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  • Lotus CEO Dany Bahar suspended over his “conduct”

    In Cars, International News, Local News, Lotus / By / / 30 comments

    Dany Bahar has been suspended from his job as head of Group Lotus, a subsidiary of Proton. The temporary suspension is to facilitate an investigation into a complaint about the ex-Ferrari employee’s conduct, according to Proton’s new owner DRB-Hicom.

    “Group Lotus plc (“Lotus”) can today confirm that, following an operational review, chief executive Dany Bahar has been temporarily suspended from his role to facilitate an investigation into a complaint about his conduct made by Lotus’ penultimate parent company, DRB-Hicom Berhad,” the Malaysian company said in a statement.

    “The penultimate holding company would like to stress it is business as usual at Lotus. We fully support the company and will continue to support Lotus in its business endeavours and development,” a DRB spokesman told Norwich Evening News.

    Bahar pictured here with Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin. Is DRB performing a clear out?

    The statement from DRB confirms speculation about Bahar’s future that arose after he missed appointments at the ongoing Monaco GP weekend (a Lotus Originals store opening, among others). Word went around that the flamboyant Turkish-Swiss was instead summoned to Malaysia, where he was told about the suspension.

    With Bahar out of the frame, for now, DRB-Hicom has appointed internal people Datuk Lukman Ibrahim, Mohd Khalid Yusof and Aslam Farikulla to be in charge of Lotus, assisted by current CFO Rusman Zaihan. No official statement on the alleged misconduct by Bahar, so your guess is as good as ours.

    Dany Bahar joined Lotus from Ferrari in late 2009, famously crafting an ambitious five-year plan for the loss-making company. This plan surfaced at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, where Lotus wheeled out five concept cars in a spectacular show. We witnessed that landmark moment – click here to read all about the plan, and the concepts.

    Bahar signed a fresh four-year contract with Proton in December last year, just before the national carmaker was sold to DRB-Hicom. His original contract expires this year.

     

  • Mazda CX-5 test drive review: driven to the beach!

    In Cars, Local News, Mazda, Test Drive Reviews / By / / 80 comments

    All things considered, the freshly-launched Mazda CX-5 is the company’s most important vehicle to date. The company is really banking on this one for two reasons – the CX-5 is Mazda’s first compact SUV and this vehicle gets the full SkyActiv treatment.

    I have touched on the SkyActiv components in my launch report, which I urge you to read. As a short recap, SkyActiv is an umbrella term by which the body, chassis, engine and transmission are conceived from a clean sheet of paper.
    Read more ›

     

  • Lamborghini opens 3S centre in Glenmarie

    In Cars, Lamborghini, Local News / By / / 40 comments

    Italian supercar maker Lamborghini opened a new showroom in the Klang Valley this evening. Located in Glenmarie, the RM4 million facility operated by JH Italia Sdn Bhd is a 3S centre to serve the brand’s growing customer base in Malaysia. Last year, Lamborghini Kuala Lumpur shifted 21 units, this year they aim to sell 60 raging bulls.

    The showroom with the black facade boasts a “total Lamborghini brand experience” and is fitted with imported Italian fittings as well as a specially designed bar area for customers to “enjoy a taste of Italy”. Italian coffee, we presume. There’s a merchandise corner, too.

    “In Malaysia, people who buy Lamborghini cars are driven by the passion to own something that is extreme, uncompromising and unmistakably Italian. And you can see there is a shift in the buying attitude of affluent Malaysians for design, quality, pleasure and pride,” said Isham Ariff, Chairman of Lamborghini Kuala Lumpur.

    “Kuala Lumpur itself has shown some very encouraging growth for the marque and with improving economic conditions in Malaysia and around the Asia Pacific region, I am confident that we will see an increasing demand for our range of Lamborghini supersports cars,” Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini said in a statement.

    “The level of service and quality we have invested into our showroom and service center reflects our brand values of being extreme, uncompromising and unmistakably Italian. Malaysia now joins our key markets like Singapore and China in terms of our growing brand presence and strategy for the Asia Pacific market,” the sharp suited Winkelmann added.

    Lamborghini has been pretty active lately. The Gallardo Malaysia Limited Edition (MLE) was launched here earlier this month (eight bookings collected already), and Sepang will host the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Asia Series this weekend. In that series, which is run for the first time in Asia, JH Italia will have its own car, piloted by Rizal Ashram Ramli a.k.a. Jejai.

    Click here to read our Aventador experience. Sant’Agata’s flagship supercar is in the showroom launch gallery below, where you can also find legends and poster favourites Diablo and Countach.
    Read more ›

     

  • ‘WWW 1′ sets number plate record – RM520k!

    In Cars, Local News / By / / 69 comments

    It’s no big surprise that “WWW 1″ has set a new record as Malaysia’s most expensive vehicle registration number, but the all-time high bid of RM520,000 for that number plate is shocking nonetheless. Yes, someone bid RM520k for the bragging rights, as revealed by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha.

