Paul Tan's Automotive News » Videos

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, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +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, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +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, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +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, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +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, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +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, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +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, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +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, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +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, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +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, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +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, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +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, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +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, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +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, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +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, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +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, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +0000.

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Perodua Myvi SE 1.5 and Extreme launched – manual and auto, from RM50,900 to RM61,700 – we’ve driven it already!

Danny Tan — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 05:00:03 +0000

After rounds and rounds of spyshots, this time, it’s the real thing. Moments ago, Perodua officially launched the much anticipated Myvi SE 1.5 which is a new Myvi with a 1.5-litre engine, the biggest capacity lump that has ever been put into the popular hatchback.

And if the new Myvi launched in June is called “Lagi Best” (34,000 people agree and have booked the car) the Myvi SE’s tagline is “Lagi Power, Lagi Best”, referring to the bigger 1.5L engine powering the car.

There’s also the Myvi Extreme 1.5, a name which we broke last week. The Extreme is essentially the same car as the SE, but with a more extreme bodykit and some added kit. It can be immediately recognised by the grey lower lip missing on the SE.

At the back, the Extreme gets a unique bumper, a more elaborate spoiler and chrome door handles. The new seven-spoke rim design and grille insert are shared by both.

Click to enlarge price list

Both the SE and Extreme are available with a four-speed auto gearbox or a five-speed manual. Prices range from RM50,900 for the SE manual to RM61,700 for the Extreme auto, figures that are lower than some have speculated. To recap, the Myvi 1.3 range starts from RM43,900 and tops out at RM57,400 for the 1.3 Elegance auto.

Myvi Extreme (white) easily identified via grey bumper lip, fog lamp housing has less bars

Let’s start with the heart of the matter. The SE and Extreme are powered by a 1.5-litre twin-cam engine with DVVT. This is the 3SZ-VE engine used in the Alza, and not the 1NZ-FE from the Toyota Vios. The chain driven (timing chain, not belt) engine puts out 102 hp at 6,000 rpm and 136 Nm of torque from 4,400 rpm, a 12 hp/19 Nm jump from the Myvi 1.3.

While this is lower than the Vios’ 108 hp/141 Nm, the Myvi 1.5 (at 970 to 995 kg) is lighter than that sedan, and Perodua’s power-to-weight ratio charts sees the SE beat the “Model SS” (Suzuki Swift), “Model V” (Vios) and “Model P” (Persona).

Rear bumper design is unique for each variant, Extreme gets a more elaborate spoiler

Lagi power eh? The Myvi 1.5′s acceleration is not to be scoffed at – the SE manual does the 0-100 km/h sprint in just 9.98 seconds, which is very swift. To compare, a BMW 320i Sport does the same sprint in 9.8 secs, so don’t play play! The Myvi SE auto is timed at 12.49 seconds. So 2.0L sedan owners, don’t be too surprised if that pesky yellow thing runs neck-to-neck with you in the traffic light GP!

As for fuel consumption, Perodua claims 15.9 km/l for the manual and 12.9 km/l for the auto. These figures are slightly down from the 1.3L, but are still better than competing national cars, says P2.

All black interior and steering buttons are standard, Extreme gets leather seats and tinting

Inside, the Myvi 1.5 gets an all black dashboard and interior, unlike the dual-tone scheme on the standard car. The steering wheel is now wrapped in leather, and there are audio controls on the left spoke, a first in Myvi history. The front seats are also unique – Perodua calls them “semi bucket seats”.

Start the car and you’ll also realise that the Camry style instruments – orange illumination in 1.3 Standard, turquoise in the Premium/Elegance – is now in red, with white for the needles and trip computer. The dial design is also slightly different and there are chrome rings thrown in. The plastic surround for the meter panel is now in sliver.

Myvi 1.5 instruments are in red and white, design is different, chrome ring added

The Myvi SE comes with the “flush type” audio system as seen in the Myvi 1.3 Premium. This one has Bluetooth, USB and the a sliver carbon fibre look, but the backlight is now red to match the instruments.

The full colour DVD touch screen system with navigation found in the Myvi 1.3 Elegance is an option for the SE automatic and standard on the Myvi Extreme.

The other additional kit that are exclusive to the Myvi Extreme include leather seat covers (with Extreme badge on the front seat backs), Extreme carpet mats (driver’s mat comes with locks to keep it in place), and window tint. These are in addition to the exterior differences mentioned and shown above.

