Thursday, June 30, 2016

Scania Malaysia 'ITSASCANIA' Selfie Contest that EVERYONE CAN ENTER!!!!

Scania Malaysia have a contest which you can enter folks! If you are one of those people who love taking selfies, Scania Malaysia's ‘ITSASCANIA’ Facebook contest is the one for you. Take a Selfie of you with a SCANIA bus or truck during this Hari Raya season (from now until 31 JULY 2016) win weekly prizes.  Remember to use the hashtag folks. #ITSASCANIA

Hyundai service promotions for both older cars out of warranty as well as new aftersales schemes for newly registered cars

Hyundai have unveiled a new promotion on older Hyundai models that are no longer under warranty. Older Hyundai car owners can now enjoy savings from participating Hyundai service centres which are now offering free labour on lube change service (engine oil and oil filter) for these out of warranty models. Apart from waiving the labour charge on lube change service, participating Hyundai service centres will also be performing a free 20-point inspection on cars which include brake pads, bearings, tyres, windshield wipers, radiator fluid, spark plug, etc.

PROTON WILL CONDUCT FREE SAFETY INSPECTION AT SELECTED PETRONAS STATIONS THIS HARI RAYA SEASON FOR PROTON OWNERS

Proton is continuing its FREE 20-Point Safety Inspection for its customers during the Hari Raya Puasa (Idil Fitri) holiday season this year. The free safety inspection will be available from 2 to 4 July 2016, from 9 am to 7 pm at selected PETRONAS stations. This value added service is held in collaboration with PETRONAS and the PETRONAS Coffee Break Campaign.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Truck News: Scania's Electrically Powered Hybrid Trucks Ply the World's First Electric Powered Highway.


Scania has achieved a historical milestone as a result of a partnership that demonstrates fossil fuel free transportation. The world's first electric road has been opened near the Swedish city of Gavle where Scania has supplied electrically powered hybrid trucks which can run on a 2kilometer long stretch of road under full electric mode. This is quite a view into the near future when it comes to commercial transport.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Electric Cars & motorsport: Formula Student Team breaks world record with an electric racing car.


This is a bit on electric car technology and research & development done by students (most probably for their project credits). Quite amazing actually as a student team from the ETH Zurich and Lucerne University, which is supported by the BMW Group, has successfully broken the previous acceleration record for electric cars. As part of their preparatory phase of the Formula Student where they are competing, their Formula Student car reached a speed of 100 km/h in 1.5seconds within a distance of less than 30 metres on a military airbase near Zurich. They have in turn managed to break the previous world record of 1.779 seconds.

2016 Hyundai Tucson achieves high crash test ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in America


The current Hyundai Tucson compact SUV has achieved pretty outstanding crash protection ratings from the American Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently. It is the only vehicle in the compact SUV category that actually received high ratings for the driver and passenger in the latest round of IIHS small-overlap crash tests.

Honda's Official Statement on the recent death caused by faulty Takata Airbags


Here is the official statement by Honda Malaysia as regards the recent death of a Honda City driver. Note the following:
1. Honda Malaysia has inspected the vehicle involved.

Monday, June 27, 2016

Idiot Spotted on Social Media Holding Sleeping Baby on Steering Wheel Whilst Driving at 80kmh Without A Seatbelt Also.


This photo was taken off a social media website. Look how silly this chap is. The caption in the photo says "BAPAK DRIVE TAPI DIA NAK TIDUR JUGAK. TIDUR KAT STEERING. MUJUR JALAN KAMPUNG. 80KMJ SHJ "- Father is driving but the child wants to sleep. Sleeps on the steering. Luckily this is a village road. Only going 80kmh. 

What the hell is wrong with this person?

The Takata Airbag Recall - Honda City driver dies in minor accident due to airbag deployment. Honda, Subaru and other owners take note


The Star had reported that a lady driving her Honda CIty died in a seriously minor accident. The steering wheel airbag in her car deployed on impact and must have sent bits of metal into her chest causing her to die. This is the actual problem facing cars equipped with the Takata manufactured airbag. This news is so close to us. We thought things like this would not affect us here in Malaysia. 

