ABT does the C7 Audi A6

ABT has already brought forth its tuning package for the newly launched C7 Audi A6. I suppose its going to take a while before the local, not very quick, slightly sluggish to respond, distributors to bring it in. And when they do bring it in, we're not going to see any S models. Why can't they bring the whole range? People are buying Audi by the shipload these days. There isn't a day in downtown KL where I don't see a large Audi driving around and come to think of it, they're mostly grey imports.

Anyway, click here to read about the ABT Audi A6. Posted over on MyAutoblog.org.

The similarity between the Aston Martin Virage and a Daihatsu

The new Aston Martin Virage. A whole new car? Or a slight chassis mod with a new badge? Does it worry you? It doesn't worry me one bit as Toyota/Daihatsu does the same stuff albeit on a cheaper price range. But is it becoming for a company like Aston Martin? Maybe not. But for me the real problem is driving one to the country club and people stare at you thinking that you still can't afford that higher priced DBS or that you're plain cheap.

Click here to read more about it over at MyAutoblog.org.

Suzuki Swift S-Concept showcases the upcoming Swift Sport

The car above is the Suzuki Swift S Concept which was recently shown at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. This is how the upcoming Suzuki Swift Sport will look like. As some of you readers know, the Swift Sport is my favourite affordable supermini. I totally adore this little car because of its agility, handling and its honest to goodness nature. Not to mention if you love trail braking into a corner this is the car for you. The tail swings round to 'meet' you where you want it to.

 In the article I stated that if it ain't broke, why fix it. This sums up what Suzuki has done to the Swift. A little stretch, a little pull, a little nip here and some added girth there but it still looks pretty much like the earlier car.

Click here to read more about the S Concept

BMW Enters The MotoGP....

....BUT not in the way you'd expect. Even the bikes are basically safety vehicles and the actual number one safety vehicle is a car, not a bike. The upcoming BMW 1 Series M coupe gets a roll cage, fire extinguisher, no rear seats (due to the cage), an exhaust system by Akrapovic and some LED roof lights. And that's about it folks.

Click here to read more about it. Posted on MyAutoblog.org

A National Geographic-like Article About The USDM Mazda 6 Recall

Yes. I am also like Sir David Attenborough, in that I too can speak about something of nature like the yellow sac spider that caused a whole lot of 2009-2010 Mazda 6 to be recalled. Of course, if you read my Peugeot "the hippo" 3008 article, you would already believe me. Wouldn't you?

Click here to read about some spiders invading some Mazda 6s in the United States. Posted on Myautoblog.org.

Steering Wheel Styling Over The Years

I wrote this piece for CarThrottle.com. Steering wheels are something which most of us overlook but it is the part where we use the most to interact with the car. Our hands are alway on them, caressing them, turning them. Some of them look really good, but these days they all have airbags in the middle of them. In those days they looked all slim and slender. This is reason enough for me to write an article on steering wheels.

Click here to read the article and see more photos.

The 'Professional' DSLR Cameraman, The 'Talents' and Some Advice

There is a new disease nowadays in good ol' Malaysia and it is called 'I am a professional cameraman and I need to publish nearly everything I shoot'. Everywhere you turn these days there are people carrying...no, more like lugging around big fat DSLRs to weddings, to shopping malls, to family reunions and even to bed with their wife, girlfriend, boyfriend or gay lover.

In the good ol' days of normal film based SLRs, the 1980s and 1990s, I used to see my dad and my uncles comparing their SLRs and their photographic skills. But in those days everything was like pot luck. When you took a photograph in the pre-digital days if was the luck of the draw. You would finish a roll of film, you readers know what a roll of film is don't you? Anyway, you would finish a roll of film and rush it off to the camera shop to get it developed. You do not have a clue on how the photograph may come out. Sometimes, it is exactly as you wanted it to be. Sometimes, it gets overdeveloped or under developed, either it's your own fault due to bad camera skills or the camera shop screws it up. The worse case that would happen is that you wrongly load the camera and it doesn't get developed at all.

All this has changed. With the advent of digital photography you can now edit your photographs on the spot. This means that you can pick and choose what photographs you want and what you don't want. But it also means that there is also a lack of impromptu or real life photos and everything looks picture perfect when it actually isn't.

Of course in the early days of digital photograpy, everyone wanted a point and shoot camera. The reason was that DSLRs were bloody expensive and people in the early days of digital photography took to point and shoot cameras because it was conveniently small. From lugging around large SLRs they now could carry around something small and compact. Which was great.