We’ve driven the Myvi SE 1.5 already. Read our first impressions and view the hi res gallery after the jump. You can pore over 50 images of every nook and cranny, and there’s a presentation video, too.

Perodua Myvi SE 1.5 and Extreme – First Impressions

Two days ago, we attended a media preview and test drive of the Myvi 1.5 around Cyberjaya, the same place where Perodua did the media preview for the new Myvi in June. Fortunately, we got to drive a bigger loop this time around (about 10 km), giving us the chance to stretch the Myvi SE’s legs a little and test out the “Lagi Power” claims.

The changes to the cabin were immediately felt once I stepped in the car. Perodua may have been too liberal to call those seats “semi buckets” but the seat backs are new, offering more side support for the lower back section. However, they should have also changed the flat seat base, which was carried over from the standard Myvi.

One sits very high in the Myvi (SE and 1.3), even when the seat is set to the lowest position – not very sporty or conducive for hard driving, but a boon for most Myvi drivers. I’ve seen some so petite, they’re fully “sheltered” by the seat, and cannot be seen by the car behind, have you?

The steering feels much better in the hands with the leather wrap, noticeably chunkier but not too thick. The red dials were chosen for a sportier feel, and most will love it. Oddly, I prefer the cool blue dial lighting in the Myvi Premium/Exclusive, though. In any case, the Camry style instruments are a big deal for a car this price – they do so much to raise perceived quality and premiumness.

After being told that the manual Myvi SE is a 10 second car, I had to try the stick shift first. Far from the most satisfying gearshift feel, doing it yourself in the Myvi SE is a typical Perodua manual shift experience. No snick snack, the shift feel is rubbery and the gates don’t go deep enough/not very well defined for yours truly. Gets the job done, but not the most fun to use. But remember that the Myvi SE is no hot hatch, so it’s unfair to expect Swift Sport shifting!

Flooring the pedal and getting past the first three gears, the Myvi SE’s improved acceleration is very apparent, and getting to highway speeds is very easy. The pick up is really quite impressive, and the buzzy engine is quite energetic at the higher end of the rev counter.

The first bend I encountered, a long sweeper, also revealed a weightier and generally nicer steering feel. I later learned that there’s no difference in the EPS, and the difference in feel is due to the reworked suspension.

Speaking of that, the Myvi SE feels firmer than the standard car. Body roll is still a frequent visitor, although the lean angles are smaller now. There wasn’t bad roads to try the ride comfort in our route, but my guess is that it shouldn’t be too uncomfortable. I sat at the back for a round (headroom is less generous than the previous gen Myvi) and the high speed ride is quite composed.

I got hold of an engineer from the R&D team, and he explained that the rebound and compression rates for the shock absorbers were a little higher than the standard setting. Same for the springs, which are untouched in front but stiffer at the back.

He also revealed that the Continental CC5 tyres used were specially tuned for the SE, a unique Perodua spec 175/65 R14, in other words. Rubber wise, they sacrificed a little bit of ride comfort for better stability. The tyres are not too loud and grip was better than I expected.

So the Myvi SE is a better drive than the Myvi 1.3, and not just for the improved pace, which is the most impressive part of the car for me. But don’t get us wrong, this is no hot hatch, and a Ford Fiesta 1.4 trumps the SE in every subjective driving criteria.

However, if one’s in the market for a Myvi, do test the SE first. Unlike the old one, this SE is not just leather and bodykit, but a better car. The Myvi SE is lagi best than the Lagi Best!

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +0000.

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Frankfurt: Porsche’s seventh-generation 911 debuts

Harvinder Sidhu — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 03:32:17 +0000

Porsche’s latest 911 was revealed last month, but has just made its public premiere at the ongoing Frankfurt Motor Show. As you can expect, Porsche is still retaining the overall silhouette, which I feel is the right thing to do in this case. However certain things have changed, including the details up front and at the rear and I must admit, I really like what the company has done with it.

The interior has been updated and has hints of the Panamera, which also isn’t a bad thing. The 911 Carrera, which is the base model, uses a 350 hp 3.4 litre boxer engine with 380 Nm of torque which allows the coupe to hit 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds and deliver a top speed of 288 km/h. The acceleration can be reduced to 4.2 seconds if the optional Sport Chrono Package is selected.

