Renault SYMBIOZ Demo Car – Driving Your Family From Home To Holiday With Autonomous Technology

Renault has now made a working demo of their latest SYMBIOZ concept car.
Unveiled
 at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show as the SYMBIOZ Concept, this Renault is designed, engineered and built to be a vehicle with Autonomous Driving (AD) from ground up.
The SYMBIOZ demo car road tests provide Renault with the opportunity to demonstrate in real-life conditions a car that is autonomous, electric and connected. With hands off the steering wheel, Renault believes car traveling will become a multi-sensory, personalized experience and becomes part of the personal ecosystem for driver and occupants.
“You cannot re-imagine the future of mobility until you have been in the SYMBIOZ demo car. Our engineering and design teams have pushed into the next decade with an autonomous car that lets you experience a new kind of mobility. Electric and connected, this working concept car is designed from the outset to challenge old paradigms about getting from place to place. We are excited to show the world our vision – and to let them sample the future of Renault” said Groupe Renault Product Engineering Executive Vice President Gaspar Gascon Abellan.
The SYMBIOZ demo car is capable of reaching Level 4 Autonomous Driving (SAE International definition). In the High Automation architecture of Level 4, the driver is free from all dynamic driving tasks such as lane change, overtaking as well as merging and exiting highways. The SYMBIOZ demo car is capable of moving into a safe position if it cannot deal with an unexpected incident ahead. The exterior signature C-shaped front lights illuminate in blue when the autonomous drive mode is activated, notifying other drivers and pedestrians around.
The SYMBIOZ demo car innovative exterior design perfectly matches Renault ‘French Design’ styling, it is sensual and warm with fluid lines and a dynamic stance. The sporty hatchback has a footprint that is similar to premium executive cars such as the G30 BMW 5 series, measuring 4.9 metres long and 1.92 metres wide. The long wheelbase of 3.07 metres allows for abundance of cabin space as well as locating the large battery pack below the cabin floor.  The car’s upper section boasts a vast glazed surface to allow ample light into the cabin and optimise outside visibility. Opacity of the glass can be customized according to personal preference.
The interior of the SYMBIOZ demo car can be described as living-room-style atmosphere, offering individual space for all four occupants. The front seats feature a ‘zero gravity’ seat position and can even swivel 10 degrees towards the inside of the car to allow for better conversation. The rear occupants benefit for greater privacy through an alcove design and concealed rear window.  To illustrate the extreme of “mind-off” driving, a virtual reality experience designed by video game publisher Ubisoft allows the driver or occupants to put on the VR headset while travelling to their destination.
Thanks to a full suite of onboard connectivity systems (Wi-Fi, 4G, GPS), occupants can access their digital environment, media and services just like at home or in the office. Being always connected to their home, users can check the home’s CCTV cameras and access to the settings of the domestic appliances. Connection to the road infrastructure monitoring traffic congestion as well as warning of hazards and accidents allows the SYMBIOZ demo car to ‘know’ the journey ahead, planning for a safer and more relaxing drive for occupants.
We definitely like the idea of having the SYMBIOZ driving itself on the North South Highway during festive season ‘balik kampung’ exodus while occupants relax on the Lounge seats, watching the cats back home through CCTV and taking a few selfies along the journey.


Are SUVs Really Better Than Sedans?

SUVs have been all the rage over the past decade or so, bulldozing their way into the global automotive market with massive sales figures, but are they really better than the rest?

In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that almost half of the vehicles on the road today are SUVs – compact, mid-sized, huge 7-seater luxury models, you name it.

Yes, there is no denying the fact that they offer great value for money compared to other types of passenger vehicles with great practicality and versatility, but it is not always about spaciousness and convenience, is it?

Let us look at things from the driver’s point of view. When it comes to pure driving feel and dynamics, SUVs still fall behind sedans, simply because sedans have a better power-to-weight ratio, as well as a lower centre of gravity, which simply translates to a more engaging drive as well as better handling. As powerful as some SUVs are, they are still typically top-heavy, which means that body roll is inevitable.

Besides that, sedans, which are smaller than SUVs, are more manoeuvrable and more manageable as well, especially when it comes to parking and squeezing through tight spots. Another aspect in which sedans are better than some SUVs is fuel economy. As we mentioned above, sedans are lighter, which means that less effort and power is needed during overtaking and cruising.

Styling is also very important when it comes to buying a vehicle isn’t it? Unless you really need the practicality and space, why would you want to be seen in a soccer-mom SUV when you can pilot a sedan in style?

One may argue that style and good looks are subjective, but there is no escaping the fact that SUVs are generally bulkier than sedans, which takes away half the visual appeal. Meanwhile, the sleeker design of the sedan also means better aerodynamics, which helps save fuel and also give better performance.

While storage space and convenience may be an SUV’s biggest strength, you’re basically storing your luggage in an open space, which means that there is room for movement when the SUV negotiates a corner. So, the things in the boot are not really 100% secure. Plus, things in the boot of an SUV are usually visible.

However, a sedan’s boot – although maybe not as spacious as an SUV - is designed in a way that the items stored will move around lesser than an SUV. Plus, the luggage will not be visible either.

Last but not least, we have the maintenance cost. Although this may vary from vehicle to vehicle, SUVs - due to their larger size - come with larger tyres, larger brake pads, and other components that can be pricier than a sedan’s. In the long run, just imagine how much money you can save by driving a sedan, just to change tyres.

Overall, both SUVs and Sedans have their ups and downs, but just because it seems like SUVs have more to offer, especially in terms of space and convenience, it doesn’t mean that sedans are more inferior, does it?

As discussed above, sedans also have a few areas in which they are way more superior than SUVs. So, which one is your choice?


Kadar Kecurian Kenderaan Tahun 2020 Menurun 37% - Proton Wira Kekal Kereta Paling Panas

Kehadiran pihak polis di merata tempat di seluruh negara ekoran pengumuman Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan yang bermula pada awal tahun lalu mungkin telah memainkan peranan penting dalam jumlah penurunan
kadar kecurian kenderaan pada tahun lalu
.

Menurut koordinator Lembaga Pengurangan Kecurian Kenderaan Malaysia (VTREC) Mas Tina Abdul Hamid, kes kehilangan kenderaan dilaporkan pada tahun lalu menurun 37% di mana hanya 7,400 kes dilaporkan berbanding 11,675 kes pada tahun 2019.

“Menurut statistik daripada Insurance Services Malaysia, 3,993 motosikal, 2,981 kereta persendirian dan 426 kenderaan komersial dilaporkan hilang pada tahun lepas,” tambah beliau semasa pelancaran Kempen Kesedaran Awam Kecurian Kenderaan semalam.

Secara purata, sebanyak 20 biji kenderaan dilaporkan hilang setiap hari pada 2020 berbanding 32 biji kenderaan pada 2019. Meskipun berlaku pengurangan pada jumlah keseluruhan kenderaan yang dicuri, namun kereta
Proton Wira
 yang pernah mendominasi pasaran Malaysia pada suatu ketika dulu kekal menjadi kenderaan paling panas apabila menjadi kenderaan paling banyak dilaporkan hilang pada tahun lalu.

Sebanyak 353 biji Proton Wira dicuri pada tahun lalu, diikuti Proton Iswara (273),
Toyota Hilux
 (209),
Perodua Myvi
 (131),
Perodua Kancil
 (114),
Proton Saga
 (110),
Proton Waja
 (104),
Honda Civic
 (85),
Honda City
 (75) dan
Toyota Vellfire
 (60).

Meskipun kekal di tangga pertama, jumlah Proton Wira yang dicuri pada tahun 2020 menurun berbanding tahun 2019 yang merekodkan sebanyak 564 biji Proton Wira dicuri. Kecurian ini dipercayai berpunca daripada kesukaran mendapatkan alat ganti baharu untuk model ini. Tambahan pula, bilangan Proton Wira masih lagi banyak dipandu oleh rakyat Malaysia pada ketika ini memudahkan sindiket untuk mencuri.

Jika kita lihat pada kedudukan Top 10 kenderaan dicuri pada 2020, tidak banyak perubahan besar direkodkan berbanding tahun 2019. Hanya kedudukan Honda Civic dan Toyota Vellfire sahaja yang berubah di mana Vellfire telah jatuh ke tangga ke 10 pada 2020 berbanding tangga ke 8 pada 2019 sementara Honda Civic naik ke tangga ke 8 pada 2020 daripada tangga ke 10 pada 2019.

Meskipun jumlah kecurian semakin menurun dan berkurangan, pihak polis tetap akan memberikan yang terbaik bagi membanteras jenayah ini secara berterusan. Menurut Timbalan Pengarah Risikan/Operasi, Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Bukit Aman Datuk Dev Kumar, setiap tahun, sindiket curi kereta ini akan menukar modus operandi mereka serta menggunakan gajet yang canggih untuk mencuri kereta bagi mengelakkan dikesan oleh pihak polis. Tambahnya, polis perlu sentiasa up-to-date dan mengetahui segala teknik dan cara terbaru yang digunakan oleh sindiket curi kereta bagi memastikan mereka tidak ketinggalan di belakang.

*Kredit Foto: The Star

Melalui pemerhatian polis, kereta tempatan yang dicuri akan dileraikan untuk mendapatkan alat ganti sementara model keluaran luar negara akan di hantar kepada pembeli di luar negara.

Kebanyakan kereta lama seperti Proton Wira, Proton Iswara, Perodua Kancil dan Proton Waja dipercayai dicuri untuk dileraikan untuk mendapatkan alat ganti. Bila pembuatan alat ganti baharu bagi model tersebut dah dihentikan, semakin sukarlah untuk mereka mendapatkan alat ganti bagi kenderaan tersebut. Ini mengundang lebih banyak kes kecurian model-model terbabit berlaku.

Dev Kumar menasihati semua pengguna kenderaan untuk memainkan peranan mereka untuk tidak mudah cuai dan memberikan peluang kepada pencuri untuk mengambil kesempatan. Pastikan kenderaan anda memiliki ciri keselamatan tambahan seperti kunci stereng dan pedal sementara pihak polis akan lakukan perkara selebihnya.

