a highway.

I suppose the logic going through their heads subconsciously is that the slow speeds going through residential roads doesn’t require the use of a seatbelt in the case of an accident, but as proven in the recent MIROS crash test video even at a low speed of under 30km/h there can be some serious damage. So please, always buckle up when you are in a car, including those rear seat passengers!

Watch this really good seat belt advocacy video shown above by the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership to burn the message in your head!

Source

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Audi A8 Hybrid – the limo that won’t cost the earth

March 9, 2010 at 7:41 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under 2010 Geneva Motor Show, Audi, Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel

The Audi A8 is the newest limo on the block and this is the A8 hybrid which aims to be the greenest in the segment. Shown at the Geneva show for the first time, the A8 hybrid’s drivetrain consists of two propulsion units – a 2.0 TFSI internal combustion engine and an electric motor – that develop a total output of 245 bhp and 480 Nm of torque. This enables a 7.6-second 0-100 km/h time and a top speed of 235 km/h, done in Transporter style coolness.

A hydraulically operated wet clutch links the TFSI with the electric motor (with 45 bhp and 211 Nm), which makes available its grunt from standstill. In the boot lies the Audi’s lithium-ion battery pack, which still leaves 400 litres of luggage space. Subsystems that operate on engine power in a regular car have been modified to run entirely on electric power in the A8 hybrid, such as the air-con compressor, electromechanical steering system and brake booster, all managed by a “pulse control inverter” system. All these will appear in the Audi Q5 hybrid, to be introduced later this year.

This A8 is capable of fully electric-powered driving up to 65 km/h and for a distance “exceeding 2 km”. Normally, both work in tandem but above 65 km/h, the combustion engine propels the car alone, while the electric motor supplies ancillaries and recharges the battery. The TFSI is disconnected from the drivetrain when the driver chooses to coast. The e-motor also functions as a generator to recoup energy from braking and replenish the battery.

Green credentials? The A8 hybrid’s average fuel consumption is 16.1 km/l while CO2 emissions is 144 grams per km. These figures compare very well with the Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid, which does 12.7 km/l and 186 g/km. Launched last year, the car from Stuttgart pairs a V6 with electric motors for a combined 299 bhp/385 Nm, and was the first production hybrid to use lithium ion batteries.

Live images from Geneva and the official gallery is after the jump.
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BMW 325i with full BMW Performance kit!

March 9, 2010 at 4:47 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under BMW, Cars, Local News

Now this is a sight that you seriously won’t see often – an E90 Sedan with almost the full range of BMW Performance add-ons installed. And I say this because the total cost of the full kit clocks in at RM103,300, which is what you’ll have to pay over what it costs to buy a 325i in the first place, which is over RM300k.

So that’s over RM400k, which is actually still not enough for a 335i since that twin-turbo baby in BMW Individual trim goes for over half a million bucks.

Here’s what went into this car, all from BMW Performance:

  • Carbon fiber mirror caps
  • Carbon fiber diffuser for M Aerodynamic kit
  • Carbon fiber front splitter for M Aerodynamic kit
  • Carbon fiber rear spoiler
  • Carbon fiber suspension cross-brace
  • Double spoke style 269 alloy wheels
  • BMW Performance brakes (with the yellow calipers)
  • BMW Performance air intake
  • Carbon finer interior trim
  • Illuminated door entry strips
  • Sports steering wheel with shift indicator

BMW Performance 3-SeriesWhen I say almost the full range – it’s because it looks like the BMW Performance front bumper is installed but not the BMW Performance rear bumper which has a different design. However both M Aerodynamic rear bumper and BMW Performance rear bumper have carbon fiber diffusers available. You have a new intake but the BMW Performance exhaust system also seems to be missing.

These parts are all seriously expensive for stuff that don’t really add any performance to your car, except for those brakes. The wheels alone cost RM15,888 for the style 269 19 inchers while the style 313 costs more at RM16,888. They come with staggered run-flat tyres – 225/35R19 in front and 255/30R19 at the rear.

