A Very Fast Skoda Spotted and Some Thoughts About Rare (Performance) Cars Sold in Malaysia

Yellow and rare. No. Not a canary but a Skoda Octavia VRS going for what I think is a pre-delivery inspection at the Puspakom in Glenmarie, Shah Alam. The reason it is so rare in Malaysia is that no one buys Skodas. Under Berjaya Automotive Skoda has been floundering. Not because the cars are bad, but because Malaysians being Malaysians, cars without any resale value is never looked at. Maybe its the name. SKODA. Can you seriously feel any good vibes if you tell people you drive a Skoda? Even though it is some Czech name in the first place.

"Hello."
"Hello, that's a nice Skoda you have."
"Why thank you."

I doubt such a conversation would happen.

The great thing is that there is someone brave, or crazy enough to spend at least RM200,000 on a top of the line Skoda Octavia. A VRS comes with a 2.0TSI engine that you see in the Golf GTI or the Audi A4 2.0TFSI Quattro sold here in Malaysia. It comes with either a DSG 6 speeder or a 6 speed manual. This yellow one came with a DSG box.

The thing about this is that is SHOULD be much cheaper than the two cars mentioned above. What you do get is a Golf MK5 chassis with the same engine and a ridiculously huge boot, as it has a rear sloping hatch even though it looks like a sedan. Its a fastback/liftback. It could be the dream Golf GTI for some, name aside. A boot to carry tons of stuff.

Anyway, this new VRS looked like it came with all the goodies. A 200bhp, 280Nm direct injection engine, the superb VW Dual Clutch Gearbox and a boot. Hmm. Practicality and power in the same sentence. Must be the family man in me typing. Help!

I must applaude the person buying this car. Yes it does look good, for an elongated GTI. The bonnet has some interesting humps and creases. That grille aggressive. And those lights are pretty cool. A small 'Octavia' is engraved into each side of the headlight casing. I think when those VW/Audi fans in Malaysia start opening up their eyes to the VRS, Skoda will go places. Bang for buck they say. And wait till this car gets on the second hand market. It should be dirt cheap.

While I would say that buying a Skoda means that you must be crazy. I think it would be crazier if you went out and bought a Saab here in Malaysia. Saabs are even more rare than Skoda these days. People who buy Saab think they're buying a fighter plane. No. The Saab that makes the Grypen or the Viggen isn't the same company. It hasn't been for awhile.

But I think one brand that beats 'em all. According to what I'm aware, local Renault importer TC Eurokars brought in and sold some Clio Sports and some Megane Sport or RS 2nd generation  a couple of years ago. These cars,I've read are great handling cars. One that I would appreciate. However, the two cars, especially the Megane RS came into Malaysia just as Renault were launching the new models of both cars in Europe. There should be at least 10 units of the Clio Sports and Megane RS that have been brought into Malaysia. I mean any less it would be uneconomical to maintain a catalog of spares for the cars.

You can't seem to see any of these on the road. The question is, who the heck actually bought them and if there are people who actually bought them, why aren't they being driven? I've only seen one Clio Sport at Sepang once and a blue Megane RS over a 6 month period. Do they buy these cars, supposedly drivers cars to park them at home? These are just hot hatches, not Italian exoticars. Why aren't these cars driven?

While I am talking about the performance versions of the cars above. There was also a 1.6 Clio 4 door hatch being sold alongside the two. But I haven't even seen one of those on the roads of Petaling Jaya or Kuala Lumpur recently. If I did see one, it'll be close to the Renault showroom in Section 13, Petaling Jaya. That would be a test drive vehicle.

Or are they just Renaults, being typically French, temperamental and when pushed (like when the Germans invaded France) break down all the time?

Those New Lotuses Previewed All Look The Same Don't They?

Yes they do. New models that, aside from the 4 door Eterne, look too similar to one another. I suppose rich customers, some of which want individuality would rush out buy an Esprit (one of the cars above) for about 150,000pounds then someone coming up to him and saying  " Allo Guv, isn't that the new Elise you just bought?". Wouldn't they be slightly miffed?

Click here to read about my thoughts on the Lotuses. Posted on myautoblog.org, written by yours truly.

More on the W124 Featured Earlier and What Can Be Expected over the next few months.

The Mercedes Benz W124 200E I wrote about earlier has basically undergone a very thorough transformation. I decided to get it posted over at CarThrottle.com. Click here to read Part 1 of the article. Part II has also been posted. Do check the articles out for a total write up on the W124.