If that’s not enough for you, then the Carrera S should be your cup of tea with 400 hp and 440 Nm of torque from its 3.8 litre engine. Naught to 100 km/h takes 4.1 seconds and top speed is rated at 302 km/h. Using Launch Control will bring the sprint time down to 3.9 seconds. The 7-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission is offered with the 911.

To learn more about the new Porsche 911, please click here. You can also check out a live image gallery after the jump.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +0000.

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Frankfurt: Audi presents the refreshed 444 hp / 430 Nm RS5

Harvinder Sidhu — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:07:14 +0000

Audi has unveiled the facelifted RS5 coupe at the Frankfurt Motor Show. This update was pretty much expected since the A5 line-up has gone under the knife recently. Design cues have been carried over from the A5 although the RS5 is given a more aggressive look.

It is also 0.91 inches longer and 0.24 inches wider than the A5 coupe but it is 0.24 inches lower. The exterior also sports a retractable rear spoiler which will automatically extend at 120 km/h.

The interior is covered with a combination of black leather and Alcantara while Fine Nappa leather in a choice of black or lunar silver is also available as an option. There are also options for bucket seats with folding backrests or climate-controlled comfort seats with a ventilation function. In the list is also a new thick rim leather multifunction sport steering wheel with a flattened bottom. The ignition key and the shift lever knob have also been revised along with steering column stalks. There is also a lap timer and an oil thermometer in the driver information colour display system.

Other optional features include adaptive cruise control, Audi side assist, adaptive light, MMI navigation plus, the Bluetooth online car phone and the Bang & Olufsen sound system. Now on to the more interesting bits. The RS5 comes with a suspension system that is mostly made out of alluminium and it has a new speed-dependent power steering which is an electromechanical system with a direct steering ratio for a more precise road feel. Stopping power is provided by ventilated wave brake discs with the front measuring 365 mm in diameter. The reshaped steel friction rings in the brakes system offers savings in weight worth 3 kg.

There is also an ESP system which can be completely switched off. The RS5 also has the Audi drive select driving dynamics system which allows the driver to select between three modes including Comfort, Auto and Dynamic. A fourth mode is available, if the car is equipped with the Audi MMI navigation system and this mode called Individual is customizable by the driver. Audi drive select can also modulate the sound of the exhaust system, double-clutching when downshifting in dynamic mode.

There is also the optional carbon fiber-ceramic discs for the front. The sport suspension plus with DRC dynamic ride control which is optional offers dynamic damping along with a 3-stage system. The facelifted RS5 maintains the 4.2 FSI V8 with 444 hp and 430 Nm between 4,000 and 6,000 rpm. Naught to 100 km/h takes 4.6 seconds and top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h but it can be increased to 280 km/h upon request by the buyer.

All that power is sent to all wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch S tronic transmission and via Audi’s Quattro all wheel drive system. The crown-gear centre differential can vary the distribution of torque between the front and rear axles. Up to 70% can be sent the front or as much as 85% to the rear.

Continue reading to view a high-res image gallery and to watch a static shot footage. You can also hear the roar of the 4.2 FSI

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +0000.

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VIDEO: Unveiling footage of the Seat IBL Concept

Harvinder Sidhu — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 11:16:47 +0000

The Seat IBL Concept vehicle made its premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show yesterday and we have managed to get you the unveiling video of the concept. This Spanish concept is being positioned as a sports sedan and it is a plug-in hybrid. You can read more about the IBL Concept right here.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +0000.

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Frankfurt: Volvo Concept You makes its public debut

Harvinder Sidhu — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:50:56 +0000

Say hello to the Concept You from Volvo. This concept was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show and it previews an upcoming large luxury sedan by the company. The concept features a fastback design which looks quite similar to the Audi A7.

Finished in a light blue liquid metal paint from DuPont, Concept You sits on large 21-inch polished aluminium wheels and has LED dipped beam in four “ice blocks” on top of the high beam lights. Certain design details on the car is inspired by the Danish design house Georg Jensen.

“The design of the wheels, the grille and details in the innovative headlamps have been inspired by the exquisite works of world-famous Danish design house Georg Jensen. Their precious items capture the essence of Scandinavian design. Uncluttered, organic surfaces and superb craftsmanship that radiate timeless luxury,” says Peter Horbury, Vice President Design at the Volvo Car Corporation.

