Nissan boffins crack code for football fan excitement

                ROLLE (Switzerland): Football fever is building up. With the UEFA Champions League finalists due to be determined this week, Nissan, the official global automotive sponsor of the UEFA Champions League, has revealed the scientific formula for excitement in football.

In partnership with sports science experts at Britain's Loughborough University, the Nissan Excitement Index uses data gathered through physiological reactions of football fans watching UEFA Champions League matches. Based on these reactions, a formula – the Nissan Excitement Index – has been developed.

Nissan and Loughborough University have been conducting live "excitement experiments" on pairs of football fans in the stands during six UEFA Champions League matches. Fans were fitted with wearable technology to monitor and gather a combined index of data, including: heart rate, breathing rate and electro-dermal activity, in order to examine the physiological effect excitement has on them. Loughborough University combined this data with official match statistics from Opta in order to develop the formula at the heart of the Nissan Excitement Index.

“Whilst we will carry on exploring the science behind football thrills with Loughborough University, Nissan is also committed to exploring excitement further, whether that’s through the effects of  our cars or our other partnerships in sports,”  said Jean-Pierre Diernaz, Vice President for Marketing at Nissan Europe.

The data showed participants’ average heart rate reached a peak 122 bpm during exciting moments in the match, which is comparable to the peak heart rates found in scientific studies of couples having sex. This comes as a recent Nissan survey showed fans admit to finding football more exciting than having sex or spending time with their partner. The highest peak heart rate monitored during a home team goal was 154bpm, when Paris Saint Germain scored against Chelsea.

The research also shows a spike of excitement when a yellow card was given to a player on the home team – in some cases provoking an increase in heart rate by more than 30bpm – compared with their opponents.

Commenting on the research, Dr Dale Esliger from Loughborough University said: “Our team at Loughborough University have spent the last few years developing world-leading scientific expertise in wearable/digital technologies applications in health and human performance. With Nissan, we have the opportunity to apply these innovative sensing or measurement in the realm of sports entertainment.

“Where we once subjectively judged how exciting a football match was using our ‘gut feeling’ we can now use this methodology to objectively quantify the excitement of fans second by second throughout an entire match. Combining all of this innovative sensor data allowed us to engineer the Nissan Excitement Index that can now be used to rank the top UEFA Champions League football matches.

“In the future this type of research could also be extended into other areas of excitement, such as the physical responses which come from driving a thrilling super car like the Nissan GT-R.”

During this season’s UEFA Champions League Final in Milan, Nissan is creating an exciting experience for football fans allowing them to experience the thrill of driving the new 2017 GT-R through the streets of Milan, culminating at the iconic San Siro stadium, via a virtual reality experience in partnership with another official sponsor Sony PlayStation.

Nissan unveiled the new GT-R at the New York International Auto Show in March this year, highlighted by an exciting new look both inside and out, as well as major driving-performance enhancements and key new features. They represent the most significant changes made to the model since it was introduced in 2007.


What’s Ghosn on? Cringeworthy puns light up Twitter

A 2017 file pic of Ghosn in Paris. — AFP
HONG KONG: Carlos Ghosn has generated a storm of tweets after the former head of Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA, who was facing trial in Japan for financial crimes, fled to Lebanon despite being under round-the-clock surveillance.

While most of the discussion has involved sharing news articles or commenting on the situation, there’s been a notable collection of people taking advantage of the similar pronunciation between Ghosn and "gone.”

For example, Twitter user Stanley Pignal has this to say: Going... going... GHOSN!

Famous people have also been guilty of this: Elon Musk tweeted, "Carlos Gone."

While serious news publications often frown on the use of puns, they have been among the worst offenders. The Financial Times published an opinion piece headlined "Nissan Motor: Ghosn with the wind."

Unfortunately, some Bloomberg journalists have also failed to resist the temptation:

Will Davies prefixed a story link with the words: "Ghosn, ghosn, gone."

But let bygones be byghosns.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Lebanon has received an Interpol arrest warrant on Thursday for Ghosn, while Turkey launched an investigation into his daring escape from Japan via Istanbul.

Ghosn has become an international fugitive after he revealed on Tuesday he had fled to Lebanon to escape what he called a “rigged” justice system in Japan, where he faces charges relating to alleged financial crimes.

The Interpol red notice, which calls on authorities to arrest a wanted person, was received by Lebanon’s internal security forces and has yet to be referred to the judiciary, a Lebanese judicial source told Reuters.

A senior Lebanese security official said it was not yet clear if Ghosn would be summoned for questioning over the warrant but said Lebanon does not extradite its citizens to foreign states.

In past cases in which Lebanon has received red notices for Lebanese citizens resident in the country, the suspects have not been detained but their passports have been confiscated and bail has been set, the judicial source said.


All-new Honda Civic to arrive in Thailand with a turbo 1.5-litre variant

                PETALING JAYA: Honda fans in Thailand won’t have long to wait as the all-new 10th-generation Civic will arrive next month, and also in time for an appearance at the 2016 Bangkok Motor Show from March 21.

Honda is touting the new Civic as having a premium sports car design with European styling, boasting that it will set a new standard in the compact car class.

The much-anticipated model will sell in Thailand with two engine sizes of 1.5-litre VTEC TURBO and the usual 1.8-litre block, which is compatible with E85 gasohol.

The new 1.5-litre turbo variant is to be badged as the Civic RS to underline its sportiness and better performance compared to the 1.8-litre variant. Its turbocharged engine makes 173hp and 220Nm, about the same performance as Honda's NA 2.4-litre engine but with better fuel economy. In comparison, the 1.8-litre version produces 139hp and 174Nm.

The Civic RS is expected to be priced around 1 million baht (RM119,000), above that of the  1.8-litre version.

The all-new 1.5 VTEC TURBO is part of Honda’s growing Earth Dreams Technology range and is said to deliver a combination of dynamic performance, class-leading output and excellent fuel economy. The first new VTEC TURBO engine, a 2.0-litre, was launched last year in the current Civic Type R, capable of 306hp and a 0-100kph time of 5.7 seconds.

Based on a completely new engine structure and using its newly developed turbo system, the new engine feature variable valve motion technology to reduce friction and achieve class-leading output and environmental performance. The new engine uses a turbocharger with a low moment of inertia and high responsiveness, and direct injection technology to achieve a balance between high output and torque, above those of conventional naturally-aspirated engines.

In Thailand, Nissan is already selling turbocharged mass market cars, with the Sylphy sedan and Pulsar hatch offering a charged 1.6-litre variant able to make 190hp.

The Civic comes on the heels of the facelifted Accord, which will be launched earlier in Thailand on Feb 25.


2018 Mazda CX-5 update: Power Tailgate

                SHAH ALAM: Local Mazda distributor has upgraded the latest CX-5 sport utility vehicle with a powered tailgate that offers hands-free access to the tailgate for loading and unloading cargo with a convenient push of a button on the Mazda Keyless Entry Transmitter/Remote or Key Fob.

Built with jam-safe sensors to prevent jamming, the tailgate will move in the reverse direction automatically and stop in the event an obstruction is in the tailgate’s path.

This is a factory-fitted feature that is available on all CX-5 variants except the base 2.0-litre GL petrol CX-5 priced from RM132,389.59 (OTR without insurance).

Prices for other CX-5 variants are: 2.0L (GLS) from RM148,214.45; 2.5L from RM160,004.00; and 2.2L from RM164,693.85 (OTR without insurance) inclusive of the new powered tailgate.

They are available in eight colour choices; Soul Red Crystal, Machine Grey, Snowflake White Pearl, Deep Crystal Blue, Sonic Silver, Meteor Grey, Jet Black and  Arctic White.

All new Mazda vehicles registered will enjoy 5 Years/100,000km Manufacturing Warranty and 3 Years/60,000km Free scheduled Maintenance (includes labour, parts, and lubricants).

The 5 Years Manufacturing Warranty and 3 Years Maintenance applies to all models except the BT-50 pickup.

Owners can also apply for the Mazda Privilege Card which entitles them to 15% discount on Mazda Genuine Spare Parts, 5%% discount on labour cost and 15% discount on Mazda official merchandise at participating outlets.

READ ALSO:

New Mazda CX-5 rolls out of Kulim plant, prices start from RM135K


Toyota scrambles for EV reboot with eye on Tesla

                TOKYO: Toyota is considering a reboot of its electric-car strategy to better compete in a booming market it has been slow to enter, and has halted some work on existing EV projects, four people with knowledge of the still-developing plans said.

The proposals under review, if adopted, would amount to a dramatic shift for Toyota and rewrite the US$38-billion EV rollout plan the Japanese automaker announced last year to better compete with the likes of Tesla.

A working group within Toyota has been charged with outlining plans by early next year for improvements to its existing EV platform or for a new architecture, the four individuals said.

In the meantime, Toyota has suspended work on some of the 30 EV projects announced in December, which according to the sources and a document reviewed by Reuters include the Toyota Compact Cruiser crossover and the battery-electric Crown.

Toyota said it was committed to carbon neutrality but declined to comment on specific initiatives.

"In order to achieve carbon neutrality, Toyota's own technology - as well as the work we are doing with a range of partners and suppliers - is essential," the company said in response to questions from Reuters.

The four sources declined to be identified because the plans have not been made public.

The revamp under consideration could slow the rollout of EVs already on the drawing board. But it would also give Toyota a chance to compete with a more efficient manufacturing process, as industry-wide EV sales run past Toyota's earlier projections.

In addition, it would address criticism by green investors and environmental groups who argue that Toyota, once a darling of environmentalists, has been too slow to embrace EVs.

As part of the review, Toyota is considering a successor to its EV-underpinning technology called e-TNGA, unveiled in 2019. That would allow Toyota to bring down costs, the people said.

The first EV based on e-TNGA — the bZ4X crossover — hit the market earlier this year although its launch was marred by a recall that forced Toyota to suspend production from June. Production resumed earlier this month.

