Public holiday post: My 'Mitsu' is as original as yours.

Honestly...why don't they just save their money and spare us the pain of looking at it.

30 Years of BMW M5 - May there be many more to come

The ultimate BMW 5-series has been around for 30 years. 

The first BMW M5, based on the E28 5 Series, made its debut in February of 1984. The original product placement for such a car was that it had the capacity of a sedan but the overall performance of a sports car. It utilized the top of the line 5 series, the BMW 535i chassis and an evolution of the engine from the BMW M1. At its launch, the E28 M5 was the fastest production sedan in the world. 282hp 3.5liter straight-6, 0-100kmh in 6.5seconds and a top speed of 246kmh. It was produced from 1985 to 1988. There was an earlier E12 M535i, but it wasn't officially badged as an M5, which is why it wasn't included here.

BMW Celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the BMW M5 with a special model - M5 "30 Jahre M5"

Has it been that long? I suppose it has. Starting from the E12 M535i, the E28 M5, E34, E39, E60 and currently, the F10. And so.......To mark the 30-year anniversary of the BMW M5 – the founder member of the high-performance business sedan segment – BMW has come up with an exclusive, special model version of the current, fifth-generation model boasting performance that sets it apart from its stablemates.

The BMW M5 “30 Jahre M5” (30 years of the M5) will be produced in a limited run of 300 examples vehicles worldwide. Developing 441 kW/600 hp and peak torque of 700 Nm (516 lb-ft), the new special model (fuel consumption combined: 9.9 l/100 km [28.5 mpg imp]; CO2 emissions combined: 231 g/km) is not only the most powerful BMW M5 ever to emerge from series production under the auspices of BMW M GmbH, but also the most powerful car in the history of the brand. The “30 Jahre M5” sprints from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in a lightning 3.9 seconds. 

KIA’S CHAMPS TO RIO WITH WINNER ANNOUNCED - Winning team to represent Malaysia at global futsal tournament in Brazil

Hurrah! A group of talented Malaysian Futsal players will represent us at a global futsal tournament in Brazil!! Good luck and all the best to them! Make us proud.

PRESS RELEASE

HIGH POINT AT KIA’S CHAMPS TO RIO WITH WINNER ANNOUNCED

Winning team to represent Malaysia at global futsal tournament in Brazil

Kuala Lumpur - Champs to Rio, a futsal tournament by Naza Kia Malaysia ended at a highpoint today with the announcement of the winning team after two gruelling days of round-robin challenges amongst 40 teams. The champion team, KSL FC comprising six players will represent Malaysia at the Kia Champ Into The Arena tournament in Salvador, Brazil on 4-7 July. In addition to the all-expenses paid trip to Brazil, the whole team will get RM10,000 in cash, a champion cup, champion medals, exclusive jerseys and tickets to the Quarter Finals of World Cup 2014.

Update on the Mercedes Benz 190e 2.3 8v..and a little bit more

The Mercedes Benz 190e 2.3 featured in here has gone through quite a bit of work. Mechanically its pretty sound with owner Adlis K only changing whats necessary (oil, fluids, belts as well as some screws here and there). These old Mercs are quite bomb proof you know.

The Mercedes evo 2 wheels have been refurbished and in line with keeping things very '2.3-16' the front AMG look bumper gets replaced with a fiberglass copy of the 2.3-16 bumper. And then the paintjob - Mercedes smoke silver, which looks like gold, one of two original colours for the 2.3-16. Yes, the car looks gorgeous, and drives well too.

Test Drive : 2013/14 Volkswagen Polo GTI - A spirited little terror

Hello folks, this review should have been out last Sunday but due to certain events I've only managed to complete it today. The 2013/14 Malaysian spec Volkswagen Polo GTI is in many ways like its more basic Polo 1.6 Hatchback that I tested earlier. Whatever that is not covered in here like its practicality could have been explained over there. This is the rest of it and do note that this is a review on how it drives. If you wanna know on whether it will break or not you may have to search elsewhere. But if you must know, nothing broke during the time I had the car. So on with the review then.......

NAZA KIA MALAYSIA ANNOUNCES NAME OF KID TO WALK THE PITCH AT WORLD CUP 2014

Press Release

“Fuleco Friend Search’ culminates in a battle among parents at Mutiara Damansara

Naza Kia Malaysia’s talk-of-the-town “Fuleco Friend Search” climaxed in a battle among parents at e-Curve today as hundreds of parents sweated it out to hold the “Fuleco” pose the longest. The heated competition was held as the last leg of the “Fuleco Friend Search” campaign for a parent to win an experience of a lifetime for their child. Usha Rani (mother) won her child, Deshshiv Darshaan (10 years old - pictured below) the priceless opportunity to walk hand-in-hand with Fuleco, the FIFA World Cup Mascot onto the pitch during the Semi Final game in Brazil.