Sunday, June 26, 2016

SHORT TEST DRIVE: 2016 HONDA CIVIC 1.5 TC-P - Honda's foray into mass produced turbocharged vehicles & its competitors




Honda Malaysia launched the tenth generation Civic recently. This has to be the most awaited C segment car launch in recent times here in Malaysia. I have not heard so much talk about a C Segment car like this in a long time. This is because the C segment sedan has been a dying market for most car makers here. The prices for the cars in this category are around RM100,000 to around RM140,000 and it actually overlaps a lot of the smaller B segment cars and the larger, D segment, full sized cars in the market. It also has to deal with the popular in recent times B and C segment sized SUVs and MPVs which actually take a sizable chunk out of the sales. So when Honda teased the fact that the new FC series Civic was going to have a 1.5liter turbocharged engine, people started paying attention.

Friday, June 24, 2016

Supercars: The Mercedes-AMG GT R photos have been unveiled...it pays homage to the W194 300SL from 1952



Photos of the Mercedes-AMG GT R has been unveiled. You can see that this souped up version of the Mercedes-AMG GT takes after the 1952 W194 300SL Gullwing race car that Juan Manuel Fangio once raced. You can see that in the way the front grille is designed, very much like the 1952 300SL race car with its vertical slats instead of the usual horizontal winged style which is common these days.

Shell charity drive on the 1st to the 3rd of July 2016 - Every 1 litre of fuel pumped at a Shell station, 1 sen will be donated


This is some CSR news that would benefit children in need. In conjunction with this year’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration, Shell will donate 1 sen (RM0.01) for every 1 litre fuel pumped at any Shell fuel station nationwide on 1, 2 and 3 of July (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). The funds collected will be channeled to help improve and transform the lives of disadvantaged children across the country. This is the second year Shell Malaysia is doing this and this year is also Shell's 125th anniversary in Malaysia. So it's a little more special. 

Sport Cars: Lotus 50th Anniversary celebrations - the 3-Eleven at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Lotus Elise Cup 250


Lotus Cars are a bit excited about their two latest cars. One is the Lotus 3-Eleven and the other, the Lotus Elise Cup 250. Both cars have just rolled off their respective production lines over in Hethel, UK. Just in time for the 50th anniversary celebrations of Lotus Cars.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Some tips from Ford on how to survive the holiday season in Malaysia.



Now here in this article are some handy tips from Ford that could be of help in the coming Hari Raya celebrations. Now since the tips are courtesy of Ford Malaysia, they say one should plan one's journey in advance, stop when you're tired and be gentle on the accelerator. However, the BIGGEST tip of them all is you should buy a Ford.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

1990s Honda Impreza - Just found these photos from 2010 on my PC



This is a Honda Impreza. No joke. Neither Honda nor Subaru ever made these before. This is just the ingenuity of one of our fellow Malaysian. I actually had these pics taken from mudah.my in 2010 but I promptly forgot about this super modified Honda City who wanted so much to be a Subaru. Scoop, goalpost spoiler and all. It was hidden away somewhere and I managed to find them as I was looking through some older files from my hard drive. Boy. I'd like to give these people another A for effort. And another A for allowing the friendly neighbourhood fiberglass shop to make some money.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Supercars: Ferrari Owners from Japan and Southeast Asia in Northern Japan for the Ferrari Hokkaido Rally 2016



The Ferrari Hokkaido Rally 2016 took place over two separate weekends. The 2nd to the 5th of June 2016 for the Japanese customers and then on the 9th to the 12th of June 2016 for the South East Asian customers. The Ferrari Hokkaido Rally was created by Ferrari Far East as a driving platform for the region and also as part of the 50 Years of Ferrari in Japan Anniversary activities.