Tesla as benchmark

The review was triggered in part by the realisation by some Toyota engineers and executives that Toyota was losing the factory cost war to Tesla on EVs, the sources said.

Toyota's planning had assumed demand for EVs would not take off for several decades, the four people said.

Toyota designed e-TNGA so that EVs could be produced on the same assembly line with gasoline cars and hybrids. That made sense based on the assumption Toyota would need to sell about 3.5 million EVs a year – roughly one-third of its current global volume – by 2030 to stay competitive, the sources said.

But sales of EVs are growing faster. Automakers globally now forecast plans for EVs to represent more than half of total vehicle production by 2030, part of a wave of industry-wide investment that now totals US$1.2 trillion.

The person leading Toyota's EV review is Shigeki Terashi, former chief competitive officer, according to six people with knowledge of the work, including two people close to Toyota. Terashi did not respond to a request for comment.

Terashi's team has been designated a "BR" or "business revolution" group within Toyota, a term used for major changes including a revamp of its development and production processes two decades ago.

"What's driving Mr Terashi's effort is the EV's faster-than-anticipated takeoff and rapid-fire adoptions of cutting-edge innovations by Tesla and others," one of the people said.

All six people declined to be named because of the confidential nature of the plans.

Terashi's team is considering an option to prolong e-TNGA's usefulness by coupling it with new technologies, three of the sources said.

Terashi could also propose to retire e-TNGA more quickly and opt for an EV-dedicated platform engineered from the ground up. That could take roughly five years for new models, two of the sources said. "There is little time to waste," said one.

Toyota is working with suppliers and considering factory innovations to bring down costs like Tesla's Giga Press, a massive casting machine that has streamlined work in Tesla plants.

One area under review is a more comprehensive approach to an EV's thermal management - combining, for example, passenger air conditioning and electric powertrain temperature control - that Tesla has already mobilised, the sources said.

This could allow Toyota to reduce the size and weight of an EV battery pack and cut costs by thousands of dollars per vehicle, making it a "top priority" for Toyota suppliers Denso and Aisin, one of the sources familiar with the matter said. Denso and Aisin had no immediate comment.

The recognition within Toyota, the world's biggest automaker, that Tesla has set a new benchmark for EV manufacturing costs marks a major reversal.

A decade ago when Toyota took a stake in Tesla and the two collaborated to produce a battery-electric version of the RAV4, many Toyota engineers believed Tesla's technology was no threat, two of the sources said.

"They concluded back then there wasn't much to learn," one of the sources said.

Toyota discontinued the electric RAV4 in 2014 and sold its stake in Tesla in 2017.

By 2018, when Toyota finally set up a dedicated zero-emissions division and began building an e-platform, Tesla already had three models on the road.


Tenders to be called for RM980mil works for Pan Borneo Highway project

                KUALA LUMPUR: The government will call for tenders for three new work packages worth RM980mil for the Pan Borneo Highway project in the first quarter of next year, the Dewan Rakyat was told.

Works Minister Baru Bian said the three packages in Sabah – involving packages 28,29 and 30 – cover road upgrade works over 60km between the Telupid and Beluran interchanges.

He said this was on top of the 12 work packages in the state that had already been implemented.

“Meanwhile, 20 other packages that have yet to be tendered out will be implemented under the 12th Malaysia Plan between 2021 and 2025, subject to budget approval from federal agencies, ” he told Ahmad Hassan (Warisan-Papar) during question time.

Ahmad had asked the ministry to state the number of work packages involved in the Pan Borneo Highway project that had yet to be implemented.

Baru said the project was 21.3% completed.

“As at Sept 21, after the end of the PDP (project delivery partner) agreement of the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway Project, only 12 out of 35 packages had been awarded to contractors, ” he said.

“Of the 12 packages, one contract was terminated due to the incapability of the contractor, and that is Package 15 from Tawau to Semporna, ” he said.

In reply to a supplementary question from Ahmad, Baru said the ministry, through the state Works Department, had appointed 75 out of the 158 professional officers of various backgrounds and disciplines required for the project.


Kia Sorento gets new Terrain Mode

                LONDON: Kia's fourth-generation Sorento sports utility vehicle (SUV) will be equipped with a newly-developed "Terrain Mode" feature when European sales start in the second half of 2020.

The Terrain Mode will provide drivers with dedicated modes for mud, snow and sand conditions to improve traction for the all-wheel-drive variants.

To select the mode, drivers will need to use the Mode Select dial on the centre console.

The system automatically optimises the drivetrain to best suit each scenario, adjusting engine torque output and distribution, as well as stability control characteristics.
Terrain Mode also adjusts shift timings for the two available transmissions (eight-speed dual-clutch for diesel models and six-speed automatic for hybrid variants) to suit different surfaces.

When in ‘Snow’ mode, the Sorento will look to maintain forward momentum in low-grip, icy conditions by limiting torque output from the engine, while apportioning it as equally as possible between all four wheels.

The traction control system (TCS) carefully applies low levels of braking force to the wheels to optimise traction.

Meanwhile, the transmission uses shorter shifts, keeping engine speeds down to prevent wheel slip.

For mud mode, the wheels are driven based on a slightly delayed shift pattern with the smooth application of engine torque throughout the AWD system, and stronger braking force applied via the TCS.

This helps the vehicle maintain momentum without becoming stuck in mud.

Finally, Sand mode helps drivers avoid the risk of the vehicle getting bogged down by matching higher levels of engine torque output with delayed up-shifts, distributing torque as evenly as possible throughout the AWD system.

In this mode, the TCS also provides higher levels of braking force, enabling the system to distribute more torque to the wheels as required.

“The Sorento is now more capable than ever and is designed to provide drivers with greater confidence and control at the wheel. The new model combines intelligent all-wheel drive and a strong monocoque chassis with new Terrain Mode functionality. It’s, therefore, quicker to react to changing conditions, and lets drivers enjoy more effortless progress,” said Kia Motors Europe product planning and pricing director Pablo Martinez Masip

The newly equipped Sorento will go on sale in the UK soon with more information to come.


Self-driving 'arms race' complicates supplier alliances

                FRANKFURT/DETROIT: The race to develop and exploit autonomous vehicle technology is reshaping the hierarchy of the automotive industry, replacing traditional top-down manufacturing relationships with complex webs of alliances and acquisitions.

Dealmaking in the automotive and technology industry is driven by the rapid transition of self-driving vehicles from research projects to major elements of near-term product plans at several of the world's biggest automakers.

That shift is behind deals like one announced last week between Robert Bosch and Daimler AG's Mercedes. Bosch and Mercedes said they will collaborate on development of self-driving vehicles, with Bosch in a broad role as a systems integrator — sort of a copilot with the automaker in speeding up deployment of self-driving vehicles. Bosch also expects to sell the jointly developed systems to other companies.

Separately, Silicon Valley chipmaker Intel Corp acquired automotive vision technology leader Mobileye NV , and has a deal to help German luxury car maker BMW AG develop autonomous vehicles around Intel and Mobileye systems.

The first fully self-driving cars are expected to go into production by 2020-2021. Analysts have said self-driving cars will not be in wide use before 2030.

"Everybody is trying to understand what skill sets are required to be first in the game (and) if they don't have it, they're going to partner, invest or buy," said Xavier Mosquet, a senior partner at Boston Consulting Group and an authority on autonomous vehicles.

Major auto companies are rich in engineers schooled in the physics of combustion and collisions, materials science and mechanical systems. The development of self-driving cars demands experts in artificial intelligence, robotics, computer programming and digital networks who work mainly outside the auto industry.

Automakers are following different paths to acquire engineering talent. Some are relying on partnerships like the Bosch-Mercedes pact. Others such as General Motors Co are going it alone, buying self-driving vehicle startups and building technology in-house.

Alphabet Inc's Waymo and auto supplier Delphi Automotive Plc are offering turn-key systems to companies such as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles that are choosing not to invest in their own autonomous driving systems.

Some of the car companies and large suppliers could wind up as competitors. BMW has said it wants to sell its self-driving systems to other manufacturers, as does Delphi, which is developing a system of its own. Intel and Mobileye are partners in both ventures.

The Dutch provider of high-definition maps, HERE, has taken a position at the center for several supplier webs. HERE is jointly owned by Daimler, BMW, and Volkswagen AG's Audi. Intel owns a minority stake in HERE, and rival chipmaker Nvidia Corp has a partnership deal.

Nvidia itself wants to be a provider of powerful computer chips and — deep learning — software for self-driving cars to a broad array of customers, including rivals such as Mercedes and Tesla Inc, competing mega-suppliers such as Bosch and ZF Friedrichshafen AG and Chinese tech companies Baidu Inc and Tencent Holdings Ltd

The vehicle manufacturers are divided on how much self-driving development and integration to farm out to the parts makers, or whether to keep most of that in-house — as they have done for decades with much of their core engine technology.

At the moment, the carmaker is at an advantage since it knows how the components all fit together," said Mercedes executive Christoph von Hugo.

BCG's Mosquet believes the industry may not settle on a single template for collaboration, given the complexity of autonomous vehicles and their underlying technology.

"These different approaches will have to pass the test of time," he said. "In two or three years, we will see who has been successful with which approach."


Proton's April sales stumble

                SUBANG JAYA: Domestic car maker Proton got off to a softer second quarter in April with a 32.2% lower sales compared with March.

Sales for April ended at 8,839 units (domestic + export) which also represented a decrease of 41.1% compared to the same month in 2021.

Market share for April is estimated at 15.6% while for the year, Proton sales account for a YTD market share of 17%.

Overall, for the whole of 2022, the company ranks second for cumulative sales and market share.

 X50.

Despite an overall decrease in sales and market share, Proton models still led three market segments.

The X50, X70 and Exora continue to be at the top of the B-SUV, C-SUV and C-MPV segments with sales of 1,554 units, 1,530 units, and 301 units respectively.

 X70.

The best-selling model in April however was the Saga with 4,579 units sold leading to a YTD total of 14,028 units in its final full month of sales before the launch of the 2022 Saga.

