This E28 BMW 524td Was Once The World’s Fastest Series Production Diesel-powered Car

A diesel engine is just not suited for a brand like BMW - it was just too slow, unrefined, and wasn’t clean enough. That was the opinion of BMW in the ‘70s. It was also the main reason why BMW never bothered to match archrival Mercedes-Benz’s push to introduce diesel engines in passenger cars.
The oil crisis in 1975 however, forced BMW to re-evaluate its position on diesels.
Just two years earlier, BMW officiated its iconic Vierzylinder (Four-cylinder) Tower in Munich, which still remains until today as one of the most forward-looking architectural design for any corporate headquarters. The Vierzylinder Tower was BMW’s statement of intent, that BMW is a forward-looking company and that the blue-white roundel logo represents world-class engineering and design.
Against this backdrop, BMW cannot legitimately claim to future-proof its brand if it doesn’t address the obvious downsides to cars – pollution and its reliance on diminishing fossil fuel reserves.
Research on
electric-drive vehicles
 have already begun but diesel engines were not seriously considered until the oil crisis hit. The required battery technology and advance control electronics needed to commercialize electric vehicles were still many decades away but diesels were something that BMW could act upon immediately.
If was at that moment when the engineers at BMW decided, “If we are going to build diesel engines, we are going to do it our way.” The ‘our way’ meant that it had to follow BMW’s ideal engine layout – inline six cylinders, and it had to deliver a minimum level of driving performance to earn a BMW badge on the bonnet.
Codenamed M21, BMW’s six-cylinder diesel engine shared the same basic structure with the M20 petrol engine (but it’s not the same block), sharing the same overhead valve timing with a camshaft driven by a toothed belt.
In order to produce a diesel engine that delivers the level of performance that’s expected of a BMW, the M21 engine featured quite a few tweaks.
Something had to be done about the loud diesel clatter noise and BMW’s solution was an advanced development of the swirl-chamber combustion system, which BMW said had significantly improved not just driving performance, but also fuel consumption and noise emissions.
Diesel engines are heavier than petrol engines, but M21 offset the weight penalty by adopting lightweight alloy in the cylinder head, as well as incorporating cross-flow principle typically used in petrol engines for better performance.
The M21 hadn’t just employed a regular exhaust-driven turbocharger setup, but adopted pulse-charging principle to optimize the flow of exhaust gas driving the turbine. At 1,500 rpm, the turbocharger was already spooling and full boost pressure of 0.8 bar was achieved at a lowly 2,200 rpm, thus allowing the engine to deliver the maximum 210 Nm of torque in as early as 2,400 rpm.
The result was the 524td, introduced in 1983 during the second generation BMW 5 Series model generation, better known as the E28 generation.
With a top-speed of 180 km/h and a 0-100 km/h time of 12.9 seconds, it was the fastest series production diesel sedan on the planet. It might not seem like much today, but a quick comparsion with the E28 524td’s contemporary rival, the W123 generation Mercedes-Benz 240D, puts things into perspective. The Mercedes-Benz 240D could only hit 145 km/h and took a snail-paced 22 seconds to complete the century mark sprint, nearly twice as slow as the BMW.
With an output of 115 hp from just 2,443 cubic centimetres of displacement, the 524td had a specific output of 47.3 hp, something which BMW’s rivals at that time said was ‘impossible’ to produce in a diesel engine.
None of these headlining performance figures dented its mandate to also champion the cause of reduced fuel consumption, for the 524td completed DIN Euromix test cycle by consuming just 7.1-litre/100 km.
Soon, Ford came knocking on BMW’s doors and the M21 engine soon found its way into the Lincoln Continental in USA.
More importantly, the E28 524td paved the way for many more high performance BMW diesels like the M550d and X6 M50d.
To further counter the argument that diesels are slow, BMW raced an E36 generation 320d in the 1998 24 Hours of Nuburgring race, and promptly won. It was the first victory by a diesel-powered touring car in an endurance race.
Closer to home, BMW has been championing the benefits of clean diesel technology in Malaysia for at least two model cycles already – starting with the previous E90 generation 320d, E60 generation 520d, E84 generation X1 xDrive20d and F02 generation 730Ld.
Today, BMW Group Malaysia offers four clean diesel-powered models for our market – the 320d Gran Turismo, 520d M Sport, X1 xDrive20d, and X3 xDrive20d. These models are complemented by the petrol-electric plug-in hybrid eDrive models like the 330e, X5 xDrive40e and of course, the highly desirable i8.


2016 Mitsubishi’s ASX Compact Crossover Updated With New Looks

Mistubishi
 Motors North America (MMNA) has taken the wraps off the their 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport, better known under the
ASX
 name over on our shores - it’s easier to spell, for starters. The update comes with new exterior design elements paired with interior enhancements.
First of all, the most immediate difference to come from the new crossover is the revised front end that features Mitsubishi’s “Dynamic Shield” design. Apart from that, the 2016 model year comes with a fresh set of 18-inch wheels, LED turn signals, and more pronounced wheel arches.
Moving on inside, there’s a new 6.1-inch infotainment display as well as higher quality seat fabrics with a new light grey interior option. There’s no mention of the inclusion of Android Auto or Apple CarPlay support that made its way into cheaper
2017 Mitsubishi Mirage
 that was announced at the same time, nor the EcoPunch-equipped stereo.
Apart from that, really, there isn’t much else that’s new on offer about this facelifted version of the ASX (or Outlander Sport). It’s still a solid entrant in the competitive compact crossover market.
Assuming the engine choices remain static, the 2.0-litre four cylinder from the current ASX is expected to make a return with 150PS and 197Nm of torque.
"The Outlander Sport is a brand leader for Mitsubishi Motors, and we are excited to unveil this eye-catching 2016 model-year," said MMNA executive vice president, Don Swearingen. "The Outlander Sport has always been a fun vehicle that delivers on its promise of reliability and value, and the 2016 model year continues to do so with a great new family look that unifies the Mitsubishi CUV lineup.”
We’ll have more on this car once we get wind of exactly when Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia will be bringing it for sale here.


Kita Masih Belum Menang - Kes Covid-19 Semakin Meningkat

Kes harian
jangkitan Covid-19
 meningkat sebanyak 6,243 berbanding 5,403 pada 8 November lalu yang menyaksikan peningkatan sebanyak 840 kes dan dijangka akan terus meningkat.

Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan, Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah dalam hantaran di Facebooknya berkata, jumlah kumulatif kes yang direkodkan sebanyak 2,522,498 kes setakat ini.

“Data setiap hari bagi laman COVIDNOW dikemaskini selepas tengah malam juga menyaksikan 78 kes kematian akibat Covid-19 telah direkodkan setakat 10 November,” katanya.

Menteri Kesihatan,
 Khairy Jamaluddin
 turut memberitahu media bahawa Kementerian Kesihatan (KKM) menjangkakan purata 7,576 kes dalam tempoh akan datang sejak
kerajaan menarik semula sekatan rentas pada 11 Oktober lalu
, lapor MStar.

Sehubungan itu, beliau menggesa mereka yang menerima janji temu vaksinasi dos penggalak atau booster shot agar pergi mendapatkan suntikan bagi menguatkan imuniti dan perlindungan mereka terhadap COVID-19.

Tambahnya, kira-kira 40 peratus individu yang menerima janji temu untuk vaksinasi dos penggalak di bawah Program Imunisasi COVID-19 Kebangsaan (PICK) tidak hadir untuk menerima suntikan itu.

“Jika pengambilan dos penggalak adalah rendah, khususnya dalam kalangan warga emas dan mereka yang mempunyai komorbiditi, jumlah kemasukan ke hospital akan meningkat”, katanya.

Komorbiditi adalah keadaan di mana seorang individu mempunyai masalah kesihatan seperti penyakit tekanan darah tinggi, penyakit kencing manis, penyakit jantung, penyakit buah pinggang, penyakit hati,

Golongan dengan tahap imuniti yang rendah, penyakit asma, kanser, penyakit paru-paru kronik, strok atau obesiti juga tergolong dalam kelompok komorbiditi dan boleh disahkan oleh pegawai perubatan yang diiktiraf.

Menurut mantan Menteri Kesihatan,
Datuk Seri Dr. Adham Baba
, mereka yang mempunyai komorbiditi adalah antara golongan tertinggi korban Covid-19 yang dibawa ke hospital atau Brought in Dead (BID) seterusnya menyumbang peningkatan kes maut di luar fasiliti kesihatan.

Justeru, mereka yang berusia 40 tahun ke atas dan juga mereka yang mempunyai komorbiditi akan menerima janji temu melalui
MySejahtera
, juga akan menerima SMS dan panggilan telefon untuk vaksinasi dos penggalak ini.

Pemberian dos penggalak bermula pada 13 Oktober lalu di seluruh negara untuk individu yang mendapat
dos lengkap vaksin Covid-19
 bagi memastikan imuniti yang diterima selepas dos lengkap dapat dikekalkan bagi tempoh optimum khususnya terhadap jangkitan varian Delta.

Kita masih belum menang, jadilah rakyat Malaysia yang bertanggungjawab dengan mematuhi SOP dan jika layak, dapatkan dos penggalak untuk menguatkan imuniti badan menentang Covid-19.

*Kredit semua foto: Harian Metro


All-New Volkswagen Virtus Launched In Brazil

Volkswagen has launched the all-new Virtus in Brazil. The new model could be a preview of the new generation Vento, as Volkswagen Brazil has a long history of developing models that are unique to their own market, and too early to conclude that next generation Vento/Polo Sedan will look like the Virtus.
Based on the all-new Polo’s MQB A0 platform, the new Virtus comes in at 4,480 mm long with a 2,650 mm wheelbase, with the latter identical to the current Jetta. Boot space is 521 litres, an increase over the Vento’s 454 litres.
The interior of the Volkswagen Virtus also closely mirrors that of the Polo, as the former can be had with the 10.25-inch Active Info Display that replaces the traditional instrument cluster with a digital one. Elsewhere, the range-topping variant is equipped with an eight-inch infotainment system that integrates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
In terms of powertrain, the Brazilian Volkswagen Virtus is available with two engines. The base model will get a 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine that does 117 hp and 162 Nm, mated to a five-speed automatic. The second engine choice is a 1.0-litre TSI capable of 128 hp and 200 Nm, paired to a six-speed automatic gearbox.
The TSI-equipped Volkswagen Virtus will include a host of safety equipment like ESC, Hill Hold Control, Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA), Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and XDS+.
Volkswagen said that the Virtus is the first of 20 new models that the company has planned for Brazil till 2020, as part of the company's product offensive plans for the near term. Out of of the 20, 13 will be produced in Brazil.