Monday, June 20, 2016

BHPetrol Infiniti 2X - Harmony in Performance




When it comes to filling up the cars I run I usually end up going the extra mile when it comes to the choice of fuel to put into the tank of my cars. This is maybe because as a petrolhead, every detail is important. Down to the type of petrol I pump. Aside from the obvious performance gains that you can find in certain brands of fuel, I also take into account whether the fuel used would give me additional mileage with every tankful I fill up. This simple benefit allows me to get added savings too. One such fuel or petrol is BHPetrol Infiniti 2x or just Infiniti for short. 

MotoringMY video: The Land Rover Defender's crawler gear in action - Short Video by Motoring-Malaysia on YouTube


Since this is the month of Ramadan things are a bit slow these days. Not many companies do product launches during this time and not many people like conducting business meetings too. So I have the time to give you a short video showing the capability of the recently discontinued Land Rover Defender. Production of the iconic 4x4 has since ceased since early this year ending a 25 year production run.

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Honda will cease production of the HONDA CRZ - Not gonna miss it much actually.


One of the most disappointing Honda cars in recent history has recently been confirmed to be discontinued. According to some the Honda CRZ was being discontinued with the launch of the CRZ Final Label in Japan. Then we received word that Honda was officially ceasing production of this small hybrid sports car. So the CRZ Final Label is indeed the end of this hybrid sports car. The news mentioned that the CR-Z will be discontinued at the end of the year to make room for the Accord Hybrid and Clarity Fuel Cell cars. 

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Ford engines throughout the years and how electronics make them better and more efficient



Ford are proud of their latest engine, the EcoBoost. This is especially for the 1.0liter version which has been named "Best Engine" in its class at the 2016 International Engine of the Year Awards. The three cylinder version of the turbocharged Ford engine won based on the drivability, performance, economy, refinement and technology of the engine.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Truck News: Scania's Heavy Haulage Truck, the Scania R580 finds its first customer in Malaysia - Tiong Nam Heavy Transport and Lifting Sdn Bhd



Truck spotters in Malaysia take note. This is the first time someone has bought Scania's latest heavy haulage truck, the Scania R580, or to be really exact, the Scania R580 CA6X4 EHZ. A mouthful. But a very performance packed mouthful. Tiong Nam Heavy Transport and Lifting Sdn Bhd (TNHTL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of public-listed Tiong Nam Logistics Holdings Berhad, has received delivery of a R580 CA6X4 EHZ Torque Converter / Heavy Hauler truck from Scania Malaysia that will add a heavy boost to its logistic services.

Truck News: HINO updates the 300 Series with a facelift and better equipment




HINO is a commercial vehicle brand that is quite well known and reputable here in Malaysia as well as regionally. In order to maintain such a reputation and customer trust a company usually needs to keep ahead of things and keep customers happy. As such, HINO has now facelifted their bestseller, the HINO 300 Series of trucks with better safety features and other equipment. 

The new for 2016 HINO 300 series of Light Commercial Vehicles now comes with a newly designed front grille with new paint. HINO has also enhanced their 4.5 ton and 5 ton LCV models with door visor that can help to prevent the condensation of water vapour inside the truck windscreen. 

The most important upgrades are the 300 Series LCVs are now offered with tubeless tyres for added safety as well as better fuel economy (tubes make tyres extra heavy and increase rolling resistance) and are also offered with reverse sensors which are very important in any commercial vehicle due to a large blind spot. This would be very useful when reversing. 

Prices should remain the same as previously as nothing has been stated. These are value additions that would make driving this truck a whole lot easier. I like the reverse sensors. These would make delivery in urban environments easier.

Head to the nearest HINO’s dealer showroom to have a glimpse on the newly revamped Hino 300 Series truck. You small business could benefit from this newly updated model.
PRESS RELEASE
Another revolutionary for reputable brand in Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) market
HINO Get Better with New Image
HINO safety features enhanced with new LCV ‘facelift’
        HINO is the first to launch the Light Commercial Vehicle with tubeless tyre
        Aiming for the safest truck among the LCV line-up

PETALING JAYA: HINO, a brand that aim for customer’s trust and confidence, has launched their HINO 300 Series with new image. Aiming for customer trust and confidence, HINO ‘retouch’ on their bestseller is produce on mission to be the safer light truck on the road and fuel-saving.

