2014 Mercedes Benz W205 C-class

Not going to add anything more than that it is bigger than the earlier W204 and like previous C-classes, apes the current S-class. Mercedes Benz has actually moved the goalposts (larger interior, exterior, materials used, construction, equipment etc) for the compact executive sedan category with this car in my opinion.

Sime Darby Motors lets go of Alfa Romeo in Malaysia

Tough. I remember reading sometime in 2006 that Sime Darby were serious in making Alfa Romeo work in Malaysia. They gave out pretty good warranties for the cars but it seems they have given up - voluntarily relinquishing their distributorship of Alfa Romeo in Malaysia.

Sometimes large conglomerates get over-confident, claiming that they can do wonders. Well, Alfa Romeo is an enigma all by itself and this year Alfa Romeo Malaysia managed a dozen or so cars. Last year they managed slightly below forty cars. This is quite a sad end to Sime Darby's venture with Alfa Romeo. But somehow this end is predictable.

 I mean how the heck can you try sell a premium Italian brand from one miserable showroom and service center in of all places, Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur? Everyone who sells premium cars is in Petaling Jaya, one should have stayed in Petaling Jaya instead of Jalan Ipoh. You only buy floor tiles and sanitary ware in Jalan Ipoh. How can you sell cars if you're not where the crowd who buys Alfa is? Maybe the only person that could sell Alfa Romeo in Malaysia was Ron Lim, the chap who used to run the previous Alfa Romeo distribution here who now runs Lamborghini Malaysia.

Anyway, press release from Sime Darby Motors after the jump.

Spotted for Sale: Butchered to heck 1969 W108 Mercedes S-class

I sometimes wonder what the heck were they thinking when people start projects like this one pictured herein. 

They take a car that already has some classic status and rarity, throw away the original engine, plonk in a 1JZ ('tiwe' should mean twin turbo) without a proper ECU, which means that the car cannot run or even start but they give you a new 'betty' - battery. The logic amazes me.

2014 BMW M3 AND M4 PHOTOS LEAKED

424bhp and over 500Nm in torque from a 3.0liter turbocharged straight-six engine (downsized from the previous generation M3). 0-100km/h in under 4.0seconds (according to the latest news) onwards to the 250km/h limiter. These are the first leaked photos of BMW's latest M3. It looks good with the different front and rear bumpers, outlet vents at the front fenders and that bonnet hump. This is internally codenamed as the F80

They've done it - New Proton Perdana Limousine AKA Honda Accord stretch

The new Proton Perdana limousine is out. It is basically a stretched previous generation (Eighth) Generation Honda Accord for the government. A Honda-Proton joint venture (or in simpler terms, rebadged engineering - with Proton engineering especially for this limo version). Normal length variants are to follow.

Royal Malaysia Police Land Rover Defender at work

This is a great photograph, taken from a  Facebook page, of an icon operated by the Royal Malaysian Police (Polis DiRaja Malaysia - PDRM). Hard at work during the recent floods in the East Coast. This photograph shows why we all love the Land Rover Defender. We hope that its future replacement would be as useful and as iconic as this one. 

At this moment we have our doubts. I mean, just look at it. The Land Rover Defender.

The reason why Volvo cars aren't selling here in Malaysia (and the rest of the world) these days.

Anyone know anybody who recently bought a brand  new Volvo? Nope? Neither have I. Why is it? The cars are well designed. The exterior looks pretty good and the interior gets some pretty nifty touches like the floating dashboard and unique switchgear. Everything feels well built but no one seems to be actually warming up to the Swedish brand here in Malaysia.

It used to be otherwise. In the 1980s and 1990s you see people driving Volvos everywhere. They were even the choice for Government officials and companies like using them for company cars. In those days Volvos were priced somewhere like where Volkswagen cars are priced these days, slightly lower than Mercedes Benz, BMW and Audi. Companies like giving the Volvo 240 or the 760 series as a car that sits between the higher priced Mercedes w124 200E and 230E cars. Somehow it showed you your place in the company's hierarchy and Volvos sold a fair bit then.