Overall, Saga is in second in its class with strong export demand expected to keep the current model in the line-up for some time to come.

Proton Edar chief executive officer Roslan Abdullah said even after two years of pandemic-affected sales, Malaysia’s automotive market continued to show strong growth potential in 2022 as evidenced by the long waiting list for new car deliveries.

 Saga.

“Proton is also trying to catch up to market demand, but we also must acknowledge being the most affected by chip supply issues.

“Thankfully for our customers, we have secured our supply of chips for May and June and are projecting a quick
turnaround in the coming months.

 Roslan.

“The situation is still uncertain for the rest of the year and the global car industry is under pressure from rising costs, but the company is working on countermeasures against these issues to ensure our customers get the best products and value in Malaysia and abroad,” said Roslan.

Export sales for April meanwhile stood at 456 units, a figure that was also affected by parts supply issues.

YTD export sales now stand at 1,573 units, an increase of 109.7% compared to the first four months of 2021.

Pakistan is the biggest export market with 1,050 units followed by Egypt and Brunei with 172 and 138 units respectively.


Jeep woos luxe buyers with upscale rebirth of Grand Wagoneer

                DETROIT: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV is expanding its prized Jeep brand into the high-margin three-row SUV segment and showcasing its electrification strategy with a plug-in hybrid concept of the Jeep Grand Wagoneer.

The Italian-American automaker said Thursday it’s bringing back the nameplate of the Wagoneer, a boxy station wagon retired in the 1990s, as a sleeker and more upscale sport-utility vehicle that can compete against rivals such as General Motors Co.’s GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade.

Fiat Chrysler also is playing catch-up by adding a plug-in electric version of its iconic Jeep Wrangler SUV, which the company said will offer drivers 80km to the gallon and 40km of pure-electric range when it starts showing up in dealerships later this year.

While Fiat Chrysler helped define the SUV segment with the off-roading Wrangler, it has been absent from the market for the largest-size and highly-lucrative SUVs with three rows of seats.

That will end once the company starts production of petrol-powered Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneers at its Warren, Michigan, plant next year, giving it a family of contenders in the battle for the biggest sport-utility vehicles.

"It’s a clear departure from Jeep; it’s a premium extension of Jeep,” Christian Meunier, global head of the brand, said in an interview. "It’s pushing the limit of what a flagship for the company could be.”

Meunier said the Grand Wagoneer took its inspiration from ultra-luxury cars like Rolls-Royce and Bentley, but his volume aspirations are closer to GM’s.

Fiat Chrysler will market the Jeep SUV and its sibling, the Wagoneer, in North America and the Middle East, aiding its goal of selling two million Jeeps globally by 2022 — a step down from the more-ambitious target of about 2.8 million set in its 2018 five-year plan.

US sales in the large-SUV segment are expected to almost double in the next four years to more than half a million vehicles, based on data from researcher LMC automotive.

Average prices for these full-size SUVs have risen 4.9% since January 2017 to US$63,865 through June, while the average luxury price climbed 7.5% to US$89,914, according to Kelley Blue Book. Fully-loaded versions of the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will top out at around US$100,000, a company spokesman said.

The Wagoneer will be built on a new car platform designed for petrol, hybrid or electric powertrains and will serve as the luxury benchmark for the brand, with technology such as hands-free driving and a passenger-side screen that eventually may spread to the rest of the lineup, Meunier said.

Design departure

The automaker dispensed with most of the signature characteristics of the original Wagoneer — like its wood-panelled exterior — to give it a refined look more in line with a modern premium SUV, said Ralph Gilles, Fiat’s chief designer.

"It has all that capability underneath the skin, but the wrapper is meant to exude luxury and a certain status,” he said in an interview.

The Grand Wagoneer concept has a plug-in hybrid powertrain, which would put it in the same league as Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln Aviator plug-in hybrid.

Fiat Chrysler, whose late CEO Sergio Marchionne resisted heavy investment in electric vehicles as a loss-making endeavour, now is electrifying its Jeep lineup as global emissions regulations tighten.

It’s introducing a hybrid Jeep Compass and Jeep Renegade in Europe, and the plug-in Wrangler will go on sale in Europe and China in 2021, Meunier said.

The automaker indicated it would build a plug-in version of the Wagoneer for 2022 in its 2018 five-year plan, but it isn’t clear if the plug-in technology showcased in the concept on Thursday will make it into production.

A hybrid Wagoneer would compete against other petrol and plug-in SUVs such as the Volvo XC90 PHEV and plug-in Mitsubishi Outlander.

Jeep Wrangler 4xe


Journey to World Car awards begins

FRANKFURT: The journey on The Road to World Car began on Tuesday at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) with the celebration of the 2015 World Car of the Year winner – the Mercedes-Benz C-Class - during a champagne media reception held within the Mercedes-Benz exhibit.

The Road to World Car follows 72 international automotive jurors as they test-drive and tell the stories of the 2016 nominated cars in five categories prior to voting by secret ballot in January 2016.

The official list of nominees for the World Car of the Year, World Luxury Car, World Performance Car, World Green Car and World Car Design of the Year will be posted on its website wcoty.com.

The Road to World Car makes a stop at the Geneva International Motor Show to reveal the top three finalists in each category before announcing the winners at a high-profile awards ceremony at the New York International Auto Show on March 24, 2016.

The year 2016 marks the 10th year anniversary of the partnership between the World Car Awards (WCA) and the New York International Auto Show.

According to Prime Research in May, the World Car Awards have retained their ranking as the top automotive awards program in the world – in terms of media reach – for the third consecutive year.


Anker's Raov Bolt brings Google Assistant to your clunker

                SHENZHEN: Though more and more vehicles are being released with voice assistants already integrated into their multimedia systems, you were left high and dry if you were driving an older model.

To help all drivers stay connected, Anker has launched the Roav Bolt, a device that brings the Google Assistant to your car by simply plugging it in the cigarette lighter.

On Wednesday, consumer electronics company Anker Innovations presented the Roav Bolt, an aftermarket car accessory that brings the Google Assistant to a wide variety of vehicles that have a cigarette lighter socket (a 12-volt port).

The plug is equipped with noise-reduction tech and powered by specially designed audio algorithms that have been developed to ensure that the device can hear you in any and all driving conditions.

After the Roav Bolt is plugged into your car, you can connect to it with your smartphone via Bluetooth or an AUX jack and say, "Hey Google." Once set up, you can use the Assistant to make calls, send messages, receive navigation directions, and control your music.

Your phone's data will be used to stream media over the car's audio system. You can program it to let you know when you get specific types of notifications to your phone.

The accessory features two USB ports, so you don't have to choose between charging your mobile devices or using the Assistant.

The Roav Bolt is available for US$49.99 (RM207).


Watch live preview of refreshed VW Passat by Tengku Djan tonight

                PETALING JAYA: If you are a Volkswagen fan and dig motorsports personality Tengku Djan Ley Tengku Mahaleel, then you will want to catch up on what's happening.

Volkswagen is readying a live YouTube walkthrough of the facelifted Passat 2.0TSI Elegance at 7.30pm tonight. It will be presented by none other than Tengku Djan, notable for his racing and drifting pursuits.

The car would be officially launched on Friday.

Now some details of the Passat to whet the appetite.

The new B8 Passat has, of course, a new look that features redesigned front and rear bumpers, and radiator grille as well as new LED headlights.

It is the first Volkswagen that is capable of partially automated driving at any speed (0 to 210kph) with a new IQ.Drive unmanned vehicle technology.

New features include a capacitive steering wheel, which detects touch by the driver, thus providing an interactive interface.

Another new feature in the Passat is “Emergency Steering Assist”, which increases safety when performing evasive manoeuvres by means of braking interventions.

Interested buyers can register on Volkswagen Malaysia's website.


The wheels that saved the world: A brief history of the Bond car

                LONDON: Crazy car chases, wild brawls, gunfights — and in the middle of it all a man who couldn't care less: Bond. James Bond.

When our favourite secret agent with a licence to kill goes on a mission, he rarely fails to step into a tricked-out car. In 50 years of Bond history, 007's car of choice is traditionally one from British manufacturer Aston Martin.

Bond expert Siegfried Tesche, author of several books about 007, says the Aston Martin DB5 is the most famous of the Bond cars —  "even if it doesn't keep up with the power and features of modern cars."

"The fact that the DB5 became the Bond mobile is a coincidence," Tesche explains. Until the publication of the novel "Goldfinger" by Ian Fleming in 1959, the secret agent mostly drove a Bentley.

But in "Goldfinger" Bond is offered a Aston Martin DB Mark III and a Jaguar 3.4 to visit Goldfinger. The agent eventually picks the Aston Martin, because it offers useful special features, including stronger bumpers and a revolver under the driver's seat.

While planning the movie, which was released in 1964, the producers decided that James Bond should be driving a more sporty vehicle. "Co-producer Harry Saltzman therefore paid a visit to Aston Martin in the fall of 1963, to talk about a partnership," Tesche says.

But the car manufacturer didn't immediately recognise the potential marketing value of the deal and only offered Saltzman to buy the successor of the Mark III model, the DB5, for £4,500. It took Saltzman several more tries to convince the people at Aston Martin to provide them with cars for free.

With the use of the DB5 in "Goldfinger" the makers then began to put the focus on the technical aspects of the Bond cars. "The producers realised that audiences enjoyed seeing a highly modded car."

Ever since then, the Bond car has served as a specialised weapon in his arsenal. In addition, the Aston Martin is James Bond's most personal possession, which he defends with his life.

In the past, however, there have been movies in which James Bond was driving other vehicles, like the Toyota 2000 GT in "You Only Live Twice", as well as in later BMW-sponsored films like "Golden Eye", "The World Is Not Enough" and "Tomorrow Never Dies".

