Paul Tan's Automotive News » Videos

VIDEO: Proton Prevé – Interview with Tajul Zahari, Proton’s Director of Engineering Division

Paul Tan — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:53:39 +0000

During the preview drive of the Proton Prevé, we caught up with three key personnel for a chat about the new car, its development and a bit more.

In the first of three videos, Chris talks to Ir. Hj. Tajul Zahari, Proton’s Director of Engineering Division about the technical aspects of the Prevé.

We talked about the Prevé development starting from the Tuah concept. Then, we move to the Hot Press Forming and the safety aspects of the Prevé. He also assures that the CVT can handle the torque of the turbo-charged engine and why that gearbox was chosen instead of the conventional torque convertor or dual-clutch gearboxes.

Tajul also explains what it means to develop a global car and the steps on how the goal can be achieved. But that is not all. Watch the video to know more.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: F30 BMW 3-Series Malaysian TVC (Sport Line)

Paul Tan — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 07:27:34 +0000

Here’s BMW Malaysia’s launch TVC for the newly launched F30 BMW 3-Series, currently available in CBU form as a 320d, 328i and 335i. The 320d is a “line-less” model – it’s the base model, while the Luxury and Sport lines on the 328i and 335i adds different variations to the car to represent the ‘mood’ that the car is supposed to portray.

The Luxury line has more chrome decorations (such as around the window trim), and the interior trim as well as car key fob have a more traditional BMW looks – wood with a silver-ish liner, while the Sports Line uses more black trim in place of the chrome, and the interior has some flashy red around the meter panel and dash trim.

The car in the video above is a Melbourne Red car in Sports Line trim.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: Android-powered Clarion Mirage shows its talent

Danny Tan — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:17:40 +0000

Last week, we were in Penang for the world debut of the Clarion Mirage ICE system. What’s special about the Mirage is that it’s the first Android-based full automotive grade car stereo in the market. ‘Full automotive grade’ means OEM-grade, and Clarion is targeting car manufacturers and assemblers for now, before stating retail sales in Q4 this year.

Conceived and developed at Clarion Malaysia in Penang, the Mirage is equipped with a 6.5-inch LCD hooked up to Android’s touch-screen graphical user interface (GUI). It runs Android 2.2 Froyo, but customised for a car platform. As with an Android smartphone, the “appatunities” are limitless with the Mirage.

We’ve already explained what it can do in our launch report, complete with full gallery, but here’s a video to show you what’s possible. Like the Mirage, these stereo girls are proof that barangan buatan Malaysia can be very good

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: Mitsubishi Triton VGT Hardcore Powerslide!

Paul Tan — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 08:29:46 +0000

Here’s a strange video of a Mitsubishi Triton sliding into a corner. No idea what it is about though. It could be part of a campaign promoting the Triton VGT, but then again, it could be anything!

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: A&W Bear has the moves like Jagger at Proton Power of 1 showcase, Bukit Jalil

Paul Tan — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 05:41:58 +0000

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: Proton Satria GTI Makeover #2

Anthony Lim — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 08:08:58 +0000

Well, Hafiz Mohd Hashim may have gotten his ride back, but here’s the second in the series of exclusive videos Proton decided to come up with for the particular makeover – strange that the video series hasn’t completed its run, given that the rework is complete!

Anyway, the second video has the R3 boys discussing what they were planning to do with the engine – the rebuilt mill features a ported cylinder head and a race-specific camshaft duration, among other things.

The earlier mention in the first video that the Satria was previously involved in a mishap is expanded on – in the video, Hafiz explains that the car turned turtle, and says the car was in the workshop for a year before he got it back!

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: PETRONAS F1 TVC – Race Ends, Work Never

Paul Tan — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 06:58:12 +0000

Here is PETRONAS Motorsports’ latest TV commercial, highlighting their partnership with the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 team. It features the F1 team members at work, continuously working on the car to ensure they squeeze every fraction of a second possible off their lap times.

If you watch the timeline of the TVC, you get to see the team working on different parts of the car before assembling it together, but the part where they show the F1 car driving on the track is actually a couple of seconds at most, which basically reflects how much work is actually happening at the back stage of an F1 team in proportion to the car being on track.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEOS: Proton releases set of P3-21A teaser clips

Paul Tan — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:00:54 +0000

We showcased this full teaser video earlier by manually recording it from a TV screen at the event itself, but now we’re procured the full HD 1080P versions of the individual teaser clips, which Proton has uploaded online.