*Kredit Foto: Shopee

Sekiranya anda mempunyai kereta-kereta panas seperti yang tertera di dalam list yang dipaparkan, berjaga-jagalah. Jangan pula fikir “ah takpelah siapa je nak curi kereta lama aku ni” kerana jika kereta tersebut dicuri dan dileraikan, beratur orang nak beli! Penambahan pengesan GPS pada kereta anda amat membantu sekiranya kereta anda dilarikan.

Sesungguhnya kereta itu tidak datang bergolek, tapi ia boleh pergi sekelip mata. Jadi hargailah kereta anda!

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Lego 2016 Speed Champions Sets Revealed – Audi and American Muscle Joins Line-up

Hope you haven’t spent all your Christmas money yet. Pictures of Lego’s upcoming Speed Champions set for 2016 recently surfaced on
Brickset
, and this time around it isn’t just supercars and race cars alone.
Comprising of seven new sets, the headlining addition to the range are cars from Audi, Chevrolet, and Ford.
From Audi Lego has recreated the Audi R18 e-tron quattro Le Mans Prototype race car (pictured above), and the Audi R8 LMS ultra race cars.
Chevrolet makes an appearance in this collection with the new Corvette Z06, and a drag race set complete with a classic Camaro and the new Camaro.
Ford on the other hand brings the most interesting sets to the collection with the new Ford Mustang GT, and the Ford F-150 Raptor with a trailer and a Ford Model A Hot Rod.
That being said, last year’s crop of supercar brands isn’t entirely excluded from 2016. Of the three, only Porsche makes a return with their Le Mans pit lane set, which also includes their Le Mans-winning Porsche 919 Hybrid and 917K. Talk about rubbing in their 2015 Le Mans victory to Audi.
Update: It appears that Brickset has taken down the images of their 2016 Speed Champions sets. But the sets are still listed in their 2016 collection.


FR Legends Is The Mobile Game You Need To Play

Racing video games have come a very long way since their humble beginnings. They have branched out into various different subcategories, from the more serious simulator type games to the more arcade type and open world titles. With mobile phones packing more processing power than a second generation Sony PlayStation, it's no surprise that videogames for mobile phones have also improved drastically in the casual gaming subcategory.
Drifting isn't a particularly well represented form of motorsport, especially in the video game space. It's great to watch in real life and even more fun to practice if you're lucky enough to have a front-engine rear wheel drive car, but in video games? Not quite as common. The controls can be finnicky at best, and they leave a lot to be desired. But perhaps casual gaming may be the answer to that, and FR Legends is the latest and greatest example.
FR Legends (FR stands for Front-engine, Rear-wheel drive as quite-nearly all drift cars are) is a game that's been in development for the last year or so, focusing on drifting. It offers a great deal of features although it is still undergoing a little more work, as evidence by two-thirds of the playable modes still being unreleased. Even so, there's a lot of fun to be had with a selection of seven cars and a huge number of possible modifications, from engines to aesthetics.
In-game currency can be earned by completing solo runs or competing in battles at various levels of AI difficulty. It can also be bought using real-world currency, although even if you choose to spend absolutely nothing on the game you can still progress fairly quickly if you're dedicated. Body damage can occur if you're not careful, and will require in-game currency to fix - although it has no impact on the car's performance.
You start the game with an approximation of a Nissan S13, and can choose to expand the slots in your garage to purchase other vehicles as well. For now, you can pick a Toyota GT86, Toyota Altezza, Toyota AE86 Trueno Liftback, BMW E30 M3, Toyota Chaser, or Toyota Mk 2. Each has different weights and handle slightly differently, and so perform better on some tracks than others. For now, three car-park based tracks are available for play, along with Irwindale Speedway, a tight school course based on a Japanese track, and Ebisu Minami.
The gameplay is fairly simple as well, with accelerometers being the preferred control scheme of choice. Turn the phone to control the angle of drift, and control the throttle, brakes, or handbrake by pressing different points on the screen. The learning curve is very shallow, and it doesn't take much time before you get used to the natural feel of this control layout and the gameplay itself. After a while, you'll find yourself having to repair the car less and less as you keep it out of the walls.
As it's still being developed, the AI can behave a little strange at times. Occasionally they will crash in front of you, and you will hopefully be able to avoid them. At times they may hit you, although once you upgrade the engine to sufficient power levels this becomes a very unlikely scenario. Despite this, there's a great sense of satisfaction when you complete a good battle and collect many imaginary monies, and the quick nature of each battle makes it easy to repeat and very addictive.
The game is available for both
Apple iOS
 and
Android
 based devices, in the App Store and Google Play Store respectively. There are in game purchases as mentioned earlier, but they are absolutely not necessary at this point in time and you can still have a great time without breaking the bank. That being said, once the addiction sets in you may find yourself reaching for that credit card to buy a couple of gold coins to make more space in the garage.


Worrying Sights Ahead Of KL City GP This Weekend, Here's Hoping All Is Fixed In Time

With the big weekend already here, pretty much, we’re starting to see a few too many worrying sights being posted on social media, which makes us wonder if we're really ready for the big race weekend, and be hopefully of it all coming together nicely, at the same time.
Just this morning, a practise session was believed to be cancelled, as Malaysian motorsports hero Tengku Djan Ley wrote on his Instagram account, saying that the safety walls were still being put up, and the session was axed. Kudos for putting safety first and all, but hey, this is all a bit last minute, eh?
Yesterday, we ourselves were at an event at the Hotel Maya in Kuala Lumpur, where the circuit runs right in front of, and the sections of the track walls there were still being left to be assembled later on - we understand that builders were on site around the clock last night, with many still there and pushing to get it all together in time for the racing.
Worryingly, a few more images like this one (see above) is being shared on social media, of a fans stand that's levelled upright by a stack of wood pieces. Again, we hope all this is a temporary measure while those in charge find a more secure standing for it. This image was taken just this morning.
Here's another image (above) sent in by a spectator of the on-going patchwork happening on site, on the very day participating cars were due to take to the circuit for their first practice laps. Do remember that this is the first time any of the competing drivers will have driven around this street circuit, and daylight is already running low, and with heavy rains prevent many from proper testing this morning till noon.
UPDATE: Here's a new photo of the track post-rainfall. This doesn't look good at all.
With the heavy rains, another shortcoming of the circuit was revealed: fans in the surrounding stands have little shelter overhead - some none at all - which should make it difficult for them to catch the race tomorrow should it rain.
We do recommend that you come prepared with the right attire, shoes and umbrella, if you want to stay on through the rains.
All in, we really wish the KL City GP pulls through. The idea of it is rather brilliant - having race cars tear through our KL city's streets - but it’s starting to seem that the execution of it isn’t up to par. Having driven through some portions of the track yesterday, we can’t help but share the rushing adrenalin that’ll be coursing through the veins of every driver out there this weekend, and we really do hope it all comes together.
So, in all sincerity, we say: Come on KL, let’s smash this one out of the park.
Here’s more news to keep you up to date on the KL City Grand Prix:
2015 KL City Grand Prix Race Schedule
Road Closures Ahead For KL City Grand Prix
Extra Trains At The Ready For KL City Grand Prix Weekend
KL City GP From A Driver's Perspective, Circuit Tour With Alex Yoong
The Rush Of Street Racing And The KL City Grand Prix - By Alex Yoong


Jaguar E-Pace Is Finally In Malaysia - Thank You For Your Patience

Jag’s baby SUV is here, after years of speculation and waiting. Does it bring enough to the table?

The most compact of
Jaguar
’s SUVs, the E-Pace, has now finally made its Malaysian debut after about 3 years of on-again, off-again rumours surrounding its local arrival. There were previously a few examples spied on our roads as recently as 2019, but its launch certainly took a more casual pace, excuse the pun.

Now that the E-Pace is on sale, the compact SUV will definitely see some stiff competition from the BMW X1, Volvo XC40, the Lexus UX, and the Mercedes-Benz GLA (which is a generation behind), especially as the fully imported Brit is priced rather steeply at RM403,216.

Mind you, this already has the 50% sales tax waiver applied. Ironically, that makes its cousin,
the new Range Rover Evoque
, the E-Pace’s fiercest rival.

For that much coin, the E-Pace does at least come well equipped. As standard, there are 20-inch wheels, automatic LED headlights, automatic wipers, keyless entry, a powered tailgate, as well as the Black Exterior Pack with darkened accents. However, body colour options are limited to either Yulong White or Firenze Red, both metallic.

Inside, there’s the usual lashings of grained leather upholstery, which are most pronounced on those seats that feature 14-way electric adjustment at the front. The 10-inch Touch Pro infotainment system is new and quite slick, but also has support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and outputs to a 380W Meridian Sound System.

Jaguar has added a 360-degree camera to the E-Pace along with Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning, a Driver Condition Monitor, and Rear Traffic Monitor. That is, of course, in addition to 6 airbags.

Up front, there’s a sole powertrain offering that comprises of a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol from JLR’s new Ingenium family of engines, producing 200PS and 320Nm at their respective peaks. Drive is sent through a ZF-sourced 9-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels, and the resulting 0-100km/h sprint can be dealt in a respectable 8.2 seconds.

Each new E-Pace also comes with the Jaguar Care programme which covers the SUV with a 5-year warranty that includes a 5-year free servicing and 3 years of free roadside assistance.