But it is certainly the British car marker which will remain most closely associated with the character of James Bond. "Actors like Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig were introduced to the film industry driving an Aston Martin. Every viewer knows: In the movies, Bond only drives an Aston," Tesche says.

And in the most recent sequels, the historical DB5 from the 60s turns into Bond's private car.

Andreas Pott, member of the James Bond Club Germany, agrees that the DB5 is the most famous Bond vehicle. "Because it was the first car exhibiting the special features which are still famous today and it set standards," he explains. "Other than that, the Lotus Esprit in 'The spy who loved me', released in 1977, is also famous, because it was the first car which could be turned into a submarine."

Less exciting perhaps, but still valued by Bond fans because of its unusual nature: the 2CV by Citroen, better known as The Duck, which had a supporting role in "For Your Eyes Only," released in 1981. "Bond doesn't drive the car himself, but it's an exceptional car for a car chase in a Bond movie," Pott says.

Wolfgang Bahlmann, president of the Aston Martin Owners Club Germany, watches every Bond movie, but wouldn't call himself a devoted fan. "I like the cars, the new ones as well as the historical DB5. That model has become a classic," he says.

Ever since "Goldfinger," the model has been used again and again. It made its latest appearance in "Skyfall" where it exploded. "It was definitely hurtful to an Aston Martin fan to see that," Bahlmann says.

In "No Time to Die," which was scheduled to be released in April of 2020 but was then postponed to Nov 12 due to the coronavirus crisis, there are even four different vehicles: the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera with the same license plate as in "The Living Daylights," the 1,000-horsepower sports car Valhalla, a current V8 Vantage model and, of course, the DB5.

The one in the film is one of 10 specifically manufactured replicas, but a lay person probably won’t even notice.

All that matters is that we get to see James Bond riding around and saving the world in his Aston Martin once again.


GM extends EV Bolt production halt but plans to soon resume sales

                WASHINGTON: General Motors Co said today it is extending a production halt to its Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle until early April but plans to soon resume retail sales.

The largest US automaker in August widened its recall of the Bolt to more than 140,000 vehicles to replace battery modules after a series of fires and halted production and retail sales.

In December, GM extended its production shutdown through the end of February.

GM said today it plans to resume production of the Bolt at a Michigan plant the week of April 4.


MINI 'The Nation' roadshow and JCW Pro Boost Kit introduced

                PETALING JAYA: In celebration of Malaysia’s 60 th Independence, MINI Malaysia is organizing the MINI “The Nation’ roadshow, a nationwide roadshow experiencing the history to culture to modernity of Malaysia and celebrating the heritage, performance and innovation exemplified by MINI.

The nationwide roadshow which runs from Sept 22 to Dec 3 2017 features specially tailored test drives of new MINI vehicles, offering special gifts as well as amazing deals with high rebates and low interest rates including a Malaysia Day special with an attractive RM 6,000 rebate offered for MINI hatches in the colours of the Jalur Gemilang.

The MINI ‘The Nation’ Roadshow also offers special MINI Financing plans including the Straight Line, Balloon and Full Circle payment packages where you can get into a MINI from RM1, 970 onwards.

The MINI JCW Pro Boost Kit is only applicable for new car purchases of the MINI Cooper S 5 Door at the MINI ‘The Nation’ Roadshow and offers five Signature MINI colours - Blazing Red, British Racing Green, Pepper White, White Silver, and Volcanic Orange.

The retail price of the MINI Cooper S 5 Door with JCW Pro Boost Kit (inclusive of MINI 4 Years Unlimited Mileage Warranty with Roadside Assistance) is RM249,888.

The retail price of the MINI JCW Pro Boost Kit for the MINI Cooper S 5 Door at the nationwide roadshow is RM 10,000 which includes installation in comparison to its normal retail price estimated at RM 26,000.

The New MINI JCW Pro Boost Kit.
The MINI JCW Pro Boost Kit reinforces the MINI Cooper S 5 Door with 18” JCW Pro Cross-Spoke 506 wheels, the JCW Pro Tuning Kit and the JCW Pro Valve Silencer System.

The new performance-optimised engine update, coupled with the perfectly-tuned valve silencer improves responsiveness and boosts the standard engine performance from 192hp to 211hp (+19hp).

The torque of the car now also peaks at 300Nm as compared to its original 280Nm (+20Nm).

Venues and dates for the MINI the Nation Roadshow are as below:
1. Desa ParkCity Nov 10th – Nov 12th  2017
2. The Spring Kuching Nov 17th – Nov 19th 2017
3. Sunway Velocity Mall Dec 1st – Dec 3rd 2017


MINI reveals Vision Urbanaut concept

                MUNICH: MINI recently presented its Vision Urbanaut concept vehicle boasting of a re-interpretation of the interior spatial design that provides three themes of Chill, Wanderlust and Vibe.

The themes look to provide occupants with differing experiences in the cabin and can even be personalised in terms of fragrance, ambient lighting and music among others.

The design of the vehicle will be "MINI"-malistic in terms of the vehicle's overall size, yet still, be able to provide spacious practicality on the inside.

Externally, it will feature a virtually seamless surface with wheels pushed to its outer edges to help maximise its cabin space and will be finished in a turquoise blue dubbed Ocean Wave.

The headlights will feature a milled aluminium structure with slotted openings that will reveal the headlights when they are in use and will also have the ability to display multi-coloured graphics and will flank the octagonal grille.

The front and rear LED matrix surfaces at the front and rear will signal that automated mode has been engaged or not.

Access to the rear seats will only be provided by a sliding door on the driver's side and once opened, it will reveal a cabin utilising recycled materials free of leather and chrome.

Here, the interior's four-seater configuration will feature front swivelling seats and a fold-flat rear bench as well as a small integrated table opposite the sliding door.

Instead of a heads-up display projecting information on the inside of the windshield, drivers helming the Vision Urbanaut will have a  parallax display on the dashboard instead.

When automated driving mode is activated, the steering wheel and pedals retract and the driving display disappears from the dashboard.


Uber mulls flying automobiles, brings Nasa veteran aboard

Flying cars here we come: Uber envisions helipads on rooftops to shuttle people in urban areas in “vertical take-off and landing aircraft.” The new technologies are being touted as a way to ease the traffic jams that snarl busy employment hubs. — Uber/TNS
SAN FRANCISCO: It's back to the future, Uber style: Uber Technologies is speeding ahead with plans for flying cars, which could zoom among urban centres such as Silicon Valley, San Francisco, and Oakland, by hiring a Nasa veteran who has presented research about the possibilities.

If it sounds like The Jetsons or the flying DeLorean in the Back to the Future movies, the comparison might be apt. Vertical take-off and landing aircraft is what Uber and others working in this new field call it, or VTOL for short.

The new technologies are being touted as a way to ease the mammoth traffic jams that snarl busy employment hubs such as the Bay Area.

"Imagine traveling from San Francisco's Marina to work in downtown San Jose – a drive that would normally occupy the better part of two hours – in only 15 minutes," Jeff Holden, Uber's chief product officer, stated in a post at Medium.com. "Every day, millions of hours are wasted on the road worldwide."

San Francisco-based Uber, which is building a co-headquarters in Oakland, said recently it has hired Mark Moore, chief technologist with the Nasa Langley Research Centre in Virginia.

"Uber continues to see its role as a catalyst to the growing and developing VTOL ecosystem," said Nikhil Goel, Uber's head of product for advanced programs, in confirming the hiring of Moore. "We're excited to have Mark join us to work with companies and stakeholders as we continue to explore the use case described in our white paper."

A flying vehicle would initially require a fee of US$129 (RM573) for a flight between San Francisco and San Jose, whereas an UberX trip might cost about US$111 (RM493) during commute travel times. But the trip duration up in the sky would be 15 minutes rather than approaching two hours.

An array of helipads could be used as landing sites for the flying vehicles.

"Just as skyscrapers allowed cities to use limited land more efficiently, urban air transportation will use three-dimensional airspace to alleviate transportation congestion on the ground," Uber stated in its white paper. "A network of small, electric aircraft that take off and land vertically will enable rapid, reliable transportation between suburbs and cities and, ultimately, within cities."

The helipads could be on rooftops or in the middle of freeway cloverleafs. The white paper indicated that many such cloverleafs exist in metro areas such as Santa Clara County and nearby regions.

"On-demand aviation has the potential to radically improve urban mobility, giving people back time lost in their daily commutes," Uber stated. "We view helping to solve this problem as core to our mission and our commitment to our rider base." — The Mercury News/Tribune News Service


Highway Code as e-book from March 2018

Shaharuddin presenting the Highway Code book in conjunction with his 100 days in office in Putrajaya.
PUTRAJAYA: The Highway Code book will be available as an e-book next year as the Road Transport Department (JPJ) continues to move its services online.

Its director-general, Datuk Shaharuddin Khalid, said offering more of its services online will ensure ease-of-access for the public.

“Now we already have the e-payment system, and the plan is to offer all of the department’s services online,” said Shaharuddin, adding that there would still be counter service at its offices.

He said the Highway Code book will be made available online by March 2018, ensuring no more shortage of physical books.
He said the shortage was due to the school holiday period when there was a huge increase in students wanting to sit for their learner driver’s test.

“Our supply is enough. It’s just that driving institutes are doing a promotion so more students want to take their licences,” he said, adding that the department has supplied an extra 50,000 books to the affected driving schools.

Shaharuddin was speaking to the media at a press conference to mark his 100th day helming the department on Friday.

To mark the occasion, he also unveiled his JPJ management plan towards TN50, which details the way the department will move to align with the National Transformation 2050 (TN50).

Among the new developments for next year will be the introduction of new units within the department, such as the international unit, which will act as a liaison centre between the department and other JPJ-like agencies in Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia and Thailand.

“These countries have a direct link in terms of roads to our country, so we will try to have a working relationship with them,” he said, adding that before this, the relationship between the countries was focused more on vehicle registrations than enforcement and management.

Another new unit to be introduced is an intelligence unit to deal with enforcement matters such as cloned vehicles and identifying traffic offenders, he said.