Update On What May Be Coming

I had the opportunity to drive two icons recently. One is current and already a handling icon, made by Mazda and is a Roadster. The other car is another three pointed star saloon  that I think is the best 4 door saloon in the world, albeit in the year 1992 that is. These two test reviews may take a while as I do have a day job too, remember? And great work cannot be rushed, so they say.....

You guys also should be reading soon about what I think about the slew of Lotus cars that were recently on display at the Paris Motor Show. That will be over in myautoblog.org soon.

There will also be some stuff on myautoblog about a recent trip to Ipoh. Some travel stuff to get the people over at the Lion City to start exploring Malaysia instead of driving around that City state only. I haven't started this yet and like the two test reviews above, greatness cannot be rushed........

One of two other articles are also planned. It also involves a shocking discovery at the local Toy'r'Us. A toy which I think is pretty sad in my opinion.

Hari Raya Verandah Talk, A Morris Oxford, The Proton Saga and An Old Fiat

I responded, “It looks like a Morris Oxford.”

- Somewhere behind all the MPVs, national cars and a Toyota is a tiny Impreza 1.6TS-

Eid Ul-Fitr. Or for the normal Malaysian Hari Raya Puasa. A time where the whole of Malaysia goes on leave. Somewhat like Chinese New Year, but with more shops open. A time where a lot of people make that big trip back to their hometown or go on a holiday. Roads are jammed but people are generally happy. Millions of Ringgit flow within the country and also out of the country. It doesn't matter, what matters is that there are a lot of family gatherings during that point of time.

I happened to be at one of those family gatherings. My own family gathering of course. Hari Raya eve was basically a Hari Raya event all by itself. If you were in a small town somewhere in the heart of Malaysia like I was, a lot of things were happening. In the kitchen a majority of the womenfolk are busy preparing various forms of food for the big day tomorrow. Outside in the garden the children are busy with sparklers and other forms of (illegal) fireworks. The men are also outdoors, sitting on the verandahs, having a cigarette or two, talking about local politics and then suddenly, about a little Malaysian car.

The 2^nd Generation Proton Saga to be exact. “It has a very high roof doesn't it?” mentioned Uncle O as he strummed his guitar. “And it looks kind of familiar....like a car from thosa days.”

I responded, “It looks like a Morris Oxford.”

Uncle A agreed “Yes it somehow does. With its high roof, thin sides and all. Very funny looking”

The Saga became a conversation piece that night. I suppose it was because there was one parked in the garage at the rear of the house that day. That Saga belonged to my aunt, and it was about a year old but due to its slightly awkward looks it became something two fifty-somethings, a thirty-something and a university student wanted to talk about. How interesting.

“The Morris Oxford was a very British car, hence the high roof. It was made at a time where Englishmen wore hats everywhere. They had trilbys, fedoras, top hats and so on. In fact cars like the Oxford and the London black cab was designed with a high roof so that gentlemen could keep their hats on when they are in the car.” I continued. “So why does the Saga have such a high roof in a day and age where no one uses hats anymore?”

Uncle A mentioned in Malay/English “Saja aje. Proton apa.” which basically means 'For fun I suppose, as its a Proton'. Of course, this cynical view is actually shared by most Malaysians. So it is nothing new.

Of course Uncle A knew that the Saga was born from the Proton Savvy. The Savvy's chassis was massaged and stretched to accommodate a boot instead of a rear hatch. It basically kept the same roof height so that the costs can be kept down. Things like the front windscreen and everything from the B-pillars forward can be shared with the Savvy. Certain panels like the bonnet, fenders aside the Saga does share the same basic floorpan as the Savvy. So in keeping costs down, the Saga is basically a tall, narrow car with small wheel arches. And so, because of this is looks ultra dumpy looking. It is a car for transport and nothing more.

There isn't an ounce of styling flair in it. Every panel looks like it has cost in mind. The less cost the better. If cost weren't so much as an issue, the Saga wouldn't have shared the same roofline. In fact, most cars that are derived from a hatchback look slightly ugly. The Proton Persona being an exception. The ugliest hatch to sedans these days are the Nissan Latio sedan, the previous Honda City (which is the ugliest post-2000 car in the whole universe) and that upcomming 207 sedan, which looks like a 207 hatch with a rear end designed by someone with the aesthetic values of a baboon holding a paintbrush trying to emulate Sergio Pininfarina.

