Porsche has released a collection of 4 videos to promote the new Porsche 911 Turbo S, set to make its public debut at the Geneva show later this month. The videos are quite interesting as they give a visual walkthrough of the technologies found in the Turbo S – we get to see cutaway animations of how various technologies work such as the dynamic engine mounts. A must watch for the Porsche-loving geek. Check them out after the jump.

VIDEO: The new 911 Turbo S – Efficiency demands Performance

VIDEO: The new 911 Turbo S – Personality

VIDEO: The new 911 Turbo S – Responsibility

VIDEO: The new 911 Turbo S – History

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

Source

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

New entries in the price sensitive and Suzuki-dominated Indian market more often meet failure than success but it doesn’t mean if you fail once you must give up. Renault will go solo in in its second attempt to make some good headway in the Indian market, after a JV with Mahindra to sell its sole offering the Renault Logan failed to make any significant headway. Earlier this year, the 51:49 Mahindra Renault JV announced that it would be restructuring its operations, after reporting a loss of 4.9 billion Rupees in the 08/09 financial year.

“Today we would like to reaffirm our intention to be a long term player in India, by announcing our plans to set up an exclusive Distribution Network for Renault cars that will be introduced in the Indian market. We will create an extensive nationwide distribution network in the next 30 months, to ensure our customers are assured of seamless service,” said Marc Nassif, Country GM and MD of Renault India.

Renault will be launching a few new cars in India in the next 2 years, and is set to offer a “full range” within 4 years. The Logan will probably continue to be sold by the Mahindra JV. The first “Mahindra-free” cars to be launched are the Renault Fluence (lowered-cost Megane sedan shown above) and the Renault Koleos, both of which will be available in 2011. They will be produced at a Chennai facility shared with Nissan. Naturally, a small car to compete with the likes of the Hyundai i10 is in the works.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

The two passes to this year’s KLIMS motorshow (3rd to 12th December 2010) may indicate that this is a model that’ll be launched this year – are we looking at the new Waja replacement which is rumoured to be based on a Mitsubishi Lancer, or something else? The contest will run from the 10th and ends on the 25th this month. You can click the thumbnail image on the left to view the full contest poster.

A little bird has indicated that Proton will probably take a small media group to the Geneva show (end February to March) this year, so there could be something of importance being unveiled there. Remember Azlan Othman’s tweet about Proton unveiling a new design direction this year?

Source: funtasticko & Ad

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

If you want something more than a 911 Turbo, insist on turbocharged power and don’t want to go the full way to get the expensive and hardcore GT2, here’s somewhat of a middle ground for you – the Porsche 911 Turbo S.

Power for the 911 Turbo S is up by 30 horses compared to the Turbo, so it now puts out 530 horses and a peak torque of 700Nm. There’s only one transmission available – the 7-speed Porsche PDK twin clutch transmission, which puts down power to all four wheels via the Porsche Traction Management all-wheel drive system.

The Turbo S comes standard with fade-resistant Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB), Dynamic Bending Lights, 19-inch wheels in RS Spyder design with central locking, a three-spoke sports steering wheel with gearshift paddles, adaptive sports seats, cruise control, a CD-DVD changer and an exclusive twin-tone leather upholstery in Black with Crema or Black with Titanium Blue.

Yours for Euro 173,241 including 19 per cent VAT in Germany for the coupe and 184,546 Euro including VAT for the cabrio. Look after the jump for a few very hi-res photos – they’re a few MB each! There’s also a video if you’re interested.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

Proton terminated the JV and naturally Goldstar was not happy. They went to court and the suit ended up being in arbitration in Singapore.

The result of the arbitration process is out:

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

This Subaru Impreza hatchback with off-roader style body cladding is the Impreza XV, which will get its public airing at the Geneva show next month. Subaru describes the XV as having “new crossover styling” which consist of a new front grille and wheel arches, roof rails and a roof spoiler besides the contrasting coloured panels. It will be available with the firm’s famous boxer engines, both in petrol and diesel and Euro 5 compliant. This is the only image released, so we’ll have to wait for a look at the front design.

Subaru’s Geneva stand will also have the good looking Hybrid Tourer Concept (as seen in last year’s Tokyo show) and the kei-car sized Stella plug-in hybrid.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

It’s been only two months since the new F10 5-Series was unveiled and I must say it has quite a huge responsibility to carry. After all, there is a new E-Class in Malaysia now that it must face to continue the fight to try to overtake the E’s dominance in its segment in Malaysia.

