Parkir Merata: Kuarters Kerajaan Di Putrajaya Kini Ibarat Flat PPR

Keadaan lalu lintas yang sesak dengan deretan kenderaan yang diletakkan di bahu jalan berhampiran kawasan perumahan di
Putrajaya
 dilihat seakan-akan sama seperti keadaan flat Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) di Kuala Lumpur.

Difahamkan, ketika ini situasi tersebut dirasai sendiri oleh penduduk di kuarters kakitangan kerajaan yang terletak di pusat pentadbiran negara itu ekoran terlalu banyak kenderaan yang diletakkan di bahu jalan sehingga menyebabkan kesesakan trafik ketika waktu puncak.

Pemilik Kenderaan Tidak Patuh Arahan

Berdasarkan tinjauan yang dilakukan Harian Metro, pemilik kenderaan bertindak meletakkan kenderaan di belah kanan dan kiri jalan meskipun jalan itu telah diwartakan sebagai lokasi larangan.

Malah papan tanda peringatan yang melarang kenderaan daripada diletakkan di kawasan itu juga tidak diendahkan oleh sesetengah pemilik.

Lebih mengejutkan, ada pemilik yang bertindak meletakkan kenderaan mereka di pondok perhentian bas menyebabkan kesesakan berlaku sekiranya bas ingin berhenti di kawasan tersebut.

*Kredit foto: Perbadanan Putrajaya

Laluan Utama Jadi Sempit

Seorang penduduk yang menetap di Presint 15 berkata tindakan pemilik kenderaan yang meletakkan kenderaan sesuka hati telah menyusahkan para penduduk ekoran laluan utama kini menjadi sempit.

Aliran trafik yang lebih sesak telah menyukarkan penduduk untuk keluar bekerja atau menghantar anak-anak ke sekolah.

Penduduk di kawasan terbabit juga mahu pihak berkuasa tempatan (PBT) untuk bertindak lebih tegas seperti mengeluarkan
kompaun
 atau menunda terus kenderaan yang diletakkan di kawasan yang tidak sepatutnya.

*kredit foto: Utusan

Penghuni Miliki Kenderaan Melebihi Lot Yang Disediakan

Sementara itu Pengarah Bahagian Penguatkuasa Jabatan Perkhidmatan Bandar PPJ, Mohd Ali Jusoh berkata, isu kekurangan
parkir
 di kawasan perumahan berlaku hampir di semua lokasi di pusat pentadbiran kerajaan itu.

Menurutnya, masalah timbul apabila penghuni memiliki kenderaan melebihi lot dikhususkan menyebabkan kenderaan ini diletakkan di depan rumah sehingga melimpah ke bahu jalan.

Laluan jalan semakin mengecil juga boleh menimbulkan kesesakan serta lebih berisiko berlaku kemalangan.

Saranan Warganet

Sementara itu, pengguna media sosial telah mencadangkan agar pengangkutan awam seperti bas diperluaskan lagi di daerah Putrajaya supaya dapat dimanfaatkan sepenuhnya oleh penduduk di situ dan mengurangkan penggunaan kereta di jalan raya.

Selain itu, perancangan bandar yang teliti seperti membina kawasan parkir bertingkat di kawasan yang padat dengan penduduk juga diketengahkan kerana lot parkir yang disediakan kepada penghuni tidak cukup untuk menampung jumlah kereta yang semakin meningkat sehingga menyebabkan kereta diletakkan merata-rata di bahu jalan ekoran kebanyakan isi rumah mempunyai kenderaan lebih dari satu.

Masih ingatkah anda pada peristiwa sebuah lori menghentam deretan kenderaan yang diletakkan di bahagian kiri dan kanan jalan di Putrajaya pada tahun lalu? Jika masalah
parkir merata
 ini tidak diselesaikan, masalah yang sama mungkin bakal berulang. Bila dah berulang, nak salahkan siapa?

*Kredit video: JeJo


Volkswagen Restores 51-Year Old Daily-Driven Beetle Named "Annie"

For the past 51 years, “Annie” the 1967 Volkswagen Beetle has been the daily mode of transportation for its owner Kathleen Brooks who bought the car back in December 1966 in Riverside, California. Racking up more than 560,000 km over half a century, Kathleen, now 73, still drives Annie to work.
After hearing about Kathleen and Annie’s special relationship last year, Volkswagen North America offered to restore Annie at the home of the Beetle at the Puebla factory in Mexico.
Over the past 11 months, a team of some 60 Volkswagen employees and trainees reworked Annie back to factory-quality specs, with several custom touches that celebrate Kathleen’s dedication.
“We often hear stories of dedicated Volkswagen owners, but there was something special about Kathleen and Annie that we felt we needed to honor,” said Derrick Hatami, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Volkswagen of America.
“The original Beetle launched our business in the United States. This isn’t just a Beetle, it’s a member of her family, and after all the time our employees have spent with this special vehicle, we feel Annie is a part of our family as well.”
“I’ve said many times she and I are so much alike because she’s old, she’s faded, she’s dinged, she’s dented, she’s rusted, but you know what? She keeps running,” said Brooks with a laugh. “And as long as I take as good care of her as I can, she’s going to continue to run.”
Even with Brooks’ best efforts, Annie had several needs when her restoration began in Puebla early this year, from a floor pan rusted through to the ground in spots, to suspension, transmission and electrical challenges.
Over 11 months, the Puebla team replaced roughly 40 percent of Annie’s parts and restored 357 original pieces, down to recreating the stickers that Brooks had added to the body and windows over the years.
To properly restore her faded red paint, the team matched the original shade from the inside of the glovebox, sandblasted the body, repaired with a mix of period-correct and updated parts, and then reassembled.
Several parts of the vehicle were restored with better than their original factory parts, from the disc brakes that were an upgrade on later Beetles produced in Mexico to the AM/FM/Bluetooth stereo designed to mimic the look and feel of original Beetle radios.
Even the seats received a special touch, with “Kathleen” and “Annie” embroidered in a classic VW font over new leather. And to tie the car to the modern era, the car’s toolkit and jack was painted in deep sea teal metallic, the color of the 2018 Beetle Coast edition.
The goal, says project manager and mechatronics engineer Augusto Zamudio, was not to create a museum quality Beetle, but to bring Annie back to a state where Kathleen could drive and enjoy her for many more years to come.
“When Annie arrived, our team members quickly understood the connection Kathleen had with her car and embraced this project wholeheartedly,” said Steffen Reiche, CEO of Volkswagen of Mexico. “Restoring this car posed a number of challenges, but also provided a demonstration of the dedication we put into every Volkswagen we build.”
When Brooks parted with Annie, she wrote a heartfelt note to the Puebla team members thanking them for their efforts and asking them to take care of her special car. Zamudio says the feeling is mutual – and the team wrote Brooks back a note of their own.
“This was a labor of love for all of us. It was emotional to see Annie go after all the time we have spent working on her, but we are happy Kathleen and her can be reunited.”


Review: Living With MBUX In The All-New Mercedes-Benz A250

Last year, we had the opportunity to sample the all-new fourth generation A-Class in the beautiful town of Split, Croatia.
The all-new A-Class certainly lives up to expectations during our time with the car. While the all-new A-Class was the main highlight of the drive, we also got a chance to sample the new Mercedes-Benz User Experience, or MBUX in short.
Designed as a successor the older Comand system, which wasn't that great when compared to BMW's iDrive, MBUX is supposed to allow Mercedes-Benz to leap frog its peers.
As evident from its intuitive UI, Mercedes-Benz took some cues from smartphones and tablets when designing and developing the system. Menus are easy to navigate and everything is laid out in an easy to find manner.
Even navigating through the infotainment system is done with relative ease, as everything is laid out in an logical manner and the touchscreen is responsive to touch inputs. Coupled with the high resolution display, the MBUX system is definitely one of the best infotainment systems I’ve tried to date.
But it isn’t a bed of roses, as the MBUX system does have one major flaw: there is no data connectivity for Malaysia-bound units, unlike the cheaper Proton X70 which has an embedded SIM.
As a result, the Linguatronic feature is limited to in-vehicle commands. For example, when using the navigation system, drivers are limited to the on-board hard drive map resources, not the more updated version from the cloud. In fact, our local A250 units do not get the cool augmented reality navigation system, relying instead on traditional maps. Another bummer is that Linguatronic does not work with the navigation system, and drivers have to rely on manually keying in their destinations.
The lack of cellular connectivity also means that the mobile hotspot feature is also unavailable on the A250, something that the Proton X70 already offers across the range.
Another quirk we noticed during our time with the A250 was that the Linguatronic system would take a while before responding to our commands. The delay is apparently caused by the lack of cellular connectivity, as the system relies on information pulled from the cloud for a more realistic response. So no, you cannot ask MBUX about the weather or topics beyond features in the car as it needs internet connectivity for that.
Granted, it takes time for the Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the car to adapt to the driver, but even after close to two weeks with the A250, we found that at times, the car could not comprehend a simple voice command, such as changing the radio station.
Despite those flaws, the MBUX system does redeem itself thanks to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility as the presence of both systems does a decent job of filling up the gaps in the MBUX system.
Need music? Load up Spotify and stream your favourite tunes. As for navigation, you can utilize either Google Maps or Waze, both of which are excellent options and are kept up-to-date with the latest map data. In fact, if you want to find out about the weather, both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can answer your query with ease.
As a whole, the MBUX system remains one of the most intuitive and innovative systems we’ve used to date, thanks to the earlier mentioned attributes. Granted, the system would have benefited greatly with cellular data connectivity, though the presence of both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can help mitigate that.
We are certainly looking forward to the refreshed A-Class, as we understand that cellular data connectivity is earmarked for this subcompact premium hatchback as part of an overall upgrade. With that, we reckon that the overall experience whilst using the MBUX system would most likely be elevated to a whole new level.


Malaysian Govt Pursuing Cheaper Tolls Rates Again

Seems there is some work being doing behind the scenes to
further reduce toll prices
 on Malaysia’s many highways, with the government exploring ways to reduce the financial burden these bring to the country’s road users.

As of the time of writing, on October 7th, state borders are still closed (for the most part) with
interstate travel
 continuing to be disallowed by the authorities, but who knows if that’ll be the case within just a few days.

Either way, when Malaysians are finally allowed to resume our usual ways of travelling by road on journeys both long and short, we will encounter numerous tolls that squeeze a little money out of our pockets, but maybe in the near future that
might not be as costly
.

According to Berita Harian, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof told members of the Dewan Rakyat that both highway concessionaires and government officials were studying multiple strategies to reduce highway toll rates, even allowing concessionnaires to propose financial restructuring to reach these goals.

When all due proposals have been submitted, he added, discussions between various related agencies, the works ministry, finance ministry, as well as the prime minister’s department will follow before reaching a final “holistic” decision.