The Proton Saga is therefore a souless, style free car for the masses. One that for some reason is liked by people who wish to convert them into Subaru Impreza clones even though it does not look like one. Even if you had too many spiked drinks or taken a couple dozen anti-depressants it still does not look like one. It doesn't even look like an Audi for Godssake, but that doesn't stop the Proton Saga owners one bit. Someone should anyway.

So it looks like a Morris Oxford. Or so I thought during Hari Raya. But then I remembered another car that had the same narrow chassis, a square body that is slightly rounded off at its edges, small wheelarches with the rear tires close to the wheel arch and a high roofline. Something Italian, but budget Italian, and still a car for the masses. It looked like a 1950s Fiat 1100.

 -blue Saga image from Paultan-

Yes it does. Take a look at the pictures. The Fiat 1100 does have the same stance as the Proton Saga. Amazing. A design that basically draws similarities to a car five decades ago. The only thing was, fifty years ago there was a reason for such a high roof. Today, the only reason for the high roof is out of cost. And the fact that some people (here in Malaysia) tend to view roof space as important in a car. They view this fact more than having legroom sometimes. An illusion of space is better than actual space.

If you've been in a Saga you'd know that it is all headroom and not so much legroom (at the rear). A Myvi has better legroom in my opinion. A Perodua Myvi is a hatchback, hence the high roof also makes sense as you can actually load tall stuff through the hatch. In a Saga, it is all about cost, keeping the same roofline of the Savvy. You cannot carry any tall items from IKEA in it. And check out that Fiat's headroom. Familiar isn't it? If you checked out the plastics in the Saga you'd find them as hard as the steel and bakelite that is on the old Fiat's dashboard. Fifty years and you still get hard materials everywhere in the Saga.

So what is the actual point of this article then? Nothing serious actually. This is just to tell you guys out there that the Saga was designed with cost in mind, very little soul is involved in designing it and its sole purpose is to become a cash cow for a company. And it also looks like cars are being designed like the cars fifty years ago. And it shows. But the old Fiat 1100 looks more characterful in these old ads, even though it is also a car for the masses. Things were more soulful those days.

Anyway, Hari Raya was fun. Everyone ate, slept and were merry. Topics changed mid-way and soon we were chatting about food, the education system and politics. The Saga's high roof was forgotten, as was its lack of passion and soul.  

Audi's Quattro Concept Car and My Thoughts About It.

....... It's not that my views will actually make people in Audi have nightmares or have a negative effect on the general public's perception of their latest, greatest and maybe production capable Ur-Quattro replacement. But do click here to read about what I think.Published on-line via myautoblog.org

Joy is Irritating. Part II

I did this article for CarThrottle. This time BMW's marketing men have decided to start a Reverse Psychology campaign by starting a 'Don't blog about this' website and what not. Basically in this age of viral marketing, i.e the internet and its various networking sites, such a thing will never ever happen. I suppose BMW knows this too and decides to be a little clever. Supposedly clever. Stick to building them cars properly, and people will buy 'em. There is no need to try so hard.

Click here to read about it.

What has a Pandan/Mengkuang Mat have to do with the interior of AC Schnitzer's 5 series?

Alot. If you're a cheapskate and cannot afford real carbon fiber trimming. I may have come up with a novel new idea. Should I copyright it? hmmmm.....

Read here for what I think about AC Schnitzer's upgrade of the F10 BMW 5 series. Especially the interior.

What You're Actually Missing If You Travel By Highway All The Time

Travelling by highway in Malaysia is convenient, but at times utterly boring. This is especially so during festive holidays and long weekends. The traffic gets congested, if not jammed and you cannot really cruise at the 110km/h speed limit in peace, or it becomes a 100km/h car convoy of a few thousand cars. And then you fall asleep at the wheel.

This was what I think happened to a Proton Gen2 driver on a trip back from Muar, Johor recently. We were 2 cars behind and for no apparent reason the car veered off to the right and into the crash barrier in the middle of the highway. Luckily, the car just hit the barrier, bounced off and the driver managed to recover and pull over to the side of the road. It was most probably festive fatigue that set in, and I have to say, the utter monotony of highway driving. Note that the scenery is pretty bland, unlike the secondary routes where sometimes you can find gems in the middle of nowhere.

Click here to see what classic cars that surprisingly, were being sold in the small town of Bagan Serai, Perak.

A New Take On Rear Doors

I fancy this automotive designer's interpretation of what a new De Tomaso should look like. I hope his design, which is a pitch for him to work for the reborn De Tomaso car company, will be chosen as a new De Tomaso. The rear doors are pretty fresh looking and looks workable in a real car.

