TEST DRIVE: 2015 Volkswagen Golf R - Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.

What do you do when you are handed the key to a Volkswagen Golf R? You head straight for the nearest B road of course. Within half an hour I was already on Jalan Gombak, headed towards Genting Sempah and beyond. I think if you had the time any of you would do the same thing if you had a R with you.

Info on The New Ford Ranger's NVH

Ford is busily promoting the new Ford Ranger. This time I've received a press release of the Ranger's NVH statistics that would make interesting reading and viewing ...on your tablet or smartphone that you are looking at whilst waiting for something to be done like baking a cake, waiting for a connecting flight or sitting in the lavatory or just waiting for somebody to arrive. 

NEWS: NEW RENAULT SHOWROOM OPENS IN SEREMBAN

TC Euro Cars, the sole franchise holder for Renault cars in Malaysia, announced the official opening of a new Renault dealer showroom in Seremban. AJ Premium Motors is the dealer that operates this showroom which is strategically located in a new township in Seremban along Jalan Era Square 2, Era Square.

Spotted For Sale: 2004 Nissan March IMPUL 112S

I am (trying to be) back to publishing regular original posts after a short holiday and after watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens a couple of times. So let's start with an interesting car spotted for sale - A 2004 Nissan March IMPUL 112S.

News: SHELL HELIX TRADE PARTNERS ENJOY UNIQUE BMW MOTORSPORT DRIVING EXPERIENCE IN MUNICH

Shell Malaysia had sent a total of eighteen top performing workshop owners from different regions across the country to this money-cannot-buy experience with BMW. They were given the opportunity to drive the latest BMW models under the tutelage of expert drivers from BMW Motorsport in Munich, Germany

MMU students participate in Ford's Driving Skills for Life programme

Recently a group of students from the Malaysian Multimedia University (MMU) was given the chance to participate in Ford's half day Driving Skills for Life programme. This half day, free of charge programme is aimed at raising awareness of safe driving and if actually beneficial for newly licensed drivers like these university students from MMU. 

News: Shell in Sabah aims to raise up to RM40,000 towards building a schoolgirl's hostel at Tamparuli, Sabah

Shell employees and retailers, led by Ariff Shahbudin, Retail District Manager-Sabah, Shell Timur Sdn. Bhd. (Centre), with representatives from Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu South

Shell Timur Sdn Bhd with retailers aims to raise up to RM40,000 towards building a schoolgirl's hostel in Kg Bantayan, Tamparuli, Sabah. For this cause, Shell Retailers in Sabah will contribute 1 cent for every 1 litre fuel pumped at any Shell station in Sabah and Labuan on 21st December 2015. If you need to pump fuel on that day in Sabah, make sure it is at a Shell station.

Industry News: Hyundai Motor’s Genesis and Tucson Earn IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Awards

Hyundai Genesis premium sedan and the Hyundai Tucson SUV have won the 2016 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards over in the U.S. of A. 

The Shell V-Power LEGO Collection - Bringing families and people together

The year end school holidays is the longest of all the school holidays here in Malaysia. Most Malaysian parents would be either looking forward to this period or actually dreading the fact that they now have their hands full trying to keep their children busy with things to do or places to see. Or the usual family holiday of course. But I would have to say that this time around parents have a little bit of help from Shell with the Shell V-power LEGO collection.

New contest by Caltex: Win Up to RM10,000 of Free Fuel at Caltex

Heads up people. There is now a chance to win some fuel at Caltex stations nationwide. The Caltex ‘Big Fuel Giveaway’ kicked off on 1 December, 2015 and will take place over a period of 3 months before ending on 29 February, 2016. Throughout the promotion period, customers stand a chance to win one of the following great prizes i.e. RM90,000 worth of free fuel, RM150,000 of cash prizes, RM27,000 of StarCash and nine (9) Samsung Galaxy Note 5s. 

Firdaus Asri's POV: Volkswagen Mk7 Golf R - Best Hot Hatch ever?

Most of you folks out there know that here at motoring-malaysia we have a whole lot of original posts that you can never find on other Malaysian automotive websites. This time we get Volkswagen Golf R Mk6 owner Firdaus Asri to tell you what he thinks of the latest Golf R Mk7 as I had arranged for him to bring out his Mk6 R to tango with the Mk7 R. 

Now according to him, the BEST HOT HATCH ever, is the Mk7 Golf R. 

Firdaus. I told you, you bought the wrong R! 