He said that JPJ will also focus more on education for the public next year as part of its enforcement strategies.

He added that JPJ will also work with universities and colleges in the country to offer diploma courses on transport management, starting with its Malaysian Institute of Transport at Universiti Teknologi Mara.


Mercedes to launch flat-rate vehicle subscription service in US

                STUTTGART: Volvo's Polestar brand may have stopped short of offering its Polestar 1 on a subscription-only basis as it first seemed it was going to do, but it's starting to look as though the flat-rate subscription way of running a new vehicle is going to become increasingly prevalent.

That's because Mercedes-Benz is the latest manufacturer to indicate that it's going to be running a pilot program of such a service in Europe and the United States.

Although the German automaker hasn't come to a final decision on when, where and how the pilot program in America is going to be run, we do know it's going to be launching and we know the final decisions are close.

The news, reported by Automotive News Europe, of the upcoming trial follows on from announcements at the recent Geneva Motor Show that Mercedes and Daimler Financial Services are first going to trial the service, to be known as the Mercedes me Flexperience, with the two largest Mercedes dealership groups in Germany.

Initially, subscribers will be able to select from 12 new vehicles for a 12-month period for a fixed monthly payment. Although Mercedes hasn't confirmed what the rate will be, the payments will include servicing, insurance, maintenance, tires and repairs for up to 36,000km per year. When the subscriber wants to change over vehicles, it can be arranged quickly and easily online using the Mercedes me Flexperience app.

Of course, although you can swap and change vehicles quickly and easily between the four segments of A-, C-, E- and S-Class models and their sporty or crossover offshoots, upgrading inevitably comes at an additional cost.

Speaking recently in Geneva, the company's global head of sales Britta Seeger said: "If you want to upgrade, you have to pay. For example, if you have your wedding day and you are subscribed in a C-Class and you want an S-Class cabriolet — you can, but you have to pay," according to Automotive News Europe.

Although Seeger confirmed that a subscriber could arrange a different vehicle within the same segment on what was described as "short notice," it was conceded that "short notice" was a relative term. That may sound like something of a caveat, but it does make some sense as cars are obviously going to be a finite resource.

For example, if the weather is good on a Friday and lots of subscribers decide they suddenly want to swap to a convertible, it's only to be expected it will be a case of first-come, first-served.

A lot of issues need to be looked at before such services become commonplace, but as long as it can be made profitable, expect to see a lot of this in the future.


BMW loses its only female board member as head of HR steps down

                MUNICH: BMW AG said human resources head Milagros Caina-Andree (pic), the only woman on the German carmaker’s management board, has stepped down for personal reasons.

The supervisory board accepted Caina-Andree’s decision, BMW said in a statement last Friday, without specifying a successor. The former Schenker AG and Deutsche Bahn AG executive joined BMW in 2012.

The departure comes shortly after the ascension of BMW’s new chief executive officer Oliver Zipse, who took the top job in July after his predecessor Harald Krueger’s contract was not renewed.

Caina-Andree becomes the second high-profile female German executive to leave her position in recent months. Siemens AG in July said its HR head Janina Kugel had decided not to renew her contract.


BMW boasts most successful Instagram channel among automotive brands

                MUNICH: The BMW brand’s international Instagram channel has broken through the 10 million followers’ mark, making it the most successful automotive brand on Instagram worldwide.

BMW uses its Instagram channel to share the BMW brand lifestyle with its followers – through the latest news on upcoming models, glimpses of its own history or looking ahead to the future of mobility.

With its focus on strong visuals and a highly-interactive community, BMW said Instagram was the ideal channel for communicating the brand values of joy (“sheer driving pleasure”), aesthetic appeal and innovation.

Growing the community was not top priority, it said, adding that it was more important to cover a wide variety of topics with relevant content that appeals to users and increases their involvement in the form of likes and comments.

In addition to "influencer" marketing, the brand also leveraged on fan enthusiasm. Under the hashtag #BMWrepost, BMW shared photos taken by enthusiasts and hobby photographers with the community.

As a result, #BMW has been used more than 19 million times and is by far the most popular brand hashtag in the automotive sector.

"The aim of our social media strategy is to optimise how we use the special features of the specific channels available to us,” said BMW digital marketing chief Jörg Poggenpohl.

“Instagram is made for initiating authentic dialogue with followers worldwide. It is important to us not only to celebrate our own achievements, but, above all, to share the excitement and enthusiasm of our fans and customers with an audience of millions.”


Govt ups fine for MCO offences to RM10,000

                PETALING JAYA: Those who breach movement control order (MCO) regulations may be fined up to RM10,000, according to the e-Federal Gazette.

The Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, which was published on the Federal Gazette website yesterday, stated that the fine of up to RM10,000 would come into effect on March 11,2021.

Section 25 of the Ordinance reads: “25. The director-general or any authorised officer, may compound any offence under this Act or any regulations under this Act (a) in the case of a person who is an individual, a sum of money not exceeding ten thousand ringgit.”

Currently, the maximum fine is RM1,000.

Early this month, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had, in a special address, warned of stiffer fines or even jail time for violators.


Mercedes makes the most of AMG with new GT C model

                STUTTGART: Mercedes's latest hardtop sportscar, the Mercedes-AMG GT C will usher in a year of hard-selling the AMG brand, its engineering capabilities and its place in performance automotive history as the company turns 50.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of AMG Motorenbau und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH. A company founded by two former Mercedes-Benz engineers, Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher in Burgstall an der Murr, with the aim of building racing engines. However, it soon developed into a business that could tune and improve a road-going Mercedes like no other.

So great were the company's capabilities that by 1989, it had direct access to Mercedes's future as well as current product pipeline so that it could develop even faster and even more comprehensively tuned and styled models. And by 1999 Mercedes had bought a 51% stake in the business.

In 2005, Mercedes bought up all remaining shares, and, 12 years on, AMG is being aggressively marketed as a sub-brand of its own called Mercedes-AMG.

It's already spawned the Mercedes-AMG GT, GT S, GT C Roadster and GT R and will culminate in Frankfurt in September with the launch of a co-branded hypercar. However, the year of celebrations begins in Detroit and with the unveiling of the Mercedes-AMG GT C Coupé.

"With the AMG GT C Coupe, we are now expanding our portfolio of sports cars to six models plus the AMG GT3 customer sport racing car. In fewer than three years, the second vehicle to be developed by us entirely in-house has grown into a family, offering a highly dynamic driving experience in a variety of forms," said company chairman Tobias Moers.

 The GT C Edition 50 and GT S (right).

In the case of the GT C that form is a two-seat hardtop with a 550hp twin turbo 4-litre V8 engine good for a 0-100kph time of 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 315kph. It also has rear-wheel steering, an electronic limited slip differential and active air management. Called the Airpanel it's a series of louvres under the car that open and close to aid engine cooling and aerodynamics.

To make the new car even more attractive to well-heeled drivers, it will debut as a special launch model -- the Edition 50 (50 years of AMG) complete with exclusive external paint finish, and black chrome exterior highlights, while the cabin will boast silver pearl and black nappa leather.

As well as introducing a new member, Mercedes used the Detroit auto show to announce a raft of updates to all existing cars in the Mercedes-AMG family.

So the ‘entry-level' GT model gets 13hp more power, the GT S gets a 12hp improvement and all models will get the Airpanel active cooling system and rear-axle steering.


Harley confirms electric motorcycle production

                MILWAUKEE: Considering how much less power is required than for a car, and how electrification of bicycles has been going on for some time now, it's perhaps a little surprising that electric motorcycles are not a bigger deal than they are already.

And if there's one motorcycle manufacturer many people would have put at the bottom of a list of ones likely to introduce an electric motorbike, it would probably be Harley-Davidson.

However, it has been revealed that the legendary American motorcycle company is to put its first electric model into production in as little as 18 months.

For a brand famed for its incredibly successful formula of monetising its heritage and appealing to traditionalists, it's a bold move for Harley-Davidson to join the electric age.

This change of direction is partly due to some of the interest in the heritage dissipating in the Internet age, but it's also because the LiveWire concept successfully showed that incredible torque and American bikes can go together very nicely indeed.

Of course, like electric cars, the elephant in the room is range, but that appears to have now been addressed.

A representative from Harley-Davidson has now confirmed in a statement to the Autoblog website that the LiveWire concept, first revealed in 2014, will now form the basis of a production model.

The statement insists that LiveWire is now "an active project that we are preparing to bring to market within 18 months." It also states that Harley intends to be "the world leader in the electrification of motorcycles."

It may sound like an ambitious timeline for bringing such a revolutionary and important vehicle to market, but it suggests that a lot of the hard development work has already been completed.

And if the final production model comes out closely resembling the fit and finish of the concept, it could be one of the most impressive, and certainly most desirable electric motorcycles on the market.

LiveWire only had a range of 80km, but Harley-Davidson is on record as already stating its customers wouldn't accept a range of less than 160km, and that it wouldn't be building such a machine until it could match or exceed those expectations. What it's actually managed to squeeze out of the battery remains to be seen.


Honda Malaysia Racing Team wins at Sepang 1000KM

PETALING JAYA: The Honda Malaysia Racing Team (HMRT) managed to race to victory during the Sepang 1,000KM or better known as the S1K race last weekend.It was Aaron Lim and Farriz Fauzy in a race-prepped Honda City (Car 27) - part of the 36-member team, who took the win after completing 181 laps in a time of eight hours and forty-two minutes – a full lap ahead of the competition. On the top step of the podium for HMRT - Aaron Lim (left) and Farriz Fauzy.“Congratulations to all 36 HMRT members who have shown the spirit of tenacity and consistency throughout the race, working hard behind the scenes to bring home the victory,” HMRT team director Akkbar Danial.This year’s car managed to gain an additional 22hp for a total of 140hp compared to last year and the team manage to tune the suspension to accommodate the added power while simultaneously trying to get the tyres to last longer.According to Akkbar, the team was able to perfect their pit stop tactics thanks to the numerous training sessions the team underwent through theoretical and practical classes of how the machine works and the pit rules.He added that HMRT was an ideal platform to train and build the skills of Honda associates while honing their capabilities within the motosports arena and something most surprising to note was that 20 out of 36 HMRT members this year were new.“I am proud at the commitment shown by the team in using the skills and knowledge garnered through their participation in HMRT,” said Akkbar.