This was part of a short piece of news I did for MyAutoblog.org recently. Click here to look at more pictures and more of the story on the design study.

Lorinser Mercedes 450SEL 6.9....How They Did It Those Days

A Lorinser bodykitted 450SEL 6.9. It is quite interesting to see the press photos and write up on this old Lorinser Mercedes. This car integrated the bumpers of the twin chrome bumpered W116 450SEL 6.9. It looked like an early prototype of the classic W126 S-Class. Slightly weird as we know where it came from but quite an upgrade from the original. It's like those old Mercedes and what ever older car we see going around Malaysia that their owners have put newer bumpers in place of the original's chrome bumper.

Remember the trend where every other car you see was running the Proton Iswara bumper? You used to see that car on a Datsun 120Y, Mazda 323 (like the one above), Ford Econovan (Yes, I saw one using such a bumper before) and various other old Japanese cars. Of course, the Iswara owners had moved on and bought those super modified BMW M-technic or Nissan  GTR look bumpers.

 I wouldn't say that this is the same thing as it was from a time when chrome bumpers were the norm. And THIS was really something unique in the late 1970s. This was posted on MyAutoBlog. Click here to read more about this.

Mazda photo:mudah.my

2010 Peugeot 308 VTi 1.6 Automatic - The tame, slightly toothless French Lion

 I posted this review I did on the 2010 Peugeot 308 VTi on MyAutoBlog.org. I somehow do not like how this car handles, but from a Malaysian point of view, the only thing that makes this car a worthy purchase over its RM100k price range competitors is that:

• It's French. Therefore it is the cheapest continental car you can buy at this price range.
• It's pretty well built and the interior looks good compared to the Honda City, Toyota Vios, Altis and whatever in the price range.
• It is really a whole lot of car for the price. The looks are very modern and nothing's conservative about it when it comes to styling. Compare this to a Nissan Latio sedan or a Nissan Syphilis or a Corolla Altis (the latter two are more expensive than this car) and you know you've got a winner here.
• While I know I mentioned that the handling's a little sad (at least the 308 Turbo has more grip and more power to play around with - but it isn't a good handling example also as it does the same hop, skip and jump over undulations and mid corner bumps ), the car allows some sense of class into a category that's limited in choice. If you're not into driving, or a car for the wife to ferry kids, it'll do that just fine. And you'll look better doing so than in any of the cars stated above.

Please do not throw resale value in here. If you start thinking about resale value, you lead a very dull and uninteresting life. Really. Start living a little.

Click here to read more about it and what I really think about the car.

When a Key is Not a Key or When an Automatic is Called Something Fancy

Yes. We have a key called an 'Emotion Control Unit" by Aston Martin and now Lotus calling the Automatic gearbox an "Intelligent Precision Shift" in the new Evora IPS. It is basically an automatic gearbox. The people in marketing have decided to crack their heads over something so mundane as a normal torque convertor type automatic transmission because they did some tweaking here and there.

Now as a result of this, I hereby declare that the driver's side door of any car be called ........
“The Gateway Towards Speed, Power and Glory”


This makes perfect sense doesn't it? Click here to read the article I wrote for CarThrottle.com.

2011 JDM/2012MY GT-R Has The Seat Color That I've Always Wanted in A GT-R

Something I've always wanted in a GT-R. Sakura colored seats. It should go very well with the blue shirt I am wearing. The 2012 Model Year GT-R specifications have been leaked. I happened to review it on MyAutoBlog.Org. Click here to read about it.

Joy Is Irritating

Ah....The BMW marketing people. How irritating Joy has recently become because of them. Click here to read the article that I recently wrote for CarThrottle.com

Some Interesting Pieces That I Did for MyAutoBlog

Here are some pieces of news that I recently wrote for MyAutoblog.org. Nothing unusual. But they do tell you the latest happenings around.

• Ultra expensive BMW E92 M3 GTS is only fractionally faster than older E46 M3 CSL. Around US$170,000 but only gives you a second faster than the older car. Click here to read it and what I think about it.

• The 'Unclemobile' Toyota Corolla Altis gets facelifted in Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand - it gets s 1.6liter with more grunt and a 6 speed manual -which is very appealing to me but most probably will never be sold here due to a supposed lack of demand for a manual gearbox. Why can't Malaysians want a car with these options so that it gets sold here? They also get a 2.0liter 6speed CVT with paddle shifters - which is what we may get when the facelift arrives. But CVT gearboxes actually aren't nice. They hold on to high revs while the speed catches up instead of climbing up together. Droney and rubber band in feel. Read this here and expect a Toyota Altis facelift sometime soon.