Government plan will adopt the target set by the Global Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 by reducing the predicted road deaths in 2020 by 50%. A report by Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) shows that, in the absence of a comprehensive road safety program, there will be approximately 8,760 road fatalities in 2015. What is more worrying is they see the number hit 10,716 by 2020.

The concern on this issue also brought Hino to the improvement of their products to upgrade more on safety features, started with their best-selling LCV. So, what’s with product? It came with several upgraded features that could enhance HINO safety assurance yet, comfortable interior feeling to comply with happy and safe driving.

Tubeless Tyres
The new image of HINO 300 Series now gives customer more choice with another safety part as their preference which is the tubeless tyres which will guarantees a better safety and lesser chances of getting involved in an accident. The best part is it contributes to fuel efficiency that can give longer mileage and driving journey through lighter tyre and lower rolling resistance. On top of that, it promises longer lifespan because of the innovation that lower the heat generation. Soon, it will be the important standard item for all the LCV models.

Reverse Sensor
The facelift of Hino 300 Series is enhanced with the technology of reverse sensor which basically assist driver to park and manoeuvre the vehicle effortlessly in any situation and prevent accident during parking.  On top of that, it also help driver to avoid objects while moving in reverse so they can be aware of every objects that is out of their vision, hence, prevent any unnecessary crash and unwanted costs.

Interior Facelift
Giving the new LCV look fresh, it comes with new front grille with new paint.  Other than safety upgrade, Hino also enhance their 4.5 ton and 5 ton LCV model with door visor that can help to prevent the condensation of water vapour inside the truck windscreen.

These add-ons should give the HINO LCV an edge and as for now HINO are continuously improvise their product line-up with safety features. Just smile at the new image of HINO LCV because it is a safer truck on the road.

Visit your nearest HINO’s dealer showroom to have a glimpse on the new LCV retouch.


Volvo Car Malaysia introduces the Volvo V40 T5 with latest Drive-E powertrain - 2.0liter, 245hp & 350Nm



Volvo Car Malaysia have announced that the award-winning Drive-E powertrain is now available for the Volvo V40 T5 here in Malaysia. The V40 basically gets the latest engine that Volvo has to offer and in typical European fashion, the engine and transmission upgrades would come at any time during a model's life cycle. The introduction of the Drive-E engine to the Volvo V40 range completes Volvo’s new powertrain rollout in Malaysia.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

PICTORIAL: 1990s Mercedes Benz S320 - Another one of those super duper condition classic Mercedes in Malaysia



Today is another one of those days where I am going to let some photographs do the talking. This is a 1990s W140 series Mercedes Benz S320. The mother of all over-engineered Mercedes Benz. The reason it is in here is because of the condition it is in. It is immaculate. Seriously immaculate but one that is still driven on a weekly basis.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

The Proton Perdana is finally unveiled - Prices from RM113,888....


Yup. Finally. After months of speculating and waiting on when would Proton launch the new Perdana they finally have. And it was over at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre where the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak had the honours of unveiling the car. Let's just move on to the car shall we.

SHORT TEST DRIVE: NEW 2016 PROTON PERDANA 2.0 & 2.4 AT THE PROTON TEST TRACK


Prior to the launch of the new 2016 Proton Perdana (launch article is here), I had written earlier that I was invited to try out the new production ready Proton Perdana 2.0 and 2.4liter variants at the Proton semi-high speed oval track. This was another one of those hush-hush sessions where we were not allowed to take any photos. So the photos here are the official press photos. This here is the short drive report for you to digest. The longest and most detailed you would see so far on how this car drives.

Monday, June 13, 2016

Spotted on the Streets: My mid-2000s Ssangyong Rexton has no resale value...what should I do with it?