UPDATE: We’ve condensed all eight videos into a single continuous video, which we’ve embedded above, to make for easier viewing. If you want to view each video individually, you can find them after the jump.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: Proton P3-21A 3D-simulated crash safety test

Paul Tan — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 08:51:30 +0000

Here’s a crash test simulation video that Proton is playing at its Power of 1 event happening this week from March 14-18, from 10 am to 10 pm daily, at Bukit Jalil.

From what I understand, what engineers do is actually put in all the dimensions, shapes and specs of the car chassis into a simulation software, where they then perform virtual crash tests, which can be simulated through our understanding of the laws of physics, etc.

From there, they’ll use the results to further tweak the car until they are satisfied with the simulation crash test results. The physical car is then sent for a real-world crash test after the computer-aided design part is done.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: Proton P3-21A slalom demo at Proton Power of 1

Paul Tan — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 03:45:40 +0000

Proton demonstrated the P3-21A’s ride and handling abilities against a Proton Persona in a car park slalom demo at the Proton Power of 1 event at Bukit Jalil earlier today.

You may not hear or feel it in the video, but there was plenty of tyre screeching drama as the cars were actually going quite fast, something that an audience would only be able to perceive at the event proper.

The P3-21A was probably having a better time tackling the course than the Persona, since it has an electronic stability control system which will be able to help keep the car’s traction in check.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: Proton P3-21A full teaser video at Power of 1

Anthony Lim — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 03:31:18 +0000

Well, it’s all happening here at Bukit Jalil where the P3-21A is concerned. Aside from the car doing the handling prowess showcase earlier (the car will be doing the same run daily) there was a full teaser video on the car. We had the teaser video up earlier, but that was a short clip – here’s the full one.

You still don’t see the full vehicle, but lots of the hints and glimpses of elements, which includes folding side mirrors which auto unfold once the car gets to 5 km/h, speed-sensing auto door locks, a manual door lock button on the central console, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and follow-me home lights.

The first Proton with side airbags (which means it has four in total) will also feature a seven-speed Protronic gearbox with paddle shifters (presumably in the upmarket variant), an engine start/stop button, electronic brake force distribution and electronic stability control, among other things.

The tagline for the car is “Drive it to believe it” – guess you’ll be able to soon.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: Schumacher’s surprise visit to UTP interns at MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS

Paul Tan — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 14:49:42 +0000

Check out this episode of motorsports@PETRONAS, Michael Schumacher and Jazeman Jaafar paid a surprise visit to Universiti Technology PETRONAS students who are currently undergoing internship with the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS. Damn, experiences like these make me long for college days again!

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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EXCLUSIVE: Proton Satria GTI Makeover Video #1

Anthony Lim — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:27:30 +0000

Earlier, you saw the work in progress pix of Hafiz Mohd Hashim’s Satria GTI, with the boys at R3 reportedly working double time on the rebuild. The car has already undergone its repaint job, finished in Lotus Racing Green, as requested by Hafiz.

Unlike the previous makeovers, however, Proton has decided to make a series of videos on this one as the rework progresses along. The first of these exclusive videos to us is pretty much a teaser, talking a bit about the handover, with sound bites from Hafiz and his wife Salina.

The video also reveals that the Satria was previously involved in a mishap, with the car badly damaged, according to Hafiz. There’s a part in the video that shows the floorboard in front of the driver’s seat to be rusted, likely from repair work that wasn’t all too hot.

Stay tuned for more videos in the series – you’ll only find them here!

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: New Lexus GS and swimsuit model Tori Praver?

Paul Tan — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:09:55 +0000

Hot women and race tracks have one thing in common – CURVES! Lexus puts them both in one video by creating a small track based on a photo of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Tori Praver and then taking the new Lexus GS around it. They even created a “Tori 500″ iPhone app for you to drive around it yourself.