It will be interesting to witness the balancing act that’s soon to unfold as the government’s interest in reducing toll rates is in opposition to the 3rd party concessionnaires pursuit of profit. Malaysia is rather unique in that it depends on the private sector to construct, operate, and maintain much of its highways, with an especially strong concentration within the Klang Valley.

Despite its efforts to successfully ‘outsource’ this matter onto the private sector, the government is usually
forced to intervene
 whenever a dispute or proposed toll price hike comes into view. Over the years, Malaysians have learned to tolerate this unusual middle-ground, but it does sting a little when visiting other countries where road networks are more or less free and uninterrupted.


The Story Of Mazda's SKYACTIV-X

A year or two ago, word on the street was that Mazda was developing an engine that operated on the principles of HCCI. It’s an acronym that stands for Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition – in simple terms, it’s making a petrol engine function like a diesel engine with compression ignition rather than the use of spark plugs. A novel idea, it promised much better fuel efficiency by running leaner, and much cleaner emissions as a result.
Those rumours were true, to an extent. Mazda’s engineers did attempt a HCCI engine (and they were far from the only people to try), but there were a number of problems. The first was that HCCI could only operate within a certain RPM range and was very sensitive to conditions, beyond which it would need to revert back to conventional spark ignition (SI). The second was that the switch between HCCI and SI proved to be very rough no matter how hard they tried.
So it was back to the drawing board, but Mazda had learned a great deal from their experience with HCCI. The engineers at Mazda wanted to take advantage of compression ignition being able to run extremely lean, but they also needed a way to smoothen the transition to spark ignition. Part of the reason the transition for the HCCI engine was so rough was that the static compression ratio of the engine needed to be very high to achieve compression ignition (which is why diesel engines tend to have higher compression ratios). For those who aren't familiar with the term, the compression ratio of an engine is the ratio of volume between the piston at its lowest point and the piston at its highest points. A higher compression ratio means the engine squeezes the air-fuel mix tighter before ignition.
And then there was a breakthrough. Mazda went for a high (but achievable) compression ratio of 15:1, which wasn’t quite high enough to achieve compression ignition but was still low enough to make spark ignition feasible and smooth. To get the air-fuel mix to ignite by compression, they would need a compression ratio of around 18:1 – and how they did it was nothing short of genius.
Mazda looked at phased combustion and non-homogenous mixtures. With modern direct injection technology, this is even more feasible and can be executed with more precision. The idea was to ignite the spark plug and create a small fireball in the combustion chamber. The air-fuel ratio needed to create this fireball wasn’t quite the same as the rest of the mixture in the cylinder, hence a non-homogenous mixture.
What this fireball did was temporarily raise the compression ratio of the chamber with combusted gases expanding rapidly. When timed right, the engine could achieve compression ignition smoothly with the help of the fireball. It’s important to note that this isn’t the same as spark ignition; the fireball is not the reason the rest of the fuel mixture ignites, and the majority of the mixture still ignites by compression ignition.
They called this method of combustion SPCCI, or SPark Controlled Compression Ignition. In terms of effectiveness, SPCCI could operate under a wider range of loads and up to a higher rpm before requiring the use of conventional SI. The direct injection system would fire multiple times during the course of combustion, but the precision of timing and control of the mixture is what resulted in this very unique method of operation. It’s lean burn, taken to its only inevitable conclusion.
By now, some of you may be wondering what the difference between compression ignition and knock is. The engineers themselves admitted that it is not easy to differentiate between knocking and compression ignition in the cylinder, but with the adjustment of parameters and monitoring by the ECU, it can ensure that the engine operates smoothly by exceeding the conditions required for knock.
When most people look at lean-burn systems, they automatically assume that the engine is going to be fairly gutless and disappointing on the road – but not so with the SKYACTIV-X. That’s not the case, as the SKYACTIV-X produces more torque than the SKYACTIV-G, all the way from idle to redline. It does this regardless of fuel quality, as Mazda has been testing the engine on both RON 95 and RON 91. Did we mention it comes with a supercharger as well? The supercharger was necessary to keep regular power output levels with an incredibly lean-burn mixture, but it also adds a little bit of performance up top when transitioning to SI. While the SKYACTIV-X does not produce as much mid-range torque as the SKYACTIV-D, it makes its torque all the way to redline.
Throttle response is also vastly improved. The engine doesn’t rely as much on throttle position to control engine speed, but rather through injection amount and timing. Therefore the default physical throttle position is open, making for uninterrupted airflow into the chamber. When you put your foot down, the SKYACTIV-X gets up and goes a lot quicker than the conventional SKYACTIV-G – and that’s saying a lot considering Mazda’s current engine line-up is incredibly responsive.
Also one thing to take note of is the fuel consumption does not vary as much whether you’re driving sedately or flat out. Generally with more engine load, fuel consumption tends to increase drastically once you exceed a certain engine speed, which means your fuel consumption goes from impressive to horrible in no time at all. With a flat fuel consumption curve, it means that you can probably get those quoted manufacturer fuel consumption figures in your own daily driving, even with a bit of spirited moments.
The SKYACTIV-X engines are probably coming to market in 2019, most likely being offered with the Mazda 3. It’s impressive to see how far Mazda is willing to take the conventional engine, and it shows that there was still a lot of development room left in it. The Hiroshima-based company is looking at hybrid systems and autonomous driving on the side, preparing for the inevitable, but what they have achieved here and now is just as important.


Interstate Travel Allowed, But Remember To Uphold SOP

This weekend's Hari Raya Haji celebration will be a bit more special than others because technically, this will be the first Raya that families can get together since the restricted movement order was put in place.

Muslims were not allowed to return to their hometowns back in May due to the interstate travel ban, but after a nervous Monday, where many expected an interstate travel ban to be reinstated due to the increasing amount of COVID-19 cases, the government announced that they would not be doing so - yeehaw!

"There is no prohibition on interstate or inter-district travel. The public is free to travel back to their hometowns to celebrate Hari Raya Aidiladha," said Senior Minister (Security Cluster), Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Monday.

This means the roads of Malaysia will be completely packed with vehicles this weekend, so planning your journey is essential here. Where possible, we advise traveling back to your 'kampung halaman' as early in the week as possible or on the day itself to avoid major delays.

We also advise checking your vehicles thoroughly before you head off. Make sure that engine oil is plenty, cooling fluids are adequate, tyres are pumped up, as these are essential in keeping your car on the road throughout a long and arduous journey.

Since we are still in the recovery MCO phase we also hope that everyone keeps to the guideline that is set for the nation. If possible, avoid stopping by the R&Rs as it will be packed with people. Only stop if it is vital. You never know, there could be a person there who just attended the Najib case rally, one of the biggest gatherings of people in recent times that had no social distancing nor a point.

From all of us at Carlist, Selamat Hari Raya to all Malaysians, stay safe, keep washing your hands and remember, sanitise constantly.


BMW X5 Special Edition and X6 M Sport Edition - In Europe Starting Dec 2017

BMW has introduced two special edition variants of their popular X5 and X6 SUVs – the BMW X5 Special Edition and X6 M Sport Edition, which will be made available in Europe starting December 2017.
The BMW X5 Special Edition brings together the M Sport package with Dakota leather trim, including heated seats for the driver and front passenger. The Alcantara and leather interior is further highlighted with M badging on the seats.

A sun protection glass will also be offered on the X5 Special Edition, including the Multifunctional Instrument Display (not available for the
X5 xDrive40e
). All variants of the BMW X5 are available in Special Edition guise, with the exception of the BMW X5 M50d.
The BMW X6 M Sport Edition will be offered with a new Long Beach Blue metallic exterior paint shade and carbon fibre interior trim strip. Carbon Black and Mineral White metallic paint finishes are available as alternatives.
Along the flanks, 20-inch M light-alloy wheels in double-spoke design are fitted with mixed-size run-flat tyres, alternatively, 21-inch M light-alloy wheels in double-spoke design can be ordered as an option for the special-edition model. The M Sport Edition also adds the interior and exterior equipment from the M Sport package.
All engine variants of the X6 are available with the M Sport Edition specification, with the exception of the BMW X6 M50d.


Mazda Malaysia Ceases Production Of CKD Mazda 3, All-New CBU Model Coming Soon

During our usual analysis of the monthly MAA production data, we noticed an oddity – the production figures for the outgoing Mazda 3 has dropped to zero.
A quick check with Bermaz confirmed our suspicion that the company has indeed stopped production of the BM-generation of the Mazda 3. However, the car is still on sale while stocks last.
If you're waiting for the all-new 3, expect to pay premium prices for new model. Since its introduction in Japan and Australia, the all-new 3 commands a significant price premium over the predecessor model.
Considering that demand for the Mazda CX-5 is exceeding supply, the move to stop production of the 3 means that Mazda Malaysia’s plant in Kulim can pour more resources into the more popular SUV range. The Kulim plant is also gearing up to begin assembly of the
CX-8
 SUV, which was already earmarked for CKD assembly.
As for the slower-selling Mazda 3, the all-new model is expected to be introduced in the coming months, likely arriving in a fully-imported form (CBU) from Japan.
As mentioned earlier, don’t expect the upcoming Mazda 3 to be cheap, as the all-new model was designed as a
premium model
 from the very start. Case in point, for the Australian market, the base model 2.0-litre SkyActiv-G petrol with a 6-speed manual carries a price from AUD 24,990, an increase of over 20% from the previous generation model. A similar price increase can be expected when the all-new model is launched here.
In addition to the price, it is also worth noting that the SkyActiv-X engine is unlikely to be offered here, as the engine is very costly and will only make sense for countries with tight CO
2
 emission regulations, which our country lack.
Looking for a new Mazda? Find for the best deals
here
.


2022 Porsche Macan Facelift Debuts In Malaysia, 3 Variants From RM433k

The newest facelift of the Porsche Macan has arrived in Malaysia with the German marque’s local distributor Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP) offering a revised version of the sporty high-rider in 3 variants.

Prices start - inclusive of taxes and duties, but not on-road fees - from RM433,154 for the base Macan with the mid-tier Macan S going for RM623,593 and finally
the range-topping GTS
 shoots for RM786,232.

Essentially, this is still the same Macan we’ve been familiar with since 2014, and the axing (at least temporarily) of the Macan Turbo is perhaps a sign that Porsche is putting the finishing touches on an all-new generation. Though, before long, might it be possible that the Macan
shifts to local assembly
 and rolls into showrooms fresh from Kulim?

That being said, this 2022 version does come with plenty of new additions to keep it up to speed with the company’s cutting edge. Visually, the new Macan comes with redesigned bumpers front and rear and with more pronounced side intakes, finished in a matte black.

Also, upfront, Porsche’s Dynamic Light System (PDLS) headlights are now standard across the range, accented by daytime running light strips that sit just below the main illuminator housings. Overall, it’s a tighter and significantly more aggressive look for the Macan, even in its base variant.