But then DSLRs got cheaper, as with all electronic goods over the years and it is now the era of the DSLR. Everyone's got one, including the fairer sex. In those days, only arts and design students from both sexes lugged around SLRs. Now, I see women taking up this hobby by the dozen, lugging around huge DSLRs like they were Japanese tourists.

Then everyone starts shooting photos and posting them on flicker, photo sharing sites, Facebook. Then suddenly appear some of the fairer sex posing for the 'professional' cameraman. Up pops out an industry of sorts where the fairer sex decided that they can be considered as talents for these professional hobbyist. The photos get downloaded and then shared on Facebook for all to see. And the thing was some of the 'professionals' actually were terrible photographers and some of them actually have the nerve in giving 'professional' advice to others. These people giving advice don't even read the manual in the first place.

One example that I wish to share is when I was at Kuala Selangor admiring the fireflies. These tiny creatures were busy flickering and it was a stupendous natural sight. The area was totally dark and silent. The signboards clearly state that no camera flash was allowed but I suppose some people, in this case a Malay lady with a DSLR and the largest flash attachment in the world decided to take a shot of these creatures. It was brighter than lighting for a split second and it basically caused the fireflies to scatter for a moment, destroying the moment. Some people should never be given a camera if they can't even read rules and regulations or respect nature. If I was the guy piloting the row boat, I'd hurl the DSLR into the mangrove trees, and feed the lady to the fishes. In near pitch black darkness, you can't take little bits of light with a flash. You need proper night vision camera equipment. This is just one example of these so called DSLR experts.

And then there are the photo talents that we get to see posted on social sites. Some of the so called 'talents' that these 'professionals' get to shoot actually need concrete as facial foundation. This is needed to actually hide their faces (and maybe parts of their non-model-like bodies). The people holding the cameras should sometimes tell their talents that they should stop being talents. The people holding the cameras should actually stop publishing their photo shoots as I sometimes believe that taking photos should actually tell a story, and taking photos of these talentless talents tell a 'B grade' story that isn't worth tellling. It's like wanting to watch Avatar but then you get to watch a rerun of The Smurfs. Both have blue characters in them but the differences are intergalactic.

So what am I trying to say then? Sometimes, the camera crazy hobbyist should take it easy and really think before they shoot or give camera advice. Sometimes, the person posing, who thinks that she is a Kate Moss, Eva Longoria, Kim Kardashian or even Jessica Biel is actually a Hantu Kak Limah. Both should not quit their day jobs and they should stop having delusions of grandeur by thinking they are genuine 'talents' or supermodels or whatnot.

This is much like the people who like putting up spoilers and stickers and thinking that their car is actually worthy of certain badges and large spoilers. A bit of general knowledge folks. At 160km/h the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 8's rear wing produces 68kg of downforce. However, at 0km/h, the huge DTM wing on the 'classic' Proton Saga that we see below makes the owner look like a dork. It doesn't even have alloy rims in the correct size (17inches and above for that touring car look) for Godssake. 175/70/13 does not portray 'race car'. Period. And it has extra cushions on the headrest too. The Proton Satria Neo on the left is much better. Plonk in a set of alloys and it is a bazillion times more sportier. It's like a girl in an evening gown and decked in jewellery, but she's wearing rubber flip flops. 

Photo of the 'Professional' taken from Mr Aqeeb's social network site. Thank You.

An Audi A3 Sedan Concept Was Previewed Recently.....

.....and I like it. This brings back the small Audi sedan like the 1990s B5 Audi A4 sedan. This is a sedan in the size which I like - small enough for urban environments and it has a boot. Very suitable for people (especially those of us in South East Asia) who like having cars with....a boot. 

Click here to read more about this Audi A3 Sedan Concept Car. Posted over at Myautoblog.org.

And Mansory Gives Us The SLS Cornea Damage.......

The Mansory Corneum, or as I put it, Cornea D. 'D' for Damage. Named after an opera solo performance  or in operatic terms, an 'Aria' it is operatic in its looks and it seems those lights look like they came from a Ferrari 599. A Mercedes Benz AMG with something from Ferrari? Nothing is sacred anymore. Especially if Mansory adds its finishing touches to it. 