The new Lexus GS will be launched in Malaysia soon and bookings are open, as well as a price list, which ranges from RM370k to RM488k OTR excluding insurance. Both the regular GS and the GS F-Sport are available, and you can have either the GS 350 with the powerful 3.5 liter V6 engine, or the new baseline GS 250 with a roadtax-friendly 2.5 liter V6.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: Alfa Romeo Giulietta plays ice hockey in the UK

Danny Tan — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:28:47 +0000

With cold wintery weather forecast for the UK this week, and freezing temperatures set to affect many UK roads, Alfa Romeo UK thought of an unusual way to promote the Italian brand – get the Giulietta to play ice hockey!

The key was to showcase the Giulietta’s All Weather mode via Alfa’s driver selectable D.N.A. system, and Alfa teamed up with stunt driver Paul Swift and the UK’s top ice hockey team, Coventry Blaze, to create the video you see here.

In the 1:41 clip, captured solely by the iPhone 4S, you’ll see the sexy C-segment hatchback taking on Blaze star David Phillips in the Coventry Skydome ice rink, in a challenge of icy skill and pinpoint control.

In the “man vs car” battle, the fella in red delivered two cool trick shots – striking a one-inch thick by three-inch diameter hockey puck from just inside the end zone into the home team’s six feet wide net guarded by a goalie. Remember, do not attempt to drive into Sunway Pyramid to repeat these tricks, however fun it looks

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: Toyota TS030 Hybrid LMP1 car driven on track

Danny Tan — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:26:35 +0000

Earlier this week, we told you about Toyota’s return to endurance racing when the Japanese company unveiled its TS030 Hybrid challenger. Here’s a video of the hybrid racer seeing some track action at Paul Ricard in France. In the two and a half minute clip, TS030 gets off the mark with an unmistakable EV soundtrack, before more familiar racing noises come into play.

As a recap, the TS030 Hybrid is the successor to the TS010 and TS020 cars which participated at Le Mans with podium success during the 1990s. The new 4.65 metre car sits on a brand new carbonfibre LMP1 chassis that has been developed and produced at Toyota Motorsport GmbH.

It is powered by a THS-R (Toyota Hybrid System – Racing) powertrain consisting of an all-new 3.4-litre normally-aspirated petrol V8 and hybrid system, the latter featuring a capacitor storage system developed by official team partner Nisshinbo.

The front motor system is produced by Aisin AW, while the rear motor system is developed by Denso, with regulations limiting hybrid systems to recovering a maximum of 500 kJ between braking zones, whilst restricting deployment to only two wheels.

Click here to read all about it, and view the pics.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: Nissan Juke-R confirmed for 0-100 in 3.7s, 257 kmh

Danny Tan — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:32:44 +0000

Remember the Nissan Juke-R, the crazy Juke with the GT-R engine? Nissan has confirmed performance figures for the little monster, and it will do 0-100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds, with a top speed of 257 km/h. With that, they’re calling it the world’s fastest crossover.

The 3.8-liter V6 twin turbo VR38DETT is not the only thing coming from the GT-R. Besides the 480 hp engine, the Juke-R gets Godzilla’s six-speed transaxle, with a modified four-wheel drive driveline and propshaft linking things together. It also gets the GT-R’s suspension, an FIA-spec roll cage, unique split rear wing and 20-inch RAYS forged alloys.

No news on it making production, though. Only two prototypes have been built, one in left-hand-drive and one in right-hand-drive. It is a fruit of a 22-week collaboration between Nissan, motorsports outfit RML and Nissan Technical Centre Europe.

Crazy! More pics can be had in our previous post.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: New Porsche 911 Cabriolet to make Detroit debut

Danny Tan — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:39:07 +0000

The new Porsche 911 Cabriolet, announced in November 2011, will make its world debut at the upcoming NAIAS in Detroit. The first motor show of the year was chosen because America is the biggest market for the drop top, by far. In fact, Porsche is thriving in the US despite the less than rosy economy – in 2011, Porsche sold 29,023 cars, 15% up from 2010. They plan to shift over 30k units this year.

Back to the 911 Cab. The big news here is the all new roof design. Throwing out the multi-layered fabric item from the 997, this lid uses a fabric skinned composite panel, which provides a nicer shape and a better fit. Porsche also says that this new roof, which takes just 11 seconds to raise or stow, is more resistant to high speed buffeting. There’s also an automatic wind deflector.