This is a normal Ssangyong Rexton. It was sold in Malaysia is the mid 2000s. It is powered by a Mercedes Benz 2.7liter diesel engine and 5 speed automatic gearbox. It was quite hardy but it still cost somewhere in the RM138,000+ when it was brand new (circa 2007). And then you know its one of those funny named Korean cars...Ssangyong. So the resale value is pretty much rock bottom. These days you see people asking around RM20,000 for one. So what do you do with a Rexton that has no second hand value? You pimp it out of course.

But I never expected this to come out. 

Saturday, June 11, 2016

TEST DRIVE: Volkswagen Vento 1.2 TSI Highline - There and Back Again....as well as a comparison!


Recently a bunch of Malaysian automotive journalists and I went up north to Penang recently courtesy of Volkswagen Malaysia. The reason for this trip was to try out the new Volkswagen Vento 1.2TSI. Now the Volkswagen Vento is actually the Volkswagen Polo Sedan. Volkswagen had decided the name needed to be changed for this facelift. According to them the reason for this was because they had done quite a bit of facelifting underneath the exterior of the car which gets a little bit more chrome trimming, new bumpers, new headlights, new taillights and new cosmetic bits inside (New, more upmarket looking steering wheel especially).

Friday, June 10, 2016

INDUSTRY NEWS: PROTON Officially opens its first 3S showroom in Chile



28th May 2016 marked the day when PROTON officially opened its doors (again) to customers in Chile. Proton had opened its new 3S showroom located in Irarrazaval, Santiago. The centre is located just 15 minutes away from the city centre and is managed by distributors Andes Motor. Andes Motor is a subsidiary of the Kaufmann Group which is a leading distributor of buses, Trucks and luxury cars in the South American country.

Project Kahn's Land Rover Discovery Sport 2.0 TD4 SE Black Label Edition - Some idea on how to soup up your local Disco Sport



The people at Project Kahn over in the UK have said that they have re-kitted one of the new Land Rover Discovery Sport into something gentlemanly. I think it looks brutish and all aggressive with those large wheels and black out exterior. 

ALL PROTON CARS, ACTUALLY ALL CARS, CAN BE JUMP STARTED LAH! R.T.F.M. OKAY?


Some of you Malaysians out there are so gullible and plain lazy. Let me tell you why. There have been stupid photos going around social media stating that you should not jump start certain Proton models as it will damage the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) of these cars. ALL PROTON CARS CAN BE JUMP STARTED.OKAY. So ignore the stupid notice you see below which I gotten off Facebook. The person who put this up is a moron. 

Thursday, June 09, 2016

All New Honda Civic officially launched - Normally aspirated 1.8 and a turbocharged 1.5.


Honda has launched the tenth generation Honda Civic here in Malaysia. The Civic1.8L, 1.5L Turbo and 1.5L Turbo Premium are priced at RM110,726, RM124,376 and RM132,155. I think the prices are competitive, the 1.8 is priced very right and imagine that with only RM14,000 more you can go Turbo. 

NEWS: MERCEDES-BENZ MALAYSIA LAUNCHES W213 E-CLASS & THE MERCEDES-BENZ SERVICES MALAYSIA W213 AGILITY FINANCING



The new W213 series Mercedes Benz E-Class has just been launched in Malaysia.  The variants are the E 200 Avantgarde, E 250 Avantgarde, E 250 Exclusive and E 300 AMG Line. All have the current Mercedes Benz 1991cc, (2.0liter) 4 cylinder turbocharged petrol engine first seen in the facelifted W212 E-class. The engine makes 184ps, 211ps and 245ps respectively. 

First Ford Mustang delivered to a customer in Malaysia and its a 5.0 V8.

Syed Ahmad Muzri Syed Faiz (left), managing director, Sime Darby Auto Connexion presents the all-new Ford Mustang to Mr. Ganesan A/L Selvaraj (right), 

And there you have it. The chap who bought the first officially sold RHD Ford Mustang to be registered in Malaysia had bought the 5.0liter V8. Now we're talking. A big thumbs up. Then again, if the price of the car is already over RM450,000 for the entry level 2.3liter version, and the 5.0liter V8 is only a mere RM100,000 more.....the choice is quite easy actually. Congratulations is in order.

