Naza Corporation Sdn Bhd is organizing a contest for buyers of the 2007 stock Naza Sutera where the buyers can win a Naza Sutera Sportivo.

As there will only be one winner for the car, those who buy a Sutera during the promotion period will also be able to bring home a 29 inch “Slim Fit” television set upon successful registration of their new car. This means all Sutera buyers will go home with a gift.

The promotion will be on from 14 March 2008 to 23 March 2008. 23 Naza Corporation dealers are participating in this promotion and interested buyers are advised to check out the nearest Naza Corporation dealer. Alternatively, interested customers may also call the Customer Careline at 03-2617 7777 for more information pertaining to this offer and the whereabouts of the participating dealers.

The selected dealers will also be having open houses for customers on the 14th to 16th March and 21st to 23rd March 2008 at their premises. All customers are invited to the open house.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:19:13 +0800.

The Brabus Rocket is based on the Mercedes Benz CLS four-door coupe. This engine comes from the Mercedes Benz SL600 which originally had 5.5 liters displacement. It has 500hp at 6000rpm and 800Nm of torque. Brabus replaced the crankshaft, increased the bore and put new forged pistons into the engine. Intake and outlet valves in the cylinder head are also optimized and new racing camshafts are installed.

The result is a 6.3 liter V12 engine has been souped up to produce 730hp at 5100rpm and a mind-blowing 1320 Nm of torque from 2100rpm!

The twin-turbo engine also receives larger turbos, bigger more efficient intercoolers and a performance exhaust system with quad tailpipes sticking out at the rear end.

The car uses a modified 5-speed automatic transmission and transfers power to the rear wheels.

The car is also equipped with new suspensions. There are two choices, one tuned for comfort and one tuned for sports. Brakes have also been upgraded, with the front axle fitted with huge 12 piston calipers on aluminium discs and the back with 6 piston capilers on steel discs. Tyres are 255/35/ZR19 in front and 285/30/ZR19 on the back.

The Brabus CLS V12 S Biturbo “Rocket” goes from 0-100km/h in 4 seconds, and has an electronically limited top speed of 350km/h.

I think for looks alone, I’d pick this over the BMW M6… but the M6 has an SMG gearbox. Hmm…

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:19:13 +0800.

The car is built on a SMART Roadster platform, with the base internals kept but only exterior components altered. It is an open top, not a convertible. Perfect for track days I guess.

EDAG wants to show that you can create a unique and innovtive product just by altering exterior components.

As for specs, it is identical to the SMART Roadster as there are only exterior changes. The car is powered by a 698cc suprex 3 cylinder turbo engine that’s mounted at the back of the car. The engine itself weighs only 60kg. It makes 60kW at 5250rpm and 110Nm torque at 2250-4500rpm. Fuel consumption is a combined cycle of 5.1 liters per 100km.

EDAG is still developing the car and plans to show an on-the-road prototype at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:19:13 +0800.

Daihatsu says the HVS Concept gives you the performance of a 2.0 liter car with better fuel economy than a 1.0 liter car. How does this hybrid system work?

The HVS Concept is powered by a 1.5 liter DVVT DOHC engine and three motors. A combination of these are used in an advanced 4WD system optimised for sporty driving.

Two of the electric motors power the front wheels while one electric motor powers the rear. The torque control mechanism in the 4WD system controls power given to the rear left and right wheels separately and independantly.

The result is a combined fuel consumption of 4.1 liters per 100km.

The Daihatsu HVS Concept is a 2-seater. Dimensions are 3715×1695x1235 (l x w x h). The front motors are rated at 36kW and the rear is a left-right controllable 20kW motor. These electric motors draw power from a Nickle Hydride battery system. The petrol engine is a 1.5 DOHC with DVVT rated at 77kW at 6000rpm with 140Nm of torque at 4400rpm. The car also comes with a CVT transmission.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:19:13 +0800.

UPDATE: Perodua has announced that a new Kembara will be launched in mid-2008. It is expected that the new Perodua Kembara replacement will be based on the Daihatsu Bego/Toyota Rush. Click here for more details.

UPDATE: New Kembara replacement Perodua SUV spotted on Malaysian roads!

I would love to see the Daihatsu Terios be refreshed with this model and subsequently introduced into our local market as a Perodua Kembara as with the previous Terios.

As with all modern car designs, wheelbase is long and overhangs over the front and rear are kept at a minimum. This positions the tyres at the 4 edges of the vehicle creating a large interior room.

The D-Compact 4X4 gets a newly developed 1.5 DVVT DOHC engine and it comes with full time 4WD with a center differential lock. This engine produces 105hp at 6000rpm and 140Nm of torque at 4400rpm. The car weighs 1230kg. Fuel consumption is rated at 8.6 liters per 100km. The concept model shown uses 18 inch alloy rims with 235/55/R18 tyres.

Source

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:19:13 +0800.

The car seems like a stationwagon to me, but notice it does not have a B-pillar. Mini says the car has a smooth coupe-like appearance. Everyone seems to love coupes and SUVs these days.

The concept of the car is making loading and entering the car as easy as possible, which explains the missing B pillar. The doors also come with kinematic joints and springs, and they swivel to the side as well as the front in one single movement. The rear doors swivel backwards like the Mazda RX8.

This concept is powered y the MINI Cooper S engine. The additional air intake scoop and the dual tailpipes clearly indicate the power under the hood. Without a B-pillar, the back windows slide open instead of going up and down into the door panel.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:19:13 +0800.