The roof is laid on a magnesium frame, and the glass rear window is glued directly to the outer fabric skin. The lowering and closing process can be done at speeds of up to 60 km/h. You can see this being done in the videos.

Powertrains are identical to the 991 Coupe. The Cabrio’s backside houses a 3.4-litre flat six with 350 hp/380 Nm driving the rear wheels via the world’s first seven-speed manual gearbox. The Carrera S Cabriolet comes with a 3.8-litre flat six with 400 hp and 440 Nm. Porsche’s twin-clutch PDK will be a popular option, delivering better fuel consumption and acceleration than the stick shift.

Click here for full details and a gallery of the 911 Cabrio.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: New Nissan Pathfinder teased, next Navara’s face?

Danny Tan — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:02:40 +0000

Here’s a short teaser video of the Nissan Pathfinder preview concept, which provides a sneak peek at the next generation of Nissan’s longest running nameplate in the USA. To be unveiled at the upcoming Detroit show, Nissan says that it comes with “thoughtful technology, comfortable seating for seven and ample cargo room”.

The company adds that the new one “takes all of Pathfinder’s traditional SUV hallmarks and wraps them in a new platform and dramatic new aerodynamic body”. That seems to be true from what we can see via a profile teaser image released earlier. The new Pathfinder, in a departure from the current car as well as most truck based SUVs, sports highly sculptured body panels and has quite a curvy shape.

The seven-second teaser video shows the front end of the SUV. We can see that there’s a more distinct V-shape to the front fascia compared to today’s car. Slimmer, more dynamic headlights, too, but still a macho face, we think.

By the way, the Pathfinder is an SUV version of the Navara pick-up truck that we know (think Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Toyota Fortuner), so this could well be our first look at how the next-gen Navara will look like. Click here to see how the current Pathfinder looks like.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: Toyota FT-86 teased ahead of Tokyo show debut

Danny Tan — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 03:43:26 +0000

Enthusiasts’ necks have grown long waiting for Toyota’s FT-86 sports car. Fortunately, the wait is almost coming to an end, as the final production car will debut at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show. In the meantime, here’s a teaser video showing Toyota engineers choosing wheels and drawing grilles for their RWD machine.

We can also see clearly the D-4S four-pot boxer engine borrowed from Subaru, who of course have their own version of the car called BR-Z.

The last we’ve seen of the FT-86 was back in March at Geneva, where Toyota wheeled out the FT-86 II Concept. That black and rather sinister looking machine was supposed to be closer to the production car than the original concept car. Click here to view our previous post.

Compact body, rear driven, boxer powered, six-speed manual = I can’t wait to drive this thing!

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: Jennifer Lopez stars in Fiat 500C Gucci Edition ad

Danny Tan — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 07:21:46 +0000

Finding a celebrity that embodies what one is selling is a tried and tested formula. It works like this: Perhaps if I spray on more Hugo Boss perfume, than I can be as suave as Ryan Reynolds. Or if she uses SK-II religiously, she’ll be as desirable as Gong Li when she’s 45. The Fiat 500C Gucci Edition is elegant, thinks its maker, so they have chosen Jennifer Lopez to endorse the small car.

“No matter where you’re from, elegance is hard work. It’s taking style, performance, and originality, and making them look easy,” says Jenny from the Block, who is seen driving an Empire State plated black Fiat around NYC.

The ad shows what’s special about this 500C – the Gucci badge on the tailgate, the brand’s famous green-red-green stripe on the folding fabric roof, the same stripe on the seatbelts and the Double G logo on the shifter. For girlfriends and wives, those are the equipment that count, not horsepower, torque or an extra cog.

I know what car I want, if I was a rich girl. Wait, that’s the wrong singer!

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: Chevrolet Trailblazer Show Car is looking good

Danny Tan — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:39:07 +0000

Here’s a video of the Chevrolet Trailblazer Show Car that made its debut at the recent Dubai Motor Show. The video shows gives us a 360 degree view of the SUV, both in and out.

The Trailblazer is a seven-seat SUV based on the brand’s Colorado pick-up truck, so it will share a market with the Toyota Fortuner and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, which are based on the Hilux and Triton, respectively. The design was done at GM’s South American Design Centre, located in Sao Caetano do Sul, Brazil, and it’s obvious that the production version will look very much like this, minus a few show car touches.

