Shell Lubricants launches its latest flagship Heavy Duty Diesel Engine Oil - Shell Rimula R6 LM & details on the new Rimula Contest too!

Today Shell Lubricants launched its newly enhanced heavy duty diesel engine oil (HDDEO) with a completely new range of products which comes in newly redesigned packaging. This sets the stage for the newly improved flagship HDDEO - the new fully synthetic Shell Rimula R6 LM 10W-40 which now features Shell's Dynamic Protection Plus Technology.

My Auto Fest 2016 - IF you place a booking for a car at the auto fest, you could win a car!

The organisers of My Auto Fest 2016 that will be held on 20th May to 22nd May 2016 at the MINES INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION AND CONVENTION CENTRE have announced that if you buy a car at the auto show, you may stand a chance to win a car. 

Cik Nazira of Proton Edar picks out the ballot number. This is how they will pick the winner you know.

MILITARY VEHICLES: DEFTECH showcases its latest projects - GEMPITA AV8 8X8, LIPANBARA HMAV 4X4, HICOM HANDALAN II & MORE

 Lt. Kol (K) Dato' Amril showing us the newly named LIPANBARA armoured 4x4

I was at the Defence Services ASIA 2016 Exhibition (DSA2016) earlier today. The exhibition was nothing new to me as I had been frequenting it over the past decade or so for work. But today I was invited by the nice people at DRB-HICOM so that I get to participate in the sit down session with the Group CEO of DRB-HICOM Defence Technologies Sdn Bhd aka DEFTECH, Lt. Kol. (K) Dato' Amril Samsudin, to see what they've been doing in terms of military transportation and combat vehicles as well as their other stuff. Quite different from the norm eh? Well, variety is the spice of life.

AUTOFEST KUALA LUMPUR 2016 to be held from the 13th to the 15th of May 2016 at the MATRADE Centre KL

Here is another Auto Show which will hit Kuala Lumpur in the month of May 2016. The AUTOFEST Kuala Lumpur 2016 will be held from the 13th to the 15th May 2016 (from 10am to 9pm). It will offer great prices, savings and attractive offers on wide variety of reconditioned, brand new, pre-owned cars and bikes gracing the show floor as well as showcase of new launches, accessories and other automotive related products at discounted prices.

Land Rover Defender Rover Team to tour the Peninsular showcasing the icon for one final time

Jaguar Land Rover (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (JLRM) is embarking on a special roadshow to celebrate the Land Rover Defender as part of a tribute to the iconic 4X4 vehicle.  The Land Rover Defender Rover Team’s roadshow will visit more than 14 selected locations including malls, business districts, popular cafes and other popular hangouts in the Klang Valley and Penang from April 23 till May 1, 2016. 

SHORT TEST DRIVE: MERCEDES BENZ W205 C-CLASS C300 AMG LINE & C180 AVANTGARDE and a bit on the W204 in comparison to the W205

 C300 AMG Line

There are times when I would start and say that the article will be a short one. It sometimes becomes long winded and therefore long as heck. It happens as I end up having so many things to say about a car. This article is supposed to be a short drive article, but since it includes thoughts on two variants and two generations of car. It will be pretty long actually and it is about the Mercedes Benz W205 C-Class. The C300 and the C180 variants as well as a comparison with the W204 model that preceded it (in terms of ride and handling).

THIS IS THE END...... The Land Rover Defender The End Edition by Chelsea Truck Company

This is a tribute by Khan Design's Chelsea Truck Company for the iconic Land Rover Defender. It is aptly named THE END EDITION. There will be 25 of it built to commemorate the last Land Rover Defender to be built. That rolled of the Land Rover factory sometime last January by the way.

TRUCK NEWS: Volvo Trucks Malaysia offering brake and clutch parts with labour at attractive prices

Volvo Trucks Malaysia is introducing the Volvo Genuine Brake and Clutch campaign for a limited time only. Attractive prices on selected brake and clutch components plus labor are now available for your choosing. 

Ford sells 650 vehicles in March 2016

Ford had announced a few days ago that its March 2016 retail sales in Malaysia that grew 24 percent from the previous month to 650 units.

The performance was driven by growing demand for the tough Ranger pickup, with March sales increasing 19 percent from the previous month of 513 units. Initial customer deliveries of the  new Focus also kicked off in March.