Inside, each new Macan also receives a revised dashboard and centre console that dispenses with physical pushers, instead flanking the gear selector with a series of touch-sensitive buttons and digital readouts with a 10.9-inch touchscreen display with Porsche Communication Management (PCM) perched above.

There’s also a new GT Sport steering wheel
lifted from the latest 911
 fitted as standard, and the same goes for the previously optional Sport Chrono analogue clock (but not the performance enhancements).

SDAP has also confirmed that each 2022 Macan comes standard with the Premium Package that adds 14-way electric comfort seats, Park Assist, Power Steering Plus, and a 12-speaker Bose audio system.

Thanks to a higher pressure fuel system at 350 bar that delivers improved fuel distribution and efficiency, there are power increases across the board as well, though the actual engines themselves remain pretty familiar.

Kicking off the range, the base version’s 2.0-litre EA888 Gen 3 four-cylinder now outputs 13PS and 30Nm more at 265PS and 400Nm, allowing it to sprint to 100km/h in 6.2 seconds, or half a second quicker, and hit a higher top speed of 232km/h.

The Macan S, armed with a 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6, now outputs 380PS and 520Nm - a 26PS and 40Nm bump - that slashes its century sprint to 4.6 seconds (again, 0.5s faster) and takes top speed to 260km/h.

In GTS form, the range-topping Macan shares the same 2.9-litre V6, but is tuned to produce 440PS and 550Nm, giving it a proper sports car shaming sprint time of just 4.3 seconds and top speed of 272km/h.

In all 3 variants, the engine is mated to Porsche’s 7-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission, reaching all four wheels via the Porsche Traction Management all-wheel-drive system. Also standard are adaptive dampers courtesy of Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), but the GTS is further enhanced with air struts at all four corners.

In total there are 14 exterior colours to choose from, which also includes the new Gentian Blue Metallic and Papaya Metallic (pictured here) with only the Python Green shade exclusive to the GTS. As usual, you can play around with them, along with plenty of other customisation options, via Porsche’s full-featured configurator.

Each Macan comes with a 2-year warranty (with free maintenance package) that’s extendable upon request via the Porsche Approved Warranty programme.


Mercedes-Benz GLC Launched In Thailand, Coming To Malaysia In 2016

Not too long after its ASEAN-debut at the Gaikindo Indonesia International
Auto Show in Jakarta
 in August, the Mercedes-Benz has launched five-seater GLC SUV in Thailand.
Sitting above the A-Class-based GLA-Class, the C-Class-based GLC-Class will be sold in Thailand in two variants – the GLC 250d Off Road (3.79 million Baht) and GLC 250d AMG Dynamics (4.09 million Baht).
There are no petrol-powered variants of the GLC on sale in Thailand, at least not for now.
The GLC 250d is powered by a 204hp 2.1-litre diesel-turbo engine, paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission with 4-MATIC all-wheel drive.
Globally, the GLC-Class range include the GLC 220d 4MATIC, GLC 250d 4MATIC, GLC 250 4-MATIC, and GLC 350 e 4-MATIC plug-in hybrid.
Will the GLC-Class be launched in Malaysia?
The GLC-Class is almost certainly coming to Malaysia, with a diesel-powered engine too.
Speaking during the company’s Q3 2015 business review earlier today, Mr. Mark Raine, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at Mercedes-Benz Malaysia announced that the company is looking to expand its portfolio of diesel-powered vehicles in the near future, and it will cover both passenger cars and SUVs.
He also hinted that the GLC-Class will be making its debut in Malaysia soon, and even played a video commercial of Mercedes-Benz SUVs during his presentation.


Japan To Introduce Self-Driving ‘Robot Taxis’ For Tokyo Olympics 2020

Japan is aiming to roll out a fleet of autonomous driving taxis for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. The idea is to have these self-driving taxis driving tourists around Tokyo.
What’s wrong with a regular bus or train or taxi then? Well, Japan’s wide network of trains and buses is one of the most confusing in the developed world. Taxi and bus drivers don’t speak English although the polite locals will usually try their best to assist.
The idea is to have a tourist booking a taxi using an app on the phone, hop on a driverless taxi, and off he goes visiting the many attractions in Tokyo. It’s an over the top showcase of Japan’s technological prowess.
Towards achieving that goal, the Japanese government, in collaboration with Robot Taxi, a subsidiary of gaming company DeNa, will be conducting field trials involving an autonomous driving Toyota Estima Hybrid in Kanagawa Prefecture in Fujisawa. Some 50 residents in Kanawaga have been selected to participate in the field trials.
The main hurdle with self-driving cars isn’t the technology, which is largely ready for deployment safe for some minor tweaks, but regulations.
Under the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, which most traffic regulations around the world is based upon, it is illegal to operate a car without a driver.
Thus for the purpose of this trial, the Japanese government has deregulated a 3 km stretch of roads in Kanawaga, and just to be sure, there are two Robot Taxi staffs sitting in front of the car to supervise the car’s operations, and also to provide the necessary explanations to passengers.
Robot Taxi adds that the service has potential to serve residents in rural areas, especially elderly folks, where public transport is not so widely available.


Kemalangan Maut Di Lebuh Raya SUKE – Pemandu Treler Positif Dadah, Bawa Lebih Muatan Pada Waktu Puncak

Seperti yang ramai sudah sedia maklum, sebuah treler lebih muatan telah bertindak melanggar perancah besi pembinaan lebuhraya SUKE di MRR2 berhampiran Bandar Tasik Selatan sehingga menyebabkan jejantas terbabit runtuh dan menyebabkan kematian.

*Sumber: Facebook Info Roadblock JPJ/POLIS

Kejadian berlaku apabila lori yang membawa jengkaut tersebut melanggar perancah besi sebelum mengakibatkan jejantas pejalan kaki yang sedang dalam pembinaan itu runtuh dan menghempap sebuah
van
 kilang yang dinaiki 5 orang. Pihak bomba mengambil masa hampir empat jam untuk menyelamatkan kelima-lima mangsa. Malangnya, dua penumpang terakhir yang dibawa keluar dari van tersebut disahkan maut di tempat kejadian.

*Sumber: Mykmu.net

Untuk pengetahuan anda, kejadian berlaku pada lewat petang hari Rabu (3 Mac 2021), sekitar 6 petang ketika orang ramai sedang berpusu-pusu pulang ke rumah. Pasti ramai tertanya-tanya, apa treler tersebut buat di pusat bandar pada waktu puncak sebegitu? Lori terbabit juga disahkan tiada kena-mengena dengan pembinaan lebuh raya SUKE. Jadi kenapa treler ini menggunakan jalan raya pada waktu puncak? Bukankah kenderaan berat dilarang menggunakan jalan raya di sekitar pusat bandar pada waktu puncak?

Betul! Bahkan pihak PDRM sendiri telah mengeluarkan panduan masa dan laluan larangan bagi kenderaan berat di pusat bandar bermula jam 6.30 pagi hingga 9.30 pagi dan 4.30 petang hingga 7.30 petang. Kenapa tak patuhi? Adakah perjalanan treler besar ini tidak dipantau oleh pihak berwajib? Kalau dinilai secara kasar, pemandu dan majikan seharusnya lebih peka tentang undang-undang jalan raya. Tak patuh undang-undang, siap sedialah untuk berdepan hukuman. Takkan nak harap saman baru nak ikut undang-undang? Kalau nak tunding jari, sampai bila-bila tak habis!

Menurut kenyataan media yang dikeluarkan oleh PROLINTAS, treler berkenaan membawa lebih muatan. Dah la tak patuh dengan waktu larangan tersebut, siap bawa lebih muatan lagi! Perbuatan pemandu tersebut mengundang bahaya kepada banyak pihak. Tiada ke undang-undang yang melarang mereka daripada membawa lebih muatan? Mesti lah ada! Cuma orang je yang tak mahu ikut. Sama lah macam isu
ekzos bising
 tu.

Bagi kesalahan terlebih muatan, Akta Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) 1987 memperuntukkan denda maksimum RM2,000 manakala Akta Agensi Pengangkutan Awam Darat (APAD) 2010 memperuntukkan denda minimum RM1,000 dan maksimum RM500,000.

Ramai juga yang berpendapat bahawa pemandu hanyalah pekerja sahaja, majikan yang sepatutnya dipersalahkan.  Jangan risau, di bawah akta-akta JPJ, saman akan dikeluarkan terhadap pemandu lori dan pengusaha tetapi untuk Akta Pengangkutan Awam Darat, saman akan dikenakan kepada pengusaha sahaja. Memang padan lah majikan kena denda yang lebih tinggi berbanding pemandu.

Kombo malang kemalangan ini ditambah lagi dengan info baru yang dikeluarkan oleh pihak polis mengatakan pemandu treler terbabit disahkan positif dadah jenis methamphetamine. Padanlah tak ikut peraturan, tengah high rupanya! Pemandu yang menggunakan dadah ketika berada dijalan raya ini harus dicemuh setaraf dengan pemandu dibawah
pengaruh alkohol
. Dua-dua menyusahkan orang.

Sekiranya anda memandu di bawah pengaruh alkohol atau dadah sehingga menyebabkan kematian, anda boleh dikenakan hukuman penjara untuk tempoh tidak kurang 10 tahun dan maksimum 15 tahun, denda minimum RM50,000 sehingga RM100,000 serta hilang kelayakan memegang atau mendapatkan lesen memandu selama tempoh tidak kurang daripada 10 tahun daripada tarikh sabitan. Tak cukup beratkah hukuman ini?

Adakah info positif dadah ini mengejutkan? Semestinya tidak! Kelihatannya hubungan rapat antara sesetengah pemandu kenderaan berat dengan penggunaan dadah bukan lagi rahsia. Bukan sahaja pemandu lori, malah kes penggunaan dadah ini sering juga dikaitkan dengan pemandu bas ekspres. Adakah pengambilan dadah tersebut membantu mereka menjalani perjalanan jauh yang sunyi dengan lebih baik?

Tapi apakah punca utama yang mendorong mereka untuk memilih jalan tersebut? Adakah mereka terpaksa bergantung kepada penggunaan dadah untuk terus berjaga untuk menepati tempoh masa yang ditetapkan oleh majikan? Boleh jadi juga, tapi terdapat juga kemungkinan bahawa pemandu kenderaan berat yang positif dadah ini memang berlatar belakangkan seorang penagih sebelum berkerja sebagai pemandu lagi. Apa pun alasannya, penggunaan dadah di jalan raya adalah salah disisi undang-undang!

Menurut laporan oleh Berita Harian, terdapat kereta peronda yang mengawal treler itu sebelum kejadian. Sekiranya ada kereta pengawal, kenapa perkara ini tidak dapat dielakkan? Apa fungsi kenderaan peronda terbabit? Sebagai pengiring lori treler yang besar dan panjang, aspek ketinggian jambatan wajib dititik beratkan supaya perkara seperti ini tidak berulang. Takkan lah kereta peronda terbabit boleh terlepas pandang dengan ketinggian jejantas tersebut? Tidur ke?