The interior has a futuristic look with the use of handcrafted pieces of walnut which is accompanied by leather panels, Dinamica suede roof lining and aluminium details. There are also four individual leather seats. The unique thing about the interior is the integration of the design qualities of a tailor made suit.

The back of the front seats and the door panels feature Italian fabric and designs from Swedish fashion house Oscar Jacobson. The other thing to note is the wooden floor which is inspired by Scandinavian homes. It is covered with specially designed hand-tufted carpet from world-famous Swedish brand Kasthall.

The Volvo Concept You is also not shy of revealing its technological details. Among others, it has a control centre that consists of four main areas including a digital Driver Information Monitor (DIM), a head-up display on the windscreen, a touch-screen in the upper part of the centre console and a touch-screen between the two individual rear seats.

The touch-screen in the upper part of the centre console remains in sleeping mode until the driver looks at it. This is thanks to a hidden infrared camera which registers the eye movement. There is a second sensor which looks out for hand movement and it can trigger the Alpine infotainment system’s control mode. The system also allows web surfing when the car is rolling but this is of course reserved for the passenger.

The touch-screen system has hints of a smart pad where by the driver can basically send data via “flipping” (iPad syle) to the head-up display or even to screens at the rear cabin. There is also a light guide in the centre console that indicates the file transfer, how cool is that?

Even the subwoofer in the sound system uses air from outside of the car to create a better listening experience. This Alpine technology which is called FreshAir is not available in the market yet and it is made up by smaller parts that considerably cut weight. In terms of performance and drivetrain details, Volvo is still being tight-lipped about it.

Continue reading to view a high-res image gallery and to watch a promo video of the concept.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +0000.

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Skoda MissionL Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show

Harvinder Sidhu — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 09:08:38 +0000

Skoda’s MissionL Concept had its motor show debut yesterday in Frankfurt and we now have some videos to share with you. First up is a product presentation video as well as the unveiling of the concept while the second video gives you a 360-degree of the Czech vehicle.

Skoda has confirmed that the production version of the concept will arrive late next year and India would be the first market to receive it. It will then head to other markets including Europe, Russia and China in 2012.

Look after the jump for a small live gallery of the MissionL.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +0000.

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VIDEO: Volkswagen up! concept cars unveiling – buggy up!, up! azzurra, cross up!, GT up!, eco up!, e-up!

Paul Tan — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:52:38 +0000

Volkswagen revealed its six Volkswagen up! Concepts last night at the Volkswagen Group Night, just one of the few amazing presentations during what was a night showcasing the brilliant diversity of the Volkswagen group.

The world premiere of the two-door up! signifies the beginning of an entire series of cars: the New Small Family. Volkswagen is demonstrating – with no less than 6 exciting concept cars – how this family could be further developed based on the new up!.

Specially designed for the world’s beaches are the buggy up! and the up! azzurra sailing team. Then there is the cross up!, which was conceptualised for urban driving. The GT up! is a concept car tuned for the German Autobahn. Another concept car is the eco up! that is powered by natural gas and extremely clean to drive: The e-up! is a zero-emissions specialist with an electric drive.

The different brands of the Volkswagen group – Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, SEAT, Porsche, and Lamborghini showcased their Frankfurt debuts at the Volkswagen Group Night. Each brand took their turn to reveal their showcars to the audience in their very own unique way.

In a way, this was probably one of the best ways to showcase how the Volkswagen Group runs their brands. Many of the cars have shared technologies and platforms, thus improving economies of scale as well as pressing the fast forward button on innovation and technology trickle-down from the high end brands to the low end brands. But each brand is allowed to have their own identity, and this is clearly reflected in the cars that each brand puts out.

We are currently working on putting up the rest of the debut performance videos online, as well as get you the full lowdown on all the various cars that the Volkswagen group have put out, including live photos from the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. In the meanwhile, sit back relax and enjoy the stream of Frankfurt stories being released.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +0000.

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Lexus GS 450h gets an early reveal ahead of Frankfurt

Harvinder Sidhu — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 23:42:26 +0000

UPDATE: Live photos have been added to the gallery.

The new Lexus GS was recently revealed in August and it looks better than ever. You can consider it as a larger IS, which is a good formula to grow from at least in the design department. Following the reveal of the D-segment contender, Lexus has just unveiled the hybrid version called the Lexus GS 450h ahead of its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show which should be starting anytime soon.