VW Mk7 Golf R - The best hot hatch ever? I can't think of a better one. By Firdaus Asri 

Ford Ranger keeps Ford sales up in November

The Ford Ranger is really making Ford's sales in Malaysia soar. Out of 830 units of retail sales in November, 707 units from this is the Ranger XLT and also the 3.2liter Ranger WildTrak. The Ranger is indeed a fabulous pick-up as I had the opportunity to test drive one a sometime ago (not this latest facelifted one but that was actually competent enough for most of us). 

MOTORSPORTS: RENAULT ANNOUNCES RETURN TO FORMULA 1 IN 2016

And suddenly....Renault have decided to return to Formula 1 in 2016. This is always the case with manufacturers and F1. It is like a love-hate relationship. Maybe it is the accountants that somehow convinces the CEO or the Board that they are spending too much money. Then suddenly the CEO or the Board says that the brand has not enough exposure or that F1 gives good publicity. 

So the saga continues...Renault. Formula 1. 2016.

The 375th and final example of the McLaren P1 Hypercar produced

I don't know whether it is applicable to say the phrase 'All good things come to an end' in the case of the completion of all 375 units of the McLaren P1 hypercar. Whatever it is, the P1 is monumental and has its place etched in super sports car history. 

Volkswagen Golf R is 2015 ASEAN Driver's Car of the Year!

The Volkswagen Golf R has been awarded the "Driver's Car of the Year" at the 2015 ASEAN Car of the Year (ACOTY) awards yesterday. This is the first ACOTY Awards and it  is an automotive industry award programme formed exclusively to reward outstanding vehicles in the ASEAN region and is honored by a non-profit community of motoring journalist from Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia as well as industry experts from the ASEAN region. 

Industry News: Ford and Sime Darby Auto Connexion Kick Off Their Second World Cup Sales Competition

Sometimes, you have got to motivate your employees in a big way in order for customers to ultimately benefit. Ford, together with Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), Ford Motor Company’s distribution partner in Malaysia, recently held its second annual World Cup Sales Competition. This is a training program for Ford sales personnel, and not soccer.

PROTON MAY RAISE PRICES OF ITS CARS IN 2016 DUE TO WEAK RINGGIT

Proton may increase the prices of its cars by January 2016 due to the weakening Ringgit. Now whilst Proton has up to 90% local content for most of its cars, most of the raw material is still imported. Anything made out of steel and aluminium has its raw material imported in as Malaysia does not have enough of these resources locally. So even Proton is affected by the underperforming Ringgit.   

PRESS RELEASE

PROTON REEVALUATES ITS PRICING STRUCTURE FOR 2016

Test Drive: 2015 Hyundai Veloster Turbo - Better than before...but does it hit the spot?

It has been an interesting couple of years in terms of performance cars here in Malaysia. Car manufacturers have been busy launching performance biased cars. We've had a whole slew of junior hot hatches, hybrid sports cars, warm hatches and other interesting cars. Even Hyundai has joined in after a hiatus of sorts with a lack of a sports car in its local lineup after it stopped bringing in the Hyundai Scoupe years ago. They came back with the Veloster sometime in 2013. I drove that car back inAugust 2013 and found it tasteful in terms of looks and styling but sorely lacking in grunt.

SKN Tuned AUDI RS6 - 730HP and a lesson in translation

PRESS RELEASE

Im Video der SKN AUDI RS6 - 730 PS
910 PS Variante folgt in Kürze

Nichts verpassen - schnell SKN Youtube abonnieren!

Aktueller Auszug vom Pressebericht (04.12.2015) bei EVOCARS:

Mehr als ein Jahrzehnt ist es her, da hatten die Jungs von SKN Tuning mit Ihrem Audi RS6 Avant den Sieg bei der Wahl zum SUPERCAR 2003 abgeräumt (Galerie unten). Sie brachten den Renn-Kombi, einen 2003er RS6 C5 mit seinem aufgeladenen 4,2-Liter-V8 Turbo auf damals sagenhafte 510 PS und 650 Nm. Damit ging’s rauf bis 307 km/h Topspeed. Seinen direkten Nachfolger mit dem Biturbo-V10 pushte das SKN-Team damals schon auf 720 PS. Doch die Zeiten ändern sich und so ist heute eine Leistungsausbeute von 730 PS beim aktuellen Audi RS6 mit seinem Vierliter-Biturbo-V8 unter der Haube „lediglich“ die meistverkaufte SKN Ausbaustufe, aber keinesfalls die leistungsstärkste.

