ABT Tunes the New, New Beetle

"The totally new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle has barely hit most markets around the world but as usual, the tuning houses have gotten their hands on it. ABT, known for tuning VW Group cars have their pimped out Beetle ready and wants us to call it the 'Speedie'. A bodykit, alloy wheels and 'go-faster' stripes and it deserves to be called 'Speedie'? I doubt it if you went out and bought the base 105hp 1.2liter TSI version. Even with ABT's ECU tweaks for that engine. But do continue reading anyway."


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

New Lancia Stratos Stalled

Ferrari has stalled the revival of the Lancia Stratos. Scared of competition?

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

The MGB GT

The MGB GT is a car that I had driven many years ago but one which I remember like I drove it only yesterday. It was a car that my late father once owned and sold around the time I was born (circa 1972) and a car that I had the pleasure of driving very often during the 1990s. To the friend of mine who let me drive the car, you know who you are, and I am extremely grateful for the experience. No,my father didn't actually sell the MGB because I was born. Some other incident happened so I am safe to say that I wasn't the reason my old man sold his sports car!

"The 1.8liter engine sounds typically old school. The twin SU carburettors (which need proper fettling to get it in-synch) and that simple four branch manifold as well as how the engine is tuned for the MGB (instead of, say a pathetic Austin Maxi) makes for a very butch sounding 4 cylinder engine. You won’t find this much bass in any new car these days. The sound on idle and when it starts to move is something which you could never replicate in a new twin cam, multi-valve and fuel injected engine. "


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

Proton Saga FLX - Proton Updates The Saga Automatic With A CVT

Imagine the recently facelifted Proton Saga FL (Face Lift - so utterly obvious) with another letter slotted in behind the 'FL'. Nothing else happens except the model becomes the FLX (Face Lift X-tra?)

I suppose the extras are incorporated into the now common and slightly better looking Saga FL (The car is less dumpy looking compared to the original).The new additions is a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) in place of the ancient (in circa 2011) 4 speed automatic gearbox, ABS (Anti Lock Brakes), EBD, driver and passenger airbags. These extras or more of these extras are found in the Saga FLX Executive Auto as the FLX Standard Auto only gets the CVT as a new toy. It doesn't even get the airbags. This means that the Saga FLX Standard is still stuck in the 1980s.

Oh yes. This main change is the CVT gearbox. It has six virtual ratios and the main reason Proton has adopted this transmission unit is to bring their cars up to date. A four-speeder is ancient these days and does not allow enough ratios for the car to have decent acceleration down below and a low-rpm cruising speed that a transmission with more than four gears would allow. This added gears also means better fuel economy which in turn allows for better emissions. A Proton with Euro 5 emission controls?

I suppose this is the way to go. CVT. But I hope that Proton sourced the CVT from a reliable source and not one that is half baked. You see, CVTs have a belt/chain system that can change through infinite amounts of ratios between the maximum and minimum values. The transmission somehow keeps the engine running at optimum or high revs when you need the grunt and the gears then slur up to the desired road speed. Of course this means a slightly rubber band effect (A Mitsubishi Lancer/Proton Inspira has this effect but a B8 Audi A4 somehow does not -which is why the A4 costs a whole lot more). Personally, the only CVT that is worth driving is the one in the Audi. I've driven Fiats, Mitsus, with CVT gearboxes which I hate.

The other issue is reliability. Even on the latest Lancer GTs it has been known to overheat until Mitsubishi started putting in its own specific transmission cooler (the first batch GTs in Malaysia DID NOT have this option). The previous pig-ugly Honda City had CVT and some experienced problems so much so that when Honda launched the current City, it had a traditional torque convertor transmission. The Fiat Punto of the 1990s had CVT Belt slip problems giving its owners head and heartaches as well as the distributor back breaking warranty claims.

And now Proton offers one in its bread and butter model. I have my doubts. We've seen Honda turning its back on CVT with the latest City on the grounds of costs but this isn't the clincher yet. The clincher is the fact that when the new Toyota Passo was launched over in Japan it had a CVT box but when Perodua launched its latest Myvi, it was still equipped with a normal torque convertor box. Cost savings I suppose, but I somehow believe that reliability issues were the main reason Perodua stuck with the torque convertor box for the new Myvi Automatic.