The new 450h uses the company’s second generation Hybrid Drive System which is made up by a 3.5 litre V6 Atkinson cycle gasoline engine with D-4S direct injection and a two-motor hybrid system.

This front engined rear-wheel drive system is able to collectively output 338hp, allowing it to sprint to 100km/h in just 5.6 seconds. At the same time, fuel consumption has improved by about 30%. The reduction in fuel consumption is contributed by enhanced cooling of the hybrid system’s Power Control Unit (PCU) as well as improved regenerative braking.

The full hybrid drivetrain which allows all-electric motoring also features a high-performance nickel-metal hydride battery pack, a power spilt device which helps allocate and combine power when required and so on. The GS 450h now sits on a stiffer platform with lightweight components.

It also has an Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS), Dynamic Rear Steering (DRS), Variable Gear Ratio Steering (VGRS) and the latest generation Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) to help make certain that traction is always available.

Other goodies include Electric Power Steering (EPS), 10 airbags and front seats with Whiplash Injury Lessening (WIL). In the options list, there is a pre-collision system, Night Vision, Heads Up Display (HUD), Blind Spot Monitor as well as Lane Keep Assist (LKA) with Lane Departure Warning (LDW).

In terms of design, the 450h is differentiated from its non-hybrid sibling with a three-lamp headlight system, larger 17-inch wheels and the customary blue-tinted logos. On the inside, along from the usual luxurious treatment, it has an analog clock with LED indicators, a new energy-saving auto climate control system called S-Flow that focuses airflow only to the front area where passengers are seated, a bamboo-finished steering wheel and more. All of these features are also available in the standard GS.

Continue reading to check out an image gallery and a promo video of the Lexus GS 450h.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +0000.

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BMW i3 and i8 concepts feature new LifeDrive platform

Paul Tan — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 09:23:07 +0000

These are the BMW i3 and the i8 Concepts, the two members of the new BMW i family that BMW previewed last week at Messe Frankfurt. The BMW i3 was originally known as the BMW Megacity Vehicle, and it will be BMW’s first series-produced all-electric vehicle, and you’ll see the i8 sports car in the upcoming Mission Impossible movie.

BMW started off the BMW M sub brand for high performance versions of its cars. The company had to evolve with times, and with the rise of the popularity of the SUV came the BMW X brand along with xDrive.

Now as the world continues to change with the times and the idea of mobility continues to evolve – BMW has responded with the creation of a sub-brand which meets the changing needs of customers head-on: BMW i. BMW i is all visionary vehicles and mobility services, inspiring design, and a new understanding of premium that is strongly defined by sustainability.

“The purpose-oriented and sustainable mobility solutions from BMW i mark the dawn of a new era in personal mobility for the automotive industry,” said Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Sales and Marketing.

The BMW i brand started off as a think tank called project i back in 2007. BMW had set project i up to explore sustainable mobility solutions, intended to generate a transfer of expertise into both the company as a whole, as well as future vehicle projects.

Quite interestingly, the sustainability goals extended way beyond just the vehicles themselves. The development engineers focused on the entire value chain – not just the end result products. Every parts-related process, technology, supplier – they’ve all been required to contribute to the sustainability rating of the products. The goal is to reduce resources consumption and emissions per vehicle produced by 30 per cent over 2006 levels by 2012.

Anyway, let’s look at the two concept cars. First up – the BMW i3 concept, previously known as the BMW Megacity Vehicle. It is the BMW Group’s first all-electric car intended for series production, focused on the mobility challenges of ultra urban areas. BMW is not the first to the end of the line in the race to start selling a production EV – there are already other cars on sale such as the Nissan LEAF, but this is a premium EV.

It kinda looks like a typical hatchback, and you can even imagine perhaps that space in front of the passenger cell where the combustion engine might be in a conventional car might house the i3′s electric motor.

But the i3 (and the i8) are not “conversion” cars. Their chassis architecture was built from ground up to house an electric drive train. While in a combustion engine car it might make sense for the engine to be up front with the gearbox, the petrol tank at the rear and etc, this might not be the best way to house the components necessary for an electric drive.

Electric drive components place totally different demands on a vehicle when it comes to installation space and cannot be integrated into that vehicle without adding weight and compromising interior and boot space.