There are other articles of course. All you have to do is go over there to read about it. 

The Last GT-Four

I recently did this piece on the Toyota Caldina GT-Four for CarThrottle.com. The last of the Mohicans, the last of its kind for the time being maybe. All in all, the Caldina is a nice looking station wagon, and that's about it really. The rest is very typical Toyota. Smooth, linear in its power delivery, long lasting reliability and quality. It makes easy cruising at 150-170km/h (higher speeds are possible but the 4 speed autobox limits refinement a tad bit) . But do not expect it to be like an Impreza WRX or a Civic Type R or a Lancer Evolution. Do not even expect it to be as sporty as a Celica GT-Four. Which actually isn't that mind blowing also as its smooth, linear and feels too refined to be an all out sports car - a sports tourer maybe. Even though it is a rally special.

I should know as I have driven both. Do expect it to be a refined, grand tourer, fast enough to take out those pesky MPVs that litter the highway during festive occasions as well as those seemingly impatient Honda Accord and Toyota Camry drivers that flash their headlights as if they are the only cars fast enough on our roads.

Anyway, I am babbling a bit. Click here if you want to read the article.

A Top Performance Tip For This Month of Ramadhan

This is a top performance tip from yours truly.......

The month of Ramadhan is a good time for all motorheads, especially if you're fasting. If you lose 5kgs by fasting, your car will have improved power to weight ratio. Your car will accelerate slightly faster than before. For example -Your car makes 100bhp and weighs 1,000+ 90kg (that you weigh) = 91.7bhp/ton. If you weigh 5kg less = 92.1bhp/ton. See the marked improvement?

A heads up to Mr. Zairul Nizar for the fruitful discussion we had last Saturday night on this performance tip and other really interesting stuff (which was really really interesting, mind you)!

Ramadhan Musings, the Perodua Nautica's a failure and the Daihastu Copen

It’s the month of Ramadhan or the month of Fasting for Muslims all over the universe. Now things usually slow down to a crawl’s pace if you’re dealing with the Government as everyone is tired, sleepy, thirsty and hungry. This happens in a country where there is a large Muslim population. But all the better, the pace slows down. There are less queues at most payment counters, there are more parking spots around my office building, there are also less people on the roads during lunch time too.

There are however more traffic jams at around 5.00pm or so as everyone wants to get home at the same time. There is an increase in sugar consumption as everyone buys kuih that is sold at those “Params”, which is actually short for ‘Pasar Ramadhan’ or the Ramadhan food market. Where Malaysians from all walks of life buy all sorts of Malay food sold there. By Malaysians I mean everyone. Not only those that are fasting mind you.

Anyway, this is also the time where I don’t frequent these places. The food sold there isn’t actually that fabulous. Most are cooked with less passion and soul than the people at Proton assembling the Saga. Most are selling food for the sake of making money. Which is why the food from some of these stalls are truly and deeply horrific. Which is the reason I now refuse to go to these ‘Params’ unless my life depended upon it. Food that is prepared without passion is somehow less tasteful.

 But since you can get food almost everywhere, and if you’re like me, able to whip up food that Jamie Oliver would be proud of and the added bonus of a wife that can really cook. Why bother going to these passionless food stalls. If it’s a restaurant I wouldn’t mind, as they’re in this business for the long run. They’ve got a reputation to maintain.

Yes there are those that actually have restaurants but sell their stuff at these ‘Params’, but why do you want to suffer the haphazard traffic and parking caused by those inconsiderate buffoons who think that they’re the only ones who are fasting and cause a traffic jam? Just cook your own, or buy from a proper restaurant. The food is healthier, better and you know where it is from.

Anyway, have any of you seen a Perodua Nautica (nee Daihatsu Terios/Toyota Rush) on the road lately? Well I haven’t. I suppose Perodua only sold seven of them since 2008. Now I remember the smart Alec people in Perodua at the point of the Nautica’s launching telling the press that we have to import and sell the Nautica at a premium price due to the small volume of sales. See what happened? No one wanted a RM90k SUV that was tiny.