But Proton seems to be Proton. Always trying to be innovative and slightly ahead of the curve. Remember the time when Proton pushed the Gen2 AND Savvy hatchbacks at the time when everyone wanted sedans? Now, when we see people buying Ford Fiesta, Peugeot 308s, and a whole lot of affordable hatchbacks Proton have no new ones in the market. Proton using CVT boxes may actually be the way of the future, but I am quite worried that they've actually moved forward too soon. Or that Proton bit more than they could chew. Time will tell and lets hope that the gearboxes are reliable.

But the real issue that got me writing is the fact my pal Zairul brought up. The SAT Switch that is located in the Proton Saga FLX. What the heck is a Stepped Automatic Transmission (SAT)? Why does Proton think that we need a switch that needs to simulate a normal torque convertor transmission as it does not have a sport mode with manual shift or 'tiptronic' functions at the gear shifter nor does it have flappy pedals behind the steering wheel. If you do not have control over the shifting why bother with the need to feel the slurring of the gears like a normal automatic gearbox when it would be smoother without it?

Does this actual mean that Proton is so afraid that normal users would feel alienated or feel that the new Saga FLX drives like it has a rubber band tied around its gearbox? I think this is the reason as I cannot think of another reason other than this. If it does not allow any semblance of driver control other than P,R, N, D and L  then there isn't any reason to have 6 virtual ratios to simulate a normal transmission.

Its like the Ford Fiesta or the VW Polo. You get a DSG gearbox that you have no control whatsoever and its only the power of marketing that drives you forward. There are no flappy pedals or manual shifting options in these cars too.

So S.A.T.actually means Silly Advertising Thingamagic and not the past tense of SIT, or the short form of Saturday. It does absolutely nothing whatsoever except add another acronym to the Proton Saga. You get FLX, ABS, EBD, SRS, CVT with SAT. Lets end this article with WTF is Proton's marketing people up to again?

A pathetic looking rally Honda Hybrid wins.....and the losers whine and complain.

"This hybrid Honda competed in the Formula 1000 Tarmac Rally Series and was officially requested to withdraw due to complains by rival teams stating that the hybrid rally car has an unfair advantage. "

Spoilsports. Being whipped by a skinny tired hybrid of a rally car is so pitiful. And when you start whining and complaining about it, it sounds worse.

Click here to read about it. Written by yours truly, posted over at Myautoblog.org.

The Proton Savvy and Fried Mamak Mee

I like frequenting our local mamak stalls and restaurants. Most of us do actually as the food and drinks are cheap and the atmosphere very relaxed. A nice mug of teh tarik and a roti canai would do wonders especially since both items would only cost you RM3.00 and below. It’s 2011 okay, and not 1989 where you could get both items for about RM1.00.

What I think of the new and improved but still challenged in the looks department BMW 1 Series

"Firstly, it is not styled by Chris Bangle. Any BMW not styled by Chris Bangle is a good BMW (with the exception of the 1st generation BMW Z4 which is messy with all the lines here and there, but still proportionate).....".


Click here to find out more about what I think of the new 2012 BMW 1 Series. Posted over at Myautoblog.org.

The Good Die Young: BMW Is Killing Off The 1 Series M Coupe...

...after they produce it for one miserable year. And the thing is, motoring enthusiasts aren't really coming in droves to buy this car. Everyone's talking about this car as a return to BMW's E30 M3 roots but people aren't really buying it. They want big huge V8 M3s instead.


"But the question is, is the M Division into selling cars that are actually the 'Ultimate Driving Machines' or up to market forces? The reason I stated market forces because the report also stated that BMW admitted that less than a thousand units of the 1 series M Coupe will be produced instead......."


Click here to read more about it. Posted over on Myautoblog.org.

Since everyone's doing an Audi TT into an R8.....

"..... if you're rich and you couldn't care less about your Audi R8 looking like a TT, you should be the one doing such a thing. Everyone is making cheaper cars into more expensive ones so it will be something unique indeed if someone did it the other way round. "


Click here to read about it. Posted on Myautoblog.org.