*Sumber: FreeMalaysiaToday

Berdasarkan siaran CCTV di tempat kejadian, kelihatan treler yang membawa jengkaut itu jelas tidak melepasi paras ketinggian dan melanggar binaan sebelum runtuh. Melalui CCTV terbabit, beberapa persoalan timbul seperti adakah benar bangunan terbabit melepasi ketinggian 5 meter? Agak pelik juga sekiranya treler terbabit melepasi had ketinggian di kawasan lain namun sangkut di SUKE. Jabatan Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan (JKKP) turut turun padang untuk melakukan siasatan lanjut pihak sekiranya Akta Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan 1994 dilanggar kontraktor terbabit. ianya masih lagi dalam siasatan.

Seperti yang kita tahu, kenderaan berat seperti treler ini menggunakan brek angin (pneumatik). Meskipun sistem brek ini jauh lebih selamat dan sesuai untuk kenderaan berat, sistem brek pneumatik ini tetap memiliki kelemahannya tersendiri seperti fenomena brake lag, dimana sistem brek akan mengambil sedikit masa untuk bertindak balas terhadap input pemandu. Berbanding dengan brek hidraulik, brek angin adalah sedikit lambat.

Sebaik sahaja pemandu lori menekan pedal brek, sedikit masa diperlukan bagi udara untuk melalui tiub brek sebelum sampai ke kasut brek dan brek drum. Meskipun tempoh brake lag itu kurang dari sesaat, kecemasan seperti ini menyebabkan pemandu gagal memberikan respon yang tepat. Jadi, kalau nak brek mengejut tu agak sukar lah. Sebab itu jangan suka cilok depan lori!

Apa-apa pun, diharapkan tindakan yang lebih tegas akan dijalankan terhadap majikan serta pemandu kenderaan berat ini supaya situasi seperti ini dapat dielakkan di masa hadapan. Majikan boleh melakukan pencegahan seperti sentiasa menjalankan ujian air kencing terhadap pemandu lori syarikat sebelum memulakan perjalanan untuk pastikan pemandu bebas dadah.

Kalau kita dengar penguatkuasa semakin serius nak tangkap pengguna ekzos yang bising sehingga masuk ke kawasan perumahan, harap ada juga anggota yang ditugaskan untuk memantau pergerakan kenderaan berat di jalan jalan utama sekitar pusat bandar ini. Mana taknya, banyak saja kenderaan berat yang masih berdegil di jalan raya ketika waktu puncak.

Kalau pada saya, perkara pertama yang perlu saya lakukan di jalan raya ialah mengelakkan diri daripada berada rapat dengan kenderaan berat. Berada di belakang lori memang menjejaskan penglihatan. Dengan saiznya yang sebesar-besar alam, rasa tidak selamat sekiranya penglihatan hadapan saya terbatas. Tambahan pula jika pemandu kenderaan berat itu positif dadah, lebih baik saya berjaga jaga kerana bila dah ambil dadah, sukar nak ramal apa yang bakal berlaku seterusnya. Bukanlah ingin melabel mereka semua sebagai penagih, tapi hanya untuk sekadar mengelakkan diri daripada sebarang kejadian yang tidak diingini daripada berlaku.

Kami di Carlist.my ingin mengucapkan salam takziah kepada keluarga kedua-duda mangsa yang terkorban dalam insiden kemalangan yang berlaku di kawasan pembinaan Lebuhraya Bertingkat Sungai Besi - Ulu Kelang (SUKE) tempoh hari. Diharapkan semoga perkara seperti ini dapat dielakkan di masa hadapan.

Adakah undang-undang sedia ada terhadap salah laku penggunaan kenderaan berat ini tidak cukup ketat sampai pemandu tak mahu patuh? Apa pendapat anda?


MINI Reinvents Itself, Boldly Starts up Car-Sharing Programme for US and Europe

In the past decade the
MINI
 brand has gone where few brands has gone before with a line-up unique models that stood out from the pack. But winds of changes are blowing through, as Peter Schwarzenbauer, member of BMW AG’s Board of Management for MINI,
Rolls-Royce
, BMW Motorrad, and After Sales, detailed his new plans for the MINI brand today
at the unveiling of the new MINI Clubman
.
The announcement comes as a surprise when MINI’s performance in delivering 163,000 vehicles in the first half of 2015, with June working up to the best month in MINI sales history with a 20 per cent increase on year-on-year sales, is taken into consideration. Despite their stellar performance, Schwarzenbauer finds that the brand needs to reinvent itself for the future by expanding its offerings into the “premium compact class” (the MINI 3 door and 5 door models are considered to be under the “premium small car class”), concentrate on five core models “with strong individual characters”, and adopting new strategies to appeal to a new customer demands, such as pioneering car-sharing programmes.
Over in Europe, MINI is a brand that is accessible to young buyers, though with this new move, Schwarzenbauer believes that their customer based have moved on, and wants to deliver a product that would appeal to what they tout as “the creative class”, which is described as post-modern and non-conformist buyers.
The new MINI Clubman, which was launched at the very same event in Berlin, is the first model in MINI’s brand new venture into what BMW defines as the “premium compact class”, which is recognised as one with one of the strongest growth, which will account for more than 27 per cent of the total global passenger car market by 2020. Though Schwarzenbauer remained mum on the question of MINI’s five core models, he only goes so far as to say that there will be a cabriolet and the hatch in the line-up.
Riding on the Sharing Economy

Recognising the shift of car ownership in Europe to “car-sharing”, MINI is taking a bold step forward by being the first car company to offer a car-sharing concept, which will feature a new optional equipment package that will enable private car MINI customers to share their car with others through a car-sharing service known as DriveNow.
With this new function, MINI customers can make their vehicle available to other customers on DriveNow when it is not in use, allowing the car to “work for you” while you are not using it. Car-sharing programmes are said to be already active in Berlin, and found to be very successful with over 500,000 rides recorded in Berlin last month. According to MINI, DriveNow will be expanding their coverage into 10 to 15 cities in the United States of America and 10 to 15 cities in Europe over the next three years.
MINI plans to adopt a self-regulating system of peer reviews from both owner and users of the car-sharing programme, similar to the peer reviews as seen on sites such as Airbnb where both owner and tenant can post reviews and ratings.
For now, MINI plans to make this option will initially be available in the North American market next year and later in DriveNow cities. In addition to car sharing, MINI will also introduce a new form of vehicle lending called “peer-to-peer car sharing” for a defined circle of family and friends.
Focusing on Start-Ups
Being a brand that is prominent amongst the young and emerging generation, MINI is also making a commitment to the start-up community by helping individuals realise their vision of creating new digital technologies. MINI says that they are working on setting up start-up accelerators in New York, with plans to set up such facilities in China and Europe in the near future. The programme is focused on making technologies and features that would be of use in urban living environments and communities.
A New Identity
To reflect further reflect MINI’s new position, Schwarzenbauer says that MINI will adopt a new visual identity for itself, with a new cleaner and minimalistic logo, which is described as portraying a more grown up image. The new logotype will also be accompanied by a new typeface and design style that will reflect a more sophisticated and classy image.
However Schwarzenbauer assures that MINI’s original identity in creating highly-efficient vehicle focused on the essentials with the agility to offer a one-of-a-kind driving experience, will be the only part of MINI’s original identity that will be retained moving forward.


Subaru To Underpin All Cars With Just One Platform? New Seven-Seat SUV Too

If the reports are true,
Subaru
 will have
one modular platform
 that will underpin its entire line-up of cars by 2016. With that, the new architecture, that goes by the name of the Subaru Global Platform, will be used from the Subaru Impreza to the all-new seven-seater SUV that’s expected to replace the ageing Tribeca.
However, modular/ scalable platforms aren’t new: European carmakers such as
Volkswagen
 and
Volvo
 have already adopted this strategy, seeing as how having just one platform for various vehicles saves a bucket of cash in the process – they’re also responsible for some seriously improved development times.
Set to be unveiled in two years’ time, the all-new Tribeca replacement will be the first Subaru model to utilise the new modular architecture.
In order to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, the Japanese carmaker will also introduce new engine technologies such as lean-burning, cylinder deactivation and direct injection in 2016.
Subaru is reportedly working on a plug-in hybrid powertrain as well.
The
BRZ
 will be the only exception to this one-platform strategy. Like the current model, the second gen sports coupe will likely sit on a special chassis that is co-developed with
Toyota
.


The New E-Class - A Class Above The Rest

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) very recently launched the 2021 facelift Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W213) Avantgarde E200 and E300 AMG Line, refreshed with a host of new exterior and interior designs.

The Mercedes-Benz E Class, the standard by which we have come to judge executive sedans, has been in Malaysia since the early nineties. It has spawned five generations with each one building on the prestige of its
predecessor
. Just as you think that an E-Class could not get any better, Mercedes-Benz always seems to be able to innovate and integrate new features into the luxury sedan, making it one of the most complete sedans ever built.

The latest albeit a facelift is
finally here
 with two variants: E 200 Avantgarde and E 300 AMG Line. Both will be assembled locally (CKD) in Pekan.

First introduced to the world in March 2020, the Mercedes Benz E Class facelift (W213) is where intelligence meets luxury, performance meets innovation and design meets precision.

This facelift model brings several distinctive
changes
 that can be seen instantly, including a thinner front grille that comes in different shapes according to their variants. There are also newly designed LED headlights that sport an L-shaped daytime running light (DRL) at the top of the light cluster.

On the E 200 variant, the grille is hexagonal in shape and comes with two horizontal chrome stripes, with black vertical lines behind it. The E300, on the other hand, uses a trapezoidal grille that only has one horizontal chrome stripe in the middle, with the brand's recognisable chrome pins grille design behind it.

The E 300 has a more aggressive bumper, with larger intake air openings in the corners, while the E 200 is slightly more understated with a classy bumper complete with a chrome chin at the bottom.

Despite their differences, there are still some similarities between the two models, such as the bulge on the bonnet as well as the two exhaust tips at the rear. Another exterior change on this facelift model is its taillights, which are wider and connect right up to the boot, unlike the vertical ones seen on the pre-facelift model.

There are also two new colours for this facelift model, namely Grey Metallic and High-Tech Silver.

The E 200 Avantgarde comes standard with High Performance LED headlights (with Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus) and 18-inch five-spoke wheels. The E 300 AMG Line variant comes with Multibeam LED headlights (with Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus) as well as 19 -inch AMG rims.

On the inside, despite looking like it has the familiar dashboard as seen on the pre-facelift model, there is a significant change, which comes in the form of the infotainment system.