2017 Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 Hits the Track for the First Time

Nissan’s in-house motorsports and tuning division Nismo announced that it has completed a shakedown of the newly evolved Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 at the Fuji International Speedway.
Built in accordance with FIA GT3 regulations, the Nismo “Godzilla” was tested for the first time from April 11 to 12 by development drivers Masataka Yanagida, Michael Krumm, as well as Mitsunori Takaboshi, who will be piloting the car in this year’s Super GT GT300 class.
Besides the inaugural shakedown, additional tests will take place in both Japan and Europe to develop the new GT-R, which will replace the current specification car that's competing in championships around the world in 2017 including Super GT GT300 in Japan, Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup throughout Europe and Pirelli World Challenge in the USA.
"It was amazing how all the systems worked so well right from the beginning and the potential for making further improvements is very high," said Michael Krumm. "As this car will be used worldwide by a variety of drivers with different styles, I want to work hard to ensure that it is possible to drive it safely at high speeds. I'm looking forward to the next tests."
Revealed in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the Nismo Festival, the GT-R Nismo GT3 will be taking part in the Pirelli World Challenge, Super GT champtionship,
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship, as well as the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship.
"As this will be a milestone 20th Nismo Festival, we are determined to put on an event that people will remember for years to come," said Nismo president Takao Katagiri referring to the revealing of the GT-R Nismo GT3.


UMW Toyota Motor Opens Booking For 2018 Vios

UMW Toyota Motor has announced that order-taking of the new 2018 Vios will start today.
Outside, the updated Vios, in the GX and TRD Sportivo variants will see some changes. For the GX variant, the front skirt is new, with a more pronounced front fog light surround with honeycomb finish.
Towards the rear end, the skirting has also been revised with a built-in diffuser and honeycomb trim.
As for the TRD Sportivo variant, the design of the skirting remains unchanged, though UMW Toyota has given red highlights to the front, side and rear skirts. Further updates include gloss black treatment on the side mirror covers, rear spoiler and sharkfin antenna.
Across the range, the 2018 Vios now gets sharkfin antenna in body colour (black for TRD Sportivo). Meanwhile, front parking sensors are offered as standard for the G, GX and TRD Sportivo. Toyota is also throwing in a new DVD-AVX infotainment system into the Vios with a reverse camera as standard for all variants except the Vios J MT and AT. A set of new illuminated scuff plates are also included.
In terms of pricing, all models of the Vios will see an increase of price.
UMW Toyota Motor is backing the Vios with a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty, transferrable to the next owner if the vehicle is sold.


Counting Down To Le Mans 2015 - Audi Aims For 14th Victory

With less than 30 days left to the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours, defending Le Mans champion Audi is entering the race - which also happens to be the third out of the eight rounds of the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship - with a 27 point lead over archrival Porsche and 33 points over defending WEC champion Toyota.
Like last year's Le Mans, Audi Sport Team Joest will once again field three Audi R18 e-tron quattros: Audi's 4.0-litre V6 TDI diesel-hybrid, all-wheel drive LMP1 racer.
The driver line-up is as follows:
Car No.7: Marcel Fassler (Switzerland), Andre Lotterer (Germany), Benoit Treluyer (France)
Car No.8: Lucas Di Grassi (Brazil), Loic Duval (France), Oliver Jarvis (Great Britain)
Car No.9: Filipe Albuquerque (Portugal), Marco Bonanomi (Italy), Rene Rast (Germany)
The Fassler/Lotterer/Treluyer pairing has been unbeatable so far, winning the first two rounds of the WEC at the 6 Hours of Silverstone and 6 Hours of Spa.
Since 2000, Audi has won 13 Le Mans 24 Hours races. Aside from 2003, which was won by Team Bentley in an essentially rebadged Audi race car, the only year Audi did not win was in 2009, when Peugeot Sport broke Audi's stranglehold on Le Mans, and in 2003, when it was won by Bentley (but it's essentially a rebodied Audi R8C).
Between 2000 and 2005, Audi won Le Mans with the petrol-powered FSI engine Audi R8 (no relation to the Audi road car of the same name). The R8 racer featured a unique modular design that allowed for fast repairs.
The transmission in Le Mans racers are highly stressed and can sometimes require repairs mid-race. Audi's solution is a modular rear section - consisting of the transmission and the rear axle – that could be exchanged within a matter of minutes by means of quick-release fasteners.
In 2006, Audi shocked the world by winning Le Mans with a diesel-powered car, the 5.5-litre twin-turbo V12 engine R10 TDI. It became the first diesel-powered car to win at Le Mans.
In 2010, the R15 TDI introduced new levels of innovation by introducing a smaller 3.7-litre V10 TDI engine, and began using a lithium-ion battery to power the on-board electrical system, thus improving fuel economy and breaking the 39-year old distance record at Le Mans.
“This closed-wheel race car marked the beginning of a new era at Le Mans for Audi,” says Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, Head of Audi Motorsport.
“The regulations required us to reduce the cubic capacity of the engine from 5.5 to 3.7 liters. Therefore, the aerodynamic efficiency of the closed race car, considering all the factors combined, became even more important. The optimized aerodynamics helped improve lap times although the race car had less power output than its predecessor and consumed clearly less fuel."
In 2012, Audi introduced the R18 e-tron quattro: a diesel-electric hybrid race car that uses a 3.7-litre V6 TDI engine to drive the rear axle, while the front axle is driven by a pair of electric motors.
Since then, the R18 e-tron quattro has undergone several revisions to comply with the latest regulations at Le Mans, but Audi has elected to maintain the R18 e-tron quattro name.
Here's a recap of Audi's race last year, which if you remember, featured quite a bit of drama between Audi, Porsche and Toyota.
Toyota was leading the race from the start, for more than half the duration of the race until one car broke down while another was involved in an accident. Unlike Porsche and Audi, Toyota only fielded two cars and that effectively ended Toyota's otherwise brilliant race.
Porsche too earned the respect from everyone else when the mechanics worked hard to get their sole remaining 919 Hybrid out onto the track again just as the race was about to end. The Porsche team decided that although they have no chance of winning, it is right to send their last car out again to join the final lap, a spirit which earned a standing ovation from the Audi pits, where everyone stood up and cheered as the Porsche drove out.
Porsche acknowledged Audi's superiority in this post-race video.
In response, Audi, produced this Youtube video recognising the challenging spirit of Porsche and Toyota. That's a very unusual display of sportsmanship these days.


The Time Is NOW To Gift Yourself That Brand New Volkswagen!

Christmas is coming, the New Year is beckoning.  It doesn't matter if you've been naughty or nice, because Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) wants to treat you to some very irresistible deals!

Whether you’re in the market for a new sedan or SUV, VPCM is offering you additional savings this year-end on top of savings from SST exemption. So really, what are you waiting for?

The best part of it all is that there is no waiting time for any Volkswagen model because there are available stocks at all
dealerships
.

Before we share with you the savings, let’s go into the key highlights for the models under Volkswagen Malaysia’s current line-up.

1.
Volkswagen Arteon R-Line 4MOTION

Now almost everyone who’s reviewed or test-driven the flagship fastback from Volkswagen will point out how much of a complete package the new Arteon R-Line 4MOTION is when compared against its fellow German competitors.

From its svelte profile to its dynamic drive, it truly is power and beauty packed into a D-segment sedan and is equally composed whether you’re cruising on the highway or travelling within the city.

If you’ve been eyeing the new Arteon R-Line 4MOTION, there is now an RM2,000 savings.

2.
Volkswagen Passat Elegance

Fans of the world's best-selling mid-size sedan, the Passat, can look forward to savings of up to RM9,000 and one-year free petrol for the Passat Elegance.

A sophisticated choice, it is benchmarked within its class with refined, elegant lines and functionalities. Safety is also at the core with various features such as Side Assist with Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Blind Spot Monitoring System, among others, to keep you safe on the road.

3.
Volkswagen Passat R-Line

The sportier big brother of the Passat Elegance, the Passat R-Line is made to impress with its athletic built. It is decked in R-Line interior and exterior trims to enhance its overall appearance.

And that’s even before we mention the DCC (Dynamic Chassis Control) and 15 driving mode selections. You can personalise up to 15 driving style preferences.

Currently, the Passat R-Line comes with additional savings of RM9,000 on top of one year of free petrol.

4.
Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Highline

All space + All adventure = Tiguan Allspace

The Tiguan Allspace is an extended wheelbase version of the Tiguan, meaning you get to take more people, or more equipment along for your next adventure!

With the second and third row of seats folded down, you have a massive 1,775 litres of boot space - when was the last time you needed more?

The 1.4 TSI turbocharged engine in the Tiguan Allspace Highline is coupled to a 6-speed wet clutch direct shift gearbox (DSG)  and provides an economical fuel consumption reading of approximately 7.3l/100km.

Book a Tiguan Allspace Highline today, and enjoy RM7,500 savings just in time for your next road trip.

5.
Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace R-Line

The Tiguan Allspace R-Line turns up the SUV game a notch or two with its sporty appearance and powerful performance.

Under the hood of this space giant is a 2.0TSI turbocharged engine that is mated to a 7-speed wet clutch direct shift gearbox (DSG) to produce an impressive 220 PS and 350 Nm of torque. This bestows the Tiguan Allspace R-Line with the highest performance in its segment. Best of all, it is fitted with 4MOTION, Volkswagen’s all-wheel-drive system that improves the vehicle’s traction, acceleration, grip and off-road abilities.

If you’re keen on the Tiguan Allspace R-Line, you’ll get to enjoy savings of RM5,500

So go on, contact your preferred
Volkswagen dealership
 or find out more information
here
.


The Lovely Ladies Of The 2015 Bangkok International Motor Show

The 2015 Bangkok Motor Show certainly provided a lot of pleasant surprises with several new models from various car makers on display. However, let’s not forget the hardworking models who accompanied these cars to make sure that photographers who came from around the world get that perfect front page photo.
Spending time to make sure they look absolutely fabulous while maintaining it for long hours, these lovely ladies are always ready to strike a pose and greet visitors who have come to see the latest machines from their favourite brands.
Here we have compiled a gallery of these beautiful women that liven up the Bangkok International Motor Show.


BMW Group Is Building a Centre For Autonomous Driving Development

Autonomous cars are the future. Despite the odd crop of moral issues that pop up, self-driving cars will revolutionize the way we get around. I'm all for hitting some mountain roads over the weekend, but if I can take a nap while my car pilots itself through the morning commute then I'm all for it. BMW has a tight schedule to keep with their autonomous cars, and their iNEXT will be the
next
 big step for their company- fully automated, fully electric, and fully connected.
In order to meet their goal of launching by 2021, they will need to pour resources and conduct research on autonomous driving. BMW Group is consolidating its expertise in vehicle connectivity and automated driving at a new campus in Unterschleissheim, near Munich. When the campus is completed, it will house over 2,000 employees who will be devloping and road-testing their fully-automated driving systems.
Taking a a leaf out of software development life cycles (well, it is largely software after all), the overall structure of operations at this new campus is going to be fairly agile. Teams will be small with rapid response and collaboration with other teams, as well as high employee empowerment to allow them to make decisions on the fly. Through sheer volume, this method of high flexibility and high speed will eventually yield a working system.