Facelifted Subaru Forester launched with two CKD 2.0i variants and a CBU turbocharged 2.0XT

The new facelifted Subaru Forester is now available in Malaysia. There are three options. Two Completely Knocked Down (CKD) variants – the Forester 2.0i priced at RM 144,948 and Forester 2.0i-P at RM 154,488,. The third variant is the fully imported completely built up (CBU) turbocharged 2.0XT from Japan. That is priced at RM 211,729. 

Industry News: Mercedes Benz Malaysia achieves best first quarter sales ever for Malaysia

“With our brand heritage, we will continue to build on our strong foundation to ensure success in the future,” said Mercedes-Benz Malaysia President and CEO, Dr Claus Weidner (right) at the company’s 1Q2016 results briefing.  Also present was Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, Passenger Cars, Mr Mark Raine (left)

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia recorded a total of 2,658 units in Q1 of 2016. This is a 41% growth compared to Q1 of 2015, and it the Best 1st Quarter in the premium marque’s history. The three-pointed star achieves a new milestone recording a market share of 2.3% (YTD March 2016), marking a 0.5% increase compared to full year 2015. This makes Mercedes-Benz is No. 1 in the premium luxury car segment.

TEST DRIVE: 2016 Ford Focus 1.5 EcoBoost Sport+ Hatchback (Automatic)

Alright folks, remember that I wrote in the facelifted Ford Focus Titanium+ sedan test drive that I wanted to take a Focus up Genting Highlands? Well, I managed to do just that actually. I however did that not in the Titanium+ but I managed to do that in the facelifted Sport+ hatchback. Even better yes?

MUV - Bringing online auction to the used vehicle industry in Malaysia

Since its inception in July 2013, MUV Marketplace Sdn Bhd (MUV) has sold more than RM260 million worth of used vehicles, ran 50 auctions for more than 11,000 vehicles with a hit rate of 75%. MUV currently has three hubs across Malaysia, namely in Klang Valley, Penang and Johor that are capable of housing more than 2,000 vehicles and seating 350 buyers altogether. 

F10 BMW 5 Series has sold over two million units worldwide. Why? It looks better than the previous one by a mile

BMW has just informed us that, the current BMW 5 Series (the F10) sets new benchmarks in the premium business segment with over two million of them sold throughout the world. Compared with the previous generation, sales of the current BMW 5 Series have even risen by more than 42 percent.

Motorsport: 2017 Volkswagen Polo R WRC drawing shown

Some juicy WRC bits here. The upcoming 2017 Volkswagen Polo R WRC will generate about 380 hp or 60 hp more than the current car (318 hp). It will be lighter by about 25kg, wider by 50mm, and with more aerodynamic. New regulations allow such additions to the current, 2016 car seen pictured below. Well, technically it should look like the car below, but slightly wider.

Spotted for Sale: 2006 Nissan Sentra 1.6 (M) - One Level Higher than Auntie Owned

Now this is taking things a level higher. Instead of advertised as 'One Lady Owner', we now get "2006 Nissan Sentra 1.6 (M)GRANDMA OWNER"

I have to believe this is really owned by someone's grandmother because:

A MEMORY FROM MY PAST ABOUT THE AE86

I finished my Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia or the Malaysian O-Level equivalent in 1989. I did what most teenagers would do then. Kept my hair long, went out with friends, played some sports and did all sorts of stuff. I also played a lot of badminton as a friend's house. 

News: Proton Edar gets a new CEO

This is a straightforward piece of news. Mr Rohime Shafie is now the new Chief Executive Officer of Proton Edar (the sales arm of Proton Cars) replacing Mr Norzahid Mohd Zahudi who had tendered his resignation. 

Let's see what comes next now that the change of management has taken place. 

Motorsports: BMW in the hunt for another successful DTM campaign for 2016

2015 saw BMW Motorsport win the seventh of a possible twelve titles in its fourth year since returning to the DTM in 2012. Given the fantastic performances and success enjoyed in 2015, there was no reason to change the drivers and teams for the new season. BMW Teams RMG, MTEK, RBM and Schnitzer will once again fly the flag for BMW in 2016. Back at the wheel of the eight BMW M4 DTMs will be Bruno Spengler, Marco Wittmann, António Félix da Costa, Timo Glock, Augusto Farfus, Tom Blomqvist, Maxime Martin and Martin Tomczyk

PROTON gets a RM1.5 Billion soft loan from the government and they say thank you

Here is the latest official press release from PROTON. This first made by the newly appointed CEO, Dato' Ahmad Fuaad Kenali. This is regarding the Government of Malaysia's approving a RM1.5billion soft loan to pay their vendors and suppliers (with the usual terms and conditions obviously). 