As expected, the facelift E-Class is equipped with the latest
MBUX
 multimedia system (Mercedes-Benz User Experience), displayed through the Widescreen Cockpit screens, which consists of two 12.3 inch displays. As a result, the information on the instrument cluster is easy to read, especially as the screens are high in resolution. Furthermore, a dynamic presentation with brilliant graphics underlines the intuitive control structure.

This up to date MBUX system has various Mercedes Me connection services available as there is an LTE communications module built into it. It can be controlled using the touchpad on the centre console and has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. Also included is a wireless charger, but that is only for the E 300 AMG Line variant.

The facelift E-Class also gets a new multifunction steering wheel in genuine Nappa leather. The steering wheel's control surfaces wear a high-gloss black finish, while the trim elements and surrounds have a light longitudinal-grain aluminium trim in the E200 Avantgarde and open-pore black ash wood trim on the 2021 E 300 AMG Line. The steering wheels are also equipped with touch control capacitive sensing buttons. The E 300 AMG Line gets a sportier steering wheel design, which is part of the AMG Line package.

Other interior features of the E 200 Avantgarde include dual-zone air conditioning, ambient lighting, adjustable power seats with memory function, powered rear sunblind, as well as Artico leather-wrapped seats. The E 300 AMG Line builds upon the E 200's interior kit list by adding a panoramic sunroof, three-zone air conditioning, Burmester sound system as well as AMG floor mats.

The 2021 E-Class includes the latest in Mercedes-Benz assistance systems. These assistance systems offer high levels of active safety, which makes the E-Class react if the driver doesn't.

The hands-off recognition now works on a capacitive basis. This enhances user-friendliness when driving in semi-automated mode. To inform the assistance systems that the driver still has control of the E-Class, a slight steering movement was previously required as feedback whereas now the steering wheel features a pad with the appropriate sensors in the rim itself. These register whether the driver is holding the wheel. If the system detects that the driver does not have their hands on the steering wheel for a certain amount of time, a warning cascade is started, which finally activates Emergency Brake Assist if the driver remains inactive.

As standard, the E 200 Avantgarde and E 300 AMG Line come with Active Brake Assist, which can use autonomous braking to prevent a collision or mitigate its severity in many situations. The system can also brake for stationary vehicles and crossing pedestrians at typical city speeds and even to prevent crashes, depending on the situation. As part of the Driving Assistance Package, this is now also possible when turning off across the oncoming lane.

The E 300 AMG Line variant has additional assistance in the form of Active Parking Assist with Parktronic and 360° camera. The system facilitates the search for and selection of a parking space when entering and leaving (if the vehicle was parked automatically) parallel and end-on parking spaces or garages.

For the first time, an E-Class can recognise and park into space by itself. The 360° camera on the E 300 AMG Line transmits an even more realistic image to the media display, including an expanded side view. When leaving a parking space, the system can warn of traffic crossing behind the vehicle and apply the brakes in case of doubt.

The E 300 AMG Line also comes with the Driving Assistance Package, Active Distance Assist Distronic, Active Steering Assist, Active Brake Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist and Pre-Safe® Plus.

One of the newest features of the E-Class facelift is Mercedes' Urban Guard, an intelligent interlinking of hardware and digital solutions that satisfies customer demand for security and property protection.

The Urban G Vehicle Protection package provides all-around monitoring. It comprises an anti-theft alarm system plus tow-away protection, which can detect changes in position. Movement in the vehicle interior also triggers visual and audible warnings. In addition, the driver will be notified of theft or parking damage detection through the Mercedes Me app.

These luxurious executive sedans start from RM326,943 for the E 200 Avantgarde, while the E 300 AMG Line is sold at RM375,432. Prices are inclusive of the sales tax exemption (100% because this is a CKD model), which will last until December 31, 2021. The sedans also come with a four-year, unlimited warranty.

Currently, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia is also offering a limited time only Step Up Agility Financing Plan for these cars, perfectly tailored for individuals who seek performance, value, unrivalled benefits and peace of mind at the wheel. The Step Up Agility Financing Plan starts from RM2,388 per month for the Mercedes-Benz E 200 Avantgarde and RM2,988 for the E300 AMG Line.


New Entry-Level Taycan Is RM584,561

The new Taycan might be an entry-level variant, but it's definitely not down on fun and performance. The only down thing about it is its price.

While BMW is lowering the prices of their cars by offering less warranty, Porsche has slashed the price of their full electric vehicle, the Taycan, by offering it in a rear-wheel-drive only configuration - wait, that's a downgrade?

By doing this, they have managed to create a
Taycan
 that is practically half the price of the highest variant, the Turbo S while not taking away the fun factor that the Turbo S provides.

Known just as the Taycan, the entry-level base model Porsche EV looks the same as the
Turbo S
 but has an output of 321hp instead of the Turbo S' 616hp.

If those figures make the Taycan seem limp compared to its brothers, let us tell you that the Taycan can still reach a top speed of  230km/h and make the century sprint in 5.4secs.  While it won't be the fastest EV on the road, it will still get your blood pumping and make your passengers queasy.

To make those claimed performance statistics, the Taycan goes into a temporary overboost mode which brings its power up to 402hp. But if this is not sufficient, you could always spec the Taycan with the optional
Performance Battery Plus
, which ups the capacity from 79kWh to 93kWh, and increases the range from 431 kilometres to 484 kilometres.

Yes, just like that and through a simple battery upgrade, the Taycan can provide 375bhp or a temporary 469bhp of overboost. In this configuration, the Taycan can outrun the
Polestar 2
 (400hp) even if only momentarily.

Standard equipment is still impressive, including aerodynamically efficient 19-inch rims, LED headlights, 10.9-inch cabin touchscreen, and two boots - that's right, two boots because there's no electric motor at the front. Stopping power is also good as the Taycan's brake size and rotor thickness is the same as the Taycan 4S. A six-piston calliper is plonked in the front, while a four-piston calliper is placed at the back.

The slash in price doesn't mean a slash in ride and handling, because the Taycan is equipped with Porsche's Active Suspension Management, which allows a wide range of adjustability. It'll never be like the adaptive air suspension which its brothers the Taycan 4S or Taycan Turbo has, but Porsche's Active Suspension Management is usually quite good.

If you think this base Taycan is a bit of diet coke, you'd be wrong because it set a Guinness World Record for the longest drift in an electric car. We're sure this will factor into your buying decision.

The Taycan went sideways for over 41 kilometres at an average speed of 46km/h. It's no BMW M5 which did it for 373 kilometres, but it's still impressive nonetheless we suppose!

We guess the big question is will it come to Malaysia? You bet it will as Porsche Malaysia has already uploaded the variant onto their website. How much would the car cost, you ask? Well, the Taycan Turbo S cost around RM 1.2 million so we guess, it will probably be around half of that.

Infact, we know what the price is as Porsche Malaysia have unveiled it. Prices for the entry-level Taycan starts from RM605,000. From now until 30 June 2021, prices start from RM584,561 (inclusive of the current sales tax incentive) and will be available at Porsche Centres in the second quarter of 2021.

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Sell 109,000 Units This Year? No Problem Says Honda Malaysia

Honda Malaysia is confident of achieving its 2018 sales target of 109,000 units following the encouraging sales performance in the first half of this year.
HMSB recorded total sales of 51,354 units between January and June 2018, which places the company on track to achieve its sales target for the year.
Having received the highest number of bookings in its history in the month of June with a record-breaking 20,000 units, the highest contributor to the total number of bookings obtained in that month was the City at 36%, followed by the CR-V and Civic at 14% each.
Among the factors that contributed towards the sales performance were zero-rated GST, and on-going festive promotions by Honda.
Due to the overwhelming bookings, HMSB said that it had to extend the waiting period to up to four months for certain models.
Based on this sales record, Honda Malaysia contributed 17.7% to the Total Industry Volume (TIV) as at 30 June 2018. The steady sales has also maintained Honda Malaysia in No.1 in the Non-National segment and No.2 in overall TIV positions in the first half of 2018.
The City stood out as the most popular model among customers in the past six months with over 15,400 units sold, translating to 30% of the total sales.
This is an increase of 7% compared to the same period last year. Following closely behind the City are the HR-V and CR-V models, which accounted for 16% and 13% of the total sales for the first six months of 2018 respectively.
The three models also maintained the segment leadership position during this period alongside other Honda models such as the Jazz, BR-V, Accord and Civic.


For The Sick/Immobile, 10 Sen Is All It Costs To Go To The Hospital

Thanks to a joint partnership between Community Policing Malaysia (CP Malaysia) and KL & Selangor Automotive Charity Association (KUASA), lower income residents of PPR Bukit Jalil and Pangsapuri Enggang Bandar Kinrara who require medical attention but can’t afford to travel to the hospital/clinic can now do so with just 10 sen.
Open to needy members of the community, the ’Program Teksi 10 Sen’ offers transport services to nearby hospitals/clinics using a Toyota Avanza donated by KUASA.
To utilize the services, eligible members of the community will only need to sign up by paying a token fee of just 10 sen. The service is aimed primarily at residents who have to make regular visits to the hospital/clinic, whose conditions don’t typically warrant hospitals sending an ambulance to transport them on a weekly/monthly basis.
CP Malaysia is a non-profit charity organization founded by Kuan Chee Heng while KUASA is a charity initiative setup by a group of used car dealers operating in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.


Volkswagen to maintain current vehicle prices; new models for 2016 promised

Volkswagen will not be increasing prices of any of its vehicles in the foreseeable future, despite the weakening value of the Malaysian ringgit, Mr Armin Keller, Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Malaysia.
Speaking to the press whilst officiating the new Volkswagen Sri Hartamas 3S Centre operated by FA Wagen, Keller said that although the company’s bottom line is pressure as severely as every other brand’s, it has resolved to absorb the deficit and ride out the storm in hopes of a rebound of the local currency.
The last two years have been tough for Volkswagen both globally and in Malaysia. The
Dieselgate scandal
 has forced lawsuits and recalls upon the company from around the world, whilst in Malaysia, the brand was beset by a prolonged aftersales crisis that saw service centres faced with lengthy backlog of vehicles.
The company remains committed and determined to reverse the tide, however, and it plans to embark on an offensive this year. The new Sri Hartamas 3S Centre is of several more new outlets being opened in a continued expansion drive to boost overall presence and also to ramp up after sales capacity for current owners.
At the outlet’s opening, Keller also promised a
renewal of the model range
 without elaborating on the exact models that will be launched. Based on recent Volkswagen global launches, we expect the line-up of new launches to be led by the
all-new Passat B8
 and possibly the
all-new Tiguan
 that was previewed at last year’s
Frankfurt Motor Show
. In fact,
pictures of a Passat B8 test vehicle
 on Malaysian roads were sent to us by a reader as far back as June last year.
Built at a cost of RM 5 million, Volkswagen Sri Hartamas 3S occupies the ground and lower floors of the Signature Suites building in Sri Hartamas, occupying 30,670 sq ft of floor space spread over three levels. Its service centre has 8 work bays and a team of 15 experienced and certified technicians.
You can browse through the full range of Volkswagen models offered in Malaysia in
Carlist.my's very own New Car Showroom
.