Vespa 946 Christian Dior set to scoot in

                PARIS: Dior has announced a partnership with Vespa for the design of a luxury scooter and a line of matching accessories.

The branded limited edition, which will go on sale in the spring 2021, will initially be available from Dior boutiques in several countries, and thereafter in selected Piaggio group Motoplex stores.

Two renowned brands both created in 1946, Dior and Vespa have teamed up to create the Christian Dior Vespa 946, a new version of the scooter first launched in Milan in 2012, which will combine Italian knowhow with Parisian chic.

Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri was responsible for this latest version of the iconic Italian motorcycle.

And that is not all. The couture scooter will launch with a whole collection of accessories, most notably a helmet and a top case designed to be attached to the luggage rack.

Both of these creations will be decorated with the emblematic Dior Oblique motif, which will also feature on the scooter's seat.

However, don't expect to see the new machine on the streets anytime soon.

Dior and Vespa enthusiasts will have to wait almost a year if they wish to acquire one of the limited-edition scooters, which will initially be only available from Dior boutiques before being distributed by Piaggio's Motoplex outlets.

It should also be noted that the accessories will be exclusively available from the French luxury house.


VW board to discuss future of Audi CEO Stadler on Monday, says mag

Stadler.
BERLIN: The supervisory board of Volkswagen will meet on Monday to discuss the future of Rupert Stadler, the suspended chief executive of its premium brand Audi, German magazine Der Spiegel reported today.

The magazine said the board was due to decide whether Stadler, who has been in police custody since mid-June as part of a broader probe into emissions cheating at Audi, should give up his position.

Citing sources close to the company, Spiegel said it was probable that Stadler would be asked to relinquish the role, seeing as he was unable to perform the duties of an executive. Both VW and Audi have said that Stadler is presumed innocent unless proven otherwise.

A source said the reason for the supervisory board meeting was to discuss further steps towards a possible listing of VW’s truck and bus subsidiary and not Stadler.

However, sources close to the company expect that the board will also talk about Stadler although no decisions are expected. Volkswagen declined to comment on the report.

In July, Volkswagen recruited BMW engine development and purchasing expert Markus Duesmann, who has been touted as a potential successor to Stadler as VW looks for clean-engine expertise to help it shake off the emissions scandal.

Stadler was forced to step down temporarily after he was taken into custody on suspicion of interfering with an emissions investigation. Sales executive Bram Schot is acting as interim replacement.


Afraid of hitting someone when driving at night? Ford's Pedestrian Detection to the rescue

                LONDON: It’s not just children who are afraid of the dark. Grown-ups get scared too worrying about driving at night.

Some experts believe fear of the dark, or ncytophobia, can be traced back to our cave-dwelling ancestors, who were more at risk of being attacked by predators in the dark. Today it affects us behind the wheel.

Worries over night blindness, and fear of hitting someone – or something – top a new poll of night-time driving fears, commissioned by Ford. And for the latter at least, there is now a solution that goes beyond simply eating more carrots. The company is, for the first time, introducing new technology that is designed to detect pedestrians at night and then automatically apply the brakes if the driver does not respond to initial warnings.

“We know some drivers find hitting the road at night a stressful experience. Especially driving in towns and cities, pedestrians – sometimes distracted by mobiles – can without warning step into the road, leaving even alert drivers very little time to avoid an accident,” said Gregor Allexi, active safety engineer, Ford of Europe. “Day and night, Pedestrian Detection is designed to help identify people already in – or about to step into – the road ahead.”

 Ford Fiesta.

Of thousands of drivers surveyed across Europe, 81 per cent admit to being scared on the roads at night, rising to 87 per cent for women. More than half say poor night vision is a source of stress, and more than a third worry they might be involved in an accident. Fears that they may hit a pedestrian were highlighted by one in five drivers surveyed.

In 2015, there were 408 pedestrian fatalities in Britain, which accounts for 24 per cent of road fatalities that year. Of these deaths, 48 per cent occurred between 6pm and 6am. For the improved Pedestrian Detection technology, now able to work at night for the first time, the development team worked at night, sending life-sized dummies into the path of vehicles on closed tracks, and testing the system on public roads in busy cities including Paris and Amsterdam.

How it works

Pedestrian Detection processes information from a radar located in the bumper, and a windshield-mounted camera; while a database of “pedestrian shapes” enables the system to distinguish people from objects such as trees and road signs. The camera delivers more than 30 snapshots every second – faster than a cinema projector. The video live-feed and wide viewing angle enables the system to pick out pedestrians, even in low-light conditions, illuminated only by the headlights.

If the system detects an imminent collision with a pedestrian, it first provides audible and visual warnings to the driver. Should the driver not respond, the system automatically applies the brakes. Later this year, the more advanced Pedestrian Detection technology will be introduced on the next generation Fiesta.

With the advent of self-driving cars, travelling at night will become easier. Last year, a Ford Fusion Hybrid autonomous research vehicle, with no headlights, drove in pitch black at the Ford Arizona Proving Ground, as part of the company’s journey to delivering fully autonomous vehicles to customers around the globe.

Driving at night hacks:

Here are a few ways to make driving at night easier:

> Ensure windows and mirrors are clean and free of condensation
> Clean all exterior lights and check they work, keep spare bulbs in the car
> On unlit roads, put headlights on full beam and dip them on seeing oncoming vehicles
> Don’t drive tired or for more than two hours without a break
> Schedule regular optician appointments to check your vision


Lotus Elise 250 Special Edition debuts

                LONDON: Lotus has revealed the Elise 250 Special Edition. Only 50 will be produced to celebrate the company’s 50 years in Norfolk, 172km north-east of here.

The car is based on the Elise Cup 250 launched earlier this year, but offering a raft of exclusive components as standard.

It comes with a supercharged 243hp engine, a 0-100kph time of 3.9 seconds, and a hand-finished interior.

Tipping the scales at 899kg, the car uses carbon fibre and aluminium. Powered by a 1.8-litre 4-cylinder engine, the Elise 250 Special Edition cranks out 243hp at 7200rpm and 250Nm of torque between 3500rpm and 5500rpm. This, along with the car’s 899kg kerb weight, contributes to the 270hp/tonne headline figure.

Carbon-fibre components are standard such as a front splitter, rear wing, tailgate and front access panel, all giving the car high kerb appeal.

The Elise 250 Special Edition is available in choice of four colours, each a long-standing favourite over the last 50 years. Classic metallic blue, red, yellow and white finishes are all complemented by ultralight forged wheels in silver, or black as an option. An optional carbon fibre hardtop roof panel is also available.

The same attention to detail continues inside, with the carbon-fibre sports seats finished in either dark blue or dark grey leather, and stitched with a choice of contrasting colours. The car’s door trim is given the same hand-stitched finish.

The new car laps the company’s Hethel test circuit in 1 minute 34 seconds, the fastest recorded time for a production road-going Elise. The car carries over the same suspension and braking components from the Elise Cup 250, including Bilstein sports dampers and Eibach coaxial coil springs and double wishbone suspension. AP Racing twin-piston front calipers, and Brembo single-piston rear calipers work in conjunction with the track-tuned ABS system.

Fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox, the Elise 250 Special Edition includes an Electronic Differential Lock as standard to give better traction and faster exit speeds when cornering.

The new Elise also features driver selectable ESP modes, providing ‘Sport’ and ‘Race’ settings. Proportionally increasing throttle response, lowering traction slip thresholds and removing understeer recognition, it allows enhanced control before the system intervenes.

An integrated in-car entertainment system can also be specified, including iPod connectivity and Bluetooth functionality, along with air conditioning, cruise control, auxiliary driving lights, full carpets, floor mats and enhanced sound insulation.

The new Elise 250 Special Edition can also be personalised through the Lotus Exclusive programme.

It retails for £47,900 (RM254,000).


Mercedes-Benz provide 450 vehicles for LIMA'15

                KUALA LUMPUR: Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has been appointed the official transport provider for the upcoming Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2015 (LIMA’15) with 450 of the luxury automaker’s passenger vehicles.

LIMA’15 will be taking place on the island of Langkawi from Mar 17 to 21 and the fleet of vehicles will be used to transport LIMA’s guests and delegates and will comprise of the Mercedes-Benz E350 Avantgarde to the latest E300 Hybrid (recently launched in January).

Other than the fleet of vehicles, the German automaker will also organise a drivers’ training session just before the event takes place to help all drivers familiarise themselves with the vehicles.

“In our maiden role as a transport provider, we look forward to welcoming and transporting guests from around the world who will be visiting LIMA,” said Mercedes-Benz Malaysia president and CEO Roland Folger.

The first LIMA exhibition was in 1991 and has grown rapidly.

For 2015, LIMA is expected to feature over 500 exhibitors with an estimated attendance of roughly 168,500 visitors over the five-day exhibition.


Mercedes-AMG C 63 S is here

 Raine (left) and Alesi at the launch of the new Mercedes-AMG C 63 S.

KUALA LUMPUR: There’s a new performance sedan in town and it’s the new Mercedes-AMG C 63 which comes in two variants, the C 63 S and C 63 Edition 1 priced at RM698,888 and RM723,888 respectively (on-the-road without insurance).

The C 63 is the most powerful V8 in its segment as it features a 4.0litre biturbo engine mated to the AMG Speedshift MCT 7-speed sports transmission which outputs a whopping 510hp at 5500-6250rpm and 700Nm of torque at 1750-4500rpm.