However, it is a good thing that would uplift the spirits of the group. I believe Proton is very necessary as it is the only company in the South East Asian region that has the research and development capability to build a car from scratch and comply with all the safety regulations globally. Perodua still cannot do so. I should know as I have met people within the industry and they tell me so. 

TRUCK NEWS: Volvo Trucks' Asia Pacific VISTA Competition sets a record for the number of participants

VISTA (Volvo International Service Training Award) is the largest competition for workshop personnel in the world. It first started in 1957 as a competition for Volvo's mechanics in Sweden and has since become a popular international event for Volvo technicians globally. The aim of VISTA is to develop and improve employees' knowledge and skills and improve customer service whilst rewarding the participants. The competition is open to all workshop employees within the Volvo Trucks and Volvo Buses global service network. VISTA 2015-2016 has been the biggest ever, with more than 18,500 participants worldwide.

CALTEX & X-MEN: APOCALYPSE Movie promotion and lucky draw from now till 12th June 2016

Chevron Malaysia Limited, which markets Caltex Lubricants in Malaysia -  Havoline® and Delo® have launched its very first partnership with Twentieth Century Fox the the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse movie. This is another one of those Marvel superhero movies. Highly anticipated by fans and moviegoers. This new campaign is called THE POWER OF X WITH CALTEX. 

Ford's engineers create the worst road in the world...for a good reason

Last year in the U.K.,  the Royal Automobile Club, the RAC (like our Automobile Association of Malaysia -AAM) responded to more than 25,000 pothole-related breakdowns. According to statistics this was a nearly 25 per cent increase since 2014. Poor condition and lack of maintenance of European roads are said to contribute to at least one third of all accidents every year. 

Some thoughts on technology and progress, how some jobs may be extinct because of it and the need for Malaysia and Malaysians to realise

The flower in the pic can produce rubber...imagine what would happen to our rubber industry if the process is perfected.

We are all aware of the low price of petroleum these days. This was caused by oversupply due to the United States of America suddenly becoming a net exporter of oil, the Arabs kept their production quotas high and China's economy slowing down. Oil is undoubtedly cheap these days but the surprising thing is that aside from pump prices being low, everything else is still high. I don't really see a 4 liter pack of fully synthetic engine oil suddenly being below RM100. Of course this could be down to production costs that aren't petroleum based. Again, something still has to maintain the overheads of the petroleum companies. 

More details on the upcoming MY AUTO FEST 2016

I was at the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) office yesterday for a short press conference. I had earlier mentioned that MAA will be organising a sales and promotion oriented auto exhibition called "My Auto Fest" at the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre (MIECC) from 20 - 22 May 2016. This was the official press conference describing the event for us to help publicise.

Ford Ranger Presents: Built Ford Tough - The First video of Four

The first of Ford's Ford Ranger Presents videos is out over at their Facebook page. You can view it here.

PRESS RELEASE

Ford Ranger Presents: Built Ford Tough

New Ranger Proves its Durability in Brutal Test of Truck Bed Strength

Spotted for Sale: 2002 Nissan Sentra with ONE CAREFUL LADY OWNER...

 Now here we have a 2002 Nissan Sentra for your viewing pleasure courtesy of mudah.my, the buy-sell website that I go to when I want to dream a little. According to the advert this Sentra belongs to a 'Careful Lady Owner'. Fuiyoh!!! Do you believe in Santa Claus, totally honest Politicians or truthful advertising? 

BFGoodrich Tyres are officially back in Malaysia with the Advantage T/A Drive, T/A SUV and All-Terrain T/A KO2 tyres

L-R - Mr. Putu Swaditya Yudha, Marketing Director Michelin Indonesia & Mr. Chandan Thakur, Managing Director Michelin Malaysia

BFGoodrich tyres are officially re-entering the Malaysian tyre market courtesy of Michelin Malaysia, the distributors of the tyre here. The new line-up, consisting of the new on-road BF Goodrich Advantage T/A® Drive and T/A® SUV tyres and the new off-road BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A® KO2 tyres . BFGoodrich Advantage T/A® Drive and T/A® SUV tyres are available in Malaysia in popular sizes from 13 to 18 inches starting from March 2016. While the BFGoodrich All -Terrain T/A® KO2 tyre are already available since January 2016 in sizes 15 to 18 inches. 