The interior trim package costs RM7,888, the carbon fiber exterior bits package costs RM10,888 and the BMW Performance front and rear bumper and skirts cost RM8,888. And these are just the parts that come with ‘package prices’ . I don’t have the prices for stuff like the upgraded brakes and sports steering wheel with shift lights. But BMW says everything that’s on the car you see in this post cost RM103,300!

Look after the jump for the full gallery and a PDF brochure.
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Hyundai Tucson and Sonata local specs confirmed!

March 9, 2010 at 3:24 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Hyundai, Koreans, Local News

Hyundai Sime Darby held a media preview this morning where the specs and variants for the new Tucson and Sonata were confirmed. What’s not confirmed is the pricing of the cars, which are still in the process of being approved by the authorities. The planned launch for the duo is in late April or early May, and we’ll be one of the earliest markets in Asia Pacific to receive right-hand drive cars. As previously revealed by this blog, both the Tucson and Sonata are imported CBU from Korea and will come in 2.0-litre Standard, 2.0-litre High Spec and 2.4-litre variants.

Both cars use the Theta II family of engines with DOHC and Dual CVVT. The 2.0-litre produces 164 bhp and 197 Nm of torque, which compares favourably to the Honda CR-V’s 148 bhp/190 Nm or the Accord’s 154 bhp/189 Nm.

Hyundai’s 175 bhp/227 Nm 2.4-litre beats Camry 2.4 figures and Honda K24A torque ratings, although it’s just shy of the Honda’s 178 bhp (which is made at a high 6,500 rpm). No diesels though, our Euro 2M standards are still not convincing enough for HMC.


Hyundai Sonata dashboard

All models will come with a six-speed automatic gearbox with tiptronic function. Developed in-house by Hyundai, this gearbox is said to be maintainence free. To back up the claim, Hyundai ran the gearbox for one and a half months, 24 hours a day, cycling through all six ratios. In that situation, the transmission lasted 300,000 km, so we can presume that it’ll last even longer with normal use.

For “harsh conditions” (the example given for “harsh” was up and down Genting Highlands full bore every day), you can send it in for service after 100,000 km. It was also mentioned that the A/T is “serviceable”, meaning that a faulty component can be replaced, rather than chucking the whole unit away. Anyhow, a five-year or 300,000 km warranty covers the gearbox, so it should be truly worry-free.


Hyundai Tucson dashboard

The Tucson is available in 2WD and 4WD, but the latter is only for the 2.4-litre. It’s a torque on demand system that automatically sends drive (maximum of 50%) to the rear wheels if slip is detected, and there’s a button on the centre console that locks it at 50:50. High spec 2.0 and 2.4 models are fitted with ESP, Hill Start Assist and Downhill Brake Control – the latter takes over braking duties from your foot in steep off road descents.

They also get keyless entry and start (with start button), a full length panaromic sunroof, semi-leather seats and driver’s powered seat. The only feature on the 2.4 that’s missing from the high spec 2.0 is auto climate control with ionizer.

The spec spread is pretty similar for the Sonata, which high spec 2.0 and 2.4 also get the glass roof and keyless entry/start, but adds on HID headlamps. Curiously, the panaromic roof on the sedan has a one-touch function that’s missing from the Tucson. Wheels of up to 18 inches are available for the two, but Hyundai Sime Darby has opted for 17s to avoid expensive tyre replacement costs. Both cars are yet to be officially crash tested, but Hyundai expects no less than full five stars for both cars in Euro NCAP and North America’s IIHS test after in-house simulations.

Now, all that’s left is the pricing. HSD is not having it easy on this matter; although this new breed of Hyundais meet and exceed class standards, the typical Malaysian customer still wants a substantially lower price than an equivalent Honda or Toyota, so we’ll see!

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Saudi GAZAL1 Concept based on the G-Wagen

March 9, 2010 at 3:22 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Concept Cars

The GAZAL1 Concept is named after the Gazelle, which is a species of antelope associated with the desert lands that make up most of Saudi Arabia. The English name Gazelle itself was derived from the Arabic word ghazal. But given such a name you’d probably expect a very light and fast sports car but the Gazelle is in fact a concept SUV which is the work of 50 students from Saudi Arabia’s King Saud University, supervised by Australian designer Peter Arcadipane.