Mercedes-Benz Malaysia – Winning The Battle Against Recond Models

For a good part of the last decade or so, it is common knowledge that the majority of Mercedes-Benz vehicles in Malaysia were sold via parallel/grey importers rather than authorized Mercedes-Benz dealers.
Publically accessible data on the exact number of these so-called re-conditioned (recond) used cars (mostly from Japan/UK) are hard to come by but based on internal data gathered by
Carlist.my
, at its peak in 2015, up 50 percent of premium vehicles plying our roads are sold by grey importers.
Grey imported/reconditioned cars are a particular concern to principals like Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, not just because of the losses in unit sales, but also because the proliferation of grey-market Mercedes-Benz vehicles on the road that are not covered by manufacturer's warranty.
When something goes wrong with their cars, customers will still blame the Mercedes-Benz brand, irrespective of which channel did they bought their cars from. Often, they will insist that Mercedes-Benz service centres attend to them, which is not always possible because these cars were not sold by Mercedes-Benz Malaysia in the first place.
Today, the volume of reconditioned Mercedes-Benz cars have been reduced by more than half, thanks to a combination of savvy marketing by Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) and support from Malaysia's National Automotive Policy (NAP) in providing tax incentives for locally-assembled energy efficient vehicles (EEV).
Carlist.my
 recently had a chance to sit down with Mark Raine, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for Passenger Cars at Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, to understand a bit more on the topic.
The locally-assembled
Mercedes-Benz S400h
 – the first hybrid limousine to be assembled in Malaysia (in Pekan, Pahang) was MBM’s first strike to reclaim sales that would’ve otherwise been lost to cheaper parallel imports.
Priced at a duty exempted RM598,888 and packed with all the options, it undercuts parallel importers and effectively removed any demand for a parallel imported S-Class.
MBM then followed up its offering with highly competitively priced C-Class and E-Class models, also packed with features, including AMG-line variants. It then stepped up its game by offering a full range of niche ‘Dream Cars’ models.
“When I came in at the end of 2014, I did an extensive study to provide inputs to our strategy, and one of the points was combatting the grey market, which to me was unacceptable, and we’ve been quite open and upfront about it,” said Mark.
The first step was rather obvious, to identify products where grey importers are active in, which are not offered by MBM.
“For instance, there were a lot of recond CLA 250 that were coming in from Japan, and as you will remember, I did launch the CLA 250. There were a lot of SLKs too, we didn’t really actively sell the SLK but now we have launched the
SLC
.”
The second part of the plan was addressing the affordability of Mercedes-Benz cars. It is very clear that grey-importers were selling recond Mercedes-Benz cars at lower prices and since consumers don’t mind paying near new car prices for a used Mercedes-Benz, MBM began investing heavily into its certified pre-owned car division, known as Mercedes-Benz Proven Exclusivity. Mark revealed that the growth in its Proven Exclusivity cars is actually much higher than its new cars.
By offering a similarly low mileage almost-new Mercedes-Benz at lower prices, backed by manufacturer’s warranty and other privileges as a Mercedes-Benz customer, MBM have successfully removed much of the incentive for anyone to buy an unsupported recond Mercedes-Benz.
Financing is the final piece of the puzzle in MBM’s plan to reclaim sales from grey importers.
“Our efforts in providing financial services have helped because we have made to a certain degree, our products more affordable in terms of giving different financing options – from straight forward hire purchase, to Agility Financing and now Lease2Go. That was all part of our very extensive strategy to capture more of what used to be the recond car market,” added Mark.
Lease2Go
 is especially attractive because it allows you to drive a Mercedes-Benz with zero downpayment. Instead, one only needs to pay a monthly commitment, which at a glance, appears to be much higher than a regular hire purchase loan but that’s because the amount is inclusive of insurance and road tax, as well as additional tyre/rim warranty, plus the repayment period is just term of the lease is just 36 months.
The total repayment amount is significantly less than a regular hire purchase, effectively a form of guaranteed resale value so long as you return the car to MBM and sign-up for another lease the company.
The catch? There’s an annual mileage cap of up to 30,000 km, which is rather reasonable.
The Agility Financing option offers the same guaranteed resale value at the end of the lease term and has no annual mileage cap but requires a downpayment amount similar to a regular Hire Purchase plan.


Guangzhou 2018: Nissan Debuts ProPILOT In China Through All-New Teana Sedan

Nissan and Dongfeng Motor unveiled the all-new Teana to the Chinese market this morning. The all-new D-segment sedan made its global debut at the New York Autoshow earlier this year.
The Teana (天籁) name will only be used in characters due to the product's familiarity with the local consumers, as Nissan will be streamlining the mid-size sedan naming to Altima globally.
Similar to the engine line-up in North America, the all-new Teana will feature the
world’s first production-ready variable compression t
urbocharged petrol engine. Depending on driving conditions, the turbocharged 2.0-litre engine self-adjusts anywhere between a minimum compression ratio of 8:1 for added performance or a maximum of 14:1 for better fuel efficiency.
It's also the first model in China to offer Nissan's ProPILOT hands-on driver assistance system. The technology helps drivers stay centred in their lane, navigate stop-and-go traffic and maintain a set speed and distance to the vehicle ahead.
Exterior highlights in the all-new Nissan Teana include the large V-motion front grille, wrap-around rear windscreen pillar on the ‘floating’ C-pillar, 19-inch wheels, and LED lighting with boomerang-shaped signature graphics.


SPYSHOTS: 2016 Volkswagen Passat (B8) Spotted In Terengganu

Are
Volkswagen
 Group Malaysia already working on its all-new
Volkswagen Passat
 in Malaysia? We’re not surprised, given the company’s clear
intentions to unveil the car in full come end 2015
.
In any case, it’s pleasing to see the car under our shade of sunlight, snapped and shared by social networker,
Daniel
 (thanks buddy!), who saw the car out and about in Kerteh, Terengganu. What’s it doing all the way out there? That’s anyone’s guess at the moment, but one idea might be to keep out of view of eager motoring journalist.
Anyways…
If this is a unit belonging to Volkswagen Group Malaysia, we understand that it’s also likely one that’s fully imported, given details shared with us earlier this year that
Volkswagen Malaysia’s assembly plant in Pekan isn’t quite ready for MQB platform production
, just yet, but it will be in due time.
With the new architecture in place, the all-new Passat B8 is said also to be in a better position to more accurately contend with the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, rather than dwell just above Honda Accord territory – how it actually fares locally, is something we’ll have to wait on Volkswagen Malaysia to determine via its local prices first.
The all-new Passat itself measures somewhat similarly to its predecessor, but features noticeably shorter front and rear body overhangs – the new chassis stretches the car’s wheelbase further than before, but that’s something these photos don’t do justice to.
Looking at the car here itself, the rear is badges with a TSI BlueMotion lettering, which doesn’t really tell us much other than it is a petrol engine, with anything from a 1.4-litre turbo (TSI) all the way to a 2.0-litre turbo engine possible. Don’t go confusing this with the brand’s new Passat BlueMotion model, which was recently revealed with a 1.8-litre TDI (turbo diesel) four-pot that achieves fuel consumption figures in the region of 3.0-litres/100km.
Staying with the rear-end, it’s also a bit curious that this Passat is showing its twin-exhaust tips, where on the B8 images we saw at the car’s global debut, saw the Passat equipped with hexagonal shaped pipe surrounds, which were integrated into the rear bumper.
Either way, and as we said, it’s nice to see Volkswagen Malaysia keeping up to its promises to bring this car by the end of the year. We’re definitely at the edges of our seats for this one.


Save Up To RM50,000 In Overtrade When You Trade-In Your Car For A VW

Between now until 31-January 2016, Volkswagen Malaysia will be running an Overtrade Programme for owners of all makes of cars who want to trade in their current car for a selected new Volkswagen models.
This festive promotion by Volkswagen Malaysia allows all vehicles, regardless of model and brand the chance of an overtrade, but will be subject to prior inspection by authorized Volkswagen dealers who will make the final decision on the overtrade vehicle acceptance.
To qualify for this programme, all vehicle registrations must be completed within the promotion period. This promotion is subject to change without prior notice.
The actual amount of overtrade quoted varies, depending on the Volkswagen model that the buyer is intending to purchase. Refer to the table below:
An overtrade is the additional amount that the dealer is willing to pay you when you buying your current car off you, when you purchase a new car from the dealer.
For example, you currently own a five-year old Toyota Vios, whose market value is about say RM40,000. You wish to trade-in your old Vios for a new Volkswagen Jetta that was manufactured in 2014. Normally, you can only hope to get slash RM40,000 off the Jetta but now you can expect to overtrade in your Vios for an additional RM32,000, slashing the price of the RM134,888 Jetta by RM72,000. Meaning that you only need to pay RM62,888 for your Jetta.


Finally, Mazda Makes A SkyActiv Turbo – World’s First Dynamic Pressure Turbo

After years of saying no to turbocharging, Mazda has finally joined the forced induction club. The SkyActiv-G 2.5T engine will make its global debut in the
all-new 2016 Mazda CX-9
, which will go on sale in the US sometime around the third quarter of 2016.
The 2.5-litre 250 PS at 5,000 rpm (227 hp for Japanese market version) and 420 Nm (at 2,000 rpm) SkyActiv-G 2.5T engine will replace the previous CX-9’s Ford-sourced 3.7-litre naturally aspirated V6 engine.
While many turbocharged engines use variable geometry turbine turbos, Mazda have opted to develop its own alternative solution to combat turbo lag – a major problem with turbocharged engines.
Mazda’s solution is called Dynamic Pressure Turbo, a world’s first system that allows the SkyActiv-G 2.5T to vary the degree of exhaust pulsation depending on engine speed.
At low rpms (below 1620 rpm), the volume of the exhaust ports is reduced by closing a series of valves located just before the turbine that drives the turbocharger. Mazda says this solution reduces interference between exhaust pulses and maximizes the energy of each pulse to obtain a high turbine driving force. At higher rpms there is sufficient energy in the exhaust flow and the valves open, allowing the turbine to be driven by a steady flow of exhaust gases as in a traditional turbocharger.
While naturally aspirated SkyActiv-G engines have a compression ratio of between 14.5:1 to 15.0:1, the SkyActiv-G 2.5T has a lower 10.5:1 compression ratio due to its turbocharging. The figure is still very high for a forced induction engine – Mazda says it’s one of the highest for turbocharged engines, and that it still runs on regular petrol.
The engine’s bore size is the same as regular naturally aspired SkyActiv engines, at 89 mm.


Perodua To Centralise Parts Production For Older Models Under One Roof

Perodua is centralising parts production for its past models with the launch of a new press stamping machine at its supplier, IQM Sdn Bhd’s facility in Tanjung Malim.

The move is one of Perodua’s many initiatives with its suppliers to help expand their business and capabilities, bringing them one step closer to becoming global automotive suppliers.

A RM7 million investment on the machine, including its transportation and installation, was made by Perodua entirely.