News: Volkswagen Malaysia's Hari Raya offers - Rebates and more



Now its time for Volkswagen Malaysia to announce their Hari Raya promotion. All Volkswagen models currently in stock get a RM2,000 'Duit Raya' rebate from now till 31st July 2016. And I think Volkswagen wants me to order kuih raya also, going by the background of the pics they provided. Or 'buka puasa' early. If you know what i mean.

Wednesday, June 08, 2016

SPOTTED FOR SALE: Citroen ZX 2.0 16Valve with a 6 speed manual gearbox upgrade




The Citroen ZX 2.0 16Valve 3 door hatchback was somewhat of a cult favourite among those of us who lived, breathed and dreamt cars in the 1990s. In those days the 152/167hp 2.0 16valve was one of the few European cars that had quite a good reputation against the numerous Honda Civic, Proton Wira (with a lot of Lancer Mods), GC8 Impreza and other cars from te Japanese brigade. Even the 1.9 and later 2.0 8 valve 5 door hatchbacks were also considered as the Euro to drive fast in.

1.0-Liter Ford EcoBoost Engine Wins Best Small Engine Award at the 2016 International Engine of the Year Awards event




The 2016 International Engine of the Year Awards saw the Prancing Horse taking overall engine of the year. But that is something most of us peasants could only dream of having. So if you're a down to earth sort of guy and like your engines small, tiny and still able to impress that geek in you then you need to know that Ford's 1.0liter EcoBoost engine won Best Small Engine of the year for the fifth year running.

ROAD SAFETY: HOW TO DRIVE AROUND TRUCKS, BUSES AND LONG TRAILERS - BEWARE OF THEIR BLIND SPOTS AND TURNING RADIUS!!!

The darker parts are the area in which a truck driver CANNOT see you.

A lot of people take driving around trucks, lorries or buses for granted. I think that since I have driven (and also ridden) almost everything there is to drive on Malaysian roads and the fact that the festive season is now upon us (again), I believe it is my duty to tell you a bit more about taking some precaution when you are around these large commercial vehicles. The first thing you must always remember is that these vehicles have A LOT OF BLIND SPOTS.

Tuesday, June 07, 2016

PROTON BALIK KAMPUNG RAYA PROMOTION HAS STARTED - REBATES, DISCOUNTS AND FREE SAFETY CHECKS


Alright folks, Proton has officially joined the Hari Raya promotions for this year. Customers interested to purchase new Protons during this Hari Raya Puasa festive season will get to enjoy savings of up to RM3,000 on selected 2016 Proton models. You can drive a new Proton Saga home and pay monthly instalments from as low as RM367. 

Monday, June 06, 2016

Latest Sales Campaign by Renault in Malaysia - Promotions, exclusive Renault Sport Formula One prizes and more


TC Euro Cars (TCEC), the official franchise holder of Renault cars in Malaysia, has announced the ‘Renault – Motorsports Is in Our DNA’ campaign. This is to celebrate the brand’s over 115 years in motorsports and their return to Formula 1 as a full works team this year. So until 31 August 2016, this new promotional campaign offers attractive deals on selected Renault vehicles as well as the chance to win exclusive Renault Sport Formula One™ Team prizes including Grandstand passes and a Renault Garage Visit at the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix.

TEST DRIVE: The C7 AUDI A6 1.8TFSI - This is more KL Hilton than the Majestic Hotel


I was recently given a few days with the 2016 Malaysian Specced Audi A 1.8TFSI. This A6 is the updated A6 launched here sometime in August 2015 together with its larger engined sibling the A6 3.0TFSI. This A6 is the seventh generation (also called the C7 A6) of a long line of mid-sized premium Audi cars (this falls close to the D segment size of cars). It has been updated with better levels of equipment inside and has slightly refreshed bits and pieces for the exterior.