Derzeit begnügt sich die Firma aus Benstorf noch damit, dem Biturbo-Motor eine neue Steuersoftware, sowie eine strömungsoptimierte und nebenbei deutlich aggressiver klingende Abgasanlage (siehe/höre Video unten), konkave 21-Zöller von Oxigin und ein neues Fahrwerk zu spendieren. Doch schon diese präzisen Eingriffe heben den großen Audi in andere Sphären und lassen die Serienversion verblassen. Dank der Leitung von 730 PS und seinen 900 Nm Drehmoment fällt nach nur 3,3 Sekunden die 100 km/h-Marke und nach nur 10,6 Sekunden pulverisiert der Trumm die 200 km/h Grenze, um dann unaufhaltsam Richtung...

SPOTTED FOR SALE: 2004 Honda Accord 3.0 VTi - Big CC Honda thrills for somewhat little money

This time in Spotted For Sale is another Honda. This time it's a 7th generation Accord that went on sale in 2003 to around 2008. What's interesting about this CM series Honda Accord is that it has a 3.0liter V6 engine shoved into it. Somehow at the time this car was launched in Malaysia in 2002-2003, Honda decided that it was a good idea to sell this large CC Honda Accord to Malaysians. 

Ford and Sime Darby Auto Connexion celebrates the Ford Ranger with a lot of events and promotions

From now to 13 December 2015, those wanting to find out more about the Ford Ranger can visit any Ford showroom nationwide, register their interest and answer a simple question to stand a chance to win a shopping voucher.

Volkswagen opens a new Sales and Technical Service Centre in Selayang

Volkswagen Malaysia has a new 4S Center in Selayang. Volkswagen Selayang is Malaysia's second full fledged Volkswagen Technical Service Centre and is operated by Goh Brothers Motor. It covers everything from sales to aftersales, from the normal servicing to major repairs.

Truck & Bus News: Volvo Trucks' Flagship Dealership now open in Port Klang

Volvo Trucks Malaysia has opened its flagship dealership in Port Klang. This is their largest dealership among the current twelve located through Malaysia.  It has 20 workstations at the space area of 10 double bays and is able to accommodate service and repair work for up to 24 Volvo trucks a day. 

Industry News: Proton Parts Centre receives renewal of its ISO9001:2008 Cert

Proton Parts Centre Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Proton Holdings Berhad has obtained a renewal of their ISO9001:2008 certification. This basically means that Proton has a proper system in place when it comes to the supply of spare parts to the 4 million Proton car owners out there, locally and abroad. 

Industry News: AUTOVILLE - Cyberjaya's First Light Industrial Development Completed

From left to right : En. Megat Hasnol (Manager of Group Marketing of EMKAY Group), En. Sulaiman b. Abi Hashim (Director of Building Control Department of Majlis Perbandaran Sepang), Pn. Mazrita Mazlan (COO of EMKAY Group), Tuan Lizal b. Bujang Ahmad (Chief Police of Cyberjaya), En. Ahmad  Nizam Mohd Esman ( Senior Manager of Setia Haruman Sdn.Bhd), Tuan Zakaria (Deputy Chief Police of Cyberjaya), Mr. Ling Tick Lee (General Manager of Paradigma Intan Sdn Bhd), and YM Raja Azam Raja Azman (General Manager of Laketown Sdn. Bhd)

AUTOVILLE is Cyberjaya’s first and only Light-Industrial development dedicated to cater to the automotive sector Autoville is developed by the EMKAY Group on a 10.03 acres of freehold land on the west side of Cyberjaya with an estimated GDV of RM 100 million. This development is strategically located within the entry and exit point to Cyberjaya (via Lingkaran Putrajaya) and directly fronting Persiaran Multimedia. It is targeted to be fully operational by Quarter 1 2016. No idea which car companies are going to be there as yet but let's hope that this would be the car hub for both Cyberjaya and neighbouring Putrajaya. It would be quite interesting if this happens according to what is planned.

Industry News: Shell Helix lubricants to be used exclusively at Hyundai Sime Darby Motors service centers

Shell Lubricants have more reason to celebrate as Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) recently announced that it would be exclusively using co-branded Shell Helix motor oils at all Hyundai authorised service centres in Peninsular Malaysia starting December 2015 and in East Malaysia starting January 2016. 

Volvo Car Malaysia launches the all-new Volvo XC90 SUV - Volvo gets back its mojo

Volvo Car Malaysia today unveiled the all-new Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine AWD SUV. The XC90 is Volvo's premium seven-seat SUV, equipped with world-leading safety technologies and powered by a plug-in hybrid powertrain that delivers an unrivalled combination of power, fuel efficiency and low emissions.