The 1,600-metric tonne hydraulic press stamping machine will produce body parts such as bonnets, side outer panels, rear quarter panels, fenders, doors and roofs for past Perodua models like the first-generation Myvi, Viva, Kelisa and even the Kancil.

According to Perodua, this move frees up much-needed space in Perodua’s plants, simplifies the entire operation, reduces lead time and cost, and makes it easier to monitor the process as everything takes place under one roof.

Perodua also assists IQM in terms of skill transfer and training where past model parts production is concerned.

Since 1994, Perodua has sold over 3.7 million cars in Malaysia and currently, a third of the demand for Perodua parts is actually for older models.

With all its current models having over 90% local parts content, Perodua is naturally the biggest buyer of automotive components in the country, having spent RM4.5 billion on parts so far this year out of an earmarked RM5.4 billion for the whole of 2019.

IQM has been a Perodua supplier since 2002. It currently supplies metal stamping, body assembly parts and brake tube components to Perodua. It began making Viva parts when production of the model ended in 2014, and last year it began making parts for the second-generation Myvi on a dedicated new line.

Looking for a new Perodua? Find the best deals
here
.


Jakarta 2017: Mitsubishi Xpander Launched – 6 Variants In Indonesia, 1.5L, 5MT, 4AT

More on the all-new
Mitsubishi Xpander B-segment MPV reported this morning
 from the ongoing Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show 2017. Mitsubishi’s entry-level seven-seater received its official launch for the Indonesia market at the event with six variants priced between INR 189 and 245 million.
The Xpander measures 4,475 mm long by 1,750 mm wide, making it one of the biggest MPVs in its class. Only the Honda BR-V (4,456 mm by 1,735 mm) and Nissan Grand Livina (4,485 mm by 1,700 mm), whose replacement is reportedly set to be based on the Xpander, can boast comparable dimensions in both length and width.
Powering the Xpander is Mitsubishi’s 1.5-litre 4A91 four-cylinder MIVEC petrol engine with rated outputs of 104 PS and 141 Nm. Customers have a choice of pairing the engine with a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic.
A total of five trim levels are available – GLS, GLX, Exceed, Sport, and Ultimate. The lower-specced GLS and GLX are manual only, Exceed can be had in conjunction with either transmission, whilst the range-topping Sport and Ultimate comes exclusive with automatic transmission.
All variants of the Xpander in Indonesia come standard with ABS, EBD, dual frontal airbags, and ISOFIX anchors. Brake assist, hill start assist, and electronic stability control, however, are exclusive to the Sport and Ultimate variants only.
Equipment levels of the Xpander in Indonesia are as follows:
GLX M/T (INR 189,050,000)
185/65 R15 tyres, steel wheels
Tilt & telescopic steering
Fabric seats
No audio
Halogen headlamp, LED position lamp
LED tail lamps
Multi-info display – monochromic
Electric side mirror adjust
Immobilizer
12V power socket (x2)
ABS, EBD
Dual frontal airbags
ISOFIX
GLS M/T (INR 208,550,000)
 adds:
185/65 R15 tyres, alloy wheels
2 DIN audio: AM/FM, CD, MP3, USB, AUX-IN, 4 speakers
Front fog lamp
Welcome light / coming home light
Exceed M/T (INR 214,550,000)
and
A/T (INR 224,950,000)
add:
205/55 R16 tyres, alloy wheels
Steering-mounted controls
High grade fabric seats
Seat height adjustment
Power-folding side mirror
12V power socket (x3)
Sport A/T (INR 237,150,000)
Silver bumper accents
Chrome front grille
Silver front foglamp bezel
Leather-wrapped gear knob
6-speakers
Colour LCD multi-info display
Auto-folding side mirrors
Keyless entry
Brake assist
Hill start assist
Electronic stability control
Ultimate A/T (INR 245,350,000)
Mobile phone handsfree.
Wood dashboard trim
2 DIN touchscreen
Reverse camera


VIDEO: The 95 Percent Recyclable BMW i3 Leads The Charge In Sustainability

With 95 percent of BMW i3’s parts being recyclable, you can’t deny that this car was made with this purpose squarely in mind. Steffen Aumann, Head of the Group Recycling and Dismantling Centre, gives the world a look into his world.
BMW
’s copious use of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) in the i3’s construction not only produces a lighter car, but makes the panels and other parts very easy to repurpose. The other aluminium bits, too, are very recyclable, such as its chassis and wheels. This considered approach that the German automaker has taken is something that should be common practice for all cars going forward. More and more parts need to be recyclable across every manufacturer to lessen our dependencies on ore mining. And given how much metal the automotive industry uses, steady progress goes a long way.
The video shows that the car’s various explosive components, the front and side airbags, being dealt with first. Then it’s on to the battery, the various electronics and the comparatively fragile and material-rich cell housings are safely handled in their own way off camera.
Next, off come the doors and extracting the CFRP panels and reprocessing (shredding) them into pliable mats that can reused. From there, the mats can find new life in other BMW i3s or other models. I’m sure they would want to take as much material and manufacturing know-how they’ve learned here and apply it into their more mainstream cars like the
3-Series
 and
5-Series
.
Kudos to BMW for not only breaking new ground with their innovative ‘i’ models of forward-looking vehicles, but manufacturing these new class of vehicles with sustainability as a top-tier priority.
Video by TestDriven


Classroom Notes: BMW Driver Training 2016 – Advanced Programme

BMW
 prides itself on building dynamic cars for the enthusiasts. Whilst this trait is often associated with performance driving, there is also a safety aspect to it: a vehicle with sound dynamics loses control less frequently and is therefore less of a liability in an emergency situation.
Yet, as the saying also goes, a vehicle is only as safe as its driver; which is why BMW regularly organizes driver training courses at various locations across the world. One of the most highly sought after driver training programmes in the market, the BMW Driver Training course has established itself as a firm fixture in BMW Group Malaysia’s customer activity calendar with several trainings held each year conducted by certified instructors.
There are a number of other defensive and advanced driver training programmes from third parties and other car makes as well. If you have the time and money, we highly recommend spending a weekend at any one of these courses to pick up some useful driving tips that can one day save your life.
Additionally, these driver training programmes provide a safe and controlled environment in which you can explore the outer limits of your driving capabilities without putting yourself or bystanders in danger. Besides, they generally are a lot of fun.
We spent a day last week sharpening our skills at the Advanced level of BMW Driver Training programme, and here’s what we learned:
Course Structure –
Lesson begins with an hour-long theory session teaching participants the basics of good driving. The theory class concludes with a demonstration on proper seat adjustment before participants adjourn to the practical exercises.

The modular nature of the programme mean that instructors mix and match the sequence of events in the best way to give each participant maximum allowable practice time for every exercise.
Slalom:
Always the first exercise in any defensive or advanced driving course. The slalom is used to get participants started on using the correct steering technique. A good driver should be able to negotiate the entire length of the slalom without needing to use the brakes.
Emergency Lane Change:
Accelerate along a straight line up to 60km/h and swerve (without using the brakes) to avoid an obstacle cone placed along the path. The surrounding directional cones only give about 3 metres of maneuvering room either side of the obstacle cone. Three metres may seem wide, but at 60 km/h, it is an exceedingly slim margin. Of the many defensive/advanced driving course exercise I’ve tried over the years, this is one of the most challenging ones; out of half a dozen run, my car was able to successfully avoid the obstacle only once. If there was to be one exercise in the programme that needed more repetitions, this would be it.

Straight Line Hard Braking:
Straight forward exercise also featured in almost all driving courses we’ve attended. Accelerate along a straight line, and slam the brakes hard to bring the car to a complete stop. Objective of this exercise is to get participants to experience utilizing full braking force in an emergency situation. It also serves to illustrate how braking distance increases with speed, and also to demonstrate the vehicle’s stability in being able to keep a straight line under severe braking.
Brake-Steer-Avoid:
A combination of the emergency lane change and straight-line hard braking exercises. Driver accelerates along a straight line, slam the brakes hard and steer to bring the vehicle to a complete stop at the adjacent lane. This exercise serves to demonstrate how ABS helps a vehicle retain directional control even under full braking.
Skid Pad – Understeer:
 Driver enters a long-sweeping slippery bend at progressively high speeds. This exercise illustrates how excessive speed into a corner leads to understeer regardless of the vehicle’s drivetrain configuration.
Skid Pad – Oversteer:
Opposite to the exercise on understeer, the driver enters the same long-sweeping bend at low speed with electronic stability control deactivated and then asked to abruptly apply full power on the turn. As is the case in most driver training programmes, this exercise is typically most enjoyed by participants.