The New Perodua Myvi: Pictures and Opinion

Typical Toyota/Daihatsu. In a way that is. The reason being that this all new Perodua Myvi is actually a million times better looking than the Toyota Passo version of it that was launched circa 2010 in Japan. That car (pic below) ended up looking ultra feminine and basically caters to the Japanese 'Ah Soh' customers (or those not familiar with the term - older auntie type people). These sort of customers buy the Passo simply as a means of transport. To the market and back. To the weekly bingo game and back. To the Hair Saloon and back.

Presenting Another Crazy Russian Monster SUV cum Sportback - Dartz Nagel

".... these Russians amaze the heck out of us. I get very amazed watching Sukhoi SU30s do incredible low speed maneuvers (at airshows), seen those large Russian Mil helicopters dump tons of water over fires (in a demonstration), felt the robustness of an AK47 and have even met a 75 year old Russian rocket scientist/engineer (who was still employed at the time) due to my line of work but when it comes to making cars, the Russians seem to think in ways weirder than even the Americans...."


The Russians are now King of the SUV hill. In my opinion that is.


Click here to read about it.

R172 Mercedes Benz SLK gets tuned by Piecha Design

"Styling exercises actually make more money for these tuners as nearly everyone wants the car to look really good outside of clubs, bistros and hotel lobbies instead of tearing up the autobahn."


Bodykits hit the streets so fast it makes your head spin. The new R172 Mercedes Benz SLK gets tweaked as soon as its out of the showroom. But as usual, its only about the looks. Performance parts take awhile longer.


Click here to read about it.

Subaru small cars are now Toyotas and why the new Impreza is slightly dull

"Of course it does. But they're so utterly predictable and dull vehicles. Take the Toyota Passo a.k.a Daihatsu Sirion/Boon a.k.a Perodua Myvi a.k.a Subaru Justy. They may look slightly different with different eylashes, skirts or jewellery, but they are basically the same shape."


So economic pressures have led Subaru to stop making their own small cars. Sad news. And why does the new Impreza look a little dull?

Click here to find out. 

Austin Mini 1275GT

I wrote a piece for Carthrottle.com on the Mini 1275GT recently. Imagine that, driving a tiny little car all the way from Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur. I left at night from Simpang Pulai near Ipoh and it was raining. The wipers were intermittent in that the wiper motor did not have enough juice to move them all the time (due to faulty grounding) and I was basically driving a dark B-road in the rain. Quite a scare but at least the very old car had good lights to balance things off slightly.

On those B-roads I felt like Paddy Hopkirk driving in a rally. Of course this wasn't a snowy Monte Carlo but it was pretty wet nonetheless. Driving a Mini on a B-road is certainly one of motoring's greatest pleasures.

Driving on the highway was slightly unnerving at the start. You feel slightly small until you get used to those lorries and busses passing by or when you're passing them instead. At least you can maintain a steady cruise of about 100km/h so that progress isn't that slow. It was a nice slow drive basically, one that I could actually enjoy listening to that 1,275cc engine and transmission do its Mini-like thrum. No other car has a noise combo like it so much so that when BMW made the new Cooper S, that supercharger actually mimicked that original gearbox whine.

 "On the B-roads it was a little bouncy but on the 12 inch Minilite wheels and tire combo the ride felt waaayyy better than the original 10inch rims and tires. I suppose this is due to the improvement in modern rubber. The Mini actually cornered better and rode more comfortably than when it first left the factory nearly 35 years ago. "

Read more about the Mini 1275GT here.

p/s. I did not drive back to KL without some semblance of back-up. Two cars left for KL that night, the other was this car from the cat family. A real mis-match.

More on my trip to Kuantan and something about New York's Yellow Cabs

As some of you readers may have read I was in Kuantan recently and this is a slightly more detailed write-up about it. Of course, I still left some bits out, mostly non-motoring. I took hundreds of shots, from a 16mp camera down to a 2mp camera phone. This mostly came from a 5mp camera phone as downloading a lot of 16mp photos takes up bandwidth and a chunk of my data plan. But what these photographs do is tell the story.

Click here to read about Kuantan.

And now, on something iconic. The yellow cabs in New York will be replaced in 2013 by Nissan Minivans. Sigh.