The previous E60 5-Series did really well for BMW and is so far the most successful 5-Series to date, although it is its predecessor the E39 that is fondly referred to by some as ‘Car Of The Year Forever’. The E60’s design is a love it or hate it affair. It got even worse when you got inside – the dash design was quite bland. And then there was also that 1st generation iDrive! Just bad! But you gotta give it to the chassis engineers – it did very well in the drive and comfort departments. It’s not just about doing well in both departments but the fact that they could make the car do both well at the same time.

And now we have the all-new 5 which drops the ‘E’ designation in its code name and is now called the F10 (which sounds a lot like the designations used to identify fighter jets). It’s built on a common platform as the F01/F02 7-Series and even the 5-Series GT. We have covered all the latest updates regarding the new 5, right from the launch report to an article that talked specifically about how it was designed.

Now we finally have the all-important test drive report to share with you as we flew all the way to Portugal to have a go in it both on roads and the Estoril circuit!

Read more after the jump.

The Design

When I found out that the new 5 was about to be launched, my fingers were crossed for BMW to come up with something that looked better than the model it was going to replace, because the company did just that when it rolled out the new flagship 7-Series. After seeing the images of the new 5 following its launch at the ‘mothership’ (which is Munich, Germany for those who are unfamiliar), I did not exactly jump out of my seat. It was nice, but something felt missing. Just like the E60, the design just didn’t hit the spot unlike how the E39 did, so I was a little disappointed.

Paul was then invited to a BMW event in Munich earlier this year to take a look at the model in the flesh. I remembered his words: “Photos don’t do justice to the car” and “It looks really good in real life”. So when I arrived in Portugal for the test drive event and looked at the new 5-er for myself, I knew what Paul meant. Trust me, it really looks much better in real life. It looks a hybrid between the new 7 and the facelifted 3-Series. Just like the simple mathematical equation – Seven plus Three divided by two is the new Five.

The taillights are nice to look at night, thanks to the way it glows up, although the actual shape (outline) of it kinda misses the spot. Nevertheless, everything about the exterior design looked just about right. But why it didn’t look as good in the photos? My guess is that the new 5-er has just too many design lines that require us to look at it in the flesh, especially the lines on the hood and on the sides of the car. You can’t really see that in photos so it ends up looking a little bland. The proportions are perfectly sized making it look aggressive yet graceful at the same time.

When designing the new 5-er, the designers had to work around stringent crash, aerodynamic as well as other engineering-based requirements and to be able to come up with this final product. I was also told that the designers had to go over quite a few things to enable the car to carry the Hoffmeister kink in the shape that the designers wanted it.

The Interior

BMW made the right choice to have an interior that is inspired by the new 7-Series. If you don’t pay attention to the details you might just mistake it for the interior of an F01. They’re both differently sized slices cut from the same cake, and it’s a good thing that the cake’s recipe is good in the first place

I really appreciate BMW bringing back the driver-focused centre dash. Switch and control tactility is just perfect. It’s a much better place to be in compared to the E60 that it replaces.

The seats offer very good support from almost every angle as well. The window controls are placed where they should be (unlike the pre-facelift E60, thank God!) and I must also say that the thickness of the steering wheel feels right as well. The steering wheel is something that connects you to the car, so it plays an important role in giving the driver the right feel behind the wheel. There is good support for your hands during normal driving and gives a sporty feel as well, which is good for those spirited weekend drives.

Both leg and head room are good in the front cabin and its the same thing in the rear as well. There are also enough storage compartments in the car. Cup holders in the centre console (instead of popping out of the dash like the E60), a reasonably sized glove box, front seats with pockets behind the backrest and a centre arm rest on the rear seat’s backrest on top of the other compartments on the door cards and so on make up for a practical enough interior. Although the boot isn’t all that deep, but its long.

The Driving

Just like most test drive events, we were given routes that were made up by a combination of curves as well as highway straights. Before we hit those roads we had to spend some time in city roads. In this part of Lisbon the 5-Series behaved well. City driving was a breeze. Just like how I feel that the new 7-Series feels like the 5 when you are maneuvering around town, the 5-Series now feels like a little like the 3. You don’t feel like you are behind the wheel of a big car. Portugal is a left-hand drive market and even with that driving in traffic jams and getting in and out of tight spaces isn’t a problem with the 5.