Timed Gymkhana:
 Putting the day’s lessons to use in a simple gymkhana exercise featuring slalom, long-sweeping bend, and precision hard-braking to completely stop the vehicle inside a designated box.
Track Fascination:
 Taxi ride round Sepang track by the instructors.
Important Takeaways
Runflat Tyres Cannot be Repaired:
 BMW vehicles have been fitted with runflat tyres for over a decade now. The stiffened sidewalls of these tyres allow them to be driven at speeds up to 80km/h over a distance of 80km – allowing you to get yourself to a nearby tyre shop without having to stop. BMW regards this is as much a feature of safety as it is convenience, but they do come at a price though. Besides being costlier than regular tyres, runflat tyres are also not supposed to be patched after a puncture because the integrity of the sidewalls would have been compromised. That
two-year tyre warranty
 certainly comes in handy.
Importance of a Good Seating Position:
The BMW Driver Training programme places strong emphasis on finding a good seating position for the driver. A properly seated driver is able to exert the appropriate level of strength to effectively operate the relevant controls at all times – particularly useful in an emergency. Also, a good seating position minimizes injury risk in the event of an accident.
Why BMWs Don’t Come with Adjustable Seatbelt Anchors:
 All BMW vehicles, right up to the
7 Series
, do not come with height-adjustable seatbelt anchors. This omission is not an act of stinginess on BMW’s part, but rather the company’s belief that a fixed anchor holds the passenger more securely in a crash than an adjustable one, even if a locking mechanism is in place.
Steering Technique –
Push-pull vs 9-3
:
 There are primarily two schools of thought with regards to steering technique. Driving schools advocate the push-pull method, whilst others favour the 9-3 hand-over-hand approach. In my personal experience, I alternate between both, but the BMW curriculum firmly favours the latter. This approach, they argue, allows the driver to better judge the amount of lock applied to the steering and also to respond quicker in an emergency.
Oversteer vs Understeer:
 Many people assume that understeer is inherent only FWD vehicles and oversteer applies only to RWD vehicles. Truth is that a FWD vehicle is more likely to understeer and RWD more likely to oversteer, the opposite is just as likely to happen. In the simplest terms, understeer happens simply because the front tyres lose grip whilst oversteer happens when grip is lost at the rear.
Braking Distance:
 For the science buffs among us, kinetic energy increases proportionally with the square of your velocity. Your vehicle’s stopping distance, meanwhile, is directly proportional to the amount of kinetic energy which your vehicle is currently carrying. In English, it means doubling your speed quadruples your stopping distance in any given vehicle; a speed increase from 50 to 70km/h doubles yours stopping distance.
Importance of Electronic Stability Control:
 Other than the oversteer skidpad exercise, it is worth noting that all the practical modules of the BMW Advanced Driver Training programme were performed with the vehicle’s electronic stability control switched on. Because of the rapid and precise nature which this system works, it can stabilize the vehicle in a way that most human drivers could not manage. The message simply, is this, don’t switch your vehicle’s stability control systems off unless you are in a controlled environment.
The above tips are useful pointers which you can put into practice or keep in mind for your everyday driving, but nothing beats experiencing it yourself. As driving enthusiasts, we wholeheartedly recommend participation in the BMW Driver Training to anyone with a driving license. Life is a continuous learning experience, and safe driving is one subject that we indeed should never stop learning about. Programmes like the BMW Driver Training gives you a safe and controlled environment in which you can explore the outer limits of your driving capabilities guided by the hands of professionals.


LA 2018: Porsche Unveils All-New 911, Described As Digital For The First Time

What a connected world we live in, when the first three words that Porsche uses to describe their all-new 911 are "powerful", "faster", and "digital". It speaks volumes that a company which has prided itself on sports car manufacturing is stepping into the digital world, although it speaks more about the current car climate and what's fast becoming a necessity more than an option. Consider it the first step towards a true fully autonomous solution.
Still though, it's not something you would see describing a 911. On a Panamera or a Cayenne, sure, we could see those cars being champions of autonomy along with the Taycan - just not Porsche's thoroughbred. In any case, this all-new 911 is still an iterative step forward for the three-digit namesake, as it always has been, both in terms of outright performance and chassis development. This generation is known as the 992, which is going to make things a little confusing down the line given that 993, 996, and 997 are already taken.
For now, Porsche is only spilling the beans on the Carrera S models. Development with the turbocharged flat-six engines introduced with the mid-life refresh of the 991 generation 911 sees the power outputs climb to 450 PS, which is astronomical considering they exceed the GT3 models of old, and some of the older 911 Turbos. This is roughly 30 PS more than the outgoing model, thanks to improved direct injection strategies and a new layout for the turbochargers and cooling systems.
The Carrera S does 0-100 km/h in 3.7 seconds, while the Carrera 4S completes it in 3.6 seconds - both being 0.4 seconds faster than before. Ticking the Sport Chrono Package option drops that time by a further 0.2 seconds. Drive sedately and the Carrera S can sip fuel at 8.9 litres per 100 km, and the Carrera 4S does slightly worse at 9.0 litres per 100 km. It's these two figures that are the driving force behind the move to forced induction, after all, so it's still worth a mention.
From the design perspective, the new 911 has cleaner lines than before, with a consolidated body-width across all the variants rather than the rear-wheel drive variants having narrower bodies. There's more emphasis on the design element running right across the rear, and the front end is 45 mm wider as well. 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels sit under these massive, powerful arches, with an all aluminium outer skin around and between. Oh, and the deployable spoiler is much wider too.
The dashboard sees a little bit of cleaning up, with neater straighter lines that hark back to a time when 911s were more driver focused than a balance of luxury and performance. Don't let that fool you: the central tachometer is flanked by two free-floating circular displays that can be configured to show the right information for the driver. The centre screen is much wider at 10.9-inches, with capacitive touch functionality for seamless operation.
To expand the range of usable conditions, Porsche for the first time has introduced a Wet mode. The system detects water on the road and changes the programming of safety and control systems, as well as warning the driver - all at the touch of a steering-wheel mounted button. Autonomous braking is also included as standard, which helps reduce the risk of collision in unforeseen circumstances. Adaptive cruise control functionality and a Night Vision Assist are also available as options.
Here's where we get to the connected part. The Porsche Communication Module, or PCM as it's known, has finally stepped into this day and age - properly. It uses swarm data to help with navigation. Sound like a fancier version of Waze? It probably is, but that's alright - you don't need a phone holder blocking the view out of the front windscreen. Functions and services are permanently connected as well, which pairs well with smartphones.
Porsche is rolling out three apps: Porsche Road Trip, Porsche 360+, and Porsche Impact. The first is one that helps you plan the perfect roadtrip with your 911, offering curated routes with exclusive hotel and restaurant recommendations, as well as points of interests and viewpoints. The second is to help you stay in charge of your life, functioning as a personal assistant of sorts, giving you the Porsche experience even when away from your vehicle. And the last, well, that's for measuring fuel consumption - and to allow more affluent customers to invest in various internationally certified climate projects.
And that's it for the 992 generation 911, at least for now. Over the months and years Porsche will release more variants and limited run models, as well as the GT series variants that enthusiasts are always so keen to see. There may not be as much technical information on the 992 as you might expect from Porsche, but perhaps they also understand that their market is shifting and new owners of Porsches are more concerned with the holistic experience than knowing how many millimetres a double wishbone has changed in length.


SPIED: A More Extreme Ferrari F12. Our First Glimpse At A Speciale, GTO?

We doubt there’s been a person that has experienced the
Ferrari

F12
 and stepped out thinking it was slower than it should be. But that won’t stop the Italian outfit from making even their fastest of cars even faster.
Just look at the LaFerrari FXX K, as an example. But notching down from the hypercars, Ferrari has always had a fast GT. Right now that slot belongs to the F12 Berlinetta, as it did the
599 GTB
 before it, and the 575M Maranello before that.
Ferrari has, as usual, gone to some lengths to keep their upcoming beefed-up F12 under wraps until they decide it is ready for public viewing, but some eagle-eyed observers were able to capture an image of the car entirely uncamouflaged at the Ferrari HQ compound in Maranello. The image was subsequently uploaded to the
Cavallino Rampante
 Facebook page.
At a glance, there are some obvious differences to the standard F12 Berlinetta, such as the added air vents on the rear wheel arches and the carbon front fender vent. As goes the larger rear diffuser, carbon exhaust surrounds, and a more pronounced rear spoiler. The wheels, too, are of a similar shade and design to those found on the Ferrari 599 GTO.
Ferrari 599 GTO
This more aggressive and track-focused F12 will doubtless be made lighter than the standard car with copious use of carbon fibre and/or titanium, thinner plastic windows instead of glass, as well as numerous comforts, insulation, and equipment being omitted.
Under the hood, what ultimately powers the lighter and harder F12 is a mystery but we’re inclined to suspect it is Ferrari’s 6.3-litre V12 but tuned to deliver more power than the standard car’s already lofty 730hp.
Some reports suggest that Ferrari is planning to unveil this new F12 as soon as the upcoming 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show alongside their new
488 Spider
, a roofless version of their
recently launched 488 GTB
.
Here's a closer look at the tentatively dubbed Ferrari F12 GTO. Feel free to make up your own mind about what Ferrari has in the oven.


New Lexus ES Debuts - Adds New 2.0-litre DI Engine

Lexus' best-selling ES model has just been given a mid-life update and now adds a new 2.0-litre normally aspirated direct injection engine.
Previewed at today's opening of Auto Shanghai 2015, the new 2016 Lexus ES made its global debut alongside the
Lexus RX200t
.
Also new in the updated ES is a new 2.0-litre direct injection engine for the ES200, a new variant to the ES range. Lexus did not reveal which engine is this but we believe that it should be the new 2.0-litre 6AR-FSE VVT-iW engine that features port and direct injection, as well as a very sophisticated valvetrain that is able to switch between Atkinson and Otto cycle combustion on the fly.
The new engine will only be available in certain markets. Lexus has confirmed that China, Russia and Taiwan will be getting the new engine but not USA.
The new front-design features a more distinctive daytime running light pattern, new LED projector headlights, as well a more prominent Lexus spindle grille.
Inside, Lexus' signature Shimamoku steering wheel, which was first introduced in the Lexus LS, and later the GS, now graces the ES' interior. In the Lexus LS, the Shimamoku steering wheel takes 38 days to create, using Japanese craftmanship techniques.
Interior trimmings have also been updated, with a new leather boot-enclosed gear selector. The car's Remote Touch Interface (RTI) control has also been improved and now adds “Enter” buttons on either side of the interface controller.


Toll Restructuring Not PH Policy, Started In 2002 - Works Minister

In a recent statement, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof has sought to clarify/confirm/assert that the
initiative for toll restructuring
 actually began 20 years ago in 2002 during the Barisan Nasional (BN) era, or 16 years prior to the formation of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.

This stands in apparent contradiction to another recent statement made by
PH
 leaders who themselves claim that the move against raising toll fares for four road tolls was based upon a 2019 policy to fulfil an election promise to bring living costs down with the ultimate intent of abolishing tolls altogether, one that was widely credited as a contributing factor to their win in 2018 general election.

Who Takes Credit?

For added context, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Yaakob said early this week that four toll concessions in the Klang Valley will be taken over by directly the government via the establishment of a new private entity, Amanat Lebuhraya Rakyat (ALR) as part of yet another restructuring exercise.

These four toll roads involved are comprised of the Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS),
SMART Tunnel
, SPRINT highway, and the Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP). The irony is that this move is similar to that pursued by the PH administration years ago, which also drew its fair share of criticisms.