AMG's Future Is All-Electric: Mercedes-Benz Will Stop Making Combustion Engines By 2039

There are a variety of reasons for auto manufacturers to pursue electrification, be it of the partial nature in hybrid vehicles or full on electric cars. Mercedes-Benz is setting a goal to completely eliminate the internal combustion engine from their range of cars by 2039, which is a highly ambitious target considering they only have two decades to achieve it. In a more pragmatic sense, it isn't altogether unfeasible as two decades would usually be enough to complete any outstanding or soon to be implemented component contracts or tooling lifespans for factories.
All Mercedes-Benz would have to do is stop designing and developing cars with internal combustion engines, and their EQ sub brand will light the way forward. Interim goals would be to have half of their models sold being plug-in hybrids or all-electric vehicles by 2030, as well as to have carbon neutral production in Europe by 2022.
It’s a monumental undertaking, and one can’t help but wonder about the casualties along the way. One such example would be their performance arm, Mercedes-AMG, which has long been known for achieving performance through sheer displacement and force of will. It’s very unlikely that Mercedes would bin this highly integral part of their brand, so it ultimately means that AMG will be going all-electric by 2039 as well.
Don’t forget that there is still the AMG ONE in the pipeline that needs to see the light of day before Mercedes-Benz achieves their goal of a totally carbon neutral fleet. It may very well be the last hurrah for a brand that has been around since the dawn of cars (having invented it, after all), and it is through their efforts and convictions that they will continue to stay relevant in the coming decades.
You can be assured that suppliers won’t be happy with this move. With the desire to make all aspects of automobile production carbon-neutral, Mercedes-Benz will be vetting suppliers to ensure that they meet the necessary emissions requirements, and even possibly energy sourcing requirements. This could very well result in some older component manufacturers getting the cut if they can’t react or invest quickly enough in this carbon-neutral future.
Electric performance cars aren’t necessarily a bad thing, and with the general demand for exciting sporty vehicles being on a downwards trend, an electric sports car will be a bit of a novelty. It may give AMG some extra creative freedom when it comes to drivetrain packaging and car design, as by 2039 the vast majority of vehicles sold may be heavily or entirely autonomous to cater to a growing market of commuters.


Jabatan Meteorologi Ramal Ribut Petir Hingga Awal Mac – Peka Keadaan Cuaca Untuk Kekal Selamat

Jabatan Meteorologi Malaysia (METMalaysia) meramalkan kejadian
ribut petir
 dan angin kencang yang sedang melanda beberapa kawasan seluruh negara dijangka berlarutan sehingga awal Mac ini.

Menurut Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Meteorologi Malaysia (METMalaysia), Muhammad Helmi Abdullah, ia didorong faktor angin timuran dari Lautan Pasifik lembap yang sedang bertiup masuk ke rantau negara.

Senario tersebut menyebabkan pembentukan awan lebih mudah terjadi, sekali gus menyebabkan berlaku ribut petir dan angin kencang.

Lebih membimbangkan, kadang-kala berlaku tumpuan angin di kawasan tertentu yang menyebabkan ribut petir menjadi lebih ekstrem sehingga menghasilkan hujan batu dan puting beliung seperti yang berlaku di Ipoh baru-baru ini.

Peralihan monsoon ini biasanya akan bermula pada penghujung Mac sehingga awal Mei dan semasa peralihan itu berlaku, aktiviti ribut petir akan menjadi lebih kerap pada sebelah petang dan awal malam terutama di negeri pantai barat Semenanjung.

Tambah Helmi, kejadian ribut petir dan angin kencang boleh berlaku di mana-mana kawasan di dalam negara ketika ini.

Beliau menasihati mereka yang berlindung di dalam rumah untuk menjauhkan diri daripada kawasan yang bercermin, seperti tingkap kaca.

Sementara itu, Timbalan Ketua Pengarah (Strategik dan Teknikal) MetMalaysia, Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip berkata, orang ramai perlu mengelak daripada berada di kawasan terbuka atau lokasi yang berisiko untuk disambar petir seperti di bawah pokok.

Hisham turut menasihatkan orang ramai supaya berhati-hati semasa melakukan aktiviti di laut dan ketika menggunakan bot pelancong sempena cuti sekolah minggu hadapan.

Selain itu, angin kencang dan laut bergelora di perairan Pantai Timur Semenanjung membabitkan Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, timur Johor, Sarawak, Sabah dan Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan diramal berterusan sehingga 28 Februari ini.

Sekiranya anda sedang memandu ketika ribut petir dan
hujan lebat
 melanda, sentiasalah berwaspada dengan permukaan jalan yang licin, penglihatan yang kurang jelas serta angin kencang. Memandu terlalu laju dalam keadaan sedemikian mendedahkan anda dengan risiko kemalangan.

Selain itu, anda juga terdedah dengan risiko terperangkap dalam kesesakan jalan raya akibat beberapa jalan telah terhalang apabila telah
dinaiki air
. Rancanglah perjalanan anda dengan sebaiknya bagi mengelak sebarang kejadian tidak diingini daripada berlaku.


PDRM Can Stop Your Vehicle And Ask For Your ID

The police can stop you to check who you are - which means they can stop any car they want.

According to
North Johor Bahru district police chief
, Rupiah Abdul Wahid, on-duty police officers are allowed to stop any individual and check their identity card in accordance with Section 24 (1) (a) of the Police Act 1967 and Section 7 (1) of the National Registration Act 1959.

The police chief released this
statement and explanation
 following a viral video where a couple of police officers were caught on camera carrying out a vehicle inspection at Jalan Pendekar 16, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, "without any reason or explanation".

The video, which lasted around 10 seconds, showed a man and a couple of police officers getting back into their cars, with a women in the background commentating that they were stopped and inspected without any "reason or explanation".

Supiah said it was a routine check, and the individual was released after the inspection was completed.

"Pada jam 5.50 petang semalam, anggota ronda cegah jenayah telah menahan dan membuat pemeriksaan terhadap seorang individu yang menaiki kereta jenis Hyundai Elantra di Jalan Pendekar 16, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah."

"Individu itu juga telah dibawa ke balai polis untuk pemeriksaan lanjut dan telah dibebaskan sejurus selesai pemeriksaan yang dijalankan,"
 said the police chief.

She also said that she released the explanation due to some questions being asked about the incident and asked people to be more careful about what they say on social media.

"Orang ramai diminta untuk berhati-hati dan berhemah dalam memberikan komen atau menularkan cerita tanpa kesahihan di media sosial."

Judging by the comments made regarding the video, many netizens did seem to understand that the police have every right to stop any vehicle to check its occupants' identification cards, but some comments that were hostile towards PDRM came from those who are still
in the dark
 about the law regarding police vehicle stops and searches.

This statement by Supiah should make things a lot clearer for those who think otherwise.


Selangor, KL Dan Putrajaya Ke Fasa 2 PPN Jumaat Ini – Rentas Daerah, Staycation, Sukan Indoor Dibenarkan

Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Khas Pengurusan Pandemik COVID-19 telah bersetuju untuk membenarkan
Lembah Klang
 iaitu Selangor, Kuala Lumpur dan Putrajaya untuk beralih ke Fasa 2
Pelan Pemulihan Negara (PPN)
 bermula 10 September 2021.

Jawatankuasa terbabit telah memutuskan bahawa ketiga-tiga kawasan tersebut untuk digabungkan sebagai satu kawasan jangkitan yang sama. Jadi segala pergerakan merentasi ketiga-tiga kawasan ini kini dibenarkan dan tiada lagi
Sekatan Jalan Raya (SJR)
.

Berikut merupakan antara kelonggaran yang diberikan kepada negeri di Fasa 2 seperti yang ditetapkan oleh Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN):

Rentas daerah dibenarkan kepada individu yang telah lengkap menerima dua dos vaksin

Pasangan suami isteri jarak jauh yang lengkap divaksin dibenarkan untuk merentas negeri

Ibu bapa yang lengkap divaksin dibenarkan merentas negeri untuk berjumpa anak-anak di bawah umur 18 tahun

Dine-in dibenarkan di restoran dan premis makanan bagi pelanggan yang lengkap divaksin

Aktiviti pelancongan hanya dibenarkan dalam negeri yang sama yang melibatkan penginapan di hotel dan homestay bagi individu yang telah lengkap dua dos.

Sementara itu, jawatankuasa turut bersetuju untuk melonggarkan SOP bagi aktiviti sukan, riadah dan rekreasi kepada mereka yang
lengkap divaksin
 di negeri-negeri yang berada di bawah Fasa 1. Antara ketetapan yang telah diputuskan ialah:

Membenarkan aktiviti sukan indoor, kecuali gimnasium, kepada individu yang telah lengkap dua dos vaksin.

Fasiliti sukan dan rekreasi komersil tertutup (indoor) dibenarkan beroperasi dengan kawal selia, hanya kepada pelanggan yang telah lengkap divaksin. Penggunaan fasiliti perlu dilakukan secara janji temu di samping pematuhan SOP.

Menurut Perdana Menteri, keputusan ini dilakukan berdasarkan penilaian risiko semasa yang dibuat oleh Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM) serta MKN dan akan berkuatkuasa pada 10 September 2021.

Bagi sektor perdagangan dan pengedaran seperti perniagaan kedai bunga/nursery, kedai peralatan outdoor dan galeri perumahan juga akan mula dibenarkan beroperasi mulai 10 September 2021 bagi negeri-negeri yang berada di bawah Fasa 1.

Bagi negeri yang diletakkan di bawah Fasa 2 dan Fasa 3, kelonggaran tambahan bagi
aktiviti kedai gunting
, hair dresser, dan salon kecantikan dibenarkan. Keterangan SOP terkini akan dikemaskini oleh MKN dan kementerian berkaitan dalam masa terdekat.

Terdahulu, kerajaan turut memberi kelonggaran SOP kepada industri kreatif di negeri Fasa 1 untuk menghidupkan semula industri yang terkesan teruk akibat pandemik bermula 9 September 2021. Antara aktiviti yang dibenarkan:

Panggung wayang dengan kapasiti 50% dewan tayangan

Indoor busking

Persembahan di lounge hotel

Live show seperti teater, muzikal, muzik dan komedi dengan kapasiti penonton sebanyak 30%

Pameran seni dengan kapasiti penonton sebanyak 30%

Penggambaran industri kreatif di dalam dan luar studio

Pembangunan & penyiaran kandungan kreatif, penyampaian maklumat dan hiburan secara rakaman/ langsung dengan kapasiti 30% penonton di studio

*Kredit infografik: Bernama

Setakat ini, hanya Labuan sahaja yang berada di Fasa 4 sementara Perlis, Sarawak dan Negeri Sembilan berada di Fasa 3. Kuala Lumpur, Selangor dan Putrajaya akan mengikuti negeri-negeri lain di Fasa 2 bermula Jumaat ini sementara Kedah dan Johor kekal di Fasa 1.


2021 Proton X50 Waiting List: How It Started, How It’s Going

Without doubt, the X50 has been a sales rocket ship for Proton, managing to attract buyers of all stripes due to its blend of practicality, style, performance, tech, and most importantly, value. Seem to us that the only thing really getting in the way of this sure fire hit is actually fulfilling all the orders.

Proton has stated that over 40,000 bookings have been made for the X50 in its various levels of trim   since its
launch in October 2020
. To put that into perspective, that number is a little less half of the automaker’s average annual sales volume, comprising of just one model, over a period of 5 months.

That is, if they can fill all those orders. And that’s where we hit some bumps in the road. Due to
unexpectedly high demand
, we’ve all heard about the X50’s long waiting period - 6 months, perhaps even longer. They are, however, is confident that a steady supply - and deliveries - can be attained throughout 2021 to gradually reduce that wait time without compromising quality.

So far, roughly 11,000 units of the B-segment SUV have been delivered to customers with Proton confirming that approximately 3,500 of that total accounting for the
last month (March)
 alone with February not far behind. Hopefully, April will be even higher.