Click here to read about it. Posted over at Myautoblog.org

1,115bhp and it has a Thule Carrier on its roof - The Koenigsegg Agera R

 I believe that this is the second most practical supercar launched after the station wagon looking Ferrari FF. A new era of supercar beckons. One with enough space to carry a whole week of groceries?


Click here to read and view more photos on this new car by Koenigsegg. 

Meanwhile Over At Volkswagen....They Launch a Duller Looking Golf Based Cabriolet

They already have the EOS, but I suppose that is considered an 'upscale' cabriolet. If it were a highrise apartment, it'll be considered as a condominium. Now the People's Car makers have decided to launch another Golf based cabriolet - this time a proper hatchback based Golf Cabriolet and it looks very much like a hairdresser's favourite kind of car.

Click here to read more about it and some history on the previous Golf cabriolet. Posted on Myautoblog.org.

A 1989 Ferrari Testarossa At Pengkalan Pegoh, Ipoh.

Quite a car, quite a car indeed. Driving or owning cars like these aren't about all out power. There are surely faster cars around these days, like some hot hatches or some rally specials but none have a sense of occasion like this baby.

Over at Carthrottle.com. Click here to view the photos. Taken at the end of November 2010.

The NOVITEC ROSSO 458 Italia

Click here to read more about it and to view the many photographs of a white 458 Italia on a treadmill.

Funny they don't dyno how much humans make every time we start jogging/walking/running on something with rollers (at a place like Fatness Last). Imagine bragging to friends you make 0.2bhp when you friend only makes 0.05bhp. However he makes 2Nm of torque and you don't. Imagine the conversation we'll be having with our friends if this happened. Motorheads may actually want to hit the gym. Or not.

Posted on MyAutoblog.org.

A Second Attempt At Video Recording...

Second attempt at a video recording. This time on 720p HD. I went out and bought myself a better camera. Enjoy Genting Sempah on a wider aspect ratio.

It looks like some video based stuff as soon as I have the time and as soon as I can master editing the videos. But it's going to take a while.

Geneva 2011 Concept Car: The Toyota FT-86 II Concept - Not Very Pretty

"This must be the ugliest front end ever grace a concept car that is supposedly to replace a modern classic sports car from the 1980s. This is the Toyota FT-86 II Concept car that Toyota will put on display at this year's Geneva Motor Show and if you look at the rest of the photos in the press release you will find out that the rest of the car's pretty scary looking too. "


Click here to read about what I think about this latest concept of the supposed successor to the famed AE86 of the 1980s.

The 9th Generation Honda Civic Will Soon Be Out

The guys from Honda America has previewed the USDM 2012 Model Year Honda Civic. It looks like this current model but with slightly edgier less rounded styling. But it looks more conservative. I also HATE the ride height in the press photos. Why can't their PR department realize that making a sleek sedan look like an SUV isn't a pretty picture?

I somehow think this car isn't as pretty as the one we see on the roads today. Especially that rear end. Honda should not try and capture that conservative crowd  (READ: EXTREMELY DULL AND BORING Toyota and Nissan family car loving people) and just stick their necks out like the current model.

Click here to read and see more photos. Posted on Myautoblog.org, written by yours truly.

The MINI Rocketman Concept - A Proper Mini-sized MINI

I am actually happy that BMW MINI has finally come up with a properly mini-sized MINI instead of one that is actually larger than a 1st Generation Proton Satria (but is actually less spacious than one at the rear).

This MINI Rocketman Concept could be in production soon. Now while Geneva has shown us a new Lamborghini Avandator or Avantador (or what not) and other exotic cars, this one is something that is realistically achievable for most of us to own. First, it'll be cheaper new than the current Cooper S if they get around producing it and secondly, if it handles as good as a Cooper S, then it would be a car totally worth having.

Click here to see more photos and details. Posted at Carthrottle.com

Utterly, Utterly Gorgeous....The Jaguar XKR-S

....In French Racing Blue. Not in any other colour please. And it's going to sound exactly as it looks with that 550hp V8 supercharged engine....Utterly gorgeous. I hope some rich Malaysian millionaire buys one when it goes on sale in September or that the local Jaguar dealer brings one in.

Alfa Romeo 4C previewed at the Geneva Motor Show

The Alfa Romeo 4C. It looks so.......so......so LOTUS ELISE with an Alfa nose! A Lotus Elise in drag.

This leaves me a little disappointed.  It really does. Really.

Click here to read more about it.