Powertrains will be shared with the Colorado, which means 2.5 and 2.8 Duramax diesels paired to manual or six-speed autos. One potential big selling point will be the rear suspension. Unlike its rivals, the Trailblazer is said to have coil springs plus multi-link rear suspension, promising better handling and comfort.

The Trailblazer will be made alongside the Colorado at GM’s Rayong, Thailand plant, so this could be a potential model for the Malaysian market. We will of course get the Colorado first next year. Read our test drive report of the Colorado here.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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Stock Renault Megane RS 250 Cup makes almost 300hp!

Harvinder Sidhu — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:07:30 +0000

When we talk about high-performance hot hatches, only few come to mind. These few include the Volkswagen Golf and Scirocco R, the Ford Focus RS, the Mazda 3 MPS and as the title suggests, the Renault Megane RS 250 Cup. Just like its competitors, the RS 250 is often referred to as a hot hatch which you can drive to work on the weekdays and at the same time, something which you can bring to Sepang on the weekends and practice your driving lines

Under the hood lies a 2.0 litre 4-pot turbocharged (twin-scroll) unit which has over 25% of new parts compared to its predecessor. 0 – 100 km/h can be achieved in 6.1 seconds with a top speed of 245 km/h. As highlighted in the “250″ designation of this French beauty, it makes 250 hp at 5,500 rpm at-crank and 340 Nm of torque at 3,000 rpm with 80% of it available from 1,900 rpm. Or does it?

There are two ways to look at horsepower. One is at-crank (direct output from the engine) or on-wheel (horsepower measured on-wheel after transmission losses). The latter would naturally be lower than at-crank and auto makers use the former in the spec sheets. Most of the time, it is very hard for an owner to get similar horsepower figures when they carry out their own dyno tests. The conditions have to be right and the right fuel has to be used. So, you can safely say that most of the numbers are slightly optimistic.

Interestingly, with the Renault Megane RS 250 Cup, it’s the other way around. We were recently at a dyno session where the RS 250 was being tested, and it turns out that the RS 250 can actually give you an on-wheel horsepower figure that is almost similar as the at-crank figure showed in the brochure! The demo vehicle used in the video is an all-original unit, with no modifications whatsoever and it was used for media as well as customer test drives by Tan Chong Euro Cars and the vehicle has already clocked 25,000 kilometers.

During a test at GT Auto in Sunway, using RON97 fuel, the car actually achieved 248 hp and 355 Nm of torque on-wheel. After a simple math work, we managed to come up with an equivalent at-crank figure of approximately 295 hp which is almost similar to the at-crank number of the Ford Focus RS! The 295 hp number was derived from the 16% transmission loss calculation (from crank to wheels). Now we all know that the actual numbers will run off a little, but 45 hp is no joke.

Furthermore, reliable sources have confirmed that higher on-wheel horsepower figures were also achieved in two other units (you can view the dyno charts in the gallery). It was also said that the Renault Sport cars are tuned to work well in various climate conditions and ambient temperature. These sportier Renaults can also run on RON 95 fuel and the engines are built on a mass production line and that slight variances in horsepower from one engine to another is common.

It was also said that due to the slight differences, Renault Sport is being rather conservative with the published figures. Moreover, tests were also carried out overseas and these tests also confirmed that the RS 250 actually produces more power than promised. EVO UK also carried one out and they learned that their RS 250 media car recorded 270hp at-crank. You can check out the video here.

Other than a power mill with interesting figures, the Megane RS 250 comes with a sports-tuned chassis and suspension setting which helps give it its sharp maneuverability and chuckability, with comfort still in mind although there is a hint of acceptable stiffness to it. Suspension features include a 10mm lowered chassis as well as uprated dampers, springs and anti-roll bars.

Strong stopping power is also vital for a vehicle of such nature and this is provided by Brembo. The front wheels tease 340 mm vented and slotted discs along with 4-pot calipers. The brake tune strikes a good balance of stopping power and reliability in terms of maintaining brake pressure even during demanding driving scenarios such as pushing the car’s limits on the track.