It is no wonder then, that it can go from 0-100kph in four seconds flat. And, on top of that, has low fuel consumption figures of 8.2litres/100km.
“The C 63 AMG in the 2014 series was the best-selling AMG model. We are continuing this success story with the new Mercedes-AMG C 63, and are very proud to be introducing this to the Malaysian customers.

“Whether in terms of power, driving dynamics or appointments: the Mercedes-AMG C 63 sets new standards and will further reinforce our brand claim of “Driving Performance”. AMG customers can look forward to an extraordinarily dynamic driving experience,” said vice president, sales & marketing passenger cars, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, Mark Raine.

Also present during the launch was former F1 driver and DTM driver for Mercedes-AMG, Jean Alesi.

The C 63 S comes with a wide variety of transmission modes to choose from: Comfort, Sport, Sport + and exclusively for the C 63 S, Race mode.
Mercedes-AMG has placed a strong emphasis on sportiness in the design of the C 63 with the long aluminium bonnet embellished with two prominent powerdomes, ensuring a masculine appearance in combination with the flared wings.

The striking bonnet has a dramatic transition to the radiator grille. This emphasises the forward thrust and dynamism of the C 63.

This impression is reinforced by the low, arrow-shaped “twin blade” radiator grille with AMG lettering, which visually lowers the car’s centre of gravity.

The diffuser insert with three fins at the rear is a feature adopted from motorsports, as are the simulated air vents in the sides.
While the C 63 is a beast of a performance car, luxury and comfort is not comprised in the interior with carefully selected, high-grade materials with a pleasant touch and precise workmanship.

The C 63 features the AMG Ride Control sports suspension with three-stage damping adjustment which offers outstanding agility, high cornering speeds and optimum neutrality.

And all the performance-enhancing features is made all the more appealing with different exhaust notes. The C 63 S has a performance exhaust system with three selectable exhaust flaps.

This gives the driver an even wider sound range: in Comfort mode the engine note is comfortable and discreet, while in Sport + and Race the V8 sound is far more dominant, and reminiscent of a racing touring car – including very audible upshifts and pronounced throttle blips.

The other standard equipment for the C 63 S includes LED High Performance headlamps, Adaptive Brake, Attention Assist, Audio 20 USB multimedia system, Collision Prevention Assist Plus, ECO start/stop function, ISOFIX child seat attachment system, tyre pressure monitoring system, sports pedals and cruise control.

For an even more aggressive look, you can always opt for the C 63 Edition 1 variant which features a spoiler lip in high-gloss black, the Night package including chrome-plated exhaust tailpipes, red highlights for the radiator grille and exterior mirrors, 19in wheels with a cross spoke design in matt black with red -painted rim flange and side sports stripes in matt graphite grey above the side sill panels among others.


Dutch students grow their own biodegradable car

                EINDHOVEN (Netherlands): What's made of sugar, can carry four people and travel at 80kph? A biodegradable car, whose inventors say could be the next step in environmentally friendly motoring.

The lightweight electric car, created by students in the Netherlands, is made of a resin derived from sugar beets and covered with sheets of Dutch-grown flax.

"Only the wheels and suspension systems are not yet of bio-based materials," said Yanic van Riel, one of the developers from the TU/Ecomotive team at the Eindhoven University of Technology.

The structure of the car they have called Lina has a similar strength-weight ratio to that of fibreglass and weighs only 310kg.

But the prototype has not yet passed crash tests, because the material "will not bend like metal, but break", said the team's leader Noud van de Gevel.

Demands to reduce air pollution and tackle climate change have pushed auto companies towards alternative designs, but most are still require a great deal of energy to make.

"Energy that is saved while driving the car is now spent during the production phase," van de Gevel said.

The TU/Ecomotive team plans to test drive Lina later this year, once given the green light by the Netherlands Vehicle Authority.


Beijing autoshow postponed due to Covid surge, say sources

The 2020 Auto China in September of that year. — Reuters
BEIJING: Organisers of the Beijing autoshow, which was scheduled to be held in late April, have postponed the event due to a recent flare-up of Covid-19 cases in China, say people familiar with the matter.

Auto China, the event's organisers, have yet to decide on a new date, the sources said, declining to be identified as the information was not yet public.

Auto China did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

China is fighting its biggest wave of locally transmitted Covid-19 cases since it contained the initial outbreak centred on Wuhan in 2020 and multiple provinces have rolled out movement controls.

The trade show in the world's largest auto market alternates each year between Beijing and Shanghai.

It traditionally attracts both international and domestic automakers, including Volkswagen Toyota and Geely, and is often used as a launch pad to announce new products.

The Beijing autoshow was also postponed in 2020 to September of that year from April due to the coronavirus.


BMW M 1000 RR takes centre stage

                MUNICH: BMW has unveiled its new M 1000 RR (M RR) superbike.

Said to have been bred purely with racing technology, this road-going German superbike is the first bike to bear the M designation.

The M RR weighs in at just 192kg (kerb) with peak performance heightened to 212hp at 14,500rpm and 113Nm of torque at 11,000rpm.

This is all thanks to a higher red-line at 15,100rpm for the water-cooled 1.0-litre four-cylinder engine with a titanium exhaust system.

The engine also features BMW ShiftCam technology to help optimise valve-timing in order to extract as much performance as possible.

Other extensive technical optimisations include new two-ring forged pistons from Mahle, adapted combustion chambers, increased compression to 13.5, longer and lighter titanium connecting rods from Pankl, slimmer and lighter rocker arms, fully machined intake ports with new duct geometry as well as optimisations on the camshafts and intake area.

Other additionals include carbon M winglets for downforce, high windscreen, traction control, redesigned chassis for track use, optimised wheel load distribution and extended adjustability of the swing-arm pivot point.

The chassis of the new M RR is based on the RR with the bridge frame made of aluminium at its centrepiece which gets suspended by an optimised front upside-down fork as well as a revised central spring strut with blue spring and Full Floater Pro kinematics.

Stopping power comes from the blue anodised coating of the M braking system that has been included for the first time at BMW Motorrad as well as M carbon wheels as standard.

Staring at the rider is a 6.5-inch TFT display with OBD interface for its instrument cluster and as an added option, an activation code can be had for the M GPS data logger and M GPS lap-trigger.

The instrument cluster has the same basic design as the standard RR and has an M start animation.

The new M RR shows off its racing heritage with the light white solid paint with the M Sport colour scheme (light blue, dark blue and red).

Further features of the M RR are the engine covers in granite grey and the fuel-filler cap in black.

The passenger package (tail-hump cover) and M competition package is also available as an added option.

The M Competition Package includes items such as the M milled parts package, the M carbon package, silver 220g-lighter swing-arm as well as the friction-optimised, maintenance-free and DLC-coated M Endurance chain.


MFG teaches motorcycle riding in a fun environment

                KUALA LUMPUR: Want to learn precise motorcycle control in a challenging, safe and fun environment?

Check out the MFG (Most Fun Gym) riding academy, located at a remote corner on a hill slope of Damansara Perdana, Kuala Lumpur (behind Wisma Mofaz).

It is run by legendary 80’s motorbike racer Oh Kah Beng or better known as Foreman Oh, who is also the former Lotus Cars Malaysia sales head and technical consultant.

In his heydays, Oh had raced alongside motorcycle racing champion Wayne Gardner.

The three-time national champion (he also won an international competition in Indonesia and came in at runner-up positions in other international meets) is now retired, and has set up MFG to teach the young and old on the finer skills of riding.

MFG caters to all sorts of motorcycling enthusiasts, from young children, absolute beginners to seasoned racers who are interested in the finer points of riding skills.

The academy emphasises on precise timing and quick decision making, which is crucial in unexpected or unforeseen circumstances in order to reduce the likelihood of collision and accidents.

Oh says young children don't have to race to have fun on motorcycles.

"But if they're mentally and physically tuned for racing, competition can be an immensely rewarding experience. It's a big deal to start racing—for both your kid (emotionally, physically) and you (time and money investment)."

 Oh (right) had set up MFG to teach the young and old on the finer skills of riding.

MFG has programmes that introduce kids to the fun world of dirt-track racing.

"They need the right combination of parental support and the right rider attitude," says Oh.

"The parents must be committed to supporting the rider, and the rider needs that twinkle in the eye."

"If you end up with a world champion, great, but that's not what this is about. We want to build a winner both on and off the track," says Oh.

To date, MFG has about 120 students of all ages.

Classes are conducted during weekdays and weekends.

To start, all you need is ankle-high shoes.

Safety riding gear,helmets and bikes are provided at MFG.

As the schedule is tight, appointments need to be made.

Call Oh Kah Beng  at 012-2771770 or log onto their facebook Most Fun Gym.


Thousands try their luck to cross Penang Bridge

A traffic jam behind a manned road block along the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway, Penang.
GEORGE TOWN: Thousands of commuters still want to leave the island via the Penang Bridge even as police tighten the roadblock.

Although the movement control order (MCO) entered its sixth day, thousands of cars still plied Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway yesterday from the city to the bridge.

But each motorist wanting to get on the bridge was thoroughly questioned by the police and army, causing a massive traffic jam.

The roadblock was in the middle of the Penang Bridge-Bayan Lepas junction.

Any motorist who did not have a satisfactory reason to cross the Penang channel was not allowed onto the bridge.

Few cars were seen being allowed to cross.

A staff member of a research organisation at Batu Maung said he was stuck in the traffic jam for almost two hours.

“Normally, it takes me only 30 minutes to arrive at my workplace.

“The roadblock was from Tesco Egate to the junction to either mainland or Bayan Lepas,” he said, adding that he only reached his office at 10.40am.

Another commuter, K. Ganesh, said he saw police carefully querying every driver who wanted to cross.

“I saw several cars with Johor, Malacca and Perak licence plates heading for the bridge.

“There are also still so many motorists wanting to cross Penang Bridge,” he said.

George Town OCPD Asst Comm Soffian Santong said the roadblocks were not meant to make life difficult for the public but to ensure that the MCO was adhered to.

“We hope that the public can comply with the rules and refrain from going anywhere without a valid reason.