The model that I drove was the 535i and it was fitted with BMW’s optional Integral Active Steering which means the rear wheels can change their angle, depending on the driving situation. Thanks to this, making U-Turns was easier than ever as it allows for a tighter turning radius.

The 5 can also be equipped with Parking Assistant which works just like the versions found in certain Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz cars. The 5 will be the first car to get this – not sure why BMW took so long when its competitors have had this system for a long time. The system will detect if a potential side parking spot has enough space to accommodate the vehicle. The car can then maneuver itself into the spot by turning the steering wheel itself, leaving just the braking and accelerating to the driver.

You can also use a ’surround view’ system to see a bird’s eye view of the car. This uses various cameras placed on the car. The new 5 also has the option for a reverse camera, which is no biggie anymore at this point of time – alot of premium cars at this level are starting to have it.

The Brake Energy Regeneration feature of the EfficientDynamics system now has an indicator to show you what it is doing. Before this, it worked in the background and didn’t really provide the visual satisfaction that eco-freaks desired. For some reason they don’t exactly want to just save the environment, they want to be constantly reminded that they’re doing it and praised for it. Beside the fuel consumption indicator on the instrument panel you can see a battery logo and the word EfficientDynamics written below. This area is illuminated in sky blue. This simply shows you what the Brake Energy Regeneration system is doing. Whenever I hit the brakes and whenever I lift of the accelerator, the indicator moves, showing that the energy is being collected under braking and during coasting.

The road surface is very very smooth compared what we have to live with back home. The 5 was rather quiet while cruising on the highway and it really felt composed and planted even at high speeds of up to 190 km/h. There’s only one big question mark right now which I feel foreign drives like this don’t really answer for local markets – as European roads are generally better than the rubbish we get here in Malaysia, will the new 5’s ride (with its low profile hard sidewall runflat tyres and whatnot) feel as good on KL roads as it does in Portugal?

The model I drove was also fitted with a Lane Departure Warning system which monitors the lane markings on the road using a camera. It will then vibrate the steering wheel if veer off your lane. It vibrates just enough to let you know that you are not keeping the car in your lane. It feels much like how your steering would normally behave when one of your car’s wheels go over really thick and rough lane marker paint on the highway, and that kinda paint can be found everywhere in Europe so I suppose it feels natural to them.

The system really helps, especially when you are a Malaysian driving in the left-hand drive country! If you ask me, all cars in Malaysia should be fitted with this system and the steering wheel should vibrate even more and perhaps be configured even automatically give the driver a little static shock the next time he touches his door handle to get into the car to punish him if he veers out of his lane a little too often during a drive. That’ll teach those idiots!

A yellow triangular light fitted in the wing mirror housing will also blink if it thinks that the driver is making a dangerous lane change. I decided to try it out when I noticed there was a car on the right lane cruising at the same speed about one car’s length behind. The light blinked as expected and it blinked in a place that I could clearly see. This system is what BMW calls the Lane Change Warning system.

The 535i has a turbocharged, direct injected 3.0 liter 6-cylinder engine that is capable of 306hp and 400Nm of torque. Throttle response is quick and sensitive but not too jerky at the same time. The floor-mounted accelerator paddle (which I think should be standard in all cars!) feels well-weighted as well. Power delivery overall is very smooth and even while cruising on the highway at say 90 km/h and trying to overtake, it proved effortless.

If this engine is already so powerful, thinking of the 4.4 liter turbo-charged V8 in the 550i is really quite mind boggling! The upcoming M5 would be out of this world! The engine is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Thanks to this, gears can even change at below 2,000 revs during normal city driving, and this works throughout all the gears. As a result, when driven sedatedly the car is actually quite silent because the engine doesn’t really get very much over its idle speed. This probably helps with fuel consumption as well.

The model I had a go in featured variable dampers under the Dynamic Drive Package. These dampers adjust according to driving conditions. There are also four modes to choose from including Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport+. A number of automakers these days can probably just decide not to spend much time on fine tuning the chassis just by using these variable dampers. Chassis engineers might just end up being ‘lazy’ because of this.