    RM520k for “WWW 1″ is enough to comfortably eclipse the previous record – RM300,100 for “MCA 1″ in 2010. It’s not just the coveted #1 however; the “WWW” series broke all sorts of registration number records as well.

    First, 13 of the successful bids were worth more than RM100,000 and three of them went for RM300,000 each. The total amount of bids received so far is more than RM64 million, and the “WWW” series is estimated to rake in RM11.3 million.

    Kong revealed that of the 10,000 numbers in the series, 4,908 received bids while the remaining 5,091 will become running numbers that will be sold to the public. “The highest number of bids (in this series) goes to “WWW 333″ which received 84 bids,” Kong added. Total bids? 18,243.

    The full results will only be released via JPJ’s portal on Monday, and letters informing bidders of the results will be sent out from June 6.

     

  • Naza targeting two new car brands, one bike franchise

    In Cars, Local News / By / / 103 comments

    The Naza Group of Companies is looking to add two automobile brands and one motorcycle franchise to its already big brand portfolio, says Bernama.

    Naza Group Joint Group Executive Chairman Datuk SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin told the national news agency that the three companies are from Europe and China, but declined to name them.

    “One franchise is in a very preliminary stage of discussion but the other two are firm. We will make an announcement at the right time,” he added.

    Naza is the importer, distributor and assembler of Peugeot and Kia marques in Malaysia. The Group’s brand portfolio also includes Ferrari, Maserati, Chevrolet, Ducati, Harley Davidson, Vespa and Aprilia, among other marques. Want to try guess the identity of the new brands?

     

  • My Proton Makeover: Madam Lee’s 1991 Saga revealed!

    In Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton / By / / 67 comments

    The sixth and final My Proton Makeover project car was unveiled this afternoon, when R3 Head of Engineering Tengku Djan Ley handed back the keys of this 1991 Saga Aeroback to its first and only owner, Madam Lee Koon Gaik. The 54-year old homemaker was ecstatic, and couldn’t recognise her ride, which has been thoroughly “overhauled” by the R3 team.

    Lee said she liked the new colour and “comfortable seats” the most. “The whole appearance of the car has changed,” she exclaimed, going on to explain that the although the 21-year old Saga was difficult to start at times, and the air con wasn’t as strong as she liked, it had no major problems. It’s the only car that serves her and her retired husband, and she uses it to visit the market and fetch kids to school.

    The thrifty lady from Seri Kembangan even sewed the car’s torn cushions herself, although none of that can be seen now with black leather and alcantara covering the cabin. The “furry” material is also found on the dashboard and original steering wheel. R3 also threw in red piping and a Sony single-DIN player.

    Tengku Djan explained that the goal for this car was to “keep it as stock as possible” with some R3 touches. The top drifter also revealed that Madam Lee’s Saga was one of the easier cars to do – some of the previous chosen ones had specific requests, and some cars looked decent but were less pretty under the skin.

    “Understanding her driving patterns as she uses her car for daily errands, we worked to give the car a more pleasurable drive. The engine and gearbox were rebuilt without adding any performance enhancements or mods, with the exhaust system being tweaked to improve torque without making it loud or noisy.

    “Considering that she does a considerable amount of town driving, the car’s suspension was upgraded to improve ride comfort. To improve the car’s stability, we went with 16-inch wheels which will enhance the car’s overall road holding ability,” Djan added.

    As a Saga owner myself, I really like the fact that R3 chose to maintain the “classic feel”, retaining the car’s original grill and logo. They would have put in original tail lamps too, but new OEM ones are no longer available. As seen in the work-in-progress images posted yesterday, exterior enhancements include a slim rear spoiler, gunmetal highlights and subtle red pinstripes.

    Let’s give the final word to Madam Lee. “I have always maintained that this car would be sufficient to serve me a lifetime. Thank you Proton for your commitment towards simple customers like me, going the extra mile to help me keep this car going,” she said.

    Previous My Proton Makeover projects include Fadly Hisham Roplay’s 1992 Saga, Sashideran Radha Krishnan’s 1994 Wira, Norzamzarini Mohd Bajuri’s 1996 Iswara Aeroback, Hafiz Mohd Hashim’s 2001 Satria GTI and Amirul Azim’s 2001 Satria 1.3.

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  • Toyota Camry – JDM Hybrid offers another take on the XV50

    In Cars, Local News, Toyota / By / / 49 comments

    The arrival of the new Toyota Camry is nigh, with the XV50 set to make its debut here early next month. The order books were opened last month, we’ve already seen the specs of the car in our leaked brochure post, and the car was seen on a transporter last week, so all that’s left is for the seventh-generation model to premiere.