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

A-pillars in Cars These Days

I wrote a piece on how A-Pillars and side mirrors in cars have grown over the years over on MyAutoblog.org. A very relevant topic if I may say so.

" A Hyundai Atoz suddenly appeared out of nowhere. 'Nowhere' in this context meant that it appeared after it was hidden behind the A-pillar as well as the large elephant-like driver's side mirror."


Click here to read about it. 

Peugeot EX1 - Yes, It Sets A New EV Speed Record...BUT.....

"The Peugeot EX1 was piloted by Stephane Caillet and lapped the 20.8km Nordschleife in 9 minutes 1.338 seconds with an average speed of (yawn) 138.324km/h. Note that Peugeot have quoted until the 1/1000th of a decimal point for both lap time and average speed. I suppose when you're going this slow every 1/1000th of a second counts. "


Click here to read more about the Peugeot Electric Car That Looks Like A BatMobile But Is Slower Than One. 

Taiwan's Luxgen Neora is a Mish-Mash of Ideas

A concept car by a Taiwanese car maker. Nothing really interesting but this is what new manufacturers try out in order to find a distinctive identity.

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

Tony Fernandes Buys Caterham...Why?

To piss off the people at Lotus I presume. Click here to read more about what I think about this piece of news.

A Bentley that thinks its a Porsche GT3 RS

"You can tell that it is very much a boy racer with those ‘ISR’ go faster stripes on its side; ala Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Somehow no one told Bentley that the over 2000kg Continental Supersports that no matter what you do, a Bentley will not float like a butterfly and then sting like a bee."

The Bentley Continental Supersports ISR...... Click here to read more about it. Posted over at Myautoblog.org.

Some thoughts about car interiors of the near future

"The sketch you see above is one of a future Audi A3 Sedan. Ignore the funky steering wheel as it may be drawn that way to show the rest of the dashboard. And what do you actually see? A dashboard devoid of signal switches, wiper stalks and gear knobs. "

I posted some thoughts on the interiors of cars over at MyAutoblog.org. I suppose soon we will see stuff like those in I Robot turn into reality.

Click here to read more about it.

Volvo Concept Universe - The First Concept Car Under Geely and It Looks Slightly Awkward But Nice

"Those that are familiar with classic Volvo design would recognize the Volvo PV544-like bonnet, low set headlights and the shape of the grille. Its design team actually did spend some time looking at classic Volvos and I believe that it does look portray the essence of the earlier Volvos. The nose from the three quarter angle shows off the car pretty well. It may look awkward at first but it does make the car a little different than the norm."


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

The Volvo 850 T-5R and the 850R

"Once upon a time, Volvo was famed for its safe and utterly box-like or brick-like 240, 740, 940 series of cars. Everyone who was an uncle actually wanted one. It exudes safety through its brick-like shape and Volvo marketed the 'S' for Safety word to the hilt. Volvo marketed safety and some people like me would say that it also marketed dullness. "

No Volvo in the last fifteen or so years made as much impact as the 1995 Volvo 850 T-5R.

Click here to read what I think about it and the Volvo 850R that came right after it. Written by yours truly and posted over on MyAutoBlog.org.

Capturing the essence of the original Skyline GT-R: Wald Black Bison Nissan GT-R

".... their Nissan GT-R Sports Line Black Bison Edition is very tasteful in my opinion. It captures the essence of the first Nissan Skyline GT-R, the KPGC-10 from the 1970s with that simple black rear wheel arch extension and it works."


I think you readers will also agree wholeheartedly with this opinion of mine. Click here to read about it. Posted over at Myautoblog.org.

Nissan Latio Sedan = London Black Taxi....Really

Recently I keep seeing black coloured Nissan Latio sedans on the road. I have a problem with the way the Latio sedan is styled. It basically has one of those failed hatchback to sedan designs. It may not be as ridiculously bad as the previous generation Honda City or that Pug Ugly Peugeot 207 Sedan. But it's close, quite close.