Fadillah said that the 2002 restructuring plan involved the Works Ministry along with other relevant government agencies to negotiate with highway concessionaires:

“The strategy of this structuring negotiation was to take into account the following matters: reduce inter-city highway toll rates in stages, the rising cost of living, the concession companies’ commitment (loan), the impact on government liabilities (compensation) and the highway toll rates,” he said.

“For example, the Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP) toll rate was restructured to its current rate in 2007. Apart from that, some toll plazas have been abolished, among them were Slim River, Perak in 1993; Senai, Johor Baru in 2004; Salak Jaya Toll Plaza and Sungai Besi Highway (Besraya) in 2009; the one-way Kg Medan Toll Plaza and Lebuhraya Baru Pantai in 2011; the one-way Lebuhraya Cheras-Kajang Toll Plaza in 2012; and the Federal Highway, Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah, and the Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) in Johor in 2018,” he added.

A Better Deal?

Fadillah also mentioned the estimated acquisition costs of the concession companies needed to implement this restructuring is RM5.48 billion, which he points out as being RM720 million lower than the offer submitted by the Ministry of Finance in 2019 (RM6.2 billion), adding that it was more appropriate that the government ensured
no increase in toll rates
 which did not incur cash compensation.

“This guarantee would have exposed the government to financial risks where the monies collected from the people would also be used to bear the risk. Apart from that, evidence that a 30 percent discount would be given is also enforceable by any government, subject to payment of compensation. I would like to emphasise here that as a responsible government, the government should not use the allocation that should be used to provide facilities to the people as compensation.


Singaporean family caught 'humping' car while refuelling

Another day, another viral video of a Singaporean-registered car being refuelled here in Malaysia with some pretty crazy antics.

This time around, it's a family of four that's 'shaking things up' at a Caltex petrol station somewhere in Johor Bahru. We don't know who started this trend, but the habit of bouncing the vehicle up and down while refuelling seems to give the idea that the tank can be filled with more petrol this way. One thing is for sure, it's entertaining.

Even 'grandma' played her role

While this is nothing new (a sad truth, unfortunately), the family of four which consisted of three young individuals and a slightly more mature lady were caught on camera performing this refuelling ritual.

To be fair, most of the humping and shaking was done by the two younger gentlemen while the older woman was merely there to be a part of the whole shenanigan as the final individual did her bid to fill up the car with as much RON 97 petrol as she could. And that went on for around 2 minutes in one of the unedited videos currently going viral.

RON 97 getting cheaper in Malaysia

At the end of the day, it's all about the fuel price difference between Malaysia and Singapore. Currently, the cheapest RON 95 in Singapore is $2.70/litre, which is around RM8.80 - way more expensive than this week's RON 97 price here in Malaysia at RM3.35/litre.

No matter who you are or where you come from, it's the same everywhere - everyone loves a good deal. And when there's a good deal, one will try to milk it as much as possible, even if it means asking for your grandmother's help to 'hump' the car together as a family while pumping petrol.


Lotus In Malaysia: We Blew It

After a journey of 25 years, Lotus will be bidding farewell to the Elise and Exige nameplates to make way for a new range of cars sprouted from their revised roadmap
under Geely ownership
. In these two decades, we were witness to one of the all-time great driver’s cars.

Seeing as how we demand to be coddled by every safety feature imaginable and how electric cars are creeping into the fore, making burdensome batteries, cheap speed, and zero effort driving the norm, it’s not an exaggeration to say that there will
never be a car like this again
: pure, unapologetic, lightweight.

Lotus’ history was incredibly/infamously colourful just before the British sports car maker found themselves under the wing of a still-fledging Malaysian automaker in the mid-1990s. Strange as it may sound, Proton taking majority ownership of Lotus from then-Bugatti owner Romano Artioli gave them some much-needed stability.

About 2 years after that, in 1998, Lotus launched the Elise, which was soon to simultaneously reverse their failing fortunes (to some degree) by being their
most successful and most significant new model ever
. The Targa-topped two-door roadster itself was pretty tiny and constructed using a fibreglass composite body bonded to an extruded aluminium chassis.

It was never the most costly or sophisticated method, but it did ensure its lightweight, as did its spartan interior and lack of creature comforts, and Lotus was indeed willing to sacrifice refinement for ultimate agility knowing its customers weren’t going to care. The Elise was also pretty affordable relative to its other models back then and came when it seemed like the company had lost its way somewhat.

In 1998, the Hethel-based company were still mostly known for the Esprit, which at the time in Series 4 form had recently been fitted with a 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine to keep up with the Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Porsches of the day. Lotus were still under the delusion that they could convince supercar buyers to walk past the Italians and the Germans. The Elan, meanwhile, was front-driven and therefore all kinds of wrong.

Despite the Elise’s smaller footprint, thinner tyres, and meagre 120hp from a 1.8-litre Rover K-Series four-cylinder, it could offer its driver levels of adrenaline, precision, and immediacy that were unbeatable even by cars costing 10 times more, all wrapped in a package that was easy to drive in town and park.

The years that followed the Series 1 Elise were all about refining the formula alongside a more hardcore hardtop variant called the Exige. The far more reliable and higher-revving Toyota ZZ engines replaced the ageing Rover units from 2001 onwards with the Series 2, which were introduced alongside a very welcome design refresh.

The Series 3 in 2010 was the final major iteration of both cars and perfected the non-intercooled supercharger from the Elise SC, introduced at a late stage of the previous generation. Though the car underneath remained quite similar, not much tweaking was needed to keep the competition at bay - they were none.

Instead, Lotus shifted much of its development
focus to the Exige
, which grew out from under the Elise’ shadow into a larger car dimensionally to incorporate the larger subframe needed to support the supercharged 3.5-litre Toyota V6 it gained from the Evora S. This boost in performance (up to 350hp) also gave the Exige much broader horizons as it was now able to truly outpace - and often outrun - much more expensive sports cars on the straights while it routinely shamed supercars around corners.

In an unexpected turn of events, the conceptual Elise was split into two with the Exige shouldering the burden as both the company’s hardcore track muncher as well as their more grown-up open-top grand tourer in plusher Exige V6 Roadster form. The vanilla Elise was still on sale, of course, and offered the same core thrills it did before, just at slower speeds compared to its larger fraternal twin.

Despite being the best equipped and most competent of the species, these ‘Final Edition’ versions of the Exige and Elise are a pale recounting of their greatest hits from the past 20-ish years. They are adorned with unique exterior colours and trimmings, new suspension components and powertrain upgrades, but the mere fact that these cars are facing extinction is rather tragic, more so when knowing that there aren’t similar models due to replace them.

Thankfully, Lotus hasn’t specified a production limit for these Final Edition Elises and Exiges, merely underlining 2021 as the last year both models will be made. For now, it seems as we have another 10 months to scoop up the best versions of the brand’s best cars.

Hats off to those who did buy an Elise, an Exige, or even an Evora during the time Lotus was still under Proton. You were braver than most of us, and in return, you were able to own a car that delivers a driving experience of uncommon purity.

In hindsight with
Geely now at the reins
, it seemed that so little was done to champion the brand among Malaysians. Proton proudly - or exploitatively - stuck a ‘Handling by Lotus’ badge on their cars to piggyback on the British firm’s mastery of the art of vehicle dynamics.

Apart from only a handful of instances, the association between Proton-Lotus only ever seemed to yield benefits for the former. Very few - or none at all - attempts were made to truly weave the Lotus brand into the Malaysian community of car lovers and enthusiasts - all of whom were potential customers.

Ironically, their cars always remained a little too expensive for most due to the same protectionism policies set up to shield their parent company.

Now that every Lotus location in Malaysia is shut down, it has also left behind a rather pitiful sales record, meaning that those of us wishing to sample the ownership experience for ourselves have very few choices on the used market.

With access to Lotus so close to home just a few years ago, we didn’t know how good we had it. Were we just too distracted to appreciate them and their cars, or was there so little done to capture our attention in the first place?

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Don’t Just Say It, Prove It – This Is How The Mitsubishi Triton Proves Its Worth