Looking at this trend with the month-on-month production capacity increasing gradually, the automaker is confident that their momentum will be kept going into the second half of 2021. That said, given that rate, they would still need about 11 months - or around September 2021 - to fulfil those 40,000-ish orders. But by then, who knows how many more will be placed?

Proton’s current
suspension of bookings
 for the X50 Standard variant is one of the temporary measures that the company has taken to streamline the production process at its Tanjung Malim plant and increase monthly deliveries, according to a statement obtained by
The Edge Markets
.

The spokesperson declined to provide any sales targets but did communicate Proton’s optimism about the X50’s long-term sales health well beyond 2021, particularly with the major disruption brought about by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic now behind us during this recovery period.

Proton is also working closely with its supply chain vendors to increase capacity, which has reportedly been a contributing factor to their challenges in ramping up factory output of X50s since its late-2020 launch, and that
global computer chip shortage
 can't be helping matters either. Based on their current projections, the average waiting time is about 6 months.

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Mercedes-Benz Malaysia to Launch CKD W213 E-Class Soon

There's something exciting on the horizon. Just last year, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) launched the W213 E-Class as part of their incredible product offensive. We
previously predicted
that MBM would be launching the locally assembled variant of the W213 E-Class sometime in the first quarter of this year. We have finally received confirmation that production of the car has started in Pekan, Pahang, during MBM's
press conference yesterday
.
The W213 E-Class is currently available in
4 different variants
, with prices starting from RM 395,888. The entry level unit is the E 200, followed by two variants of the E 250, and the top-of-the-line E 300 with the AMG Line kit. Specifications will likely change with local assembly, although there aren't details yet on what exactly will change following the shift to local assembly.


Genting Highlands Bukan Di KL – 12 Individu Dikompaun RM5,000 Kerana Rentas Negeri

Peringatan kepada warga Lembah Klang,
Genting Highlands
 bukanlah di KL, tapi terletak di Pahang.

KL, Selangor dan Putrajaya
 kini memasuki Fasa 2
Pelan Pemulihan Negara (PPN)
, di mana rentas daerah antara KL, Selangor dan Putrajaya telah dibenarkan. Oleh itu, orang ramai berpusu-pusu keluar setelah lama terperuk di dalam rumah setelah kerajaan memberi beberapa
kelonggaran
 kepada individu yang sudah lengkap 2 dos vaksin.

Meskipun beberapa kelonggaran telah diberikan, namun aktiviti
rentas negeri
 tanpa kebenaran masih lagi dilarang. Mungkin sudah terlalu lama berkurung, ada juga individu yang ‘terlupa’ bahawa Genting Highlands bukanlah terletak di KL, sebaliknya di Pahang.

Berdasarkan pemantauan yang dilakukan oleh pihak polis di kilometer 17, Genting Highlands, seramai 12 individu telah dikompaun kerana cuba merentas negeri untuk ke Genting Highlands tanpa sebarang permit kebenaran.

Ketua Polis Daerah Bentong Supt Zaiham Mohd Kahar berkata, mereka yang ditahan terdiri daripada 10 lelaki dan 2 wanita masing-masing berusia 20 hingga 58 tahun. Kesemua individu tersebut juga dilaporkan datang dari arah Kuala Lumpur.

Mereka yang
ditahan
 gagal untuk mengemukakan sebarang dokumen perjalanan yang sah kepada pihak polis. Akibatnya, kesemua mereka telah dikenakan kompaun sebanyak RM5,000 dan diarah untuk berpatah balik. Kompaun tersebut dikeluarkan di bawah Peraturan-Peraturan Pencegahan dan Pengawalan Penyakit Berjangkit 2021.

Zaiham juga mengingatkan tindakan tegas akan diambil terhadap mereka yang gagal mematuhi
SOP
 ditetapkan Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN) termasuk merentas negeri yang masih belum dibenarkan tanpa kelulusan.

Pada warga Lembah Klang yang ‘terlupa’ bahawa Genting Highlands terletak di Pahang akibat terlalu lama berkurung, ingatlah bahawa Genting Highlands bukanlah terletak di KL meskipun jaraknya yang tidaklah begitu jauh dari Lembah Klang. Tahan dulu nafsu untuk naik ke Genting Highlands untuk membeli-belah atau berhibur.

Kekurangan ilmu geografi juga mungkin menjadi punca sesetengah manusia cuba untuk merentas negeri tanpa kebenaran. Jadi buatlah ulangkaji geografi terlebih dahulu sebelum keluar berjalan kalau taknak kena kompaun RM5,000!


Child Killed By Inflating Airbag

An eight year old girl was killed when the front passenger airbag of the vehicle she was travelling in deployed, throwing her to the back of the car. The child was seated at the front seat and was unbelted. She was also said to be resting her head on the dashboard, reports Berita Harian.
Based on the picture taken by
Berita Harian
, the child was travelling in what appears to be a Hyundai Matrix.
Both the car’s front airbags were deployed after it hit a speed bump in a rather severe manner. It was not involved in a collision with any other vehicle.
According to Berita Harian’s report, the victim was travelling in the car driven by her brother, who stomped on the brakes after the vehicle had hit a speed bump.
The victim, who was resting her head on the dashboard shortly before the impact, was then thrown to the back of the car by the force of the airbag’s deployment.
She was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
How come the airbag deployed if the car was not involved in an accident?
The situation is rare but not entirely impossible. If you look at the owner’s manual of most cars, you will notice that there is a warning against accidental airbag deployment if the vehicle’s underside is subjected to a severe impact.
Basic precautions when driving an airbag-equipped vehicle
Airbags deploy at speeds of up to 320 km/h, powerful enough to crack the vehicle’s front windscreen. The force is enough to decapitate an infant. Airbags are not to be taken lightly. Airbags can save lives, but only when they are used properly.
Ensure all occupants are belted, both front and rear occupants. As mentioned above, the speed of which an airbag deploy can kill an unbelted occupant.
Never put any objects on the vehicle’s dashboard. In the event of a collision, all these objects will fly off the dashboard and can become deadly projectiles, especially when an airbag deploys.
Always use a child seat. Infants should always be placed in the rear seat. If a child seat has to be placed in front, make sure the front passenger's airbags are deactivated (possible in some cars).
Never rest your head close to areas where airbags will deploy (front airbags – dashboard, side or curtain airbags – side windows).
On vehicles equipped with side or curtain airbags, avoid using coat hangers when the vehicle is in motion. The sharp edges of a coat hanger can seriously injure an occupant when a curtain or side airbag deploys.

Below are some examples of typical airbag safety related warnings that can be found on most owner's manuals.


Review: MINI Cooper S Countryman John Cooper Works – Best of Both Worlds

Tuning arm, motorsports division, special vehicle operations, call them whatever you want. Essentially, what they do is take cars and make them ‘special’, meaning more badass and of course, way faster than what they already are.

While BMW has ‘M’, Mercedes-Benz has AMG, and Jaguar Land Rover have the Special Vehicle Operations, MINI has John Cooper Works.

It all began back in 1961, when British racing legend John Cooper decided to fit a more powerful engine, bigger brakes and a few tuning tweaks of his own onto a regular MINI Cooper to create the Mini Cooper 997, which went on to conquer the world rally scene for years to come.

Thanks to his success, it was no surprise that when BMW acquired the MINI brand in 2000, the John Cooper name was retained to identify the brand’s most performance focussed products.

Today, the John Cooper Works (JCW) models are the most premium offerings of their respective model lines – carrying with them the premium trimmings, the full suite of technical features, and the most powerful engines.

That being said, the car we’re looking at here, the Cooper S Countryman JCW, is the most recent offering from John Cooper Works in Malaysia alongside the Clubman JCW which we got our hands on recently.

Priced at RM378,888 on the road without insurance, the Countryman JCW is powered by a new 2.0-litre turbocharged engine which produces 306 hp and 450 Nm of maximum torque, which enables the car to do the century sprint in 5.1 seconds and hit a top speed of 250 km/h. Paired to the engine is an 8-speed Steptronic Sports Automatic Transmission.

Compared to the outgoing Countryman JCW, this car here makes 75 PS and 100 Nm more. If we are to compare it with the regular Countryman, the JCW package delivers a massive 114 PS and 170 Nm more! How is that for a bump?

The JCW model also gets a beefier 8-speed gearbox instead of the regular Countryman’s 7-speed unit, which is actually one of the reasons behind the bump in power, and that’s not all.

The JCW Countryman model is also supplied as standard with MINI’s “ALL4” all-wheel drive system for better traction, a sport suspension system that lowers the car by 10 mm over the Cooper S for better stability and looks, Adaptive Suspension for that perfect mix of comfort and sharp handling, louder exhausts, bigger air intakes, chunkier brakes, as well as a unique styling package both on the exterior as well as the interior.

So, if you’re wondering if the RM378,888 you’re paying for this car over the regular Countryman Sports’ RM248,888 is “just for some cosmetic enhancements”, no it isn’t macha… absolutely not! The JCW Countryman is a completely different animal and in our opinion, it is worth every extra sen it asks for.

On the exterior, all the special JCW bits make the Countryman here look noticeably sportier than its regular sibling, but it still doesn’t look as cool as the JCW Clubman, which in our opinion, is the best looking model in the MINI stable at the moment.

While some may find the JCW Countryman a bit too visually loud for their liking with the two-tone colour, the big wheels, and what not, we absolutely love it as it gives the car a very “race-y” look. Plus, it turns heads towards you!

Inside, the JCW Countryman features sporty racing seats upholstered in Carbon Black Dinamica Leather, JCW leather steering wheel, JCW instrument cluster, JCW centre display trim, JCW start screen, and JCW doorsills.

The car also features stainless-steel pedals, on top of the “MINI Yours” Interior Cockpit Surface in Piano Black that illuminates at night in 12 different colours. A Panoramic Roof additionally adds to the airiness of the cabin space.

There is no doubt that the cabin is among the coolest looking ones in the market at the moment, but it is not the most comfortable though, due to sporty suspension that may be a bit too firm for some.

On the bright side, there is a lot of space in the JCW Countryman for both occupants and their belongings, which makes it ideal for families. So, if you’re a family-oriented person who still has the itch for speed, the JCW Countryman is definitely for you.

The Countryman here is the biggest vehicle MINI has ever produced. In fact, there’s nothing mini about it. With all the John Cooper Works goodies thrown into the package, this car should rightfully be called the “MEGA” Countryman.

Sharing the same UKL2 platform with the BMW X1, the new Countryman is an entirely redesigned model, measuring 200 mm longer and 30 mm wider than its predecessor. The wheelbase has also been lengthened by 75 mm, translating to more space in the cabin.

Speaking of space, there’s plenty knee room for rear seat passengers, even for tall adults. In addition, the rear seats also slide and recline to let owners have more boot space, which stands at 450 litres, and 1,309 litres with the rear seats folded.

Despite its massive dimensions, the way it drives is unmistakeably MINI – with mighty impressive road-holding abilities and composure. This is a vehicle which barely knows what the term “body-roll” even means.

One feature which deserves a lot of credit is the All4 all-wheel drive system, which makes all the 306 PS so useable. Unlike many 300-odd PS performance cars out there which just “explode” when you put the accelerator pedal to the floor, with torque-steer scaring the crap out of the driver, the JCW Countryman here instils confidence in you when you push it harder and harder.