Datuk Hafiz Syed Abu Bakar, Chief Operating Officer of Naza Kia Malaysia who officiated the competition said the company sees the global partnership with FIFA World Cup as a great opportunity to deliver the excitement of the brand to football-mad fellow Malaysians.

Volkswagen launches the locally assembled Jetta TSI

I attended the launch of the locally assembled (CKD) Volkswagen Jetta TSI yesterday. The car is about RM21,000 cheaper than the imported variant but still has 6 airbags, an audio system with Bluetooth, USB, Ipod, AUX with 6 speakers and a whole lot of family friendly features in a 4 door sedan body.

The event was pretty unique in that VW Group brought in their design head of the Asian design studios to explain a little about Volkswagen's DNA and styling cues. Of course, ultimately, the Jetta is a C segment family sedan and with that, is bound by a certain set of design rules and criteria within the VW Group. It may be handsome looking but you can't let it look too Audi-like in case Audi customers or the blokes designing Audis feel 'threathened'. Of course, Volkswagen can go bonkers, like their XL1 car recently. This Jetta has to make the numbers for them to build cars which are a little mad at times.

Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors Opens Its Second 3S Centre In Kota Kinabalu

We don't really post anything much from Sabah (or Sarawak for that matter) but Hyundai has opened up a second 3S centre over in KK. Hyundai-Sime Darby are gearing up throughout Malaysia.

PRESS RELEASE

Since President Obama's in town, lets talk about his ride - TheCadillac One

Barack Obama is the first American president that has visited Malaysia since Lyndon B Johnson eons ago (if I am not mistaken). I suppose it is quite right for me to write something about the Presidential State Car that he usually uses when visiting any place or country around the world.

The Presidential State Car is the official car of the President of the United States of America. The car is called the Limo One or the Cadillac One or even the Beast (by the US Secret Service). Note that it isn't called Ground Force One (ala Air Force One like the presidential aircraft) as that is reserved for a coach, or bus variant that the President uses.

Honda gets 10,000 bookings within a month for the All-new Honda City.

Fuiyoh. But what do you expect with the Honda City? It is a Honda and therefore its badge carries some weight. The all-new Toyota Vios seems like a rehash of the earlier one with and basically has a new suit (I have come to the opinion that Honda seems to have won this round as it has more tech, equipment and is unpretentious - I mean check out the Vios' interior fake leather stitching made out of moulded plastic for heaven's sake!!!!). The Nissan Almera seems to be downright dowdy in terms of styling. And everyone who's badge conscious, and there are many here in Malaysia, would not want to be seen in the quieter, more refined, sometimes faster (when turbocharged) Proton Preve and Suprima S.

So do read onwards to the press release if you are interested folks.

Resale Comparo - Five 2011 RM150,000 cars, or thereabouts.

Today's posting is something that I'd like you folks out there to start thinking and using your grey matter a little. This is a comparison of second hand prices of a few cars sold at the RM150,000 or thereabouts. 

I Spotted a 2011reg Volkswagen W Jetta 1.4TSI going for RM96,000 over at Mudah.my. In 2011 the car had a purchase price of RM149,000+ without insurance. This is a fantastic piece of kit as it has a 160ps twincharged 1.4liter engine as well as a DSG transmission. It gives you that feel of what a well built car and fun to drive as well as being actually a very stable drive at high speeds. Granted, it has its faults, one of them being its high maintenance costs. Well? What do you expect from an engine that has a supercharger and a turbocharger as well as a gearbox that shifts super fast and has no transmission lag whatsoever? Cheap technology? Like a BMW, you need to shower this car with TLC. More than you think.

I also spotted a 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0 High Spec (as it has a sunroof) comes in at RM89,900 which went for RM143,000+ when new. This one has Hyundai's fluidic styling and is 100% kimchi and Korean drama. This basically means a drama free drive as it is reliable and all. Drama free could also mean slightly dull. But like a good Korean drama that takes months to finish, the Sonata will be reliable until the end.

Those problems that suddenly disappear when you visit the mechanic and the non-turbo Proton Preve

The Proton Preve -  No Actual Photographs - Apologies, as I was too busy trying to help solve a problem with it

Earlier today I drove the Proton Preve 1.6 Executive CVT IAFM+(Automatic) - i.e the non-turbo version. The reason I did this wasn't because Proton loaned me a car to do so. I wish Proton did but they didn't. Anyway, the reason I drove this non-turbocharged or non CFE Preve was because my friend wanted me to diagnose a fault in his Preve. It supposedly would stutter and jerk after the car stops, enters into reverse, reverses then moves forward again. 