Today’s pick-up truck market is one of the most competitive automotive segments in Malaysia. What used to be a two-way tussle between a Ford Ranger and a Mitsubishi Storm L200 has now grown into a large scale six-way battle.
While the scale of the competition is now three times bigger than before, the script remains the same. Each brand makes their own bold claims, fancy TV commercials, touts of class-leading performance etc, but the claims are all accompanied by fine prints, disclaimers explaining that the tests were conducted in a controlled environment.
That’s understandable, but when challenged to prove their claims in the real world, the bravado projected in their brochures is replaced with a sheepish response, usually related to cost, because throwing discounts and getting stuck in the vicious cycle of a price war is somehow seen by these brands as a better way to spend limited marketing money than proving their truck’s mettle.
Which brings us to Mitsubishi Motors, the brand that for at least one generation of consumers, was analogous to the Paris-Dakar Rally in the same way Land Rover was to the Camel Trophy.
With the Paris-Dakar rally no more (the new one in South America doesn’t count), it is heartening to see Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) taking the lead to continue to use motorsports to promote its products – in this case, the
Borneo Safari Challenge
, said to be one of the toughest 4x4 events in the world.
In fact, MMM’s participation in the Borneo Safari is even braver than its parent company’s participation in the Paris-Dakar Rally, because they are attempting an off-road challenge that’s just as difficult, if not more, with less money, and near-standard cars that’s not too different from the Tritons sold in Mitsubishi showrooms.
With enough money and equipment, there is no mountain that’s too high to scale. But signing up for the challenge using the standard showroom cars with only the barest modifications just so it meets the event’s regulations, and putting up claims made in brochures to the test in the real world; that’s a genuine stamp of approval that money can’t buy.
In fact, MMM was so adamant on keeping the modifications to a minimum that they denied requests by their East Malaysian team to remap the engine’s electronic control unit to produce more power.
It doesn’t matter whether the modifications are visible or not, the Triton has to prove that it is the best pick-up truck in the market as it is. Whatever modifications made to the car - bigger tyres, high-lift suspensions, winches, bull bars, high discharge 12V battery, auxiliary engine oil cooler, snorkel breather and auxiliary lights - were only there because they are either compulsory fitments or are highly recommended by the event organizer.
The 2.4-litre MIVEC lightweight aluminum alloy block engine and 4WD transmission with Hybrid LSD are exactly the same as the ones fitted to customers’ cars. Remember that the Tritons are entering the event as a full-fledged participant, not just sitting on the sidelines as scout or support vehicle, which some manufacturers do to gain publicity without putting their trucks to the true test.
Five other privately entered Tritons both from past and current generations also tagged along for the challenge.
Unlike their parent company’s participation in the Paris Dakar Rally, MMM’s entry into the Borneo Safari is not backed by a million dollar budget. There are no helicopters or support crews following behind.
The MMM team are on their own, relying on their own wits, basic set of tools and the durability of their Tritons to get them  through. There will be no support crew to deliver parts to them if their Triton broke down.
To make matters worse, the event’s medical supply car, a Toyota Land Cruiser (because what other car would you trust to use as your medical supply car right?) chewed through its rear axle’s pinion gear by the third day into the event, effectively making it a front-wheel drive vehicle.
In the days leading up to the failure, all the cars in the convoy had already driven through very extreme terrain that threatened to damage their transmissions. The trail was so difficult to pass through that the convoy had only managed to cover just 6 km on their first day. 6 km in one day! A marathon runner covers twice the distance in just a few hours.
After nearly a week and 1,000 km of rough jungle trails in one of the toughest jungle trails in the world, not a single Triton was left behind. All four of MMM’s cars and five other privately entered Tritons survived to tell the tale of Borneo Safari 2016.
When asked to sum up about the Triton’s performance, one of the drivers in the MMM team ( a veteran 4x4 event participant but not an employee of MMM) summed it “Saya minta, dia kasi…” Yes, ask and you shall receive - that’s probably the finest and shortest conclusion for any car review.
The Triton may not wow as much as its peers on paper, as Mitsubishi favours old school mechanicals over fancy electronics, but as proven for the second time in two years of MMM’s participation in the Borneo Safari, this is a setup that works wells in the real world.
So if you are looking to buy a pick-up truck, remember that claims made on paper – on horsepower numbers, class leading performance, etc. – are of little value if they can’t be proven or translated into actual traction and driving performance in the real world of the Borneo Safari.
The Mitsubishi Triton line-up in Malaysia is as follows:
Triton Quest 4x2 Manual – RM73,438
Triton 4x4 Manual – RM88,997
Triton VGT 4x4 Manual – RM102,619
Triton VGT 4x4 Automatic – RM109,446
Triton VGT Adventure 4x4 Automatic – RM118,198
Triton VGT Adventure X 4x4 Automatic – RM125,005
Prices quoted are for private registrations in Peninsular Malaysia, inclusive of GST but excluding insurance.
Read also:
Borneo Safari 2016: Man And Method vs The Jungles Of Borneo


FINALLY : Ferrari LaFerrari vs McLaren P1 vs Porsche 918 Spyder Part 1

Finally, the long awaited
 holy trinity mother of all mother of shoot outs
 is here. The Ferrari LaFerrari vs McLaren P1 vs the Porsche 918 Spyder.


EVO Malaysia Road Trip: Whatever There Was

If you haven’t heard of
WhateverThereWas
, give it a click. They’re one of my favourite duos who travel around Malaysia and the world leaving behind trails of amazing photos and videos. Full credit to them for inspiring me to copy my title off their website.

Well, after months of being shrouded by haze, of not being caress by any form of wind along with that weird radiated heat that emanates from Bangsar’s cluster mesh of concrete and glass. I received a call from Shell Malaysia.

“Hey Bobby, would you like to go for a road trip?”

“To where?”

“Any, up to you.”

“Cool … i guess …what’s up?”

“If so, we’d like to sponsor you a full tank of V-Power Racing and the new Shell Helix PurePlus engine oil just so you can experience a smoother ride with the added performance.”

“Interesting, but then I don’t think I’ll get to experience anything at all if that’s the gist of it.”

“Why would you say so?”

“Well, that’s because I’ve been pumping V-Power Racing and using Helix PurePlus all this while”

“Wow you use Shell VPR day in and out? Most people use it only for track days”

“Well, I switched after the government made a massive price hike few years ago, resulting in a difference between RM10-RM15 for full tank of Ron97 and VPR.  On the flip side, i’ve picked up good habits like switching off the car if I’m waiting for someone. I mean … basically Malaysians waste too much fuel from unneccessary use.

“That’s very true. Anyway, back to topic, I believe you will definitely experience a more responsive and lighter feel from your engine with this new PurePlus.”

“New? Isn’t PurePlus new? As in debuted last year?”

“Well, this is the new 0W/30”

“Interesting, sounds cool."

So there you go, I’m going on a road trip.

THE ROUTE

Let’s start by planning my route. I kind of ruled out Penang because it’s the most obvious choice. Genting Highlands is nothing more than Sunway Lagoon on top of a hill. And Cameron Highlands is as authentically Colonial British as Petaling Street is Chinatown as shown in Cuti-Cuti Malaysia TV spots.

#Tips: Do you know that none of the hotels in Penang are allowed to claim ownership to the beaches in front of them? Hence no one can stop you if you ‘trespass’ any of those hotel’s front door and goes straight to the beach you like to enjoy your swim and use their ‘publicly-available’ facility to clean yourself up

So i laid forth a set of criteria for this road trip,

I want to pay the least number of tolls

It should be places I’ve never been to

I want to make it back home with one tank of fuel

Now making it back within one full tank of fuel will be sure a challenge if I’m too ambitious with my route planning, or not challenging at all if I just go for an obviously short distance driving.

And loosely based on own interest, I’ve plotted the below, which you can see, is visible from space.

The route I plotted includes:

Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Selangor (80km)

Kuala Selangor to Sekinchan (28km)

Sekinchan to Teluk Intan (72km)

Teluk Intan to Sitiawan (58km)

Sitiawan to Ipoh (73km)

Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur (204km)

With a total length of 515km, I wouldn’t even call it ambitious for someone attempting to complete a road trip using only one full tank of fuel - because a friend of mine did more than 750km from his 2.0 litre twin turbo BMW on a recent trip too.

The problem though, lies in the fact that I don’t have a 240hp Twin Power Turbo BMW with the fame BMW EfficientDynamics at my disposal. What I have with me, is a 3.0 litre V6 Supercharged Audi with 420hp and 520Nm that weighs a massive 1,770kg.

What this means is that I usually have a hard time squeezing more than 450km out of a single tank of fuel. Not helping the fact that I like seeing my rev counter sway past 5,000rpm most of the time.

So now it becomes a challenge, to get 515km out of what was supposed to max out at about 450km or lesser - and the only differences is that I'm swapping from 5W/40 to 0W/30 and I promise myself to drive
more like Hans Cheong
. Hopefully.

THE DAY COMES

I wanted to start off early at 6 to catch the sunrise at Sekinchan where the amateur photographer in me imagined rays of light gleaming off droplets from the paddy leaves with my car in the distant background completing the cliché bouquet shot of mandatory lifestyle photoshoot.

Like all Malaysian family road trips, being on time just didn’t happen - very few parents can wake up a sleeping child’s serenity. And so our sunrise happened over McDonalds at Kuala Selangor.

After grabbing some gums and drinking water at the Shell station adjacent (totally a coincidence), we inadvertently became one of the first customers of that outlet to pick up those Nano Blocks - according to the friendly cashier. (I believe this huge guy in front is the first).

After the happy meal (literally), my kid is all happy and singing along in the car as we trotted along heading to our next destination - Sekinchan.

But before that, let’s first take a selfie!

Now some of you may ask why do i place the child seat in the middle. First of all, I never want to buy child seats with fixed Isofix mounts. I prefer the strap type where it’s a lot more flexible when it comes to installation. Which means it allows me to utilise the Isofix hooks from each side to place my child seat in the middle.

The benefits of doing so are as follow:

Great view for the kid, so he can do the occasional “Daddy slow down! If not we will crash!”

It protects the child from side impacts, of which our cars provides the least protection. More so if you drive a pre-2012 Toyota Rush as that car doesn’t even have a side impact bar. Check this out when my good friend in US had his Town Car T-boned by a Hyundai, even his B-pillars came off, but his son survived unscathed - solely because he placed him in the middle.

In terms of safety there’s another thing I’d like to highlight for those of you not familiar with these back roads that serves most of the nation’s mobilisation needs, but also takes up a chunk of road fatality statistics.

These roads have literally no signs of speed limits, so I’ll just keep myself below our national speed limit of 110km/h. More so, there are no dividers between both directions, and cars or motorcycles will just appear from either sides of the road, vehicles from the opposing direction will at times turn right across us without indicating, and there are pedestrians attempting to cross either sides. In one word, it’s rather mentally taxing. At least there’s a bit of redemption in the form of road quality - they’re smooth and pot hole free - at least for most parts.

And it’s also during this stretch where the constant deceleration and acceleration allows me to feel the difference this new engine oil serves - the car feels ‘lighter’ to rev, which gives a sense of being more in-tuned with my throttle inputs.

Thing is for Audis, even though they allow customisation towards the various parameter of the car’s drive train to be altered, throttle response was never in itself an individual setting. If I wanted a more responsive throttle, I’ll have to place my transmission setting in ‘Dynamic’ or ‘Sport mode’ as well, which means it’ll be two gears lower - something I do not like or appreciate.

Nevertheless, this is a road trip, not my usual Ulu Yam session, so it’s comfort mode all the way. Smooth sailing does it.

Joy of joys, as the horizon opens up, we knew we’re there. Sekinchan, the place that feeds the nation. Although this area is not free from the all encapsulating haze, it’s much better to contrast a hazy skyline to the lush greenery below than a bunch of buildings in KL downtown. It’s just beautiful. Time to find a road that’ll lead us to the middle of the paddy fields.

Instinctively, kids being kids. To them, green = grass = running around being kids. So it’s disappointing for him to be presented with a ditch and what looks like ‘really long grasses’ with a lot of unpleasant wetness.

At least picking up stones and throwing them seems like a good idea - at first.