It does exactly what you expect it to do, and responds so well to every input. Just like an automatic machine gun, you just point and shoot. The car does the rest, while making you look cool in the process.

Overall, what we have here is a vehicle is not only generous with space, but also power, so much power that you are actually quicker than about 70% of the cars on Malaysian roads.

It may look like a regular Countryman with some cosmetic enhancements here and there but the amount of JCW performance-oriented goodies that have gone into the car is actually quite extensive.

Yes, a regular Countryman may be sufficient for most people as it still drives bloody well and has plenty of horses under the hood, but this here, is not a car for “most people”, but for those who either want to “go big or go home.”


Review: BMW G15 8 Series M850i xDrive – Just What Exactly is it?

When BMW Malaysia took the wraps off what is arguably the sexiest product in their portfolio at the moment –
the all-new G15 8 Series Coupe
, the car was being referred to as many things – a luxury coupe, a sports car, as well as a grand tourer, but just what exactly is it?

One thing was certain though – it was the sexiest BMW in the portfolio at that time, no doubt. Some argued that the i8 is sexier, but as impressive as it is, a hybrid is a hybrid and it will never touch your soul quite like the roar of a good ol’ V8 engine, will it?

So, in order to find out more about the M850i’s behaviour, we spent some time with it recently to see what exactly it has to offer.

Specifications

Engine: 4.4-litre TwinPower Turbo V8, petrol

Transmission:  8-speed automatic

Max Power: 530 PS from 5,500 to 6,000 rpm

Max Torque: 750 Nm from 1,800 to 4,600 rpm

Origin: Assembled in Dingolfing, Germany

Price: RM1,088,800

Overview

Unveiled in March 2019, the G15 BMW 8 Series Coupe is available in two versions in Malaysia - the M850i xDrive and the full-blown
(F92) M8.

Powering the M850i xDrive is BMW’s 4.4-litre TwinPower Turbo V8 engine which produces 530 hp and 750 Nm, enabling the car to sprint from nought to 100 in just 3.7-seconds.

Paired to the engine is an 8-speed automatic transmission and BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system. Further complementing the whole package is the M Adaptive suspension, with double-wishbones in front, and a multi-link setup in the rear.

It is also worth mentioning here that the 8 Series here is the successor to the BMW 6 Series.

Exterior

On the exterior, key features include BMW Laser headlights, LED DRLs, 20-inch wheels, and since the model we tested was clad in M Performance kit, it came with sporty bumpers, as well as kidney grilles and logos finished in Cerium Grey.

Measuring 4,843 mm long, 1,902 mm wide, 1,339 mm tall, with a 2,822 mm-long wheelbase, the M850i is quite massive actually, and complemented by the wheels and the M Performance goodies, the coupe actually looks quite aggressive.

if we are to compare it with the 6 Series just to put things into perspective, the 8 is 43mm shorter, 23mm lower, and 8mm wider, which puts this car somewhere between an S-Class Coupe and the Porsche 911 in terms of size.

It may not look as extravagant as some of its rivals like the Bentley Continental GT, but if owners get the body and wheel colour combination right, the M850i here surely looks like it means business.

There are many exterior colour options and a wide range of personalisation options available under BMW Individual collection, so owners can actually knock themselves out when it comes to picking the right colours.

Interior

Inside, the 8 Series is fitted with M Sport steering wheel, M pedals and footrest, Merino genuine leather seats, and a dashboard that is unique to the 8 Series family.

Providing the driver with all the necessary information is the 12.3-inch BMW Live Cockpit Professional digital instrument display which takes some time to get used to, as well as the 10.25-inch screen in the middle of the dashboard, both of which are running on the latest BMW Operating System 7.0.

Unlike most instrument panels where the speedometer and the rev meters move clockwise, BMW's Live Cockpit Pro has the rev meter moving anti-clockwise. On top of that, we have a whole lot of information - from who sang the current song you're listening to, to the navigation map - being displayed within the 12.3-inch screen.

With so much happening, it definitely took us some time to familiarise ourselves with the system as we didn't know where to focus.

Below the central display, is a pretty straight forward air-cond control panel followed by a compartment with two cubby holes and also a wireless smartphone charging dock.

Further down below is the gorgeous crystal glass gear lever which sits next to the iDrive dial, and the buttons to choose between driving modes as well as the suspension settings.

Unlike most sports cars which are fully loaded with Alcantara and carbon fibre trims inside the cabin, the 850i feels way plusher and easier on the eyes thanks to items like the generous dose of leather upholstery and the crystal glass gear lever among others.

It may not be as visually appealing as cars like the Aston Martin DBS or the Bentley Continental GT, but it is still quite a welcoming cabin to be in.

In terms of setbacks, there is one small issue with the 8 Series - the rear seats are useless. Even the folks from Munich whom we spoke to during the global press drive of
the 8 Series Convertible
 last year said that the 8's rear seat is more of a place to store things instead of human beings.

Driving Impression

For a car that weighs like two tonnes, the M850i is mighty quick. The 530PS and 750Nm of torque which comes courtesy of the 4.4-litre TwinPower Turbo V8 mill was more than we could ever ask for.

There are four driving modes (Sport, Comfort, Eco Pro, Adaptive) which can be selected via a dedicated button for each mode.

Throughout our stint with the car, we were mostly in Adaptive mode, where the suspension, steering, and the Steptronic transmission constantly adapted the settings to suit the current driving situation, ensuring that there was always the right balance between comfort and sportiness.

In Sports mode, however, the steering tightened, throttle became more sensitive, the pops and crackles from the exhaust pipes got louder, and the gears were being held for a longer period. After about an hour in Sport mode, we felt things were getting a tad too wild for our liking, and back we went to Adaptive mode.

This was when we realised that the 8 is more of a grand tourer by nature than a full-blown performance-oriented sports car. However, the 8 felt much more eager and sportier than the 6 Series, which is a good thing.

Compared to the more aggressive Mercedes-AMG’s 63-series models and most Porsches in which you feel the urge to push them harder the more you drive them, the 8 Series Convertible got us going back into Adaptive or Normal mode after some time, where we just wanted to chill and cruise with the top down as that was when the car felt the best.

But that doesn’t mean that the 8 can’t take a hammering. This car, despite its sheer size, is capable of sprinting from standstill to 100 km/h in just under four seconds. Plus, the xDrive all-wheel drive system ensures that there is constant grip. So, make no mistake that the 8 Convertible is a car that can mean business if it wants to.

Thanks to the M Adaptive air suspension system, the 8 Convertible felt very comfortable both when we were driving slowly in town and when we were travelling at much higher speeds along the highways.

Conclusion

As much as BMW wants to call the 8 Convertible a sports car, it is more of a luxury grand tourer by nature. It is big, it is powerful, and feels absolutely at home while blasting down the highway and along scenic roads. At the same time, it is also comfortable and refined enough to be used as a daily.

Yes, it is still a BMW and does not disappoint at all when you push it really hard, but why rush when you can just bring the top down, cruise down the streets with every pair of eyes locked on your car and yourself?

It may not look as extravagant as an S-Class Cabriolet or a Bentley Continental GT Convertible, but it definitely drives better than the two. At the same time, it may not feel as raw as a Porsche 911 Cabriolet in the driver's seat, but it certainly looks better and feels more luxurious and refined.

Where the 8 Convertible sits is somewhere right in the middle of its segment, offering the right balance between luxury, style, performance, and comfort. Plus, if we are to look at it from a BMW fan's point of view, the 8 Convertible is arguably the best looking model they have to offer at the moment.

So, if money is not an issue at all, and you want a gorgeous power cruiser which offers the best of all worlds, look no further than the 8 Series Coupe. For those who feel that there is room for more madness, don’t worry as
the M8 Coupe
 is there, waiting for you.


10 Kali King Myvi Mengejutkan Malaysia!

Meskipun telah 16 tahun berada dalam pasaran negara, namun
Perodua Myvi
 atau lebih terkenal dengan gelaran
King of The Road
 ini sering muncul di dada akhbar dan masih menjadi topik perbualan di seluruh negara sekaligus meletakkannya di tangga pertama sebagai model
kereta yang paling berjaya dalam pasaran Malaysia
.

Apa yang membuatkan kereta ini sangat popular? Adakah kerana reka bentuk atau spesifikasi yang ditawarkan? Kalau anda rasa orang ramai tertarik dengan jentera ini atas sebab-sebab tersebut, anda silap. You didn’t choose the Myvi, the Myvi chose you. Dan berdasarkan khabar angin purba yang tersebar dari generasi pertama hinggalah generasi ketiga model ini, sesiapa sahaja yang duduk di kerusi pemandu King Myvi tak kiralah apa generasi sekalipun, personaliti mereka akan berubah serta merta seakan-akan dirasuk oleh roh berjiwa kelajuan. Selain itu, kereta ini juga ‘lain daripada yang lain’.

Oleh itu, kami telah membuat kompilasi tentang 10 kali
King Myvi
 mengejutkan dunia untuk membuktikan bahawa sumpahan tersebut benar belaka dan mendedahkan keistimewaan sebenar kereta ini.

10. Will The Real Supercar Please Stand Up?

*Kredit Video: ViralMY TV

Tolong tepi sikit, supercar mampu milik kegemaran rakyat Malaysia nak lalu. Tak malu betul kereta-kereta lain yang ‘acah’ supercar dan conquer seluruh semua lane di lebuh raya. Mereka tak tahu ke Highway tu siapa yang punya?

9. Need for Speed - Most Wanted

*Kredit Video: Lady Zero TV

Insiden kejar mengejar di antara PDRM yang menggunakan kereta peronda
MPV Honda Civic
 dan King Myvi. Sepandai-pandai tupai akhirnya jatuh ke tanah jua. Namun lepas video ini tersebar, muncul beberapa cadangan daripada orang awam agar PDRM pertimbang untuk guna kereta peronda Myvi pula lepas ini.

8. Jalan bapak dia

*Kredit Video: Mr. Idea Bodoh

Lampu isyarat kata boleh belok kanan, tapi bila pemandu belok tengok-tengok ada King Myvi dan cop jalan tu dulu. Persoalannya, kenapa lampu isyarat bagi isyarat yang tak betul? Lampu isyarat ni tak tahu ke jalan ni bapak Myvi yang punya?

7. All-Access Pass

*Kredit video: Various Topics

Zaman bila potong barisan guna lorong kecemasan? King Myvi sekarang kalau nak potong barisan cuma naik atas divider jalan je. Maklumlah kenderaan laju kenalah duduk di lorong kanan.

6. Tayar senget? Tak perlu tunda!

*Kredit video: Mr. Idea Bodoh

Bila tayar dah senget macam tu, kalau model kereta lain dah semestinya kena telefon
tow truck
 untuk angkut kereta tu untuk dibaikpulih. Tapi untuk King Myvi, pemilik masih boleh drive sendiri ke bengkel atau Pusat Servis Perodua. Ciri yang amat futuristik!

5. SUV terbaik Perodua

*Kredit video: Hariz Iskandar

Kalau anda rasa
Perodua Ativa
 merupakan SUV terbaik keluaran Perodua, anda silap. Ianya adalah Perodua Myvi. Tetapi adakah ianya sebuah
SUV
? Sebenarnya, King Myvi boleh jadi apa sahaja yang anda mahukan. Kereta ini ada pelbagai mod pemanduan seperti sport, eco dan off-road!