Now the thing was that after a good half and hour of trying to achieve the symptom mentioned by the Preve's owner I failed in doing so. I suppose this is something that some of us have experienced, where the car would suddenly suffer some failings but when it reaches the mechanic, nothing seems to be wrong. This has happened to me a few times personally and it is quite frustrating.

Volkswagen Premiers 4 New Models At Auto China 2014

Press Release

Volkswagen celebrates four world premieres at Auto China 2014
• Touareg, technically and optically refined
• Golf R 400, extremely sporty concept car
• New Midsize Coupé, four-door design concept
• Golf Edition, concept on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Golf

Test Drive: Hyundai i40 Tourer Sports 2.0 GDI Automatic - This could be the best D Segment Wagon on sale today.

Hyundai cars have come a looooong way since their introduction to this country. I remember when the first Hyundais made their way into our market in the early 1990s and during that time, there were not many takers of the brand. At a time where Proton had cars on waiting lists. Honda and Toyota were cars that people bought and where loan repayment periods were less than five years almost everyone bought what they could really afford or really want. So people went and bought the three cars mentioned above, as well as some Nissans by the dozens. Hyundai was still an afterthought. People did not see them as real quality stuff. Even I wasn't bothered with this Korean upstart.

But it wasn't the general public's fault. The earliest Hyundais were horrid creatures. They had something called the Scoupe, which was short for Sporty Coupe. It may have been called something else that starts with an S and it sure as hell wasn't sporty. It wasn't even remotely fast with the 1.5liter Mitsubishi engine that was installed in it. They also made something called the Sonata for the full sized family car category. It was categorically just as bad as the Scoupe as it was dull to look at, had horrible plastics and somehow not as enjoyable behind the wheel. As a means of transport, the Sonata of the early 1990s was fine. But that being said, so was a horse cart.

However, I must state for the record that times have changed. It has been quite ingrained in my sometimes pessimistic mind that the Koreans have not really caught up with the Joneses; the Toyota, Honda, Nissan and especially the continentals like Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz or even Volvo for that matter. How wrong have I been. The Hyundai i40 Tourer I drove recently is a fabulous, fabulous animal.

Men vs. MINI: MINI Malaysia Pits Man Against Machine in A New Online Video & Test Drive Opportunity

In conjunction with the launch of the New 2014 MINI (F56) cars, MINI Malaysia celebrates the uprated power and legendary go-kart agility of its new models in an action-packed online video that pits man against MINI. Conceptualised by Saatchi & Saatchi Arachnid, the web video nudges MINI towards an edgier, performance-oriented demeanour.

All-New Nissan Sylphy open for bookings - But most importantly, it has rear disc brakes

Disc brakes are an important milestone for the Sylphy (NOT SLYPHY - WHICH I HAVE BEEN MISSPELLING AS ITS SO DARN HARD TO SAY AND SOUNDS LIKE A DISEASE IN THE FIRST PLACE). The current model sold here was the only 2.0liter C-segment or small family car sold in Malaysia with drums brakes at the rear. Not that it couldn't stop very well, it had the usual ABS and EBD (brake assist) which makes brakes work tremendously well these days. But drums brakes, as I've stated in an earlier article about the Sylphy is suitable on a Ford Anglia or a 1954 MGTF. Or a DATSUN 120Y, if you want to play heritage with a Nissan. It is time for disc brakes all round and at last Nissan as put this on the now available for booking all new Nissan Sylphy. 

All-new Hyundai Sonata launched for the 2015 model year over at the 2014 New York Motor Show

 Hyundai has released the all-new Sonata for the 2015 model year. This is a whole new model folks. Note that its 'fluidic sculpture' design is in place but isn't so fluidic for this model. It looks slightly more conservative than the previous model and it also looks more conservative if you compare it with the European specced and inspired Hyundai I40. For your information, the Sonata is sold over in America but the i40 is sold in Europe. Maybe this is why there is a difference in styling. A more conservative looking, Ford Mondeo-ish looking car for America less curves compared to the i40. 

2015 Toyota Camry facelift previewed in the States...and the beast becomes slightly beautiful, and salable again.

I think Toyota Malaysia can breathe a sigh of relief again soon. The current Toyota Camry is a horrid, horrid looking thing. It looks like a piece brick with the front of a steam locomotive installed on it. But now, over in America, Toyota has just previewed the 2015 Toyota Camry at the 2015 New York Motor Show. The new Camry looks good, even almost good looking with all of Toyota's latest styling language.

Mazda previews the upcoming 2015 MX-5 drivetrain and it is quite interesting.

Mazda has shown the drivetrain of the upcoming 2015MY Mazda MX-5 and it looks interesting. Not because they're telling us that it'll have all of the latest Mazda SKYACTIV technology and what not but the picture itself.