Studiotorino provided mentorship in the styling department while Magna Steyr took care of the engineering and construction details. Although it looks completely different, the GAZAL1 concept’s underpinnings are taken from the long wheelbase version of the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen. After all, the G-Wagen is built by Magna Steyr.

I suppose with Hummer going down (GM rejected 8 separate offers as of today) they need a new vehicle to replace the void that the Hummer brand will leave behind, why not something with a Saudi badge? It’s not the best looking truck around though…

Look after the jump for a few more pix.
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Luxgen MPV to feature SMART+ in-car computer powered by HTC and Windows CE

March 9, 2010 at 2:56 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News


Click to enlarge

Remember the Luxgen MPV by Taiwanese company Yulon Motor? They basically licensed an older Renault Espace chassis as the base for a 4,800mm long MPV using a 200 horsepower 2.2 litre turbocharged 4 cylinder to lug up to 7 people around. The name Luxgen is derived from combining the words Luxury and Genius and is meant to reflect the qualities that Yulon have attempted to build into the MPV.

Back in early 2009 we revealed that the centerpiece of the MPV would be an advanced in-car computer system powered by Microsoft Windows CE with features such as night vision. The Taiwanese have massive experience in the electronics industry and Windows CE should be no stranger to them. This month, Yulon has released more information on their very own Taiwanese ‘iDrive’.

Luxgen MPV Suppliers
Luxgen seems eager to dispel any rumors that its MPV is not ‘tried and true’ – they released this full list of component suppliers. They are not interested in claiming the MPV is 100% Taiwan made. Click the image above to enlarge.

Luxgen’s in-car computer will be called the Think+, and it was developed by HTC. HTC is a very familiar name to us – they are a very big name in smartphones running on Microsoft and Google platforms. I’ve had a few HTC phones before – the 838 Pro (Dopod), the HTC Touch 3G and now the Google Nexus One by HTC. The Think+ system by HTC runs on the new Windows CE Automotive operating system. It can do in-car audio/video, telecommunications, GPS navigation, safety alerts, run apps, and control vehicle settings.

There are also a few driver assist systems built into Think+ such as Eagle View+ which is a 360 degree camera, Night Vision+ which is a night vision system that probably uses infrared cams, and LDWS+ which is a Lane Departure Warning System. Luxgen also has a 2nd model coming up – an SUV.

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GQbyCitroen – design brief by GQ magazine

March 9, 2010 at 2:32 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Citroën, Concept Cars

The GQbyCitroen concept is a concept car styled by GQ magazine’s editorial team and executed by Citroen’s design team, including Mark Lloyd, the man who was responsible for the new Citroen DS3′s design. If this is the case shouldn’t it be more like a CitroenbyGQ rather than a GQbyCitroen?

In any case, the car looks like a 2-seater to me. It’s just a concept so Citroen can probably say whatever they want in terms of what’s powering it but in this case they’ve chosen a plug-in hybrid system based around a 1.6 litre direct injection turbocharged inline-4 – probably the same 1.6 litre Prince engine found in nearly all of their cars now. 0 to 100km/h is quoted to be 4.5 seconds while CO2 emissions are just 80 g/km of CO2.

Despite the car being released somewhere around the Geneva Motorshow, the car was never shown at the show. Does a physical versions exist? Look after the jump for more shots of the GQbyCitroen and a ‘making of’ video.
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I.DE.A SOFIA wears a ‘glamorous red dress’?

March 9, 2010 at 2:15 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Concept Cars

Turin-based I.DE.A Institute showcased this concept at the Geneva show earlier this month. It’s called the SOFIA concept, and the feminine name is quite suitable as the car’s designers intended for it to be inspired by the ‘female form’ – we’re talking about lots of curves making up a nice hourglass figure. Their exact words – ‘its flanks, glance and elegance are emphasised by a glamorous red dress.’