4. Drive-Thru Balai Polis

*Kredit video: Video Viral Terkini

Punyalah gila taraf Myvi ini sampai balai polis pun tak terlepas. Tak pasti sama ada King Myvi tersebut nak gegar
balai polis
 atas sebab-sebab tertentu ataupun nak buat laporan polis secara drivethru.

3. Really-Really Advance Safety Assist (RRASA)

*Kredit video: Info Semasa Channel

Kalau model Perodua lain ada sistem keselamatan
Advance Safety Assist (ASA)
, khabarnya Myvi menerima penambahan khas seperti RRASA yang membolehkan jentera ini meredah banjir dan sungai tanpa sebarang masalah. Boleh la bawa untuk memancing lepas ini.

2. Myvi terbang

*Kredit video: Viral Malaysia

Seelok-eloknya, daftarlah lesen juruterbang sebelum membeli kereta Myvi kerana kereta ini bukan sahaja sesuai digunakan jalan raya, malah laluan udara pun King boleh tapau. Menangis
Dominic Torreto
 kalau dia tahu Myvi boleh terbang tanpa CGI.

1. Keluasan dalaman = Infiniti

*Kredit video: Buletin TV3

Tahukah anda, ruang tempat duduk belakang Perodua Myvi sangatlah luas sehingga boleh memuatkan 2 ekor lembu? Tetapi apabila dikira sekali dengan pemandu tersebut, kereta ini sebenarnya mampu memuatkan 3 ekor lembu dewasa!

Berikut merupakan antara 10 sebab mengapa Perodua Myvi sering dianggap sebagai King of The Road atau King of Highway di negara ini. Ada banyak lagi sebenarnya video tular tentang kebolehan rahsia Myvi yang tidak diketahui umum. Sekiranya anda memiliki kereta ini atau berhasrat untuk membeli kereta ini, berhati-hatilah di jalan raya kerana tiada kereta lain yang mampu menandingi kereta anda.

**Artikel ini ditulis bagi tujuan komedi sahaja. Perodua Myvi merupakan kereta paling laris di Malaysia selama 8 tahun berturut-turut sejak dilancarkan dan telah mencapai angka jualan melebihi 1 juta unit.


Feature: MINIscape 2016 - Maximum Fun

The Deoxyribonucleic acid, also known as DNA, is a molecule which carries the genetic instructions used in the growth, development, functioning and reproduction of all known living organisms. In simpler words, it's the genetic code that determines all the characteristics of a living thing.
And just like how every living thing has its unique identity, products and brands also have their own ‘DNA’, giving them their distinct characteristics.
While many brands have left their identity all over the place as they progressed, some, like MINI here, have managed to successfully preserve the DNA even as they evolved.
Even earlier this year,
when BMW Group Malaysia unveiled the new Clubman
, those with an eye for detail would’ve noticed that it wasn’t only the car that was new, but also the logo, the typography and tone. Things were a tad classier, more minimalist, or and more ‘hipster’ as the millennials would put it.
Yes, the brand has evolved again and this time, the new identity is said to be based on the principles of minimalism still, with added clarity and authenticity.
“We want to continue the MINI success story, refine our brand strategy and refresh the brand’s visual identity – starting with the campaign for the new Clubman. We aim to make more people avid Mini fans – with a new brand identity and new offerings in the future,” said Sebastian Mackensen, the head of MINI during the global unveiling of the brand’s new corporate image last year.
That said, we were given the opportunity to get our hands on the complete range of Minis, and also to have a word about the brand’s new direction with the guys at MINI Malaysia at MINIscape 2016; a two-day affair which required us to drive close to 600km from KL to JB and back.
The cars which we drove include:
Cooper 3 door
Cooper S 3 door
Cooper 5 door
Cooper S 5 door
Cooper S Countryman Park Lane
Cooper S Clubman
Cooper S Countryman Adventurer
Cooper S JCW
Cooper S Stealth Edition
The regular Cooper and
Clubman
 aside, the
Countryman Park Lane
, Adventurer, Cooper JCW and Stealth Editions can be considered special models, as these cars had not one or two but many cosmetic and performance enhancements that set them apart from the lot.
For instance, the Cooper S JCW, with the tuning and the performance upgrades, produces a massive 231 hp, making it the most powerful model in the lot.
Up next is the Countryman Park Lane, which is limited to only 88 units of it in Malaysia. Clad in Earl Grey metallic body paint, Oak Red finish on the roof, exterior mirror caps and racing stripes, its sporty aesthetic make it one of the more visually outstanding Mini models.
And then, there was the Countryman Adventurer, which comes with a few cosmetic additions which give it a more rugged appearance, such as additional spotlights on the front grille, unique rims, as well as roof rails to carry bicycles, surf boards and what not.
Last and not the least was the Cooper S Stealth Edition; tuned by John Cooper Works (JCW), fitted with JCW Exhaust Valve Silencer System, JCW Carbon Tailpipe Finishers, and a Bluetooth remote control to activate the manic exhaust, it was absolute joy to be in the car, especially on the B-roads where the mufflers were singing the songs of their people every time we downshifted or de-throttled.
While day 1 of MINIscape 2016 comprised mostly of driving through coastal roads, day 2 required us to make a pit-stop at a very exciting location – the Melaka International Motorsports Circuit for a brief ‘Time-attack’ challenge in the Cooper and Cooper S before we headed to the highway en-route to KL.
Although the routes traversed in day 1 were exciting, it was the session at the circuit which had all participants smiling from ear to ear as we could really push the Cooper and Cooper S to their limits.
And It was also at the circuit where we got a first-hand experience on Mini’s renowned go-kart like handling – which is the unique characteristic; the DNA that has defined the brand since the glory days of the Monte-Carlo Rally winning Cooper in 1964, until today.
In all, Miniscape 2016 was indeed an exciting outing for all the participants as those who were new to MINI got to familiarize themselves with the brand and the cars. As for the more experienced ones, this was yet another perfect opportunity to indulge in some serious driving and occasional ‘hooning’ action.


Car salesperson absconds with deposit, customer loses RM90,000

A local man has just lost RM90k to a car sales agent from "a leading car company".

Buying a car can sometimes be perceived as a scary or intimidating process. It can all be a bit daunting with concerns such as financial commitment, downpayment and the car buying process itself.

Like those concerns are not enough, buyers also now have to worry about scammers, even if the salesperson is an employee of a "leading car company".

According to The Sun Daily's report, a local man has just lost RM90k to a car sales agent. The salesperson seemed to have run away with the victims cash, after he transferred the bulk of it to the scammer.

Brickfields district police chief ACP Amihizam Abdul Shukor said the suspect was a local man who worked at a leading car company in Jalan Damansara. It all went wrong for the 36-year-old victim who wanted to buy a Honda CR-V.

“On Jan 9, the victim made a booking with a payment amounting to RM500 with the suspect and the payment was handed over to the company. On April 29 to May 4, the complainant made a cash payment and online transfer to the company’s account number given by the suspect.

“Nevertheless, on May 11, the complainant received a phone call from the manager of the showroom who informed him that they had not yet received the advance payment,“ he said in a statement recently.

The ACP also said that the victim had also been informed that the suspect no longer worked with the company, but the suspect had been identified for further action.

According to The Sun, the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property and advised the public to be careful with all fraudulent tactics of scammers.

The police are asking members of the public to help out and can contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSC) at 997, the Brickfields Police Hotline at 03-22979222, the Kuala Lumpur Police Hotline at 03-21460584/0585 or any nearby police station if they have any information.


2022 Honda HR-V RS e:HEV vs 1.5 Turbo V: Back-2-Back First Drive

This
all-new 3rd-generation Honda HR-V
 has some very large shoes to fill. But it’s approaching that challenge from multiple fronts. A trio of new powertrain options, a more style-centric design, and a tech/equipment list that collectively attempts to justify a hefty price hike. Does it?

For many the
second-generation Honda HR-V
 was revolutionary, quickly rising to dominate the B-segment SUV space and holding that crown for much longer than expected, especially in Malaysia, stealing quite a bit of thunder from its quirky and less-than-successful predecessor from the late 1990s.

That older 2nd-gen model, which was discontinued for sale in the Malaysian market just months before the July 2022 launch of this all-new replacement managed its triumphs with just a sole 1.8-litre i-VTEC naturally aspirated 4-cylinder spread over multiple variants.

This time around, we’ve got 3 engines, and one of them is fused with a pair of electric motors as is the case for the RS e:HEV that uses
Honda’s i-MMD hybrid system that debuted in the City RS
. The remaining two, a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre four-cylinder and the well known VTEC Turbo, are a more straightforward proposition.

We had a chance to sample the HR-V with the turbocharged unit (1.5T V - RM134,800) and drive it pretty much back-to-back over long distances against the e:HEV RS (RM140,800). Both cars saw highways, twisty highland roads, coastal stretches, and a fair bit of heavy traffic, allowing their strengths and weaknesses to be made apparent.

2022 Honda HR-V: 1.5T V vs e:HEV RS - Inside And Out

At first glance neither looks too different from each other. There are subtle touches but nothing obvious besides the colour of that front grille (black accents or chrome). Variants with the VTEC Turbo get dual exhaust exits and the hybrid gets a blue tinged Honda logo at both ends.

The wheels on these HR-V variants, which were the primary visual differentiator between the Civic RS and the rest of its range, are exactly the same 18-inch 225/50 units. The RS also swaps a matte finish on the lower perimeter cladding material for a glossier option. Again, it’s subtle.

Inside, you’d probably not be able to tell which you’re sitting in. After a little more time, you might notice the headliner material colour (black vs beige) or some splashes of red accented stitching, or the fact that only the RS gets dual-zone climate control - but you likely won’t.

Bottom line, if you figured that the extra RM6,000 outlay to buy the e:HEV RS over the 1.5T V (can we just call it the ‘V-Spec’ from now on?) will yield some extra kerb appeal, you might be disappointed.

2022 Honda HR-V: Turbo vs Hybrid

There’s no getting around the fact that the i-MMD hybrid system boasts fantastic fuel efficiency and ample performance for the City and City Hatchback. In town and between traffic lights, it operates in near silence, rarely even needing to invoke that Atkinson-cycle 1.5-litre petrol and transitioning smoothly when it does. However, it seems a little out of its depth in the larger, heavier HR-V.

Its struggles are particularly evident when cruising at high speed as any throttle pedal depression chucks it out of its ‘maintain constant speed mode’, whereupon the electric motor kicks in and the engine is instructed to rev higher to generate power for the battery.

Only both of them working in tandem will get the HR-V to pick up enough speed for a highway overtake, and depending on how aggressively you want to get past the other vehicle, be prepared for the e:HEV RS’s combustion engine to shout at you.

The electric traction motor that it’s relying on for most of the propulsion has been uprated to 131PS over the 109PS we saw from the City/City Hatchback, but in practice this 22PS bump doesn’t add up to much. Even with 253Nm of torque, it can feel underpowered - something that you’d think the range-topping RS shouldn’t need to defend against. It needs to be driven sensibly, by a sensible driver, always.

