Archive for Automotive Videos

The Melling Hellcat is the brainchild of legendary British engine designer Al Melling, who has been toying with mainly engines and custom bikes, but the Hellcat is set to be his first car. The Hellcat features a V10 engine with billet aluminium milled engine block and cylinder heads. The car will be a front engined, rear wheel drive car, and those two poor rear wheels are expected to put down over 1,175 horsepower to the tarmac, a figure obtained thanks to the V10 engine’s four turbochargers.

Melling build four cars a month in his Rochdale factory in the UK, and plans to build about 100 a month in a factory in the US.

Click here to read the rest of Melling Hellcat - 1,175hp quad turbo V10!

For those who don’t want to be reading lengthy text about the new 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer, you can have a look at these two walkaround videos where you’re guided through the features and specifications of the new car in an interview format. Mind you, this is the new 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer, not the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X - so don’t be suprised by it having only 152hp and a 6-speed CVT gearbox. I do hope Mitsubishi Malaysia will bring it in soon, the last exciting thing in the C segment sedan market was the 2006 Honda Civic, we need something new for the new year!

Click here to read the rest of 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Walkaround Video

I’ve been giving alot of attention to the BMW 335i lately haven’t I? I like the car, I really do - what’s on paper and what I’ve read anyway, as I haven’t driven it myself yet, unlike lucky peers Shannon Teoh and Jeremy Mahadevan who’ve driven the 335i in Convertible and Coupe incarnations respectively. Fifth Gear’s car reviewer Tom Ford takes the E92 BMW 335i Coupe, the same model Jeremy drove for a spin.

Video after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Fifth Gear E92 BMW 335i Coupe Review

You just KNEW someone was going to pull this one off, you just didn’t know when. A very lucky E92 BMW 335i owner has fitted his car with a GReddy Type RS blow off valve. Here’s a video of him showing it off to the world, available after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of E92 BMW 335i fitted with a blow off valve

The E93 BMW 3-Series Convertible was unveiled to the public in October last year, and has since sparked many questions. How would it handle compared to the 3 Sedan and 3 Coupe, and could it maintain the sleek shape of the 3 Coupe with the inclusion of all the necessary equipment to have a hard top folding roof? BMW gave lucky motoring journalists a try at the 3 Convertible in Arizona, USA, and though I did not manage to attend the test drive event due to work, Shannon Teoh covered the event for paultan.org readers. Read his findings after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of BMW 335i Convertible Test Drive Report

After being teased with a photo of a weird exhaust pipe configuration, the Lexus IS-F was finally unveiled early this month at the NAIAS 2007. To be frank, I don’t fancy it’s looks at all. In an attempt to make the IS look intimidating, the end result is a kit that is too aftermarket for my tastes, plus there is no manual option, and Lexus seems to have skimped on the photography for these press photos, one of the photos is really out of focus. The car was stationary, how does one mess up the focus on a stationary object?

Anyway, on to the car. It’s powered by a new 5.0 liter direct-injected normally aspirated V8 engine, which is estimated to produce over 400hp and have twisting action power of more than 475Nm. These figures are estimated because the Lexus IS-F is a future vehicle and specs have not been finalized yet. The engine will be mated Lexus’ 8-speed automatic transmission which will offer manual shifting via paddle shifters, but no pure no-nonsense manual transmission. However, the auto has been tuned for a sporty experience, with throttle blips on downshifts. Being rear wheel drive gives it some saving grace. Wheels are 19″ BBS wheels with 225/40R19 (19×8) tyres at the front, and 255/35R19 (19×9) size for the rear.

Taking into account torque, horsepower and vehicle weight, Lexus estimates the Lexus IS-F at under 4.9 seconds for the 0-100km/h acceleration run. For reeling all 400 horses in, Lexus specced the car with large diameter cross-drilled discs - 14.2 inches at the front and 13.6 inches at the rear, with six piston calipers for the front and twin piston for the rear. Suspension is of a double wishbone design at the front, with multi-link at the rear. Other nifty specs include engine-oil and transmission-fluid coolers, as well as a cylinder head-scavenging oil pump for high G-force driving.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of 2007 Lexus IS-F: Performance Lexus Sedan

Fifth Gear pits the latest production Evo - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 9, against by far everyone’s favourite Evo, the last Evo with that menacing and raw look - the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6.