    Still, nothing like adding some final bits of colour to the canvas before the car makes its debut proper. Reader HK Chong sent in some snaps of the XV50, taken when he visited the Toyota Megaweb in Tokyo last November; the Camry had just made its domestic debut around then.

    The photos are primarily of the Hybrid, which of course won’t be coming here, though the car is available in the Thai market. It’s powered by a 2.5 litre 2 AR-FXE Atkinson cycle unit, with 160 PS and 213 Nm, coupled with an electric motor producing 143 PS and 270 Nm, with combined output via the torque split device being 205 PS.

    We already know what we can expect to see in the Malaysian Camry, based on the photos of the Thai-market model, so here’s a contrasting view of textures and materials with the shots of the Hybrid.

    As previously mentioned, we’ll be getting three petrol variants, namely two 1AZ-FE 2.0 models, the E and G, as well as a 2AR-FE 2.5 litre version, the V. To recap, the 2.0 VVT-i mill offers 148 PS and 190 Nm, and it’ll be mated to a four-speed Super ECT slushbox. Meanwhile, the 2.5 litre Dual VVT-i with ACIS has 181 PS and 231 Nm for output figures, and it gets a six-speed Super ECT auto, replete with sequential shifter.

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  • ETCM forms First Energy Networks – subsidiary to build and operate charging infrastructure and system for EVs

    In Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Local News, Nissan / By / / 18 comments

    Nissan looks like its ready to up its EV game here, what with Edaran Tan Chong Motor’s recent announcement of the incorporation of a wholly-owned subsidiary called First Energy Networks. The start-up’s principal activity, according to the statement made in its filing to the Bursa, will be to build and operate the charging infrastructure and system for electric vehicles and any related facilities.

    The company already has the Nissan Leaf about, though the EV isn’t running commercially, but as part of a pilot programme to create public awareness of the car and the tech. Still, the move beyond just that now looks certain, and with the formation of the new subsidiary, ETCM looks like it’s planning early for the future.

    Perhaps it’s all spurred by the suggestion that the Government may pile on more incentives for hybrid and EVs. Reports indicate that the Government is looking at various avenues to help spur the uptake of such vehicles, and the incentives will supposedly be revealed when the second revision of National Automotive Policy is announced sometime this year.

     

  • My Proton Makeover: WIP pics of Madam Lee’s 1991 Saga

    In Cars, Local News, Malaysian Makes, Proton / By / / 23 comments

    The My Proton Makeover programme started in August last year with Fadly Hisham Roplay’s 1992 Saga, and will end with a Saga of the same vintage. The sixth and final car chosen for a rework by R3 is Madam Lee Lee Koon Gaik’s 1991 Saga, and from these work-in-progress pics, we can see that the beat up Aeroback has been thoroughly refurbished.

    R3 has given the homemaker’s trusty car a new (and badly needed) paint job, changing the Saga’s colour to silver. Contrasting gun metal trim with red piping have been added, along with 16-inch R3 alloys. The wheels look identical to those on Fadly’s Saga, but are finished in silver.

    The cabin is a mixture of black leather and alcantara, with red piping. It’s quite a sporty look, so perhaps Madam Lee’s sons will also approve of R3′s efforts!

    Previous projects include Fadly Hisham Roplay’s 1992 Saga, Sashideran Radha Krishnan’s 1994 Wira, Norzamzarini Mohd Bajuri’s 1996 Iswara Aeroback, Hafiz Mohd Hashim’s 2001 Satria GTI and Amirul Azim’s 2001 Satria 1.3.

    We will be at the final unveiling – stay tuned!

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  • Caltex Havoline with Deposit Shield engine oils upgraded

    In Cars, Local News / By / / 2 comments

    The Caltex Havoline with Deposit Shield engine oil range, which includes the Havoline Fully Synthetic, Havoline Synthetic Blend and Havoline Formula, has been upgraded to API SN, the highest performance standard set by the American Petroleum Institute (API) to date.

    The additives in Caltex Havoline with Deposit Shield creates a protective coating that shields the engine from deposits, metal-to-metal contact, corrosive agents and the extreme temperatures of combustion.

    According to Caltex, Havoline Synthetic Blend SAE 10W-40 goes beyond what is required of API SN and provides 30% more protection from corrosion and 30% better wear protection. The same oil is also 70% better at wear protection in extreme driving conditions, improving oil stability and increasing durability.

    The by-products of combustion and breakdown of oil over time can change the oil viscosity, potentially causing poorer fuel economy. Caltex says that Havoline Synthetic Blend SAE 10W-40 is 55% better at retaining viscosity under harsh conditions.

    “To enjoy the journey, drivers today want to protect what really matters – the investment they made in their cars and its performance. Our latest upgrade – Havoline with Deposit Shield – was developed to address the needs of car enthusiasts, and all drivers who understand the importance of protecting their investment,” said Simon Lim, Chevron Lubricant Sales Manager for Malaysia and Singapore.

     
 
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