The car features the new Subaru corporate grille and comes with a revised All-Wheel Drive system. The new corporate grille which somehow looks like an inverted Alfa Romeo grille was first seen on the Subaru B9 Tribeca.

The 2.0 boxer engine has been upgraded to a 2.5 liter turbocharged boxer than makes 230hp and 235lb-ft of torque.

They actually had two cars on showcase, one is the standard Subaru Impreza WRX and one of their 2006 Subaru Impreza WRC prototype to be used for the 2006 World Rally Championship.

Subaru Impreza WRC 2006 Prototype

2006 Subaru Impreza WRX

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:19:13 +0800.

Hyundai unveiled a refreshed version of the Hyundai Getz at the 2006 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The new Getz brings exterior updates such as new headlamps, new rear lamps and redesigned bumpers to bring a more youthful appeal to the Getz.

Under the hood, the 1.3 Hyundai Getz has been replaced with a 1.4 model. This 1.4 engine makes 95ps at 6000rpm, 11.7 percent more power than it’s 1.3 predecessor. The 1.6 model gets a new block making 106ps at 5800rpm. Fuel efficiency is at 13 km per liter, which is actually higher than the 11.9km per liter of previous 1.5 model available in some markets.

There is also a 1.5 turbodiesel model that comes with a Variable Geometry Turbocharger that meks 110ps and 24kg.m of torque. But I’ll doubt we’ll ever see that in the local market.

The new 2006 Hyundai Getz also now comes with ESP Stability control, a feature missing from the previous version. If Kah Bintang ever brings this in, I am not sure if we will get the ESP program as we always somehow get the baseline models.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:19:13 +0800.

Audi unveiled it’s Audi Q7 concept together with the worldwide unveiling of the Audi Q7 at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2005.

The Audi Q7 Hybrid Concept employs the use of an electric motor together with it’s 4.2 liter V8 FSI engine. The electric motor provides 200Nm of torque, and the V8 FSI provides 440Nm of torque and 350bhp. Those are huge numbers, and they’re put to the wheels through a 6-speed tiptronic transmission with Quattro permanent all-wheel drive.

The resulting fuel consumption is around 12 liters per 100km. That’s ridiculously good, considering the car is 2410 kgs and the engine is huge.

There has been a few changes in the engine bay over the conventional gasoline-only Audi Q7. The air cond compressor and power steering have been switched to use electricity power instead of powered by the engine. This is so they would continue to operate when the vehicle is operating under electric-only mode.

The electric motor which makes 200Nm of positioned between the engine bay and the torque converter, and there is a clutch that engages or disengages so that different drive configurations of combined electric-petrol, petrol-only or electric-only can be achieved. The battery system is stored at the rear under the boot compartment. The sunroof also has solar cells allowing the aircond to operate while the vehicle is parked under a hot sunny day.

With the additional torque of the electric motor, the Audi Q7 Hybrid is 0.6 seconds faster than the conventional Audi Q7 at 7.4 seconds in the 0-100km/h test. The conventional Q7 does it in 8 seconds.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:19:13 +0800.

It’s not easy to make a convertible coupe with design cues that flow so well like this one. Look at the Peugeot 206 CC when the top is up and you’ll know what I mean. But Volkswagen did not adapt this car from a solid top, it designed the car from the ground as a convertible coupe. The result is stunning.

Opening and closing the top takes 25 seconds. There is also a roll-over protection system which shoots out in 0.25 seconds in case the situation arises. The unique 5-part roof can also be partially retracted to function somewhat like a sunroof.

Here you have the Eos with the top down…

… and the Eos with the top up.

The Eos is 1.79 metres wide, 4.41 metres long and 1.44 metres high.

Volkswagen plans to equip the car with a choice of 4 petrol engines and a turbodiesel engine. The petrol engine outputs are 115 PS, 150 PS, 200 PS and 250 PS while the turbodiesel model is expected to make 140 PS. The most powerful petrol engine will be a V6 while the rest are in-line 4 engines.

Volkswagen Eos Cabriolet at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:19:13 +0800.

Following the Volkswagen Golf GTI and the Volkswagen Golf R32, here comes the new Volkswagen Golf GT. The Golf GT comes in two incarnations, a 1.4 liter TSI gasoline engine and a 2.0 liter TDI diesel engine.

TSI is a Twin-charged version of Volkwagen’s FSI direct injection engine. TSI stands for “turbocharged stratified injection”. This little 1.4 liter monster makes about 168hp and 240Nm of torque at 1750-4000rpm. This big amount of low-end torque is achievable through a supercharger that works up to 2000rpm before the turbocharger kicked in.

I blogged about this Volkswagen SuperTurbo system previously if you want to read in detail. For normal driving, this powerful yet frugal engine gives a mileage of 7.2 liters per 100km. Comparitively, my aging 1.6 DOHC engine in my Satria 1.6 uses about 10 liters per 100km.

Performance stats? 0-100km/h in 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 220km/h.

Europeans love hatches and Europeans love diesels. The other Volkswagen Golf GT is a 2.0 TDI engine which features the same twin-charging system employing both a supercharger and a turbocharger. Power output is identical to the 1.4 liter petrol engine – 168hp, but as with all diesels – maximum torque is a massive 350Nm at a low 1900rpm.

The interior is sporty and very “no-nonsense”. I think you should be able to notice that the boost meter graphic I have on the right side of my blog’s banner at the top of this page is actually the Volkswagen Golf GT’s boost meter

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:19:13 +0800.