One other really glaring reason was the Toyota Rush. Toyota brought in the Indonesian Rush which is basically a 2WD long wheel based version of the Rush/Daihatsu Terios. This car had more space, better trimming and was almost cheaper than the fully imported 4WD Nautica. While imported, it did feel cheaper as there were no plastic trimmings on the wheel arches and the interior was plainer. Perodua brought in a pretty basic vehicle and wanted people to pay a lot for it.

The Toyota Rush had 2WD. But no one actually bought a Nautica or the previous Kembara for its off-road capabilities. Malaysians wanted a cut price RAV4. This is all. The tall driving position was favored by the women as it enabled them to drive in the city with ease. Unintimidated by other drivers around them. This had nothing to do with the Nautica’s capabilities at all. And then you add the fact that Malaysians think of resale value and branding, where Toyota seems to come up better than Perodua in both areas you now know why the Rush keeps selling and the Nautica didn’t.

So this was niche marketing and product sales that had basically failed. But I am suggesting that Perodua ‘Think Niche’ again. This time bring in that Daihatsu Copen and rebadge it as a Perodua. The Copen has been around for a while already (since 2002) and it is a nice small starter ‘coupe’ for Malaysians. If you think about it that is.

Imagine Perodua bringing this tiny, tiny coupe into Malaysia. Use the Myvi 1.3liter engine like the European versions of the Copen and you have a cheap to maintain little coupe. The mechanical parts are shared and only the body parts are different. Since the car has been in production for a while in Japan, parts for this car could be cheaper already. I mean this little car costs slightly more than the Terios (about SG$95k over sg$85k) in Singapore so it could be sold at around the same RM90k that Perodua was asking for the Nautica.

Yes, I am well aware that Top Gear said the Copen is ‘slightly gay’ but it is a sports coupe. It is a niche vehicle. It is cute. Lots of Malaysian women would want one. The fact that the car sits two is immaterial as no one actually buys a Nautica as a family car in the first place. I usually see one or two people in a Kembara usually.

In fact, if it is cheap, there would be quite a few men who would buy this as their weekend car. They’ll make it a little butch by changing the rims and tires. Put in a noisier exhaust system. They’ll also slap on those stickers here and there to try making it into a race car lookalike. Take a look at this slightly modded Copen below and then tell me it doesn’t look good eh? (pic:bespokeventures.com)

I mean, when was the last time a Malaysian company produced something really sporty looking? I wouldn’t call the Satria Neo CPS to be something truly sporty. It is a warm hatch. But does it look unique? In fact the last quite unique looking Malaysian car was the Putra. Think about it. Two doors, a boot. Very coupe. Not very Hot Hatch like. While a hot hatch is nice to drive, a road presence of a coupe is nicer.

So no matter how ginger beer, hairdresser’s car, girly or tiny looking the Copen is. I believe that this car would be a great addition to Perodua’s stable. Hello, anyone from Perodua reading this? Import the Daihatsu Copen in and sell it for RM90k. And people will buy.

If it doesn’t sell, well, at least you’re willing to bring some life into a quite dull and normal Malaysian car industry. Unlike the Nautica that is.

The Future is the Automatic Transmission

Hello people.... This here is an editorial piece I've written especially for CarThrottle. Click here to read it.

If I Cannot Afford A New Audi I'll Just Have To Make My Car Into One

Posted on MyAutoBlog.org by yours truly. There have been so many Sagas with a Subaru scoop, bodykit going around but the owner of this car is more ambitious......... Click here for more details.

2010 meets the 1990s: My Review of the Proton Satria Neo

Read about my thoughts on a 2010 Proton Satria Neo over here.

The Audi A4 Gets To Breathe, and Fart a Little Easier....

As what the owner said, "It Ain't Rocket Science". That being said, the mods do work very well. Read it in CarThrottle.org.

I Recently Spotted A Peugeot 3008 ...........

The Peugeot 3008 (Hippopotamus amphibius), or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" , is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae (the other is the Pygmy Hippopotamus – or the Austin A40 – now extinct.) The 3008 is the third largest land animal (after the elephant and the white rhinoceros) and the heaviest extant artiodactyl, despite being considerably shorter than the giraffe.

The 3008 is an SUV, and therefore it can be semi-aquatic, able to cross small streams and city flash floods, and climb tall roadside kerbs, rivers and lakes where territorial SUVs preside over a stretch of river and groups of 5 to 30 females and young. During the day they remain cool by posing in local watering holes like Bangsar or Sri Hartamas. They emerge at dusk to graze on Starbucks Coffee and other places where expensive coffee and clothing is served. While 3008s rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and the 3008 are not territorial on land.

Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, their closest living relatives are the slightly dumpy looking Audi Q5 (the Q7, while huge looks so much better looking – somehow those longer overhangs front and rear and that longer bonnet helps a lot) from which they diverged about 55 million years ago. The common ancestor of Q5 and 3008s split from other normal looking SUVs (like a Mitsubishi Airtrek, Subaru Forester, Range Rover, Freelander etc) around 60 million years ago. The earliest known 3008 fossils, belonging to the genus ugliesthippoaroundus in Africa, date to around 16 million years ago.

The Peugeot 3008 is recognizable by its barrel-shaped torso

, enormous mouth and teeth, 

nearly hairless body, stubby legs and tremendous size. Check out the overhangs front and rear. 

It is THAT disproportionate in terms of looks.Press photos make it look decent. My photos make it look decent too. You have to see it for yourselves to see how horrid it is. Anyway, it is based on the the third-largest land mammal by weight, behind the white rhinoceros and both species of elephant. Despite its stocky shape and short legs, it can easily outrun a human with its efficient 1.6liter 156bhp turbocharged engine. 3008s have been clocked at 30 km/h (19 mph) over short distances due to having the same engine as the current Mini Cooper S, the Peugeot 308GT and also due to its 6 speed automatic gearbox (over the ancient 4speed automatic in the 308 sold here in Malaysia).

And that folks, is the new Peugeot 3008. NAZA underestimated the demand for this in Malaysia as for RM145K, people seem to want this funny looking SUV. Some even chose to buy this due to Audi having a 1 year waiting list for its Q5 over the 3008's 8 to 10 month waiting list. Being more than a 100k cheaper yet still a European import makes it pretty desirable. But it's plain ugly and pretty pointless as it has no real off-road capability whatsoever. I'd never buy an SUV just for its commanding driving position especially if it looks like a hippo. People are buying for the badge, purely for the badge and the image (what image?) that a continental has over here in Malaysia.

Much like those Avanza owners. Buy a crap van just because its a Toyota. Now they're buying an ugly SUV because its a Peugeot. Please people...if you want to buy a Peugeot here in Malaysia, there is the  407 and pointy nosed 308 for you to buy. Not a water loving mammal.

An Article from Another Blog Caught My Eye and Some Thoughts on High Mileage Cars

After a bit of light reading at syedoutsidethebox.blogspot.com I have extracted this for you to read.

“The CEO (of Proton) said that they have sembahyang hajat when they embark on something or other at Proton. The CEO and his Managers all sembahyang hajat together, with the CEO playing imam.

 

My view is this. Cars are made of steel, aluminium, parts and components. The European cars can now give up to 60 MILES PER GALLON or equal to 20 kilometres per litre of diesel !! The new technology in Europe is diesel driven. It is becoming clean, with a very low carbon footprint and gives great mileage.

 

Even the Chinese cars like Chery (a recent member of the car fraternity) are latching on to European standards and technology. I dont know how sembahyang hajat plays into all this? I believe at least one religious person has said before that the 'sembahyang hajat' does not work. “

The above was an excerpt from the above mentioned blog where some political in nature Malaysian bloggers had dinner with the CEO of Proton so that he can explain some politically charged issue that I have no concern of whatsoever. We all know that ‘Sembahyang Hajat’ means a Prayer for a Wish/Request. If the above statement is true  (Note the ‘IF’ word here) this is what Proton is resorting to conducting all the time when it builds cars for the general public to sell then we now know the actual problem of Proton. They are hoping for something called Divine Intervention.

Divine Intevention is a term for a miracle caused by God's active involvement in the human world. I mean would God actually dabble with the creation of a new Proton? Would The Almighty be willing to turn a lemon, like say the Satria Neo I drove recently, and turn it into a Ferrari Enzo beating creation? Or send his Angels down from Heaven and mould that ugly Proton Waja into a Maserati Quattroporte everytime a Waja leaves the assembly line? Would the same Angels also tune that exhaust note of sad, dumpy looking Proton Saga and make it sound like something Mozart wrote?

Actually I don’t think so. You have to actually help yourself first before others can help you. If the product is already a half baked one, then you’ve got it all wrong. Even sembahyang hajat will not help.