Hap Seng Star Opens Tenth Mercedes-Benz Autohaus in Puchong South

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia together with its dealer, Hap Seng Star S.B. recently opened the doors to it latest Sales, and After-Sales (3S) dealership, the Mercedes-Benz Hap Seng Star Puchong South Autohaus.
The newest addition is Hap Seng’s 10th dealership and the 34th overall customer touchpoint for Mercedes-Benz Malaysia.
Hap Seng Star Puchong South Autohaus is strategically located next to the Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP – Puchong Barat Toll Plaza), providing easy access to customers residing in and around Puchong, USJ, and Putrajaya.
Built at a cost of RM6.0 million, the Mercedes-Benz Hap Seng Star Puchong South Autohaus features a built-up area of 21,577 sq. ft., and conforms to the Mercedes-Benz Presentation System II (MPS II) Autohaus concept; in compliance with the latest Mercedes-Benz Corporate Identity (CI).
Staffed by a 27 member team – the Puchong South Autohaus is able to offer a complete one-stop solution for sales, financial and after-sales services.
The Hap Seng Star Puchong South Autohaus has a total display capacity of eight Mercedes-Benz vehicles. It is a full-fledged 3S centre equipped with 12 work bays, capable of servicing up to 500 vehicles a month, providing general and specialised repair solutions.
All technicians at the Authohaus are Mercedes-Benz certified and trained to provide repair works with specialised Mercedes-Benz equipment and tools. The new Autohaus also offers customers specialised maintenance and 24 hour roadside assistance.
The Mercedes-Benz Hap Seng Star Puchong South Autohaus is also equipped with a private Star Lounge and Mercedes-Benz lifestyle products are available for sale to all fans of the brand.
The Mercedes-Benz Hap Seng Star Puchong South Autohaus is located at Lot 14225, KM3.8, Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong, 47100, Puchong. (+603-80515616).


Honda Sets Some Bonneville Speed Records with the S-Dream Streamliner

Historically, Honda has had a close relationship with all kinds of motorsports. From bikes, to Indycar, to Formula 1- Honda has tried their hands at various things and they usually use it to train their engineers to pursue loftier goals. During their time in F1, quite nearly every engineer was required to do a stint as part of the team, to truly understand what the pinnacle of performance required. Nowadays Honda is a little quieter, but these last few days they have managed to achieve a new class record at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
100 people volunteered for this project, labelled only as the Honda S-Dream, and only 16 were selected from this pool of candidates. Their goal from the very beginning was to achieve this land speed record with a 660 cc engine alone, which made the Honda S660 powerplant an ideal candidate. A tremendous amount of work went into this project, from replacing the aluminium block with a steel unit for strength, to reinforcing the rotating assembly for those high strain top speed runs, and all to coax over three times as much power out of the dimunitive engine.
Their initial test runs in Japan showed promise, but the first round of Bonneville testing revealed that the visibility was compromised by the overall design. The driver couldn't put down a fast enough trap time because he could not see which direction he had to go in without landmarks and references points out on the salt flats. The team got to work in redesigning the cockpit for better visibility Going out to the Bonneville speed weeks, the team managed to achieve some strong runs but still fell short of the record run they sought.
They were lucky that soon after, they were invited out to Bonneville once again for another run at the record. This time they managed to clock a staggering 365 km/h on the first day, and continued to push forward until they clocked the 421 km/h record that they now hold. All of this, from just a 660 cc engine and with a lot of Honda spirit- the Honda S-Dream Streamliner is now the fastest Honda car in history, surprassing the BAR Honda F1 car that last set a record at Bonneville in 2006.


2013 Mazda CX-9 Facelift Unveiled With New Kodo Face

The 2013
Mazda CX-9
 is the next in line to wear the Japanese car maker's new signature design language named “Kodo–Soul of Motion”, which debut on the
Mazda CX-5
 and has since found its way onto the
all-new Mazda 6
. The new bold face is instantly recognisable, featuring the same sleek headlamps and angular grille as the other new
Mazdas
.
More on the full-size seven-seater when it launches at the Australian International Motor Show in mid-October, including what changes there are at the rear and in the cabin. Any updates are likely minor, and
Mazda
 notes “enhancements in craftsmanship and interior design”. New equipment announced counts a voice-command system and updated audio and navigation systems.
Extra safety features like Forward Obstruction Warning System, Lane Departure Warning System, and High Beam Control System will be introduced. However, the current powertrain comprising a large 3.7-litre V6 MZI engine paired to a six-speed automatic transmission will be carried over, as will be the option of front- and all-wheel drive.


Two Months of Free Installments for the MINI Countryman

In conjunction with the upcoming
Hari Raya
 festivities, MINI Malaysia is running the Greater Escape promotion giving two months of free instalments for buyers of the MINI Countryman.
Also part of the brand’s festive offerings, special financing programmes are available through MINI Financing Straight Line Monthly Instalment and MINI Financing Monthly Instalment.
The campaign runs from now until 30 June 2016.
We reviewed the MINI Countryman fairly recently.
Click here
 to read what we think of it.


Grab drivers on strike today?

We're noticing that it's extra difficult to book a
Grab ride
 today, and it might just be that the Grab drivers have gone on strike earlier than expected.

Utusan Malaysia
 reported that the Grab Drivers Malaysia Association (GDMA) will be meeting up today to address the fare restructuring issue imposed by Grab Malaysia. While there's no news of protest being reported anywhere just yet, it has come to our attention that there's a significant decrease in Grab driver and food delivery rider activities.

Distance charge dropped from RM0.70 to RM0.25 per km

On 16 January 2023, the ride-hailing fare system saw a big change as they lowered the distance charge from RM0.70 per km to just RM0.25. Time charges, however, have been increased from RM0.20 to RM0.43 per minute. This move was made by Grab Malaysia where they claimed that the fares were changed based on the drivers' feedback, as reported by
The Star
.

While this means that Grab drivers can earn higher during rush hour for driving shorter distances, the sheer 65% drop in distance charges has resulted in dissatisfaction amongst Grab drivers who operate outside of heavily congested areas like KL and Selangor during rush hours.

As of now, GDMA vice-president Mohd Azril Ahmat is requesting some time to gather as much information as possible during the meeting before any action is taken towards the Grab Driver Centre as well as management.


Google Maps Now Shows Real-Time Bus Delay Updates In the Klang Valley

Plan your bus journeys on time now with Google Maps integration with RapidKL.

Around this time last year, Google announced that it had enhanced the Google Map application to show realtime updates for public transport whereabouts.

Fast-forward to today, RapidKL a division of PRASARANA which operates the public transport busses in Malaysia has utilised this feature in collaboration with Google and has announced that Malaysians can now get realtime updates for buses.

Its main aim is to help public transport users get more information about their public vehicles. "You'll now be able to see if your bus will be late, how long the delay will be, and more accurate travel times based on live traffic conditions along your route. You'll also see exactly where the delays are on the map so you know what to expect before you even hop on your bus," according to Google.

The app uses data provided by Google's open platform and currently covers RapidKL, Go KL City Bus and Smart Selangor bus services. 170 routes are now live and ready for use. Prasarana chairman Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, said the company would continue to improve its services to passengers. “They can now manage the time that they have saved on other important matters at home before travelling".

The feature is also being looked into for Rapid operated busses in Penang and Kuantan.

Rapid Bus CEO Muhammad Yazurin Sallij said that there were nearly 5,000 inquiries from users about bus location from January to April 2020. With this new feature, bus users can get the information fast and easily.

All you need to do is download Google Maps, click the blue bus icon based on the location you are at and a drop-down list should show you live updates. Green coloured lettering and numbers will show that the bus is on schedule while the red means that the bus is delayed. If the lettering and numbers are black, it simply means the realtime update service is not available.


2023 Toyota Prius PHEV launched in Japan - 223PS, up to 105km EV range

Toyota Motor Corporation has finally launched the all-new 2023 Toyota Prius PHEV for its local market.

Following the launch of the new
2023 Toyota Prius
 back in January, the new plug-in hybrid version was developed under the "Hybrid Reborn" concept and will be offered as the Z grade starting 15 March 2023.

The Z grade in particular is now labeled as the 'high-performance' version or variant and the Toyota Prius PHEV comes ready with the brand's latest plug-in hybrid system, which consists of an efficient 2.0-litre petrol engine, high-output drive motor, and a high-capacity battery pack.

The same body design can be found with the new Toyota Prius PHEV as the HEV models, but underneath it lies a plug-in hybrid powertrain that can churn out a maximum of 223PS paired with excellent fuel efficiency at 26km/l (with the 19-inch tyres) and 30.1km/l (with the 17-inch tyres).

Once the battery pack is fully charged, the 2023 Toyota Prius PHEV can travel at an all-electric distance of 87km when riding on the 19-inch wheels and 105km on the 17-inch rollers - a 75% overall improvement compared to the previous-gen model. The fifth-gen hybrid system also allows it to hit 0-100km/h in just 6.7 seconds.

Other highlights include:

Regeneration Boost (regen braking)

External supply mode (to power external electrical appliances)

Second-gen solar charging system (up to 1,250km/year in BEV mode)

"My Room Mode" (use of AC and radio when charging) + more

For those living in Japan, you can get your very own 2023 Toyota Prius PHEV priced at 4.6 million Yen, which is around RM150k. Six exterior colour options are available - Platinum White Pearl Mica, Ash, Attitude Black Mica, Emotional Red II, Mustard, and Dark Blue.


Proton Opens New 3S Centre In Lahad Datu, Sabah

Proton has announced the launching of its latest 3S outlet in Lahad Datu, Sabah.
Owned and operated by Fook Loi Corporation Sdn Bhd, the Lahad Datu 3S outlet is the first by a Sabah dealer to feature Proton’s new corporate identity colours.
According to Proton, the renovation and upgrading works undertaken for the new outlet costed approximately RM2 million.
Featuring a premium ambience for customers, the new outlet also offers customers with laptop and mobile charging ports, as well as a coffee area.
With the opening of the new outlet in Lahad Datu, Proton has grown its lead over other automotive brands in having the most 3S/4S outlets. The ongoing upgrading exercise, which started in April 2018, has resulted in 91 such outlets counted in the Company’s network.
“We are happy with this result. Clearly, the new outlet upgrades coupled with our product improvement strategy has resulted in improvements to Proton’s brand perception and higher sales figures. We can see a shift in consumer preferences where Proton is gaining popularity in terms of brand choice and this has led to a market share figure of 18.1% for June 2019, our best achievement since July 2015”, said Dr Li Chunrong, Chief Executive Officer of Proton.
Looking for a new Proton? Find the best deals
here
.