“Stay home. Maybe by doing that, we can at least minimise the traffic jam,” he said.


Mercedes-Benz foresees EV-only production lines within a few years

                BERLIN: Mercedes-Benz expects to have factories producing exclusively electric vehicles (EVs) by the second half of the decade but will steer clear of building EV-only plants, instead keeping production lines flexible in line with market demand.

The carmaker foresees some of its production lines within factories switching fully to electric even sooner, production chief Joerg Burzer said in an interview with Reuters.

"Building a whole new battery-electric vehicle factory takes time. We have taken another approach," Burzer said.

"We will certainly have some lines producing only electric vehicles in the next few years... we also see whole factories switching to electric - that is a topic for the second half of the decade."

The premium carmaker will launch production of its EQE model, revealed last September at the IAA Mobility show, in Bremen later this year, followed by Beijing and Tuscaloosa.

Mercedes is betting on the model, an electric adaptation of the E-class with a peak range of 660km, to boost EV unit sales as it shifts investment away from internal combustion vehicles and towards electric-only production platforms.

"With the ramp-up of the EQE in Bremen and later in Beijing, we are coming into a segment where we can deliver at far higher volumes," Burzer said.

Just 2.3% of Mercedes-Benz Cars' sales last year were battery-electric vehicles, rising to 11% including plug-in hybrids, which have both an engine and a battery.

As of 2025, it expects electric and hybrid electric cars to make up 50% of sales, with all-electric cars expected to account for most of that.

Existing models are all being built in factories also producing internal combustion engine vehicles, with batteries transported by rail from the main plant in Sindelfingen to plants in Germany and Hungary.

Down the line, battery assembly and production could be brought nearer to car plants as the design of vehicles develops to integrate the battery more closely into the car, Burzer said.


Volvo loosens up subscription plan in US

                NEW YORK: Volvo has made its car subscription plan in the United States more flexible by allowing new customers to have the option to upgrade or return a new subscription any time after the first four months.

The flexible subscription enhances Care by Volvo as an alternative to traditional car leasing and financing and is inclusive of maintenance and insurance costs.

“Care by Volvo has been very popular in bringing new people into the Volvo brand,” said Peter Wexler, Head of Care by Volvo, VCUSA. “By offering our customers flexibility alongside insurance, tyre protection, maintenance and other services, we believe Care by Volvo is the most flexible all-inclusive option available when it comes to car ownership.”

Earlier this year, the Care by Volvo offer was expanded to include vehicles in retail stock, meaning customers can walk into a Volvo retailer, choose to finance, lease or subscribe to any car they see, and drive away in a vehicle the same day.

The change also allows Care by Volvo customers access to a wider range of Volvo models and trim levels allowing for greater choice and a potentially lower monthly payment.


Viral X50 price list is fake, says Proton

                PETALING JAYA: If you have seen a price list on the Proton X50 floating around on the Internet, ignore it. It's fake, says Proton.

Proton had to make the announcement on its Facebook page after the list went viral following the rollout of the X50 SUV from its Tanjung Malim plant in Perak.

The list showed the prices of four variants from RM75,800 to RM103,800.

Observant readers would have found something amissed with the top variant wrongly labelled as "Sport Edition". Also the photo of the purported X50 is actually a compressed X70 as evidenced by the tailpipe design.

The X50 will actually be offered in Standard, Executive, Premium and Flagship variants.

The X50 launch is imminent following media reports that its production has already begun. Prices would be announced then. Earlier media speculation has estimated the X50 to be priced from around RM80,000 to RM100,000.

 The X50 has round, quad exhaust tips.


Kia may make face masks at China factory

                SEOUL: South Korea’s Kia Motors Corp is considering making face masks at its Chinese factory to help battle the spread of the coronavirus, a spokesman said today.

The announcement follows a similar move by Fiat Chrysler, whose CEO Mike Manley said earlier this week that one of the group’s plants in Asia would be converted to produce face masks for healthcare workers and would reach a target of one million masks per month in coming weeks.

Kia could make masks at its Yancheng plant after the Chinese government encouraged carmakers to do so, the spokesman said. He declined to comment on possible timing or any manufacturing target.

Kia has suspended production at its Georgia plant in the United States, its Slovakia site and operations in India due to the coronavirus pandemic.


World-first mapping of motor racers' live emotions at Goodwood

                SUSSEX, England: At the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, UK-based technology start-up, Sensum, achieved a world first by publicly displaying the real-time emotions of supercar and superbike racers in the festival’s historic Hillclimb challenge.

Participants wore biometric sensors that provided data for Sensum’s ‘empathic AI’ algorithms to analyse live.

Sensum then produced an on-going score of each racer’s emotional response to the track, ranging from ‘ice cool’ to ‘wild’.

This kind of emotional measurement technology could be applied not just to future motorsport but also to the development of consumer vehicles.

Key data streams measured:

- Heart rate (ECG)
- Heart rate variability
- Breathing rate
- Speed & acceleration
- Location (GPS)

Key findings:

- Emotional map of the Hillclimb track
- Strong correlation between ‘wilder’ emotional response and lower race times
- Between bikers and supercar drivers, the bikers tended to be more ‘ice cool’
- Sensum also measured a jetpack pilot, a stunt car driver and participants in a VR experience of the Roborace driverless racecar
- Sensum’s technology interpreted the incoming data to generate a map of the emotional journey along the Hillclimb track. The map shows how ‘ice cool’ or ‘wild’ the racers were throughout the course.

The ‘wildest’ emotional response levels were concentrated around the two main corners of the track, including the notorious Flint Wall.

This is an encouraging finding for the experimental technology behind the project because the wildest emotions occur at the track sections that are reported as being the most challenging for racers.

Another interesting finding was a strong correlation between high levels of ‘wild’ responses and low track times. In other words, the fastest racers were also the most excited or stressed, rather than the calmest.

This could suggest that the faster people were performing in a heightened state of alertness, ‘on the edge’ where their performance is optimal.

Gawain Morrisson, CEO & Co-Founder of Sensum said: “Sensum was challenged with connecting motorsport fans with the thrill of the Hillclimb. We demonstrated how current technology can be used to measure the real-time emotions and body data of vehicle occupants.

In future we will see many applications of this empathic technology, from life-saving safety features to improved comfort and entertainment for vehicle occupants. In motorsport, we can look forward to an exciting new form of audience entertainment that displays the live emotions of the racers.”

Staged every summer since 1993, the Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard is the world’s largest automotive garden party; set against the spectacular backdrop of Goodwood House in West Sussex, UK.

Over 600 cars and motorcycles spanning the phenomenal history of motoring and motor sport take part with some of the most legendary figures from the sport as well as international celebrities regularly attending.


Toyota offers festive deals

                SHAH ALAM: UMW Toyota Motor has started its Chinese New Year sales campaign, and customers stand to enjoy attractive “Ang Pow” deals for the Vios, Camry, Hilux or Altis.

Customers are urged to visit Toyota showrooms to check out the offers and special deals.

For 2015, Toyota has made several improvements to its model lineup.

All variants of the Vios including the Vios E and Vios J now have a push-start button with the Smart Entry and Start System.

The newly improved Toyota Hilux is also available in TRD Sportivo variant for the 2.5G and 3.0G automatic models.

For details, call 1-800-8-TOYOTA (1-800-8-869682).


Petrol taxes drop globally despite climate change, study shows

                PARIS: The average tax on petrol in 157 nations fell 13 percent from 2003 to 2015, even as the world acknowledged the need to slash greenhouse gases from fossil fuels, researchers reported Monday.

Over 13 years, consumption of gasoline rose in countries that lowered taxes or raised subsidies, they said in a study published in the journal Nature Energy.

Though only a third of the nations analysed took such measures, this was enough to tilt the global total in the direction of a net drop in gas taxes.

”Despite all the commitments to fight climate change, governments are failing to discourage fossil fuel consumption,” said lead author Michael Ross, a professor from the University of California at Los Angeles.

”At the global level, we are moving in the wrong direction,” he said.

Under the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change, 196 nations vowed to cap global warming at under two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) - a goal that scientists say is achievable only if the world economy moves rapidly to cleaner energy.

With only 1 C (1.8 F) of warming so far, Earth has seen a crescendo of heat waves, drought, flooding and storm surges, driven by rising seas.

Experts have long argued that cutting subsidies for oil, gas and coal - and creating incentives, such as taxes, to curb their use - are essential tools for that transition.

The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the UN’s climate science panel and the International Energy Agency (IEA) have all advocated such measures.

But fossil fuel subsidies remain colossal: nearly half a trillion dollars (470 billion euros) in 2014, according to the IEA, with the IMF reporting $333 billion (315 billion euros) in direct consumer subsidies in 2015.

Factor in so-called environmental and social costs - health destroyed by pollution, damage to ecosystems - and the true bill is widely considered to be several times higher.

But trying to get a handle of how much countries tax or subsidise gasoline was a hugely challenging task, the researchers said.

”Many taxes and subsidies are indirect or hidden in the budgets of state-owned enterprises,” said Ross.

Some countries announce reforms and then fail to carry them out.

To get a global overview, Ross and his team first compiled a monthly log of 13 years of retail gasoline prices in 157 countries. The list of countries accounts for 97 percent of the world population, and 98 percent of greenhouse gases.

Then, using early 2003 as the benchmark, the researchers looked to see which countries, in 2015, had raised or lowered gasoline taxes or subsidies.

”The problem tends to be oil-exporting countries,” Ross said, pointing to Nigeria, Algeria, several Arab Gulf nations and Angola.

He also pointed to the United States, where - despite relatively high taxes - “the federal tax on gasoline was last raised in 1993.”

The US remains the world’s top oil consumer. China’s rapid transition towards clean energy - even as it continues to build new coal-fired power plants - is driven in large measure by concerns over respiratory health and traffic congestion, Ross said.

”China leaps out as the country that has, by far, made the most significant reforms,” he said.