No fancy or sophisticated dual-clutch transmissions here, just a good old, precisely weighted six-speed cog box which works well in shifting gears. All you need to do is acquire the skills of heel and toe, a dying art if you ask me, to ensure smoother shifting. There is also a mechanical LSD working in the background. Overall, the RS 250 retails for RM229,800 OTR without insurance and with that additional 45 hp, it gives the RS 250 better value for money.

If you want to learn more about the Renault Megane RS 250 Cup, you can read a full test drive review right here.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: Proton’s ‘The Transporter’ concludes with Part 5

Anthony Lim — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:44:28 +0000

Yesterday, Proton released parts three and four of its five-part The Transporter video series, and today, the fifth and final segment is out. Hanis Salleh, who emerged as the winner of The Transporter contest, won a 4-day/3-night all expense-paid trip to catch the 2011 Singapore GP, heading to the race with a trio of beauties, in this case Yasmin Hani, Diana Danielle and Jojo Struys

The first video centred around the prelude to the trip, while the second showcased the quartet’s experience at the event with exclusive paddock passes. In the final instalment, Jojo Struys, Yasmin Hani and Diana Danielle head to the Black and Gold Mystique F1 party at One Altitude, the highest alfresco rooftop bar in the world. With Hanis, of course.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: Part 3 and 4 of Proton’s ‘Transporter’ adventure

Anthony Lim — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:00:44 +0000

The five-part video series chronicling Proton’s The Transporter adventure in Singapore continues, with part three and four just out. As is already known, Hanis Salleh, who emerged as the winner in The Transporter contest which ended in August, walked away with a 4-day/3-night all expense-paid trip to watch the 2011 Singapore GP at the Marina Bay street circuit, travelling to the republic with no less than Yasmin Hani, Diana Danielle and Jojo Struys!

The first video centred around the prelude to the trip, while the second showcased the quartet’s experience at the event with exclusive paddock passes. In the third episode, watch Diana Danielle battle it out with Jojo Struys on the “Batak machine” that F1 drivers train on to test their reflexes and reaction times, at the Proton Motorsports showcase in Clarke Quay.

As for part four, the Proton Transporter doesn’t know what he’s in for when the three ladies hit Arab Street. Expect the last installment, which presumably wraps things up, to be out soon enough. Shame it all had to end, eh, Hanis?

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: Part 2 of Proton Transporter’s Singapore adventure

Harvinder Sidhu — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:19:42 +0000

Proton has just released a Part 2 video of a five-part online series which puts The Transporter’s journey to Singapore on centre stage. As you would know, Proton’s ‘Transporter’ is Hanis Salleh who emerged as the winner in The Transporter contest which ended on 24th August.

Hanis walked home with a 4-day/3-night all expense-paid trip to watch the 2011 Singapore GP at the Marina Bay street circuit. Not only that, he got to travel to the night race with Yasmin Hani, Diana Danielle and Jojo Struys! Now how about that?

The first video centred around the prelude to the trip while the second video we have here shows us their experience at the event with exclusive paddock passes. The third installment will be released soon, meanwhile enjoy this

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: Proton’s ‘Transporter’ and his precious cargo!

Danny Tan — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:28:39 +0000

Yours truly was in Singapore last month to watch the only night race in the F1 calendar. It was a great weekend of not only track action, but carnival fun, since the Singapore GP is more like one big party with a race running around it. Sunday’s headlining act Linkin Park was brilliant, showing great energy despite getting on in years – I enjoyed it as much as their Merdeka Stadium gig years ago. Unfortunately, I missed Shakira’s swiveling hips.

I thought that was fun, until I saw this video. It’s Part 1 of a five-part series chronicling The Transporter’s journey to Singapore. He’s no Jason Statham, but even the stone faced cool driver would have to envy Hanis Salleh’s ‘precious cargo’. It doesn’t get any better than this I think – Yasmin Hani, Diana Danielle and Jojo Struys. Damn!

By the way, Hanis is the winner of Proton’s The Transporter online contest, which was open to all who purchased a new Proton or serviced their Protons at an official centre. Besides the company of the three beauties, he also enjoyed an all expenses paid trip as well as money can’t buy F1 moments.

Enjoy the video, and hide those green faces!

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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VIDEO: Honda City facelift launched in Thailand

Danny Tan — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 05:58:38 +0000

We carried some leaked brochure scans of the Honda City facelift last week. The brochure, from Thailand, gave us pretty good looks at the changes made, both in and out. Now, the City has been officially launched in the Land of Smiles, and this TVC (featuring very good looking talent) confirms what we’ve seen.