You see, the Latio Sedan maintains that ridiculously high roofline of the Latio Hatchback. It then has a truncated looking boot that makes the roof look even higher. And then it has small wheelarches, this also makes the roof and the body of the car look tall. The whole car is ungainly. It looks like it was designed for women whose hairdo require building permits due to height issues. It the good old days where men wore top hats the Latio would be well accepted. Men who wear such hats would love it. Women with those KLCC height hairstyles would adore them.

Racing drivers and tuners would totally hate the car for the unnecessary height. Anyone who thinks that their Nissan Latio is from the same Nissan tree as the GT-R must suffer from some sort of mental disorder. Really. The car that is the actual relation of the Nissan Latio sedan is actually a modernized London Taxi Cab. And if you buy a black Nissan Latio, it cements this link even further.

Let me give you a run down on the London taxi cab as well as comparing it with the Latio sedan.

Taken from everyone's favourite free encyclopedia – Wikipedia - The traditional black cab (so-called, despite being of various colours and advertising designs) is designed for its purpose. There have been many models over the years. The space beside the driver's seat can be used for luggage, although there is much luggage room in the passenger compartment. The turning circle is smaller than other vehicles of similar size (a black cab is said to be able to "turn on a sixpence"). The cab seats three people on the back seat, and two more in backwards-facing "jump seats"; there is good headroom, originally for passengers wearing top hats.

Now let's fill in the blanks with the Nissan Latio - The traditional Nissan Latio Sedan (so-called, family car despite being of various colours and advertising designs including something called the Latio Impul) is designed for its purpose. There have been many models over the years. The space beside the driver's seat can be used for luggage, although there is much luggage room in the passenger compartment. The turning circle is smaller than other vehicles of similar size (a Nissan Latio is said to be able to "turn on a sixpence"). The Nissan Latio interior seats three people on the back seat,"; there is good headroom, originally for passengers wearing top hats.

Okay, I've edited it slightly it slightly, but now take a look at the photos below. The similarities are striking and with that, I hereby state that if you buy a Nissan Latio Sedan, you're actually buying a London cab.  

Upcoming F10 BMW M5 - Restrained Aggression... How The Ultimate Driving Machine is Suppose To Be

"The F10 BMW M5 is another car that I am looking forward to as it somehow brings back what I truly like about BMWs - discreet restrained aggression. Think E39 M5, E30 M3 and the E34 M5 as well as the earlier 3.0CSL coupes from the 1970s and you'll know what I am trying to say. "


Do click here to read more about the upcoming F10 BMW M5. Posted over at Myautoblog.org.

Saab is Bleeding .... But I Honestly Do Not Care

"I still wouldn't give two hoots if Saab kicked the bucket. They've not shown me anything within the last year or so that would make me weak in the knees, make my jaw drop or drool all over like a rabid dog in heat." 

I don't really care about Saab and if you want to know more about what I think, do click here to read about it. Posted on myautoblog.org.

Keeping the Volvo XC90 fresh with Heico Sportiv

"........ But I suppose the target market for the Heico Sportiv XC90 are in fact people who use their XC90s for school runs and these people don’t want children running away sobbing, in fear and afraid of crossing paths with a highly modified Volvo."


Click here to read what I think about Heico's XC90. Posted on Myautoblog.org. 

Where to eat in Singapore....and in Kuala Lumpur

..if you fancy Murtabak Singapore you should head over to ZamZam at either its original location in Singapore or at Jalan T.A.R. in Kuala Lumpur.

Click here for some travel advice. Posted over at MyAutoblog.org.

When In Kuantan Do As The Locals Do....A Drive On The Beach

It is pretty fun actually. Take a car right up to the water's edge,  do some figure eights (but do be careful that the front wheels don't dig or you might actually roll over), and some driving on the sand. The thing about the beach along Pantai Balok in Kuantan, Pahang is that the sand is pretty packed and not like the soft sand you get on some beaches. I also suppose this is because it was low tide and the waves on the East Coast pound the beaches over there pretty hard till the sand gets compacted. I know you can't do this on Batu Feringgi, Port Dickson (as it is actually hard to find an access road right to the beach with development everywhere) and some other beaches on the West Coast.