All-New Nissan Almera Turbo Is Packed Full Of Safety

It's already a mighty impressive product, inside and out, but the
Nissan Almera Turbo
 comes with more tricks up its sleeves in the form of various safety systems.

Nissan Intelligent Mobility and Safety Shield 360 are two important words when it comes to the
Nissan Almera Turbo
. In a market where features determine popularity, the Almera Turbo excels on a variety of fronts - and safety is definitely not one of its weak points. On all three variants of the
Almera Turbo
 are Intelligent Forward Collision Warning and Intelligent Forward Emergency Braking.

The former operates between 5 km/h and 80 km/h and will flash the
Advance Drive Assist
 Display and make noise if you're at risk of having a frontal collision. The latter will engage the brakes if it determines you still need intervention, with the aim of preventing or reducing the severity of an impact. These systems are the first steps forward when it comes to active safety, and the fact that it's available across the range is fantastic.

Higher up in the range, you also get Blind Spot Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert - two common systems that help you to stay aware of your surroundings. When changing lanes, the Blind Spot Warning will alert you if there's something you haven't noticed in your mirrors, while Rear Cross Traffic Alert is most useful when backing out of parking spaces or into a busy road.

A particularly nice touch is the Intelligent Around View Monitor with Intelligent Moving Object Detection. This system was first featured in luxury cars half a decade ago, and it slowly filtered down to more mass-market models, offering a birds-eye view of the car via a number of camera views stitched together. It allows for accurate and easy placement of a car in a parking spot or when maneuvering through tight spaces.

As for the rest of the safety features, you've got your usual acronyms like VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) with TC (Traction Control), HSA (Hill Start Assist), ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) with BA (Brake Assist), EBD (Electronic Braking Distribution), as well as 6 SRS airbags and two ISOFIX mounts for child seats.

For more latest car news, reviews, car buying guides and videos visit us at Carlist.my
Auto News
.

Check out all the best new & used car deals in Malaysia at
Carlist.my.

Sell your car fast with the best offer? Visit us at
CarlistBid.my
.


Hyundai Ioniq Electric Debuts As Singapore’s First Fast Charging EV Taxi

ComfortDelGro, one of the top taxi operators in Singapore, has started trial of two units of Hyundai Ioniq Electric together with the country’s first fast charging station.
Image from ComfortDelGro Taxi Facebook page
The 50 kW direct current (DC) fast charging station, approved by the Energy Market Authority for operation, is available round-the-clock at Singapore’s Hyundai dealer, Komoco Motors, in Alexandra. A fully charged Ioniq Electric taxi has a range of over 200 kilometres, but the cost of charging to full capacity is only a third of the cost of diesel for the same distance, where the company estimates a cost of SGD2.90 per 100 kilometres. For comparison, a litre of diesel in Singapore is priced about SGD1.68.
Image from ComfortDelGro Taxi Facebook page
Mr Ang Wei Neng, ComfortDelGro Taxi CEO, said: “We have been looking for a reliable, safe and faster charging electric vehicle for quite a while now. We wanted one that would offer our cabbies the shortest or fastest charging time because time is of an essence to them. With the DC fast charger, this electric Hyundai Ioniq can be charged from zero to full in under 30 minutes while the cabby is taking a break. The new full electric Hyundai Ioniq is not only green, it is practical, friendly and provides a substantial saving in fuel cost.”
The Hyundai Ioniq Electric carries a 28 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery over the rear axle and provides a maximum range of 280 km with power consumption as low as 11.5 kWh / 100 kilometres (based on NEDC standard).
The instantly available maximum torque of 295 Nm is delivered by the electric motor with a maximum output of 88 kW (120 PS) by the single-speed reducer transmission accelerating the car up to 165 km/h.
One unique feature in the Ioniq Electric is the paddles mounted at the steering wheel, not for shifting gears, but to adjust the regenerative braking in four stages according to the driver's needs during deceleration and braking.
Closer to home in Malaysia, Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors offers the
Hyundai
Ioniq
 Hybrid
that combines a 1.6-litre petrol engine with a 44 PS electric motor to deliver a combined system output of 140 PS.
Claimed fuel consumption is under 4 litres per 100 kilometres.
The highest scoring vehicle in the
Asean
 NCAP
 safety assessment is offered with the advanced driving assistance systems (adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, autonomous emergency braking) and is priced from RM 94,788 to RM 109,988.


RM30 Million approved for PDRM to use body cameras on officers

On duty police officers in Malaysia will soon be wearing body cameras following the approval of an RM30 million allocation by the government, as announced by the Minister of Home Affairs Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

The move is in line with the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) Bill 2020, which will come into force in June 2023. The Bill, passed this July, was tabled with the aim of increasing public confidence in law enforcement, improving integrity, and reducing occurrences of misconduct.

Much like dashcams in use by motorists in the civilian world, video evidence is oftentimes proven to be invaluable in hindsight.

However,
the Royal Malaysia Police
 have placed a request for such body camera devices for quite some time since. As reported by The Star, PDRM had asked the home ministry to expedite the tender process for these devices so that officers in the field could use them as soon as possible.

At a press conference in Bukit Aman earlier this week, the minister also added that ahead of the IPCC coming into effect, the government are in process of procurement for these body cameras, saying: "I hope the procurement can be expedited as it is now a necessity. I have instructed the ministry secretary-general to follow up on the matter.”

Body cameras have become quite commonplace in law enforcement overseas with countries like the United Kingdom and United States rolling them out as standard issue for certain divisions of the police department in the mid-2010s.

Over the years, the device itself has been miniaturised into the size of a typical smartphone, albeit thicker and mounted forward. Aside from audio recording, increased storage, better video resolution and weatherproofing, body cameras typically feature a wide-angle lens and sometimes infrared capability for night time use.


What's Up With VW Prices? Arteon R-Line Sees RM9k Spike To RM258,019

A surprise price revision has just hit the locally assembled Volkswagen Arteon, taking the svelte D-segment five-door coupe (the boot is hinged at the roof) in
facelift 2.0TSI 4Motion R-Line guise
 to RM258,019.

If you’re counting, that’s an overnight hike of RM9,000 that has not been accompanied by an official announcement by Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia nor an obvious upgrade to its equipment or feature set.

First launched in mid-2021 with an on-the-road price of RM248,693, this newest Arteon was headlined by a more powerful 280PS/350Nm version of the
2.0-litre turbocharged EA888 four-cylinder petrol engine
alongside the inclusion of 4Motion all-wheel drive to help get all that extra grunt down to the road, enabling it to rival hot hatchbacks with its 5.6 second 0-100km/h sprint time.

As before, standard kit includes 19-inch Montevideo alloy wheels wearing 245-section Pirelli P Zero tyres, Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) adaptive dampers, full LED headlights and tail lights, 30-colour ambient interior lighting, Nappa leather upholstery, a 9.2-inch Discover Pro touchscreen infotainment unit, and a 12-speaker 700W Harman/Kardon audio system.

Disappointingly, also unchanged is its suite of active safety and driver aid features, or lack of a complete suite. Despite the dearer price tag, the absence of the tentpole Autonomous Emergency Braking and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control continues to be glaring at this price point.

Still, it does have Lane Keep Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Blind Spot Monitoring as well as a 360-degree camera system that does work pretty well. Together with this there is the usual assortment of (7) airbags, anti-lock brakes, and Electronic Stability Control.

Of course, there will be customers unfazed by RM9k price jump, rationalising that it remains pretty great value in terms of style, quality, performance, and equipment levels to something like a BMW 3 Series
which, at this price window, offers the entry-level 320i
.

And
next to the Audi A5 Sportback
, it's a landslide victory on value.

That said, also bear in mind that though this latest price increase is unwelcome, it will inevitably see at least another hike once the current SST exemption/discount period ends. At the time of writing, that’s scheduled to take place June 30th, 2022.

Assuming there are circumstancial factors at play here (such as the global semiconductor shortage), will we be seeing more shock price changes between now and then, even from other brands?