As a recap, up front, there are slight changes to the grille design (bigger gaps in the side sections), which remains instantly recognisable as a City. The whole bumper is new, changing from the current U shape to an X shape. The seven double-spoke design wheels seen on this Thai SV spec are also new.

At the back, the City’s unique tail lamps come in a new design featuring two clear stripes, and there’s a new lower bumper incorporating a diffuser style insert painted in black, with reflectors on each side. Inside, everything looks the same, except for the dials, which are now accented in blue instead of orange. There’s also an ECO indicator that lights up when you’re being light footed.

Available in three trim levels – S, V and SV – the facelifted City is priced between 559,000 baht to 704,000 baht in Thailand.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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Audi A6 3.0L TFSI quattro launched in Malaysia – RM515k!

Paul Tan — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 05:10:35 +0000

The new Audi A6 is finally here in Malaysia, with the sole unit offered right now being the top of the range Audi A6 3.0 TFSI quattro. Priced at RM515,000, it significantly undercuts the similiarly engined 535i by a huge margin and adds the extra traction of the Audi quattro all-wheel drive system.

This sexy beast’s 3.0 litre TFSI V6 engine puts out 300 hp between 5,250-6,500 rpm and 440 Nm of torque from 2,900 rpm to 4,500 rpm. This is the same motor found in the flagship Audi A8L 3.0 TFSI. You might wonder why peak torque kicks in a little higher than normal compared to other TFSI engines – this is likely because Audi has elected to use a supercharger on this V6 engine instead of a turbo. The V6 engine also includes variable inlet camshaft timing and petrol direct injection.

From the crank, power travels to a 7-speed S-tronic twin clutch transmission, and finally to the quattro all-wheel drive system which sends power to all four wheels via a crown gear centre diffferential. The A6′s quattro also has torque vectoring.

A total of twelve colours are availalbe – Ibis White, Brilliant Black, Aviator Blue, Dakota Gray, Ice Silver, Havana Black, Moonlight Blue, Oolong Gray, Quartz Gray, Glacier White, Phantom Black and Garnet Red. The latter two colours are pearl effect colours which command an additional price premium of RM5,000.

Other than the pearl effect paint, the top of the range Malaysian spec 3.0 TFSI can still be specced up if your budget allows it – you can add LED headlamps for RM13,000, a Bang & Olufsen sound system for RM28,000, or a heads up display for RM6,000. For a sportier appeareance, RM30,000 gets you an S-line exterior package which adds sportier front and rear bumpers with a contrasting grey finish for the front lip and rear diffuser.

If you were wondering where the more affordable models are – Audi says they will be bringing the 2.0 TFSI to complement this model soon, so we’ll bring you more news on that when it is available. The normally aspirated 2.8 litre V6 will not be available for now. Look after the jump for a huge photo gallery of the new Audi A6.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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Frankfurt: 562 hp Lamborghini Gallardo STS breaks cover

Harvinder Sidhu — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 05:05:35 +0000

Lamborghini has unveiled the Gallardo STS which is also known as Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale. The new variant is said to be the most extreme Gallardo as it is based on the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo race car which is part of a one-make series.

Lamborghini also stressed that the STS uses the same race engine, which is a 562 hp V10 with 540 Nm of torque, with no modifications what so ever and it is mated to a robotized e-gear 6-speed transmission. With its 1340 kg weight, the STS offers a power-to-weight ratio of 2.35 kg/hp. 0 – 100 km/h takes 3.4 seconds and top speed is 320 km/h.

It also uses the same rear spoiler that offers high downforce. The other thing which is similar is the removable engine hood with a quick-release system. The all wheel drive configuration has been maintained as well. The suspension system is also directly derived from motor racing which makes the STS the closest thing there is to road race car in the Gallardo line-up.

Other features include ESP, beefier brakes with an option of carbon-ceramic discs and so on. A tubular interior roll cage, 4-point safety belts and fire extinguisher, a satellite navigation with Bluetooth, an anti-theft system and a lifting system that raises the front axle are part of the options list.

Continue reading view an image gallery of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 27 May 12 13:24:37 +0000.

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