As nice as the pictures seem to be, we’re actually under the hazy skies that seems to remain a constant pressure - hence there’s no wind or whatsoever. Getting warmer and warmer, my son decides he wants to get into the car for air conditioning. Which makes me wonder, day in and out, how many Malaysians use petrol not for traversing distances, but merely for air conditioning? I wonder.

Not too far ahead, we came to this ‘Wishing Tree’ which is by the beach, and very near to the now famous Sekin Hotel & Resort which Datuk Jamal Yunos owns. ‘Set your hopes high’ they say. Literally, I guess as I wonder how some of them managed to toss their wishes so far high up the tree.

After we did our own well wishing, my son was thrilled to see the locals tying chairs to the tree adjacent as swings. Ah the bliss of not being in the city where everyone owns everything.

Just opposite that well-wishing tree, I spot a nice place where I get to drive out to the sandy beach for a nice photo op of my car against a non-existent skyline where the haze blended the distant sea with the sky. Other than this patch of deserted sandy beach as well as that aforementioned tree, I’ve no idea who in the right mind will build a resort here.

#Tips: If you find yourself at a deserted sandy beach with a 4WD car that pumps 520Nm, you should full lock your steering wheel, place it in Sports mode, off the traction control, and go full throttle. (I did not do that since there’s no pictures of me doing it)

Immersed in thoughts during the short 73km leg from Sekinchan to Teluk Intan, it’s just lovely to see old Malaysia suspended in time. I don’t mean ‘old’ old, but the one that we’ve just had maybe just three decades ago. The Malaysia that stood proud, the Malaysia where our national sports teams are one of the best in the world, the one where our GDP was way higher than South Korea, the one where we bicker less and chill more, the one where Malaysians dare to dream, to create our own national car, to launch our own fashion brands, and the world’s first gas to liquid petroleum facilities etc.

From Kuala Lumpur’s reliance on monolithic buildings and colourful billboards to graft the perpetual message of national unity and strength, simple social interactions observed in smaller townships reveal a much stronger underlying bond between Malaysians. Perhaps a billion dollar national sports arena in Bukit Jalil is no match for a simple warung kopi with which the way they craft and shape our societal bonds.

We’ve always knew we are a nation of 30 million strong, but how many of you realised by adding up the population of all major cities in Malaysia, we can hardly add up to 10 million.

Where’s the other 20 million? Well, they’re all in these small towns, the fishermen in Kuala Selangor, the timber companies in Temerloh, the farmers working on the paddy fields in Sekinchan etc, serving as the backbone of this nation, away from the limelight that seems to only shine on KL, JB or Penang.

As a born and bred KLite, I’ve never truly have the chance to see the real Malaysia and how lovely and charming a place this country I call home is.

As you would’ve suspect, I want to visit the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan. Yes we do have one, built in 1885, it is 25 meters tall, three stories within but designed to look like an 8 story building.

The tower houses a clock, an emergency water tank, and as a beacon tower for ships navigating from the delta of Sungai Perak to Teluk Intan’s port.

Heading towards Sitiawan, we stumbled ourselves into an old but well maintained primary school right next to a Chinese temple.What’s also noticeable are the number of unused shops littered throughout the fringes of the town - a sign of decreasing population and the eventuality of the cannibalisation of human capital and economic activities - especially for these townships that are sandwiched between Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur.

But pound for pound? There’s way more charm in these small towns. It was a short drive to Sitiawan, but apart from the surprisingly vibrant town, with plenty of shops and hotels alongside the main road, there’s nothing much in Sitiawan except that we stopped for lunch at KFC - which I hope they have a tipping collection box.

Heading towards Ipoh, we stopped by the fame ‘Kellie’s Castle’ of Ipoh that earned a spot in almost all ‘Best places to visit in Malaysia / Ipoh’. The story goes by a wealthy Scottish man named William Kellie Smith building a mansion for his family. However, he died before the mansion was completed, his heartbroken wife soon returned to Scotland upon selling off this unfinished mansion.

Apart from the unique blend of Indian and British architectural influence, and the nation’s first elevator shaft, the only thing that Kellie’s Castle show, is Malaysia’s ignorance towards cultural and historical artefacts as well as architectures.

The building is in shambles, it looks as if it’s a 2,000 year old relic where in fact construction only started in 1915. Broken window panels were left as it is, a huge portion of the building’s interior is covered in mould, it’s not weatherproofed, basically all that was done to maintain it as a tourist attraction are a few spot lights pointed towards it, a tourist centre with dedicated parking and ticket selling counter.

What's most impressive, is the complete lack of interest in at least cleaning the toilet, which has got to be one of the world's dirtiest, stinkiest, clogged up toilet that permeates a stench so strong you can hardly breath inside.

It’s just a disappointing sight to see a much lauded tourist attraction that's highly publbicised by the travel board yet being left to rot from the inside out.

Oh well, at least the next destination we’re heading was rather famous for being the absolute opposite of what we encounter at Kellie’s Castle.

I simply wanted to visit M Boutique hotel and have our dinner there ever since I heard of it. If it’s anything, the name coined for the hotel is pretty much too underwhelming for what it is, because it’s just out of this world (out of what's usually Ipoh-mali at least) when you stepped in. The best way to describe the visual bomb it presents is sort of like a mixture of hipster broadway cross with a dose of steam punk all mashed up in a retro modern interior design.

It’s just beautiful, even more so in the middle of no where in Ipoh occupying a row of shop houses. The staffs are very courteous too, and only serves to imprint an even stronger impression the moment you want to greet them by their names, leading to a wider smile on your face when their name tags read ‘Naruto’, ‘Clark Kent’, ‘Wolverine’ etc. How cool is that?

How's the food? You might be wondering. Nothing special, not worth writing either. But acceptable to say the least.

“Another 200 km, or about one and a half hour.” I answered just as it's about time to go home.

With conversations in the car slowly quieting down, the two of them soon turned into sleeping child after a long day while I floored the throttle imagining this is a much slower version of Starship Enterprise doing space warp. Because instinctively, my brain goes "the sky's getting dark, i need to reach home before it's too late."

But that’s the thing isn’t it? As the sky darkens, it dawned upon me that what makes us human beings achieve so much more, is our ability to constantly push ourselves to go further distances. And the very instinct to pursue speed, hence power, began in prehistoric times when we would hope to go the farthest within the confines of daytime.

To travel further, to see more, to learn more, and to gather more, edging ourselves beyond the boundaries of our geographical habitat. The further we venture, the more we obtain, the more knowledge we gain, the more we leave behind for future generations.

Thus it is imperative that we must continue to 'continue on', and the importance for us to harness the energy needed for us to continue doing so. The simple notion of me swiping my credit card to retrieve the energy needed for me to 'continue on', an action I so readily taken for granted, is now an immense revelation.

To know that there's someone out there making sure the world functions. Beyond the commercial tie ups with Lego or Ferrari, beyond even the question of profit or loss, these companies are tasked to make sure humanity functions, and it is unto their shoulders to search and explore what's forthcoming, just to sustain mobility.

Of which mobility is in essence, the very thing that drives us ahead, towards the known and unknown, whatever it is, whatever there was.

*This is not a sponsored article. The author accepted one bottle of Shell Helix 0W/30 PurePlus engine oil from Shell purely for journalistic experiential review and paid for the oil change himself. With which the author's car had just went through a full engine oil change and service one month prior to this road trip. The author also paid for all expenses and fuel for this road trip. And the author is as claimed, a Shell V-Power Racing user for the past 4 years and has been using Shell Helix 5W/40 PurePlus previously


2021 Volkswagen Arteon R-Line 4Motion (CKD) Launched – from RM247,671

Just under a month after
opening their order books
, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia has today launched their flagship 2021 Arteon R-Line 4Motion. The locally-assembled Arteon R-Line 4Motion is the sole variant on offer and comes with a retail price tag of RM247,671 (inclusive of current SST exemptions).

The major difference between the Arteon R-Line 4Motion and the previous Arteon R-Line (
launched in August 2020
) lies in its powertrain.

Under the hood lies a  more powerful version of Volkswagen’s (EA888) 2.0L TSI turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder engine which outputs an impressive 280PS and maximum torque of 350Nm between 5,100 to 6,500rpm. A major step up from the
 2020 Arteon’s 190PS and 320Nm
.

Power is sent through a 7-speed wet clutch direct shift gearbox (DSG), crucially to all four wheels now, through the Arteon’s namesake 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. This gives the 2021 R-Line 4Motion an impressive 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.6 seconds. The Arteon 4Motion also comes equipped with Adaptive Chassis Control with Driving Mode Selection for drivers to tailor their driving experience.

It will also be the first model in Malaysia to carry the new Volkswagen and R logos. Aesthetically, the R-Line package includes a redesigned front bumper and associated body trims for a sportier look. The R-Line 4Motion also notably comes with full LED headlights at the front and new LED 3D taillights with sequential indicators at the rear. Along the flanks, the 2021 Arteon features 19-inch ‘Montevideo’ alloy wheels which are wrapped in 245/40/R19 tyres.

On the inside, the 2021 Arteon’s highlights include a newly designed steering wheel with haptic touch controls, ErgoComfort sports seats in Nappa ‘Carbon Leather’ featuring the new R logo, and a premium Harman Kardon 700-watt 12-speaker audio system. Other notable highlights include a 3-Zone Climatronic air conditioning, a 360-degree view camera, and interior ambient lighting with 30 colour options.

Instrumentation is covered by the customisable Volkswagen Digital Cockpit (as seen in the Passat), elsewhere the 9.2-inch Discover Pro infotainment systems now come with voice and gesture control as well as wireless App-Connect for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

In terms of safety, the Arteon R-Line 4Motion is offered as standard with 7-airbags, ABS, ESC, XDS electronic differential lock, Anti Slip Regulation (ASR), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) and Volkswagen’s Side Assist and Lane Assist systems. A Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) is also included as standard.

The new 2021 Arteon R-Line 4Motion is available in five colours – metallic options are Lapiz Blue, Manganese Grey, Pyrite Silver, while pearl effect colours are Deep Black and Oryx White.

The Arteon 4Motion is covered by a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty and roadside assistance program, as well as a 3-year free maintenance (15,000km/service) schedule.

Learn more about the Arteon R-Line 4Motion
here
.