Shell V-Power’s new commercial highlights engine protection against gunk & corrosion


Shell V-Power (the Shell petrol brand) recently launched a new television commercial produced with state-of-the-art CGI and a car chase scene could entertain you readers out there for at least...err.. sixty seconds. Well, it IS an advertisement and not a two hour long action movie or melodrama. I just watched this advertisement and it is action packed. You have a BMW and a Transformers-like evil sentient robotic junk-like being. Very apt.

The importance of Child Safety Seats and where to get VERY affordable ones - Fabulous Mom Child Safety Seats


Hari Raya Aidilfitri is just right around the corner and this usually means a long journey back to our hometown for a lot of us. . It’s just natural that everyone is excited during this time but this excitement usually gives them the tendency to rush back to their hometown before the big day. However it is an undeniable fact that accident rates rise during these periods as there are more people on the roads during this time. The risk of someone having an accident is higher with the extra amount of vehicles on the roads

Saturday, June 04, 2016

Ferrari’s turbo-charged V8 is the overall winner of the 2016 International Engine of the Year Awards


The 2016 International Engine of the Year Awards was held recently and the overall International Engine of the Year Award had gone to Ferrari for their 3.9liter bi-turbo V8 engine. This is the engine that you'll find inside the Ferrari 488 GTB, 488 Spider and the Ferrari California T (in a slightly different configuration).

Friday, June 03, 2016

Industry News (Regional): TUV sets up Independent Tyre Testing Lab in Indonesia - Progress in Indonesia's automotive sector


TUV Rheinland has opened the first independent tire testing laboratory in Indonesia . Located in Taman Tekno BSD, South Tangerang , the new 530 sq.m lab is fully certified by the Indonesia National Accreditation Body (KAN) and qualified to test passenger car, truck, bus and motorcycle tires to the latest national and international standards.

HYUNDAI SIME DARBY MOTORS offers FREE 12 Point Inspection for ALL CARS at participating Shell Stations in conjunction with Hari Raya celebrations


The Fasting Month is closing in and the Hari Raya will come soon enough.  In conjunction with the ‘balik kampung’ season this Hari Raya, Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors (HSDM) is organising its first road safety awareness campaign offering a free 12-point inspection for all cars regardless of brands at selected Shell petrol stations from 29 May to 17 July 2016. 

The Hap Seng Star Balakong Proven Exclusivity Centre launched - Here's the place to get your certified pre-owned Mercedes Benz cars & new ones too


 (From left) Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Vice President, Sales And Marketing, Passenger Cars, Mark Raine; with  Hap Seng Consolidated Berhad Group Chief Operating Officer and Hap Seng Star Chief Executive, Harald Behrend; with at the official launch. 

Mercedes Benz Malaysia and dealer Hap Seng Star have launched the Hap Seng Star Balakong Proven Exclusivity Centre yesterday. The Proven Exclusivity programme basically offers Malaysians a chance to  to own a pre-owned Mercedes-Benz Passenger car in a nearly new condition and at an attractive price compete with a proper Mercedes Benz quality assurances and the same level of customer-sales service that has no difference to that of buying brand new.

Shell Malaysia to introduce Chatime, llaollao and Gindaco outlets to various Shell Select stores


Shell Malaysia has decided to enter into a collaboration with Loob Holding, the Food & Beverage company that markets and sells  Chatime, llaollao and Gindaco in Malaysia. The products mentioned will be introduced at various Shell Select Fuel Stations soon. 

Thursday, June 02, 2016

Ford Mustang quietly launched in Malaysia



This had actually sneaked pass most of our radars. Ford Malaysia via local distributor Sime Darby Auto Connexion launched the Ford Mustang earlier today. The launch was done without much fanfare.

INDUSTRY NEWS: Proton Cars and their Proton Preve gets launched in Chile



A few months ago when Tun Dr Mahathir was still Chairman of Proton he and the then CEO flagged off a cargo of Proton Preve cars that were destined for Chile. I was there at that historic (for Proton) event. Now, months later we now receive news of the official launch (and re-launch) of Proton Cars in Chile and the Proton Preve being the first model to be sold over there since 1998.