Let’s see what’s changed since the introduction of the Evo 6 back in 1999, til the Lancer Evolution 9’s introduction in 2006. The Evo6 still costs about RM100 to 120K now.

Click here to read the rest of Fifth Gear: Evolution 6 vs. Evolution 9

I think we can all agree now that the previously posted unidentified car on test is in fact a new Renault Laguna being tested around Tan Chong’s plant in Segambut. Look at the rear lamp cluster and you’ll see why. This spy video of the Renault Laguna was shot in Southern Europe. This will be the third generation Renault Laguna, codenamed X91 internally. There will be various engine options both petrol and diesel, and one of them will likely be Nissan’s VQ35DE that seems to be finding it’s way into high powered versions of all Renault and Nissan cars. Video after the jump.

Related Posts:
Unidentified car on test

Click here to read the rest of 3rd Generation Renault Laguna Spy Video

We get another very clear preview on how the final Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X will look like, with Mitsubishi’s latest concept vehicle, the Mitsubishi Prototype X. Lucky American visitors were able to have a look at it at the 2007 NAIAS in Detroit which will run until the 21st of this month.

The new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X will be built on Mitsubishi’s new GS Platform, which also underpines the latest Mitsubishi Outlander as well as the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass and other Chrysler Group vehicles. The engine is of a new family, not the venerable turbocharged 4G63T series which has been gracing the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution since it’s first incarnation. The new engine is a 2.0 turbocharged unit with MIVEC variable valve timing codenamed 4B11, and is mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automated clutch manual transmission with paddle shifters. It’s not known whether the Evo X’s automated manual will feature a single clutch or dual clutches. Final output figures of the 4B11 have not been stated, but Mitsubishi promises it will have the highest output of a stock Evo to date.

The new engine block is aluminum instead of the iron used in the 4G63T block, and is 20 kg lighter. The exhaust is located on the bulkhead side, allowing for improved placement that helps to lower the center of gravity. High inherent strength has been achieved partly through over-engineering of the open deck block, and the use of large water jackets and metal areas around each siamesed cylinder bore. All in all, the engine was designed to withstand high levels of boost.

The new Lancer is built on a longer wheelbase and wider track – but with a slightly shorter overall length than the previous model. The new Prototype X takes the sexy Lancer design further with widened wheel arches and sportier trim all round. The intercooler remains front mounted, and you have that trademark huge wing at the back - something that might just look silly on all cars except Evos and Imprezas. You also get the customary LED turn signals on the wing mirrors. Wheels are 20 inchers, which hide huge brake discs behind them.

More photos and a video after the jump.

Related Posts:
Mitsubishi Prototype X - future Evolution X
New 2007 Mitsubishi Lancer specs and photos revealed
Mitsubishi Lancer to be unveiled at 2007 NAIAS

Click here to read the rest of Mitsubishi Prototype X: A preview of the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X

Another pointless shootout with suprising results by the folks over Fifth Gear. Who do you think will pull away in a race between a Nissan Murano GT-C and a Honda S2000? We find out after the jump… but first some brief introduction on what exactly a Nissan Murano GT-C is and what gives it the credentials to go against a proper sports car?

A Nissan Murano as we all know is a crossover SUV of sorts by Nissan, but the GT-C tag at the end of this model is more than just a styling exercise with a cool bodykit. The VQ35DE motor has been turbocharged with a single Garrett turbo-charger, resulting in an increase in power from 231bhp to nearly 350bhp at 6000rpm and 360Nm of torque at 3600rpm, mated to a CVT gearbox to ensure the engine always runs in the powerband. The Garrett turbo is a hybrid unit, built with a turbine from a Garrett T3 and a compressor from a Garrett T4.

Though turbo-ed, the VQ motor retains its high compression ratio of 10.3:1. Other enhancements include suspension and brake systems to match the new power.

Enjoy the video after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Nissan Murano GT-C vs Honda S2000