Review: Porsche Cayman GT4 – A Taste of Distilled Greatness

Talk about
Porsche
 and the conversation will surely centre on the
911
. How could you not talk about Porsche’s arse-engined wünderwagen when you are talking about Porsche? It is like discussing KFC without the chicken or Malaysian politics without the billions. Sadly as much as the 911 hogs the limelight as Porsche’s sacred icon, its presence had unintentionally overshadowed the brand’s other achievements, because when you think about it, some of Porsche’s finest hours were seen in their mid-engine creations, such as the great 904 GTS, the incredible 917, the dominating 956 and 962, the screaming Carrera GT, and the mesmerising 918 Spyder. These shining examples from Porsche’s stable all had their engines sitting between the axles rather than over the rear ones.
Sadly, great mid-engined Porsches come with heavy price tags. As such only the wealthiest of Porsche enthusiasts or professional racing drivers, were able to drive one, two conditions that not everyone in their mortal existence are in the right stead to be in.
Porsche’s other mid-engine creations, the
Boxster
 and the
Cayman
, are fine cars themselves, but you get the impression that they were built with a goal of complementing the 911’s established place in Porsche hierarchy, rather than challenge it. Enthusiasts has always wondered what would happen if Porsche gave the Cayman the same treatment it gave to the seminal 911 GT3, and joy of joys, they have just done that with this, the
Cayman GT4
.
Beefed up, groomed, and put together by the folks at Porsche Motorsports, the same talents behind the 911 GT3 RS, the Cayman GT4 is the first time the illustrious outfit has done something on the Cayman platform. So is this the Cayman that fans has been waiting for? Or is it another more expensive Cayman with wings spouting out of its ends?
Porsche Cayman GT4 Specifications
Price: From RM840,000
Engine: 3,800cc, flat-six, petrol
Max Power: 385hp @ 7,400rpm
Max Torque: 420Nm @ 4,750-6,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Acceleration (0-100km/h): 4.4 seconds
Top Speed: 295km/h
Overview
If you don’t know your Porsches from your
Protons
, Porsche already offers the Cayman in three different variants, each with varying degrees of power outputs and suspension tunings. However the Cayman GT4, being a product of Porsche Motorsport isn’t just another Cayman derivative with slightly more power liberated from its engine and a stiffer suspension.
Porsche Motorsport calls the Cayman GT4 as one of its a pure products, a claim backed up by the serious hardware that is packed beneath. Behind the driver sits the 3.8-litre flat-six powerplant from the 911 Carrera S with only 385hp on tap and attached to a six-speed manual. The front suspension together with its PASM dampers hail from the 911 GT3, so are the brakes. The rear suspension on the other hand is completely new and reinforced for good measure with a mechanical limited-slip differential wedged between the rear wheels. And lastly its aerodynamic bodywork generates plenty of downforce – 100kg of pressing force at its Vmax of 295km/h to be exact.
These additional bits and pieces also had the effect of cancelling out weight saving efforts Porsche Motorsport - even with its carbon-fibre shelled bucket seats, fabric door pulls, and barest of creature comforts, the Cayman GT4 is only a mere 5kg lighter compared to the family’s next hottest derivative, the Cayman GTS. At 1,340kg, the Cayman GT4 is already a relative featherweight.
Exterior
Dressed in GT3-style flared intakes on the front, a generous adjustable rear wing seated on sculpted struts, huge 20-inch GT3-inspired multi-spoke rims housing massive 380mm front discs and 340mm rear discs, and sitting 30mm closer to the ground, the Cayman GT4 looks like an escaped GT racer without sponsorship stickers. Its form has the sort of beauty that reminds one of the second-generation
Lotus Exige
 – compact, purposeful, and beguiling; far from the bloated shouty mess that the new Exige has become.
Interior
Jokes on paying fancy money for fabric door pull strap and a bare button-less steering wheel aside, drivers would be of little want in the Cayman GT4’s interior. There is dual-zone climate control, an optional Porsche’s infotainment system available, and a cabin suited to be customised to your heart’s content, such as adding contrasting yellow stitching, seatbelts, or even highlights on the air conditioning vents – as is demonstrated on our test unit.
The optional leather and alcantara wrapped carbon-fibre shelled bucket seats are beautifully built, and offers plenty of lumbar and side support – although they can be a tight fit for the lardier chap. Specify the Clubsport option and Porsche will throw in a roll cage behind the seats. Of all the options available for the Cayman GT4 however, there is no box for a self-shifting dual-clutch gearbox. This is a pure car for the driving enthusiast so best get your hand-feet coordination right to work its standard six-speed manual.
How is it like to Drive?
To give you an idea of just how good the Cayman GT4 is, consider that finding fault in either one of the Cayman’s other variants is considered nit picking. They are well-balanced, beautifully-built, and amazingly competent sports cars on any given road. But by the magic only known unto Porsche Motorsports, the GT4 treatment elevates it to another level.
Where the regular Cayman impresses us with its subtle demeanour, the Cayman GT4 kicks you in the back of the head and sticks electrodes onto your spine for laughs. It is intense, and part of it is thanks to that big 3.8-litre Carrera S engine. Although peak power comes in at a normal 7,400rpm, its lightened dual mass flywheel gives it plenty of zing and that instantaneous throttle response. You don’t even need to wait for the revs to build to build up the speed as the low-end torque makes quick work of the manual’s first three ratios, and easily propels it from 0 to 100km/h in 4.4 seconds. As expected of Porsches, the shift quality of its six-speed manual is delightful with a substantial, slick mechanical movement to be felt with every shift.
As expected of a Porsche Motorsport product, power is only the garnishing, whereas the meat of the business is always in the drive. First thing you would notice is that the electric power steering system has been retuned over the standard Caymans, and you can certainly feel it dance with more alacrity, weight, and feedback. The chassis may be a smorgasbord of new and used bits and pieces bolted together, but by gum do they know how to make it work at transforming the demure Cayman into something this exciting. The Cayman’s inherent mid-engine balance is still present, only the GT4-treatment has left it with far less body roll – complementary of its new suspension system – and feels more focused than before. Unlike the 911, whose tail-heavy nature can be a surprise amongst novices, the Cayman GT4 is far easier to get the best out of it, while delivering the same sort of thrills you get from its bigger road-racer inspired brother.
With a mechanical differential aided by Porsche’s non-intrusive electronic traction and stability systems, the Cayman GT4 is so playful you forget that it is having an engine they had to develop a new crankcase and intake just to shoehorn it inside. Not to mention the fitment of Michelin’s new Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres generating loads of traction and its massive GT3-sourced disc brakes that delivers plenty of bite, this winged Cayman feels truly special to drive.
How is it like to Live With?
Porsche Motorsport knows how to build a cracking good driver’s car for those with a Banzai attitude to ride comfort, but you have to hand it to them, they also know how to deliver a setup that is just right to take on Malaysia’s ruddy roads, and the Cayman GT4 is evident of that talent. Though the chassis is stiffer, the dampers – on the ‘Normal’ setting – maintains the suppleness that subdues the shocks pretty well. Even on ‘Sport’, with the dampers cancelling traces of body roll, the ride is still very bearable on a commute, so much so that you can drive this day-to-day. That is if you don’t mind have to fold yourself into and climb out of its figure-hugging bucket seats regularly. Despite the addition of a rear roll-cage and its big rear wing, all round visibility is just as good as any other Cayman, and so is its luggage space remains unhindered.
How Economical is it?
If you have to ask, and if you practice some self-restraint, you should be able to get 520km out of its 54 litre fuel tank. But nobody is going to practice self-restraint in a car like this, not even Pope Francis on sedatives, so realistically one can expect to get between 250 and 300km between the pumps.
Conclusion
Big engine, compact body, with hard core parts and experience gleamed from the highly-rated 911 GT3, the Cayman GT4 is like a dish served with the finest ingredients in the world, and prepared by the most experienced and talented chefs in the business. Where the Caymans are more all-rounded sports cars for every sort of journey, the Cayman GT4 delivers the simple, pure, and unadulterated experience that drivers at heart had always hoped from the Cayman.
Furthermore with Porsche taking the 911 GT3 and GT3 RS into more extreme territory with the use of technological wizardry such as rear-wheel steering and dual-clutch transmissions, the Cayman GT4 eschews from the ultimate 911’s pursuit of outright performance. Instead the Cayman GT4 sets out to deliver pure driving pleasure with a balanced chassis, great steering, and of course, a slick and delectable six-speed manual. And for once, you don’t need to be that obscenely rich or racing for glory on the tracks to enjoy this mid-engine Porsche.


Renault Fluence Now Offered with a Year of Free Instalments

One of the C-segment’s best value buys, the
Renault Fluence
, has just been made even more attractive a purchase.
The latest sales campaign from TC Euro Cars, dubbed ‘We’ve Got You Covered’, offers Fluence customers one-year’s worth of free instalments, translating to savings of some RM15,000 over the vehicle’s purchase price.
Valid until 31 May 2016, the campaign is applicable only for buyers who purchase their vehicles over a nine year tenure with 90 percent financing.
Powered Renault-Nissan’s proven 143PS/195Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to the Jatco-sourced JF011E X-Tronic CVT, the Fluence is available with a choice of
two variants, Expression and Dynamique
, priced at RM108,888 and RM119,888 (OTR without insurance) respectively.
A major selling point of the Fluence is its best-in-class ‘5inFluence’ package, one of the most comprehensive aftersales programmes in the market, providing total peace of mind for five years. Benefits provided by the package are:
5-year unlimited mileage factory warranty
5-year / 100,000km free maintenance
1-year genuine parts warranty
Complimentary vehicle pick-up for scheduled services
48-hour mobility solution – provision of courtesy car when a customer’s vehicle requires more than 48 hours of work in the service centre.


Toyota Calya and Daihatsu Sigra Launched In Indonesia – 7-Seater Perodua Axia/Bezza

PT Toyota Astra Motor and PT Astra Daihatsu Motor have jointly launched the Toyota Calya and Daihatsu Sigra twins in Indonesia earlier today.
Manufactured by Daihatsu at their Karawang plant with a local content ratio of 94 percent, the 7-seater Sigra/Calya is jointly developed by Toyota and Daihatsu, primarily for the Indonesian market.
Powered by a 3NR-VE 1.2-litre Dual VVT-i engine, the Sigra/Calya qualifies for duty exemptions under Indonesia’s Low Cost Green Car (LCGC) initiative. The Daihatsu Sigra has an additional option of a 1.0-litre 1KR-VE VVT-i engine.
The seven-seater Sigra/Calya twins are an extension of the A-Segment 1.0-litre Toyota Agya/Daihatsu Ayla twins, and if you could ignore the badging, our Perodua Axia.
Given that the Perodua Bezza sedan is based on the Axia, one could also say that the Sigra/Calya, Agya/Ayla/Axia, and Bezza are all part of the same family.
Prices range from IDR 106-149 million for the Daihatsu Sigra and IDR 130-150 million for the Toyota Calya. In comparison, the cheapest Toyota Avanza 1.3-litre Manual starts from IDR 183 million in Indonesia.
Being a low-cost car, safety features for the Sigra/Calya are quite limited, with dual front airbags and ABS reserved only for the higher variant models.
For now, the Calya/Sigra are only available in Indonesia.
Image courtesy of our friends at
Otospirit.com
.


Faraday Future Unveils The FFZERO1, A Futuristic 1000hp Concept Racer At CES 2016

Many of you have not yet heard of the name Faraday Future, and that's probably just the way the Silicon Valley automotive startup wants it. Since their inception in 2014, the small and secretive California company has made headlines by
hiring prominent figures
 from the cutting edge research divisions within the automotive and technology industry, leaving us all wondering just what they have planned.
Today, during the first day of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, Faraday Future has unveiled this, their first ever car, called the FFZERO1. It’s still very much a concept, to be sure, and should it ever see production, FF say that the numbers will be “limited”.
Either way, we can safely assume this car isn’t really meant for the road and its creators clearly allude to this being a racer - albeit one which allows the helmeted driver to dock his smartphone upon entry via with jet fighter-like glass bubble roof.
On first impressions, it looks like a futuristic Batmobile crossed with a Le Mans racer, and Faraday Future claims it outputs over 1,000hp from its electric motors and is able to hit 100km/h from standstill in under three seconds - figures we’d love to see given some real-life backing.
The FFZERO1 uses four motors, one on each wheel, to transmit power from battery to the road. The aforementioned smartphone mount is located on the cabin’s centre, within the steering wheel, and flanked by strategically exposed carbon fibre trim that leaves you no doubt of the car’s lightweight construction. The driver also is made to wear a special helmet gathers biometric data on the wearer as well as provide him or her with water and oxygen. Wow.
FF clearly wants to create some considerable hype with the idea of an electric car, one reimagined from the ground up, so they say. And the most direct way to showcase the potential and capture people’s imagination is by aiming for the fence in the form of a low-slung, high-performance beast.
Make no mistake, this is not Faraday Future’s first production, customer-faced offering, but rather a display of what is possible from their team of automotive heavy hitters and technological wizards. Going forward, their upcoming production vehicle, whatever shape it will take, will surely utilised many of the FFZERO1’s underpinnings and battery/motor technology.
The platform itself, the core of Faraday Future’s focus at their CES unveil, upon which the FFZERO1 sits is called their Variable Platform Architecture and, according to them, highly flexible and modular. In addition to variances in size, the platform also allows for easy addition or subtraction in drive systems, depending on the need. That includes the number, capacity and layout of the floor-mounted power cells.
Faraday Future has even larger plans to create an infrastructure of connected vehicles, where through a subscription, people will choose a number of electric vehicle options based on their needs.
While much of the inner workings and specific strategies of the fledging company remain in stealth mode, its plain that they have very large, sweeping and potentially revolutionary ideas for the future of personal mobility that will be very interesting to watch unfold.