This is all in contrast to the VTEC Turbo which,
as in the Civic, gets 181PS and 240Nm
. Like my experience with the C-segment sedan, the engine never really felt strained. It was punchy and responsive in spite of its CVT gearbox, but more importantly it was ‘car like’ and very predictable.

Throttle pressed down, revs climb, the car accelerates. Simple. But in the e:HEV you need to let the hybrid system determine how much to balance the combustion engine (generator) output with electric motor, which inherently feels disconnecting but amplified further by the soggy performance compared to its neighbouring (less expensive) variants.

Our drive experience took us from Kuala Lumpur to Kuantan for an overnight halt before another leg up to Dungun in Terengganu before it’s back to KL the next day, interchanging between the V-spec and RS at various points in between.

Proof positive that the turbo engine can’t hope to match the hybrid in terms of outright efficiency is the ‘low fuel’ warning coming on just before arriving in Kuantan. Granted, we were gunning it, but still a little surprising to find out we had depleted so much of its 48-litre reserves after leaving KL on a full tank.

For my money, I’d be willing to sacrifice ultimate fuel economy for a more versatile powertrain that can put a little smirk on my face from time to time. And when I really need to hyper-mile, I’ll go easy with my right foot and leave it on Econ mode.

Which makes me wonder if I could live with the even less expensive HR-V 1.5T E, the least expensive variant to have access to the 1.5 VTEC Turbo. The ‘good’ engine with fewer frills for decent savings. Why not?

2022 Honda HR-V: Driving

From a purely behind-the-wheel perspective there’s, again, not much separating the two if you try excluding the sensory input from the powertrain. There’s arguably better on-paper dynamics to be enjoyed by the hybrid thanks to a lowered centre of gravity from that hybrid battery, and both variants we drove did have variable ratio steering. Not that I could tell.

They behave well overall, displays decent roadholding on the supplied
Continental UltraContact UC6
 tyres, typically feeling softly sprung but prone to more jarring bumps with body roll kept in check.

Nothing really stands out about the HR-V as a sporty crossover regardless of what its sleeker profile and more youthful design might suggest. It drives like a Honda, and not too dissimilarly from its predecessor either.

One area where it does cleanly surpass the older model is refinement, showing high speed stability and comfort on par with larger, stouter cars from the segment above such as the Civic and CR-V.

2022 Honda HR-V: Turbo vs Hybrid - Summing Up

In the crossover space where versatility is ostensibly a high priority, the VTEC Turbo shines brightest here, as many predicted it would. It’s a big step up from the previous R18Z9 1.8-litre unit and offers a broad list of talents that is only mildly sullied by
the only occasionally ‘drone-ey’
 CVT.

After 3 days oscillating between the RS and V-spec, I found myself reaching for the Turbo whenever I had a choice, leading me to wonder if the HR-V would be better served with a beefier i-MMD hybrid system such as the one coming to the Civic that uses a 2.0-litre engine as its combustion component.

Despite the added 22PS, the 1.5-litre e:HEV package feels too similar to the one found in the much more petite City, resulting in a HR-V that gets out of breath when rushed.

All that said, we’ve barely touched upon the rest of the car and there’s so still much more to cover. While this has been an attempt to contrast the two most exciting powertrain options now offered in the HR-V, we’ll have a full review of Honda’s newest small SUV coming up soon to fill in the gaps left unaddressed here.


How A Letter From A Disabled Woman To Honda Changed Japan

“Both my hands are disabled. Is there a way for people like myself to drive? My mother always does the driving, but one day I’d like her to be the passenger,” reads a letter sent by Noriko Tsuji to Honda in 1981.
Noriko was one of the unfortunate victims of Thalidomide poisoning and was born with no arms, a side-effect of a morning sickness treatment drug that unfortunately for many babies, had a terrifying side-effect that was only discovered much later.
At that time, Honda was already selling a range of disabled-friendly ‘Honda Techmatic controls’ cars in Japan. While the feature was welcomed, it was of no use to people like Noriko as Techmatic required the driver to have at least one feet and one hand.
Moreover, Japanese traffic regulations require drivers to have control of at least one arm before they can be issued a driver’s license.
Helping someone like Noriko involves not just overcoming technical limitations, but also convincing the government that a proposed solution by Honda is safe enough for the public and that existing regulations should be reviewed.
Noriko didn’t realize it at that time, but her simple letter would mobilize Honda to embark on one of its most important projects of the decade, one that involves Honda employees going the full length to convince the government to change its traffic regulations so people like Noriko can drive.
The story began with a rather unlikely champion – not an engineer at Honda R&D, but a public relations manager.
1981 happened to be United Nations' International Year of the Disabled and the Japanese media had provided a lot of coverage on the plight of disabled people. In one documentary by Japanese TV Channel NHK, Noriko learned that in Germany, her fellow Thalidomide sufferers are able to drive specially-modified cars with their feet, which prompted Noriko to contact Honda.
At the same time, Takeo Matsumoto, a manager at Honda Motor's Public Relations Department, was asked by a Japanese journalist on Honda’s plans for the International Year of Disabled Persons. Matsumoto didn’t have an answer and in typical hyper self-critical Japanese fashion, Matsumoto was very troubled by the question, even though Honda was already selling the Honda Techmatic since 1971.
Matsumoto found a like-minded ally in the form of Masayuki Yoshimura, a manager at Honda Motor's Office of Safe Driving Promotional Operations, which conducts training on safe motorcycle riding and vehicle driving at the company’s Suzuka circuit. Launched in October 1970, the initiative by Honda was the first of its kind, and had been in operation seven years before BMW would open its Driver Training programme to the public.
The duo later approached Tadashi Kume, the president of Honda R&D, with their proposal and worked to garner support from other departments to put together a development budget. As expected, the duo faced a lot of opposition. Understandably, their colleagues have other more pressing issues to attend.
In later years, Yoshimura recalled in a Honda internal newsletter saying, "We often thought of giving up since we were unable to get an answer. However, we always came to the conclusion that we shouldn't give up for Nonchan (as Noriko was affectionately known as) and the many other people who might benefit from such a car in the future. So, Matsumoto and I made it a point to encourage each other."
Eventually, Hiroshi Sato, an engineer who was responsible for Honda Techmatic was assigned to the project. Honda’s approach to finding a solution also reflected their market-driven approach. They enlisted the help of Shinzo Hatanaka, chairman of the Tokyo Handicapped Drivers' Association, who adviced Honda on the multiple after-market solutions available.
After much consultation, Honda decided that the Franz system developed by German heavy electrical equipment manufacturer Braun Bovery Company (BBC) was the best, mainly because its designer Eberhard Franz is a disabled driver himself.
Without arms, drivers operating a Franz system-equipped vehicle steer by rotating a metal plate on the floor with their left feet.
Franz was kind enough to allow Honda to modify his design for use on Honda cars, but only in Japan. Honda also made subsequent changes to Franz’s original design, incorporating feedback from Noriko’s doctor, Dr. Hiroyuki Yonemitsu. As such, Honda’s adaptation of the Franz system incorporated medical advice which improved the system’s ergonomics.
The improved design by Honda was soon fitted on a Honda Civic, which Honda subsequently took the effort of training and teaching Noriko, who has never driven a vehicle before, to drive.
Noriko would later say, “It is such a wonderful feeling to be able to drive. At first, I thought it was difficult, but after a while I got the feel of it. The most exciting moment was when I accelerated to 60 km/h on the course. I realized I could go anywhere if I had a car. I could be free. I know this car isn't designed for me alone. I must try hard to lead the way for many others whose disabilities are similar to mine."
To convince the government of the safety of the modified Honda Civic, demonstrations to the Japanese police force and other relevant government bodies were also arranged.
Although Noriko is now able to drive, the law still didn’t allow her to get a driver’s license. Yoshimura, in his position as a representative of Honda Motor’s Office of Safe Driving Promotional Operations, personally took Noriko’s Civic to Japan’s National Diet (Japan’s equivalent to our Parliament) to promote the welfare of disabled drivers.
On 19-April 1982, Noriko’s Honda-Franz equipped Civic was approved for on-road use by Japanese authorities, and Noriko’s car was aptly given the number plate – 1982.
Finally, thanks for the unrelenting determination by Honda employees, Japan’s traffic regulations was amended on June 1982. Article 33 of Japan’s Enforcement Order under the Road Traffic Act now reads “...persons who have lost the use of both upper extremities and thus been denied drivers' licenses under the old regulation can now drive automobiles, if such persons are free of certain impairments in the lower limbs...."
With the law amended, passing the driver’s test was easy enough for Noriko, especially after being given private coaching by Honda engineers. On 16-July 1982, Noriko obtained her driver’s license.
The following year in May 1983, Honda was given a commendation award by Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry for its work in the development, manufacturing, and supply of automobiles for physically challenged persons (lacking the use of both upper extremities).
Today, Honda sells a wide range of what is calls ‘Welfare’ vehicles in Japan - specially modified vehicles with factory-equipped features to accommodate wheelchairs and drivers of various types of special needs.
The cost of these additional features are quite high and thus explains their limited availability outside of Japan.
Honda is able to sell these ‘Welfare’ models in Japan because the Japanese government provides generous incentives to support sales of such vehicles. Among the incentives given are waiver of vehicle tax, free use of all tolled roads, fuel grant, and tax rebates on purchase of disable-friendly cars.
Many remember Honda as the company whose tagline reads ‘The Power of Dreams.’ While that is correct, ‘The Power of Dreams’ was not coined when founder Soichiro Honda was alive. Instead, anecdotes of Honda’s history often speak of Soichiro Honda’s clarion call for his staffs, which is “To be a company that society wants to exist.”
Image credit:
http://www.sydfynmc.dk


Renault Megane GT On Display At 2017 MAI Malaysia Autoshow

The all-new Renault Megane made its local debut today at the ongoing MAI Malaysia Autoshow at MAEPS in Serdang. A direct rival to the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and Volvo V40, the all-new Megane was first previewed at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, before going on sale a year later.
At the moment, TC Euro Cars, the distributor of Renault vehicles in Malaysia, has no plans to sell the regular Megane hatchback in Malaysia, but the high performance RS variant is still in the plans.
The model seen here is imported from Spain into Malaysia purely for display purposes at the ongoing MAI Malaysia Autoshow, and at selected Renault showrooms later.
Which is a shame because the Megane GT looks really good in metal. In fact, we will even go as far as calling the best looking hatchback in this segment.
This all-new Megane is built on the Renault Nissan Alliance’s CMA platform.
Seen here in GT trim, the Megane GT is powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 205 PS and 280 Nm. It sprints from 0-100 km/h in 7.1 seconds, while claimed fuel consumption is at 6-litre/100 km.
Power is transferred to the front wheels via a 7-speed EDC dual-clutch automatic transmission.
It also features 4-wheel steering, which Renault refers to as 4Control. Depending on the vehicle’s speed, 4Control improves the agility of the car by adjusting the Megane’s rear wheel’s direction to turn either in parallel or opposite direction of the front wheels.
At speeds of less than 80km/h in Sport mode and 60km/h in other modes, the front and rear wheels turn in opposite directions, by up to 2.7 degrees at the back. At higher speeds, the front and rear wheels steer in the same direction, turning by up to one degree at the back, for greater stability. 4CONTROL calculates the angle of the rear wheels 100 times a second and adjusts them as necessary.
The Megane’s chassis has also been tuned by Renault Sport engineers.
Like all Renault cars, the interior is very refined. There’s even LED ambient lighting on the door panels. Renault also claims that the dual density foam ‘haute couture’ sculpted seats are the best in the segment.
Safety is covered by six airbags, with electronic stability and traction control.