Because of a chassis designed for a combustion engine, many of these “conversion EVs” have lots of restrictions and compromises because of the legacy architecture they are based on, and sometimes the cars end up having an odd weight distribution, or a very heavy weight. The MINI E is an example of a conversion electric car – a regular MINI chassis converted to use batteries. BMW says the i3 is much lighter than the MINI E because it was designed from ground up as an electric car. The 1-Series was also ‘converted’ into the BMW ActiveE Concept.

Enter BMW’s LifeDrive architecture, which is built from ground up for electric car construction. It’s divided into two parts – the Life module which contains the ‘life’ or the passengers, and the Drive module which contains the drive equipment like the engine, electric motor and batteries. These modules are said to be separate, independent functional units.

The Drive module houses the vehicle’s suspension, battery, drive system, and structural and crash functions into a construction made mainly from aluminum. The secure arrangement of the battery in the Drive module gives the vehicle a very low centre of gravity and optimum weight distribution.

The passengers sit in the Life module, consisting of a high-strength and extremely lightweight passenger cell made from carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP). The use of CFRP ensures the Life module is remarkably light, helping counter the weight of the other components, thus helping achieve better range and power.

You might worry about the idea of something that has the word “plastic” on it surrounding you and protecting you on the highway. Like the cockpit of a F1 car, the CFRP passenger cell provides an extremely strong survival area. While regular metal chassis constructions require the addition of large energy absorption zones, special deformation elements in the CFRP structure allow large amounts of energy to be absorbed in an amazingly small area.

With the drive components located in the Drive module, there is no centre tunnel running through the passenger compartment. This allows, if necessary, the left and right seats in a row to be connected with each other by a continuous seat surface, which allows for a relatively more comfortable entry and exit via the front passenger side of the car and means you can park one side of your car up close to walls, for example.

All of this sounds very high tech but it actually kinda reminds me of the old way of constructing cars – body on frame instead of unibody, a technique still used today in most pick-up trucks.

Although both the i3 and the i8 are based on the LifeDrive architecture, the geometric implementation of the concept differs in the two models, having been adapted to suit their different usages. The BMW i3 Concept features a horizontal-split variant of the LifeDrive platform optimised to accommodate the car’s electric drive system.

Here, the Life module is simply mounted on top of the Drive module. The 170hp/250Nm compact (smaller than a typical internal combustion engine, and 40% smaller than the MINI E’s motor) motor is mounted at the rear axle, while the rest of the space in the Life module contains a large battery to provide the electric-only i3 Concept a longer range. The battery is penned in by aluminium profiles, which protect it from external impacts. Crash-active structures in front and behind it provide the necessary energy absorption in the event of a front- or rear-end collision.

An integrated liquid cooling system keeps the battery at its optimal operating temperature at all times, which helps to significantly boost the performance and life expectancy of the cells. The climate/heating system cools the fluid circulating in the battery housing via a heat exchanger. Because the cooling system of an electric car is different, there’s really no need for a radiator grille at the front, so to improve aerodynamics, the i3 is designed with no air vents at the front – the kidney grille is decorative.

The battery can be fully recharged in six hours at a standard power socket. If a high-speed charger is used, an 80 per cent charge can be achieved in just one hour. The i3′s electric motor via a single speed transmission gearbox takes it from 0 to 60km/h in under 4 seconds. It hits 100km/h in about 8 seconds. It hits an electronically governed top speed of 150km/h.

If necessary, BMW has designed for the i3′s LifeDrive platform to be able to accommodate a small petrol engine as a range extender. This range extender (REx) engine will be integrated together with the electric motor in the rear axle.

The BMW i3 Concept also has a high recycled material content. 25 per cent of the interior plastics by weight have been replaced by recycled and renewable materials, as have 25 per cent by weight of the exterior thermoplastic components, while the CFRP used in the Life Module consists of 10 per cent recycled material.

The use of recycled CFRP in this form is currently unique. The CFRP produced by BMW’s joint venture partner at the Moses Lake plant in USA is made with electricity generated entirely from hydroelectric power. A total of more than 80 per cent of the aluminium used in the BMW i3 Concept is produced either using renewable energy or from secondary material.

And now we take a look at the i8. The i8 is quite a different vehicle from the i3 – while the i3 is a city roundabout vehicle, the i8 is a sports car. Unlike the i3′s EV power, the i8 is powered by two different power sources, which demonstrates the versatility of the LifeDrive architecture.