A systematic definition of miracles performed by apostles. Of course, no one in Proton are apostles, but the following defines what a miracle is in an Islamic sense. I am using this since Sembahyang Hajat was brought up and if they did one everytime they launched a car, they must have did it when they launched the Satria Neo, Persona and Saga. Anyway, the definition of a miracle can be found in the work of the Muslim scholar al-Īd̲j̲ī Mawāḳif, historian A.J. Wensinck states.The main purpose of miracle is to prove the sincerity of the apostle and has to satisfy the following conditions:

1.     It must be performed by God

2.     "It must be contrary to the usual course of things"

3.     It should be impossible to contradict it

4.     "It must happen at the hands of him who claims to be an apostle

5.     "It must be in conformity with his announcement of it, and the miracle itself must not be a disavowal of his claim"

6.     "It must follow on his claim.

Right. Number 2 means that the miracle ‘must be contrary to the usual course of things’. If the build quality of a Proton is usually bad, (remember that Satria Neo I talked about recently? Bad seat, bad air-cond blower etc.), then nothing could ever stop everyone from criticizing it.

This is the same if it was a Toyota Avanza. I say that the car is absolute crap because it is. No miracle can ever change the fact that it has leaf springs, a badly designed shape and a lorry chassis. If it were built differently, it wouldn’t be an Avanza. The only miracle I see that Proton wants to emulate from Toyota is the fact that lots of people are gullible and, to put it bluntly, idiotic enough to buy one. So maybe, on that note, all those Sembahyang Hajat actually works. People are rushing out and buying at dumpy looking Proton Saga. With that, I take back everything bad I said in this article about Proton conducting the Sembahyang Hajat. Or do I?

Now speaking of cars that have actual quality, this E-Type from the early 1970s (a Series III V12) recently made its way across the border up North. A thousand kilometer trip was not a problem for it and the only set-back that happened to it was a speedbump that was too high, resulting in a cracked exhaust that was easily fixed. Oh, I was there when the mechanics took the car to get the exhaust repaired. Ever heard a Jaguar V12 unsilenced? I have. It was epic.

On the same note, the owner of that wonderful car also made another 1,800km trip in a 1995 Toyota Estima Lucida which had over 260,000km on the clock without any issues.

Cars like these will go on forever. Like the Mercedes W124 I reviewed earlier. It seems that the notion where old cars are clunkers and break down all the time should be put to rest. It all takes some routine maintenance. Stuff that needs to be changed, when it needs to be changed, should be changed. Cars with great build quality will last nearly forever. No extra prayers needed. Just a simple ‘Bismillah’ before you start your day is all you need….. If you’re a Muslim that is, and a short prayer for a splendid and productive day for others out there is all you need to do. It is as simple as that folks.

Proof That LED Driving Lights is More for Style Rather Than Safety

Good afternoon. I had this piece written showing evidence that those LED lights you see on those Audis, Porsches and other cars are purely fashion or style statements. Click here to read the article posted on MyAutoblog.org.

Some Photographs and A Few Interesting Postings on MyAutoBlog by Yours Truly.....

Hello again. I have been pretty busy travelling around the Peninsular recently. I made a 2 trips down South. One to Muar, Johor and one more to the Lion City for a change of air. I basically went to someplace a little more hectic but surprisingly more organized than Kuala Lumpur, so it was good.

The 'murtabak singapore' at Zam Zam and at Victory next door ( both pictured above) is nice on a Sunday morning, or for lunch or for dinner.

Oh yes. Check out this little Suzy. It is smaller than a Jimny SJ413. But it has chunky off-road tires, taller suspension and all the off-road goodies. I wonder if this little car does leave the island for off-road jaunts in Malaysia.

Now I've not been quiet on the writing front. I have been writing new pieces for MyAutoBlog.org.

The following are some that I think are worthy to share in here...........................
1. The Beacham Jaguar MkII.  You now don't have to send that Jag of yours for a modernization in the UK anymore. Click here to read the article.

2. Gordon Murray's T25. A nice small car concept. I like small cars. The original Mini is one of my favourite drives and so was my 2nd Gen Honda Civic. Of course, this is smaller than my Civic, and smaller slightly than the Mini. Go here to see some pics and a writeup about it.

3. Drive a black car? Some more useless research conducted by people who want grants from the government or to show that they are doing something with taxpayer's money at all those Institutes of Higher Learning.

4. The next Suzy Swift is out. Check out how much it doesn't differ here. It may be longer, wider and taller, but it stays the same.

5.Late night shopping at Mustafa's in Little India, Singapore, a Toyota with a Subaru Scoop (even in Singapore we get mods like this) and an old W124 wagon plying the streets of Singapore at night. They don't throw out their old stuff all the time if you know what I mean. Click here for this.