AmGeneral Insurance launches AutoGen Club and Opal Auto Mart Partnership

Mr Derek Roberts, Chief Executive Officer, AmGeneral Insurance Berhad (left) and Mr David Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Opal Auto Mart Sdn Bhd exchanging the documents after signing ceremony.

Recently, AmGeneral Insurance launched their AutoGen Club as well as entering into an agreement with Opal Auto Mart. 

The newly launched AutoGen Club will provide insurance solutions for AmGeneral Insurance's partners/agency members/ car dealers (new, reconditioned and used) for their customers.There is the Fast Claims Services which will enable customers to obtain their claims speedily. Other benefits for club members include Reimbursement of Internet Fees, Agency Convention to coincide with the International Motor Show, specialized Continuing Professional Development training and Enhanced Benefit for Insured with an Opal Warranty among its many privileges.

TEST DRIVE: 2015/2016 Peugeot 508 THP - The taste of something French every once in a while is good for you.

I got to try the facelifted Peugeot 508 a while ago. I was a bit too busy running around with so many things to do and test drives that it is only now that I found some time to string a few words together for this write-up. The model I got to try was the 2015/2016 Peugeot 508 THP.

A Malaysian wins a MotoGP Championship Race!!!! Congratulations Khairul Idham

Photo Source: NST

I do not write about motor bikes usually but a congratulations is in order to Mr Khairul Idham for making the nation proud. This FIRST EVER Malaysian to win a MotoGP World Championship race! The Honda Team Asia rider came first ahead of Jorge Navarro of Spain - Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 and Brad Binder of South Africa - Team Red Bull KTM. 

I am very proud of this man and I think motorsports could be another avenue for international glory for all Malaysians. Do you not think so too?

A New Hyundai 2S Spares and Service centre opens in Malacca

Premium Autoworld Sdn Bhd, an authorised Hyundai dealer has opened Malacca’s first Hyundai 2S GDSI (Global Dealership Space Identity) outlet. The 2S here means service and parts. This is in line with the opening of the first Hyundai GDSI showroom outlet back in 2014 to offer customers in Malacca (Melaka) better sales and service experience. The GDSI centre is also the the fifth in Malaysia.

Renault Fluence 'We've Got You Covered' promotion - Worry free ownership and one year free instalment

Renault distributor for Malaysia, TC Euro Cars today announced a new sales campaign on the Renault Fluence sedan aimed at providing enhanced coverage for customers in this current climate of economic uncertainty.

A documentary on the Ford Ranger will debut sometime next week on YouTube

Ford will launch sometime next week an online documentary on the Ford Ranger. Built Ford Tough, is an online documentary series from Ford that captures a team of Ford engineers in the field, punishing the new Ranger in conditions that echo what customers may experience and more.

Win Amazing prizes by participating in the 2016 Shell Advance Power On Contest!

  

New contest for you motorcyclists out there. Shell Advance, the leading motorcycle engine oil brand in Malaysia, is offering its customers the opportunity to win some amazing prizes in the latest edition of its popular annual consumer contest.

ASEAN NCAP results for the newly launched (in India, Indonesia & Thailand) Honda BR-V

The Honda BR-V is something new. It is a small sized Honda SUV that is priced below the HR-V and was developed specially for Asian markets, namely India, Indonesia and Thailand. It is powered by a 1.5liter engine and shares its base platform with the tiny city car called the Honda Brio which is sold mainly in Thailand, Indonesia and India. We do not get the Brio or the Amaze sedan version. So we most probably may never get this mini SUV. Unless Honda Malaysia can make a case out of it. 

Hyundai IONIQ Wins A 2016 Red Dot Design Award for Outstanding Vehicle Design

The newly revealed Hyundai IONIQ  has been recognized for its outstanding design in the coveted Vehicle category, becoming the sixth Hyundai car to receive a Red Dot title in the last three years. The IONIQ is the world’s first eco-friendly car to offer a choice of three alternative-fuel powertrains (full electric, hybrids and plug in hybrids). 

Tun Dr Mahathir Resigns as Chairman of Proton as well as the Chairman of Group Lotus

Tun Dr. Mahathir pictured here with Dato Harith (who is also reported to be leaving as CEO of Proton)

PROTON Holdings Berhad has officially announced the resignation of Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as Chairman of PROTON, effective immediately. Concurrently, Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun would also step down as Chairman of Group Lotus plc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PROTON. 

Ramblings on a Wednesday night - Spare Parts aren't cheap these days...except for....

I may not be as good as a BMW, but my spare parts are damn cheap!