The LifeDrive architecture is constructed differently here – arranged in a vertically manner instead of the simple top-down horizontally split structure of the i3. The drive systems powering the BMW i8 Concept are integrated into the front and rear axle modules, with the CFRP Life module providing the bridge between the two.

The electric motor has been adopted from the BMW i3 Concept and modified for use in the BMW i8 Concept’s hybrid power train, where it is “tuned” to run with a smaller battery pack and in conjunction with an internal combustion engine. It drives the front axle, while a 220 hp turbocharged 1.5 litre three-cylinder petrol engine developing up to 300 Nm of torque drives the rear axle. Naturally, this gives the i8 all-wheel drive traction capability.

This is something new, as the previous BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept used a diesel engine. Together, the two power sources take the vehicle to a governed top speed of 250 km/h. It hits 100km/h in under 5 seconds but consumes just 3 litres per 100km on the Euro test cycle.

SInce the i8 is a plug-in hybrid, it does not need as much battery cells as the electric-only i3. These battery cells are stored inside the Life module inside an “energy tunnel”, which is very much like a transmission tunnel. This also helps gives the vehicle a low centre of gravity, which helps with handling. The batteries alone give the i8 an all-electric driving range of approximately 35km, and they can be charged in 2 hours with a standard power socket.

BMW i is the embodiment of “next premium” for BMW, which extends the idea of premium to encompass future requirements of personal transportation. These cars still have quite a few years before they hit production, and in the meanwhile there are already a few other carmakers putting their EV products into the market – for example, we have cars like the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Nissan Leaf in the non-premium market, and US automaker Tesla in the premium market.

As part of project i, the BMW Group is currently conducting field trials in everyday conditions with conversion vehicles running purely on electric power. The ongoing trials in the USA and Europe with a fleet of more than 600 MINI E cars are already delivering important feedback on the demands the series-produced electric vehicles of the future will need to meet.

Added to which, a test fleet of over 1,000 BMW ActiveE vehicles – set for launch in the USA, Europe and China at the end of 2011 – will contribute valuable insights into the performance of these models in everyday use. Feedback from the customers trialling the MINI E and BMW ActiveE is channelled directly into the series development of the BMW i vehicles.

We’ve tried a few electric cars before, including one that’s technically from the BMW stables (read our previous story on the Rolls Royce EV). We’re really looking forward to trying out a BMW or MINI EV sometime soon, if not prototype versions of the the i3 or i8, perhaps one of the conversion vehicles like the BMW ActiveE or the MINI E?

Look after the jump for a full gallery and more videos of the i3 and i8.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +0000.

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VIDEO: Summer tyres vs winter tyres, is there a difference?

Paul Tan — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 08:35:19 +0000

This isn’t really relevant to us given our tropical climate, but as car enthusiasts it’s fun to watch anyway and perhaps useful to some Malaysian readers who live overseas.

In a test organised by Tyresafe, two Mercedes-Benz C-Class estates took to an ice rink to show the difference in performance between standard-fitment summer tyres and Michelin’s Primacy Alpin winter tyres.

A braking test from 24km/h to zero showed that the car fitted with the winter tyres stopped in 7.01 metres compared to the summer tyre-shod car’s 9.75 metres – a difference of 40 per cent. They also conducted a cornering test, which you can check out the results in the video – naturally the winter tyres did better.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +0000.

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VIDEO: Kia Soul Hamsters – everyday they shufflin!

Paul Tan — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:42:02 +0000

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VIDEO: Petronas Raya Merdeka 2011 TVC

Paul Tan — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 07:50:41 +0000

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VIDEO: BMW Z4 with N20B20 inline-4 turbo engine

Paul Tan — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 11:06:48 +0000

Wonder how BMW’s new 4 cylinder turbo petrol engine sounds like? We’ve been wondering as well, and now our curiosity has been satisfied a little, somewhat.

Here’s a video of the new BMW Z4 equipped with a N20B20 4 cylinder turbo engine. Of course, how everything sounds like on a Z4 is going to be different from how it sounds like on an F30 3-Series or F10 5-Series. And what you hear on a recorded video isn’t necessarily the same as what you hear in real life.

Whatever it is… it’s time to say goodbye to their sweet normally aspirated inline-6!

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This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 12 Feb 12 00:53:43 +0000.

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VIDEOS: Proton’s Hari Merdeka Celebration TVCs

Paul Tan — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 10:17:51 +0000

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