The SOFIA has classic front engined sports car proportions which can be found on other beauties like Maseratis and Aston Martins. It’s actually a sedan, sporting four doors. There’s nothing in the engine bay at this point of time, but I.DE.A says the packaging is suitable for a typical V8 or even a hybrid powertrain.

Look after the jump for an 8 photo gallery of the SOFIA.
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Mu by Peugeot – principal owned car rental

March 9, 2010 at 2:15 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Peugeot

Peugeot Ion

Peugeot’s Mu ‘pay as you go’ car rental service has been in operation in France for quite some time now, and now it has landed in the UK. Basically you get a prepaid account and top it up on the Peugeot Mu website. Then you will get access to renting various Peugeot vehicles from a bicycle, a scooter, cars like the 207 CC, 308 CC, 407 Coupe, 3008, an SUV, MPV, etc or even accessories such as a roof box if you have your MPV filled to the brim for a long journey and you need additional boot space.

The whole idea is to allow easier access to vehicles in cities/countries where car ownership is expensive and a hassle. If you take the subway/bus to work or even to shop most of the time, why buy and keep a car? You might as well only rent one when you need one. Rental prices in Paris range from 65 Euro (325 Mu points or RM295) a day for a 207 CC to 215 Euro (1075 Mu points – about RM980) for a weekend in a 407 Coupe. It might seem expensive to us because we use our cars everyday so we might as well buy one and maintain it. Something like this won’t work in Malaysia. In Malaysia, you can get a Mondeo 2.3 for RM458 a day from Sime Darby Hertz Rent A Car.

The Mu program will probably play a key role to supporting the launch of the Peugeot Ion, the French company’s rebadged Mitsubishi i-MiEV which coincidentally has just been finalized this week in terms of the paperwork required. The two companies will no doubt be working closer from now on, since they have done rebadge deals for both the 4007/C-Crosser (rebadged Mitsubishi Outlander) and now the Ion (rebadged MiEV). But earlier this month they also announced that they have abandoned plans for an equity stake swap to ‘seal the bond’. A lot of people were expecting yet another French-Japanese alliance like Renault-Nissan.

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Big aero upgrade to boost Lotus times by a second

March 9, 2010 at 2:19 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Lotus

We only have a few days more before one of the most anticpated seasons in Formula 1 kicks off in Bahrain, and while the returning Michael Schumacher in his Mercedes GP Petronas will conquer the headlines alongside two-time champion Fernando Alonso (now in Schumi’s old seat in Ferrari) and the all-British world champion pairing of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton at McLaren, most of us will spare some attention for the Malaysian backed Lotus Racing, which has Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen as pilots. But what can we expect from the team in green at Sakhir?

Looking at the timing sheets from the official test sessions, we should be able to expect a “best of the newcomers” showing at Bahrain. At the final session in Barcelona last week, Lotus consistently put in more laps and faster times than “archrivals” Virgin Racing, which had seen a troubled start for its virtually designed VR-01. Campos, which has been renamed HRT, will not have a single lap of testing under its belt before Bahrain while USF1 is set to be a no-show.

“We have far exceeded the mileage that we thought we would do and, starting the project five months ago, the aim was to have a neat simple car that would be reliable for the first four races. It was a pretty tall order, and we’ve achieved it probably better than we expected we could.

“Three and a half seconds off the pace – that’s where we said we’d be six months ago and I think that’s where we are. We always said that the first four races were about being respectable, that level of performance and being reliable. We’ve done everything we’ve said we were going to do,” technical chief Mike Gascoyne told Autosport.

Gascoyne also revealed that the Lotus T127 will sport a major aerodynamic upgrade in time for the start of the European leg in Spain (fifth race of the season), which should bring big improvements. “Normally you are chipping away and finding tenths, but now we are looking at updates that will bring us a second,” he said. Driver Kovalainen was previously quoted as saying that aerodynamics is the T127′s biggest problem.

With the award of points now being extended to 10th place, there could be a tiny chance of Lotus snatching a point or two should a major incident happen up front or if the weather decides to play kingmaker, but for now, let’s just target seeing Sir Richard Branson serving Pak Nasser’s Nasi Lemak onboard AirAsia as the main prize.

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