Important facts to note are that the T8 Twin Engine utilises a combination of a 4-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor that outputs a total power of 407hp and 640Nm of torque, whilst still delivering a combined fuel consumption of 2.1l/100km and CO2 emissions as low as 49g/km. The Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine goes from 0- 100km/h in only 5.6 seconds. And it weighs 2,300kgs (at least 140 of those kgs belongs to the battery pack and the electric motor) . Impressive for such an heavy SUV.

Upcoming test drives - Hyundai Veloster Turbo and one on the Golf R Mk6 and Mk7

It has been a hectic week so far. I still have to write a few articles which includes a test drive of the Hyundai Veloster Turbo you see above and we also have one comparison review to do too....The Volkswagen Golf R Mk7 with its earlier Golf R Mk6. How much progress has been made after one generation of an 'R' type Golf.

EUROMOBIL LAUNCHES NEW AUDI KUALA LUMPUR SERVICE CENTRE

Today, Euromobil Sdn Bhd officially launched the new Audi Kuala Lumpur Service Centre located at Jalan Chan Sow Lin. The service centre was officiated by Brigadier General (K) Tan Sri Mohd Khamil Jamil, Group Managing Director of DRB-HICOM Berhad. Also present to witness the ceremony were Immo Buschmann, Managing Director of Audi Malaysia and Dato’ Radzaif Mohamed, Chief Operating Officer, Automotive Distribution & Manufacturing of DRB-HICOM Berhad.

Proton Design Competition 2015 Winners Announced and a bit on Proton's plans for 2016

Category 1 winners (students) with Tun Mahathir

I attended the prize giving ceremony of the PROTON Design Competition 2015 earlier today. The Competition was held to instill the spirit of creativity and skills among Malaysians in creating innovative design as well as to create and nurture an emotional connection with the younger generation. The theme for this year was “Design a Concept Car for the Malaysian Family”.

Category 2 (Individual) winner with Tun Mahathir

Sony Malaysia just launched their latest in-car lineup

For those that are interested in in-car sound systems, Sony Malaysia recently launched their latest in-car systems - from the powerful RSX-GS9 head unit , the XM-GS4 High-Resolution Audio Amplifier, and the XS-GS1 Hi-Res Audio Super Tweeter.

The RSX-GS9 head unit in a Toyota MR-S

Kahn Design's latest Land Rover Defender 2.2 TDCI 90 Hard Top - Chelsea Wide Track.

I love it every time I receive new stuff from Kahn Design's PR people. I get material pertaining to chunky, tough, Tonka toy looking 4x4s that look even more chunky, tough Tonka toy than before. This time around we have the Land Rover Defender 2.2 TDCI 90 with what Kahn calls the 'Chelsea Wide Track' spec. I have featured this specification a couple of times but since the pics make the Defender 90 Chelsea Wide Track look even better, let's do it again.

BMW M4 GTS and BMW 3.0 CSL Homage receive 2015 Auto Bild Sports Car of the Year award.

BMW CSL Homage

German magazines seem to love giving out awards to fast BMW cars. I suppose if you're talking about the most balanced, precision tool out there that would get you from A to B the fastest, you can do no wrong if you chose a BMW. The usual opposition wearing the three pointed star is usually a sledgehammer which usually snorts and bellows the road into submission. The BMW would usually dance its way through. Audis tend to understeer a tad bit more which is usually why most serious German performance car journalists prefer to use them for the more relaxing over 250kmh drives on the Autobahn. So BMW wins in two major rating categories for this year's readers' vote organised by the magazine "Auto Bild Sportscars". 

 BMW M4 GTS

Its readers voted the winner of the "2015 Sports Car of the Year for the "Serial Production Coupés Category" to be the new BMW M4 GTS, while in the "Concept Cars" category, the BMW 3.0 CSL Homage was voted the top dog. In addition to the category winners, there were other BMW models that gained podium positions. In the category "Serial Production Sedans", the BMW M5 "30 Years of the M5" finished second, as did the BMW X6 M in the category "Serial Production SUVs". The BMW M135i came third in the category "Serial Production Compact Cars".

Ford Ranger WildTrak named NST-Maybank 'Pick Up of the Year'!

Unsurprisingly the newly facelifted Ford Ranger WildTrack has been named NST-Maybank's Pick Up of the Year. This is the second time the Ranger has won an award at the New Straits Times-Maybank COTY, with the previous generation Ranger being named ‘Overall Car of the Year’ in 2012.

As streamlined as a whale.

The Bentley Mulsanne is as streamlined as a whale. Now actually the whale is pretty streamlined. It has the efficient teardrop shape that allows it to cut through water. It also has a large mouth which is uses to feed itself with plankton. It is just big. Really big.