Bazir Masa 44 Jam Sebulan Dalam Kereta Akibat Kesesakan

Para pekerja di Lembah Klang yang menaiki kereta terpaksa memperuntukkan sekurang-kurangnya 44 jam sebulan di dalam kereta akibat terperangkap dalam
kesesakan jalan raya.

Menurut Pensyarah Kanan Pusat Pengajian Kimia dan Persekitaran Fakulti Sains Gunaan, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Ts Dr Ismaniza Ismail berkata, setiap hari pekerja yang berulang alik ke tempat kerja terpaksa menghabiskan masa kira-kira sejam atau dua jam di dalam kenderaan.

*Kredit foto: Bernama

Masa Terbuang

Menurut Dr Ismaniza, banyak masa terbuang setiap hari akibat kesesakan jalan raya. Walaupun cukup lapan jam waktu bekerja harian, hakikatnya tetap ada sejam dua yang 'hilang' setelah tersangkut dalam kesesakan trafik.

Tambahnya, keadaan yang berlaku ini turut memberi kesan terhadap kos produktiviti pekerjaan.

"Sekiranya purata gaji sejam ialah RM7, didarab dengan dua jam dan 22 hari bekerja, kerugian produktiviti dianggarkan RM308 sebulan yang 'terbazir' di atas jalan," katanya.

*Kredit foto: Bernama

Beri Kesan Negatif

Berdasarkan kenyataan Dr Ismaniza, kesesakan lalu lintas boleh menyebabkan:

Tekanan akibat terperangkap dalam trafik yang statik

Boleh mengganggu emosi dan produktiviti

Menjejaskan suasana kerja

Duduk terlalu lama di dalam kenderaan boleh menyebabkan sakit belakang sekiranya tidak ergonomik

Sementara itu, Pakar Perubatan Kesihatan Masyarakat, Fakulti Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh berkata, berada dalam kenderaan terlalu lama akan mengurangkan masa individu untuk bergerak aktif.

Menurut Dr Sharifa, keadaan ini boleh dikaitkan dengan masalah lain seperti darah tinggi, obesiti, kencing manis dan masalah jantung seperti meningkatkan sikap agresif (
aggression
), merasa gemuruh dan sakit jantung akibat tertekan.

"Selain itu, ia mampu meningkatkan alahan, kesukaran bernafas, kurang masa tidur malah ada yang mengaitkan dengan kematian awal," katanya.

Tambahnya, mereka yang terperangkap dalam kesesakan jalan raya yang teruk boleh merasai gejala seperti sakit kepala, lenguh di kawasan leher dan pinggang, sakit kaki, pening dan rasa mual.

Kesesakan jalan raya juga meningkatkan pencemaran udara yang menyebabkan darah mereka yang menghidap penyakit jantung, darah tinggi, kencing manis, barah dan sebagainya terdedah kepada bahan pencemaran berkenaan.

"Secara tidak langsung, ia meningkatkan risiko salur darah menjadi sempit, sakit dada (angina), serangan jantung, kesukaran bernafas, risiko karsinogenesis (risiko menjadi barah) terutama barah paru-paru," katanya Dr Sharifa.

Perkenal Waktu Kerja Fleksibel

Waktu kerja fleksibel dilihat sebagai adalah antara inisiatif berkesan yang boleh dipertimbangkan untuk mengurangkan kesesakan dan meningkatkan produktiviti kerja menurut Dr Ismaniza.

"Minggu kerja fleksi yang menawarkan pilihan hari bekerja seperti yang diamalkan di banyak negara maju atau bekerja dari rumah juga adalah alternatif yang boleh meningkatkan produktiviti kerja kerana kurang risiko terperangkap dalam kesesakan,” jelasnya.

Walau bagaimanapun, Dr Ismaniza berkata mekanisme itu tidak dapat dimanfaatkan oleh pekerjaan tertentu seperti guru yang tiada pilihan untuk keluar bekerja dan juga pengguna jalan raya yang menghantar anak ke sekolah.

Naik Taraf Kualiti Perkhidmatan Awam

Bagi Dr Ismaniza, menaik taraf kualiti perkhidmatan
pengangkutan awam
 sedia ada dengan jaringan laluan yang lebih ekstensif adalah antara usaha yang sewajarnya dilaksanakan.

Jelas beliau, jadual perjalanan sesebuah pengangkutan awam itu perlu efisien, agar tidak jadi seperti lari dari mulut harimau, masuk ke mulut buaya.

Jika pengangkutan awam lebih teratur dan berkualiti, pasti lebih ramai pekerja di sekitar Lembah Klang tiada masalah untuk menggunakan pengangkutan awam untuk ke tempat kerja meskipun memiliki kereta sendiri.


Nissan Serena Now Available In Imperial Red

As a demographic, Malaysians don't really like cars with bright colours - or at least, that's what the bean counters would have you think. Truth be told, some of the more vibrant paint options prove to be quite popular, and Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) is embracing this with the launch of the Imperial Red colour option for their Nissan Serena 2.0L S-Hybrid Premium Highway Star.
This is in conjunction with the Chinese New Year festivities, and will likely be available all year round - after all, setting up the process to paint a car a particular colour is not cheap. The paint scheme is two tone, with a black floating roof, mirrors, and rear spoiler. Everything else remains unchanged compared to regular Highway Stars, in the sense that it comes with Hands-Free Dual Power Sliding Doors, Dual Back Door, 7 USB-powered ports, Intelligent Around View Monitor, Intelligent Moving Object Detection, and Apple CarPlay connectivity.
The new Imperial Red Nissan Serena 2.0L S-Hybrid will make its appearance at the upcoming 2019 Nissan Test Drive Carnival at selected showrooms over two weekends: the 5th to 6th of January and the 11th to 13th of January, starting from 10am to 8pm. Members of the public are invited to visit the carnival to enjoy attractive deals and a series of fun-filled Chinese New Year activities.


The Audi A6 55 TFSI e quattro Is A Mouthful Of Efficiency

Electrification and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have been dominating headlines for the last few months, and Audi is throwing their own hat in the ring with the A6 55 TFSI e quattro - whew. It's quite the name, but if you dissect it you find that it... is still pretty tricky to understand.

We all know that the A6 denotes Audi's mid-sized luxury sedan model. It's the 55 TFSI part that is difficult to understand, as Audi adopted this double-digit number naming scheme for their models but still doesn't have a solid explanation. As far as we know, it refers to a certain level of performance - not displacement or equivalent output as other manufacturers have done.

The TFSI denotes that it runs a turbocharged, direct injection petrol engine - in this case, a 2.0 TFSI that produces 252 PS on its own - while the e quattro suffix implies that it has is both a hybrid and packs Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system. Total system output with both the engine and electric motors working together is a good 367 PS with a torque delivery of 500 Nm from just 1,250 rpm.

A 14.1 kWh battery mounted at the rear delivers up to 53 kilometres of range, and enables the motor to propel this A6 to speeds of up to 135 km/h in silence. Like every modern PHEV, there are numerous systems that aid in energy recovery and improving efficiency, even working in tandem with navigation and traffic data to best develop an energy management strategy for the journey. From empty, the battery can be charged to full in just 2.5 hours at a public station that provide an output of up to 7.4 kW.

To add a little more appeal, there are elements like the S Line exterior package, the black styling package, Matrix LED headlights, sport seats, four-zone automatic climate control, the Audi virtual cockpit, and 19-inch wheels which come as standard. The A6 55 TFSI e quattro goes on sale in Europe for a base price of 68,850 Euros (RM 321,262), making it quite a pricey offering.

To find the best deals on Audi models, click
here
.


Volvo Trucks’ Iron Knight Beats Two World Speed Records

Volvo Trucks’ custom-built prime mover - the Iron Knight, which is also world’s fastest truck, has beaten another two speed records in the standing-start 500- and 1000-metre categories.
Driven by Boije Ovebrink, who has more than 30 years’ experience of both car and truck racing, the record-breaking Iron Knight truck is custom-built in every respect apart from the engine and the series-manufactured I-Shift Dual Clutch transmission.
“This shows that our I-Shift Dual Clutch transmission has enormous potential and that it does not let you down under extreme conditions. The fact that the world record-breaker uses the very same gearbox that is found in our series-built FH trucks is something that we’re really proud of,” says Claes Nilsson, President and CEO of Volvo Trucks.
That said, below is the video of the Iron Knight in action:
With an average speed of 169 km/h and a time of 21.29 seconds, The Iron Knight, which is powered by a 13-litre mid-mounted engine capable of kicking out 2400hp and 6000Nm of maximum torque, beat the international speed record for 1000 metres from a standing start. It also beat the corresponding record for the 500-metre distance, at 131.29 km/h and 13.71 seconds.
The record run was carried out at a closed-off test track in northern Sweden. At the time of publication, the records are being reviewed by the FIA, the international motor sport association.
“Specialists from several different Volvo Trucks departments worked closely together to develop a truck with unsurpassed performance. Apart from Volvo Trucks’ powertrain, which is the heart and soul of The Iron Knight, we’ve hand-built the truck from the ground up. The fact that we succeeded in securing not just one record but two is absolutely amazing,” says Olof Johansson, a technician at Volvo Trucks.
Looking for a Volvo? Find one now at
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Jaguar Celebrates Lift Of Ban On Female Drivers In Saudi Arabia

Jaguar recently teamed up with Saudi female racing driver Aseel Al Hamad and celebrated the end of the ban on women drivers in Saudi Arabia with a lap of honour in the Jaguar F-Type.
Aseel, who is the first female board member of the Saudi Arabian Motor Federation, said that she had never driven on a track in her home country before. She also serves as the Saudi Arabian representative at Women in Motorsport Commission for Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).
She joined Jaguar in a call for June 24th to be designated as “World Driving Day” – a day when finally, the whole world can enjoy the thrill of being behind the wheel of a car.
“Having loved cars since I was a child, this occasion is highly emotional for me. This is the best driving moment of my life. What better way to kick off World Driving Day than a lap of honour in my home country in a Jaguar F-Type – the ultimate car to roar around the track.”
By creating the World Driving Day campaign, Jaguar urges people to remember this historic day and what it means to women, to Saudi Arabia and to world progress in general.
As part of its ongoing work with over 40 Universities and Academic institutions globally on future mobility solutions, Jaguar will also be partnering with University in Saudi Arabia to join this global network.
The partnership, which will be announced later this year, will be a unique exchange to tap into the young minds in Saudi Arabia to shape the company’s future innovations as it moves to ACES (an Autonomous, Connected, Electrified and Shared future).
Fiona Pargeter, Jaguar Land Rover’s Customer Experience Director said, “It’s easy to forget and take for granted the enjoyment of driving and just what a privilege it is to get behind the wheel of a car. World Driving Day is a commitment from Jaguar to celebrate this key moment annually for both men and women. This year, we're really excited to collaborate with the brilliant students from Saudi Arabia to shape the future of mobility for people around the world.”