I believe that driving on the beach shouldn't be limited to watching TV shows like Top Gear doing it. We should do it too and if any of you skeptics start making statements like "that Perodua is going to rust after that". It won't. Firstly, it isn't a car from the 1970s, secondly it isn't an Alfa Romeo or a Fiat from the 1970s and thirdly, all new cars get decent galvanizing on their chassis these days and don't really rust. Let's also mention that I wasn't the only one doing it. Locals do it too. And if you don't know what galvanizing is, please look it up yourself.

And fourthly, if you've been following my blog, I have been telling you people that you should live a little. Buy a car you like, not because of resale value, and enjoy the car instead of keeping it at home while you take the bus or motorcycle to work. It's only metal so you don't have to treat it like a trophy for display only and it's the thrill of the driving experience that is most important. This is one of them, and as I also said, sometimes a driving experience isn't about the speed, or the power. This is one of them.

Mobiado-Aston Martin Concept Phone

It doesn't work yet, according to gsmarena.com. But it begs a few thoughts by yours truly.


"Anyway, it can display maps showing stuff from Foursquare and with cameras integrated to the future Aston Martin the occupants in the car can take photos of themselves inside the car and post it on Twitbook or Faceter. Imaging twitting “Driving the DB10 today, boy I feel good.” to all your slightly poorer social networking friends out there. Oh, the envy." 


Read more about this concept phone here. Posted on myautoblog.org.

At the Mercedes GP Petronas Meet The Fans Session - Pre-2011 Malaysian GP (UPDATED)

The Meet the Fans session for the Mercedes GP Petronas team happened on the 6th of April. I happened to be at SURIA KLCC for the event. It started at 545pm and was quite interesting.

Nico Rosberg and Herr Schumacher....doing what F1 drivers do aside from drive. A lot of PR activity.

Schummi's Biggest Fan(atic).....It is a real tattoo, not a temporary paint job. Shocking.

The Mercedes GP F1 car.

The mighty Mercedes Benz CLS 63 AMG. First preview in South East Asia. We're lucky Petronas is sponsoring the Mercedes GP team as we get to see the latest mega Mercs before others do. We got to see the SLS AMG before most countries last year too. More pics and a detailed report would be posted soon over at CarThrottle.com and also over at MyAutoblog.org.

UPDATED - A detailed report has been posted over at www.carthrottle.com. OR Click here to go directly to the write-up.

Project Kahn Audi A5

This is another one of those Audis that ape the Audi R8. I now have the opinion that if you actually used this bodykit you're just trying too hard.

Click here to read about Project Kahn's Audi A5 mod job over at Myautoblog.org.

Porsche's Hybrid Supercar, the 918 Spyder

The 2013 Porsche 918 Spyder is a hybrid supercar. It's like eating a whole chicken, some spare ribs, a bucket of whipped potato and still losing weight at the same time!


 And oh yes, buy this hybrid and you can buy a limited edition 911 Turbo S Edition 918 Spyder too. What new marketing gimmicks would manufacturers come up with next!!!!

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

The Mercedes Benz C63 AMG Coupe & The Ugliest Car Sold In Malaysia Today

Don't you just love Mercedes-AMG cars? They sound really superb. This new one looks a little plain-Jane though. Maybe they're keeping the steroids off until the Black edition of the car comes out?

This Mercedes Benz C63 AMG Coupe may look a little plain but whatever the case, any new AMG is worth waiting for these days. Especially if it has a normally aspirated V8 in it. Oh the noise.It's always about the noise when it comes to AMG Mercedes'. It makes you weak in the knees. The heck with everything else. And while it is plain looking, it is not ugly. Which is what no one wants in a car. Unless you're those sad souls in Malaysia who think that buying a Peugeot 207 sedan means you're better off or have more class than a person buying a Proton. Let me break it out to you NOT gently - You're worse than the Inspira owner. Your Pug is PUG UGLY.

I apologise for that outburst. But it seems to me that the Peugeot 207 Sedan is the MOST UGLIEST CAR sold in Malaysia, replacing the previous generation Honda City tadpole on stilts. Note that this is the ugliest car category. The Mini 'Alphard' or the Chana Mini MPV is still reigning champion in the MPV category.

Anyway, click here to read more about the Mercedes Benz C63 AMG Coupe. Posted over at MyAutoblog.org.