Archive for Rumours

Volvo’s new smaller-sized SUV (above is an artist’s impression) will join it’s bigger brother the Volvo XC90 first as a concept version displayed at the upcoming North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and will subsequently debut as a production model in the second quarter of 2008. Despite previous reports calling the new SUV the XC50, Volvo insiders have informed the motoring world that it will be called the Volvo XC60 instead.

Being slightly larger than the current third generation Toyota RAV4, the XC60’s styling will be similiar to other Volvo cars especially their current SUV the XC90, and will share the current V70’s EUCD platform.

I am driving a 1984 Nissan Sunny 130Y. The original engine was a single overhead cam carburetted 8 valve 1.3 liter engine called the E13. It made about 65 horsepower. It still runs very well after 2 engine transplants (now running an E15 carburetted 8 valve SOHC 1.5 liter - 67hp), albeit the NVH has gone quite horrible, which makes the ride at highway speeds pretty deafening for me due to wind noise but it sure doesn’t harm other road users.

I’ve just got back from Langkawi from the Honda Accord Media Drive event to be greeted by updates on the possible car scrap policy. Nanyang.com.my posted a piece of news on the controversial Car Scrapping Policy which is rumoured to find it’s way into the soon to be announced Budget 2007.

The report quotes industry sources saying the policy will be imposed on cars aged 15 years and older, to ensure:

1. More orderly road traffic
2. Safety for road users
3. A cleaner environment

There are currently 80,000 cars on the road over 15 years of age, and most of them are Protons. The scrapping rebate previously suggested is not to be given out by the government, but by national makes - thus making the rebate effective for purchasing a new national make vehicle only.

Nanyang’s report doesn’t exactly have the most solid sources or references, so we don’t really know whether it will be implemented or not until the Budget 2007 is announced. Are you ready to commit yourself to another 9 grueling years of loan repayment?

Previous post on the car scrapping issue available here.

By the way, happy Merdeka Day to all Malaysians!

AutoExpress reports that the next generation Subaru Impreza will not be abandoning it’s sedan form, instead it will be offered as both as hatchback and classic sedan form! The 5-door hatchback variation of the Subaru Impreza will come first in the UK summer 2007, while the sedan version will come soon after.

All wheel drive and boxer engines will be standard, but Subaru is also developing a turbodiesel boxer which might find it’s way into this car, given Europe’s diesel affinity.

A concept version of the Subaru Impreza hatchback will be revealed at the 2007 Geneva Auto Show early next year. Design cues will likely come from the Subaru B5 concept shown above.

Related Posts:
2008 Subaru Impreza to be a hatch

I am eagerly awaiting the new E92-based BMW M3 to be released to see what fantastic new engine BMW will be putting under the hood. New BMW engines seem to naturally be award winners lately - the 3.0 twin turbodiesel in the BMW 535d, and the normally aspirated 5.0 V10 in the BMW M5.

Details of the new E92 BMW M3 has surfaced on forums like M3 Post, and while we don’t know if this is the actual real specifications, let’s just have a look at it anyway. Details are after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of E92 BMW M3 Possible Specifications

After that short speculation in my previous post, it’s quite obvious the new car to be launched this Tuesday in Johor will be a Dadi SUV or pick-up truck with an LMG Auto badge. While The Star’s report only mentioned a national car, a similiar report by Bernama confirms that the car is an LMG.

Dadi has two SUVs called the Dadi Shuttle and the Dadi Tourer, as well as a pick-up called the Dadi Trekker. Not sure which one will be launched this Tuesday, but the lights in the teaser looks like the pick-up truck. Reminds you of the Isuzu D-MAX eh?

Dadi vehicles use Mitsubishi engines in general, namely a 4G64 2.4 liter SOHC engine producing about 147hp and 214Nm of torque, which should be ample for an SUV or pickup of that size.

The theme of the ad is strange though - what do they mean by just add water?

Despite the challenges of making an MPV an “Ultimate Driving Machine”, BMW is responding to market needs by developing an MPV which might be called the BMW V5. The project is called the BMW Space Functional Concept, and it’s production version results will go against the likes of the Mercedes Benz R-Class as a spacious and luxurious people mover. An Automedia artist’s impression is shown above.

Rumours are that the production version of the BMW Space Functional Concept will be called either the V5 or V6, followed by a more compact BMW V3 model.

If BMW follows the footsteps of Honda’s Odyssey and Stream, it shouldn’t be too hard to inject sporty and good driveability into an MPV.

Related Posts:
Possible 2008 BMW V3 Artist Impression

Source

These are artist impressions of the upcoming 2007 Renault Laguna. Nissan’s large car platform is currently the FF-L platform. The new Renault Laguna will likely share this platform with the Nissan Altima/Nissan Primera. Rumours are that there will be both lift-back sedan and coupe versions, and even possible an estate version. Two more impressions after the jump!

Click here to read the rest of 2007 Renault Laguna Artist’s Impression

These are new scans from Japanese magazines depicting how the new next generation Toyota Corolla sedan (JDM) will look like. It looks pretty much similiar to the previous scans by New Model Magazine X which I posted in mid-July, but these images have much more detail than the plain ones I posted before. It’s not as futuristic as the current Honda Civic, but it does look sportier than the current Toyota Corolla Altis. More details and photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of More next-gen Toyota Corolla previews

A little bird told me that Proton’s Race Rally Research division will be launching new R3 special edition variants of the Proton Waja and the Proton GEN2 very soon. While these will not be R3 Limited Edition Vehicles like the Proton Satria R3, anything with R3’s touch is likely going to be special.

Full specifications and perhaps photos to come later! Target launch date is sometime in August 2006. For now, I’ll post a photo of the GEN2 R3 Concept previously displayed at the Dreamcars Asia Motorshow 2005 for you to put your imagination at work.

Alfa Romeo is preparing it’s new 149 hatchback to be launched by the year 2007 or 2008. Above is an artist impression by Italian magazine Quattroruote, apparently based on spy photos leaked from Alfa. The car’s design cues are said to be based on the Alfa Romeo Kamal concept which made it’s debut at the 2003 Geneva Motor Show, and the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. It’s platform will be shared with it’s parent company Fiat’s upcoming Fiat Stilo/Bravo. The platform will likely be a shortened wheelbase version of the company’s Premium platform which was used in the Alfa 159. Shown here is a 5-door hatch, but 3-door versions will also be offered.

Hopefully the new 149’s GTA model will have a better way to deliver it’s massive power to the wheels, as the previous 147 GTA’s 250 horsepower was a bit too much to be driven to the front wheels only. Perhaps it will be offered with Alfa Romeo’s Q4 all wheel drive system.