It's been a slightly slow week for me in the automotive scene. I had other things to do and not much had gotten my attention. So today I'd just like to share a little bit of my thoughts on spare parts for car.

The Chelsea Truck Company Black Hawk Wide Track by Kahn Design

A Jeep Wrangler with the volume pumped up to eleven is what this is. Not much to say about this Chelsea Truck Company Black Hawk Wide Track except that it is done to satisfy the whims and fancies of those who want something brutal looking done to the old, trusty Wrangler. I don't think this is all about looks as at least the Chelsea Truck Company uses off road capable tyres. Not just for on the road posing only.

If you're in the UK you cn buy this for a smidgen under £50,000. Actually a whole £1 less than £50,000 that is.

Spotted for Sale: Toyota Wish TRACK CAR - Fuiyoh!!!!! Yeah Right

Here we have something that has been advertised as a track car. Here in Malaysia if a car is stated as a 'track car' it usually means that the car is one of those hatchbacks, coupes or sedans that have been specially done up to go for racing at either Sepang or the Pasir Gudang circuits. When so advertised, they are usually not street legal and is made up of cars that have been deregistered due to heavy mods or cars from neighbouring countries that are declared as scrap but kept in one piece.

The Nissan GT-R you've never wanted - UPDATED with more pics 29 March 2016

My friend, car enthusiast and occasional poster in here, Firdaus Asri, had sent me this photograph of something trying to be a Nissan GT-R.

Sime Darby Auto Connexion offers Ford Ecosport, Ford Fiesta 1.5L Titanium sedan and Sport hatchback with attractive rebates

Ford Ecosport

Somehow car companies are giving a lot of rebates at this point of time. This time we see Ford distributor Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC) offering attractive cash rebates of up to RM6,000 and low monthly repayments for selected Fiesta and EcoSport  variants nationwide, from now through 30 April 2016. 

Nissan Indonesia sells the styling looking CrossOver called the Juke...we get a joke

Here is another article to get your minds thinking a little. Last time I wrote about Perodua/ Daihatsu not giving us what Indonesia gets. This time it is Nissan Malaysia. 

Now Nissan Indonesia's idea of what an urban crossover vehicle that is chic, cool, hip, modern, hipster, tumblr, uber, rad and phoar is so much more chic, cool, hip, modern, hipster, tumblr, uber, rad and phoar compared to what Nissan Malaysia has in store for us. Take a look at what is offered by Nissan Indonesia above, and what Nissan Malaysia is offering us below.

Happenings: Shell Helix teams up with Sin Leong Seng Motor to maintain welfare centre's vehicles in Kajang

Shell Lubricants, via the Shell Helix brand has teamed up with one of its distributors Sin Leong Seng Motor Sdn Bhd in helping Persatuan Kanak-Kanak Istimewa Kajang Selangor (PKIK), an association which assists children and adults with learning disabilities.

Volkswagen Golf 1.4TSI upgraded for Malaysia

Volkswagen Malaysia has announced the upgraded 2016 Golf with new and added features at a lower price for the Malaysian market. There will be two variants – the Golf Highline which will be priced at RM159,888* and the Golf Comfortline priced at RM 149,888* (prices do not include registration and insurance).

Truck News: The Volvo Trucks Asia Pacific Fuelwatch Challenge 2016 is officially announced

As I've mentioned earlier,  Volvo Trucks' annual Fuelwatch Challenge is about to begin and now the official announcement from Volvo Trucks' Asia Pacific has been released. The 2016 Fuelwatch Challenge will again take place where Drivers across the region compete in their respective country editions of the Fuelwatch Challenge to be the top driver in their markets and a chance to contend for the prestigious title of the region’s most fuel-efficient driver at the global final in Sweden this time around.

News: MAA will organise the MY AUTO FEST from 20-22 May 2016 at the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre

The Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA)  will be organising a sales and promotion oriented auto exhibition called "My Auto Fest" at the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre (MIECC) from 20 - 22 May. The purpose of the event was that many of MAA's car company members felt that they should organise sales-oriented and promotion event to encourage better auto sales leading up to the  Hari Raya festive  season.

Test Drive: Renault Captur TCe 120 EDC - Renault's is out to capture the compact crossover market

The Renault Captur that I tested here is a something we call a Compact Crossover or a B segment SUV. Like most small SUVs in this category, it is based on a B segment sized car. It is actually based on the fourth generation Renault Clio compact car which has been made slightly longer, wider and taller.  Here in Malaysia, there is one model in the Captur lineup, the Captur TCe 120 EDC.