But for the F10, even in Normal mode, the car still felt good over bumps and yet still performed well on the twisty roads. That’s a mark of a really tight chassis and the differences in drive enjoyment between Normal and Sport are really not that obvious because of this. Comfort gave a softer ride while Sport stiffened the dampers up. Different modes also offer different throttle and steering responses as well as different gear shift patterns on the transmission.

Estoril Race Track Experience

Unfortunately for us, a rather dull looking sky a day before worsened into showers on the circuit experience day, making it an all-wet affair. It was just my bad luck as I really wanted to push the 5 on the track and see how it performs although I was already given positive hints about it when I was in the mountains.

A wet track meant that we couldn’t turn off the traction control and had to be very careful on track. Even a Formula 1 car will have to slow down tremendously when the weather isn’t friendly. Nevertheless, it gave me the opportunity to find out how the 5 works its way around in such a condition.

The circuit was made up by a couple of short to medium length straights and slow to medium speed corners. I engaged the Sport mode and started my way around of the circuit. I just had to make sure that I don’t brake too late and accelerate too early mid corner.

The wet surface proved to be a nuisance and I had to make sure that the tires didn’t touch the slippery kerbs. The car behaved well through the corners though. Oversteer could be easily corrected by counter-steering and when it was understeer can be tackled by lifting off the gas and hitting the brakes a little to bring the balance back. Most of the time the ESP did it for me by cutting power and performing selecting braking. The 5-er is very balanced, predictable and forgiving under hard driving and it’s almost ridiculous to be using such words to describe a big sedan like the 5-er but that’s just how good the chassis boys at BMW are.

When you are in the market for a premium mid-sized sedan – apart from a more attractive price package – you will most likely look for something that looks good, aggressive and elegant at the same time, something that offers a luxury feel on the inside, something that drives like a dream and something that you take your family with for those weekend ‘balik kampung’ trips.

The BMW F10 5-Series could be the one that fits the bill perfectly, but given that the model we tested was a high spec 535i (not something your average Malaysian will be able to buy here) and we drove it on foreign roads, we’ll reserve our final judgment for when we try the 5-er out in more ‘affordable’ typical Malaysian specs, on Malaysian roads.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

The new BMW 335is is available in either Coupe and Convertible form and from what it looks like so far it’s a model destined for the North American market only. It’s basically a sportier and more powerful version of the 335i.

That’s not really that much of a bummer, as you can essentially just equip your bog standard 335i here with a tune from BMW Performance that boosts the engine to the same specs as the 335is – 320 horses and 450Nm of torque.

It’s essentially the same output as what you get in the 740i. But this new model has been added in the US at a time where the standard 335i without the “s” at the back will have its N54 twin turbo replaced by the N55 single twin scroll turbo that produces the same output as the outgoing N54 non-s engine.

The highest output factory standard version of the N54B30 so far is the one in the Z4 sDrive35is, which gets 335 horses and 450Nm, with a 50Nm overboost so it can peak at 500Nm depending on conditions. The 335is also have the 50Nm overboost feature.

Look after the jump for hi-res photos from a media test drive that BMW had in Portugal at the Estoril track recently, as well as two videos and a full press release with detailed specs.

VIDEO: BMW 335is LCI B-Roll

VIDEO: BMW 335is LCI at the Estoril Track

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

BMW has updated the second generation E70 X5 with the “LCI” treatment, which basically means a mid-life facelift in BMW speak. LCI stands for Life Cycle Impulse. The X5 gets the typical updates you’d expect from a 2010 BMW – an all-turbo line-up and the ZF 8-speed automatic transmission.

The new E70 X5 range consists of the xDrive35i, the xDrive50i, the xDrive30d and the xDrive40d. Over here in Malaysia the pre-FL X5 is sold with a 3.0 liter normally aspirated inline-6 (3.0is), a 4.8 liter V8 (4.8i) and a 3.0 liter turbodiesel (3.0d). It would be bloody nice if the 3.0is is replaced with the new xDrive35i model – that would be a proper 5-seater version of the scorching X6 xDrive35i that we can see increasingly often around the streets of KL.

The xDrive35i’s N55 engine uses a single turbocharger, but BMW still calls it a TwinPower Turbo, using the excuse that the turbocharger has twin-scroll technology. It makes 306hp at 5,800rpm and 400Nm from as low as 1,200rpm all the way up to 5,000rpm, taking the X5 xDrive35i up to 100km/h in 6.8 seconds while consuming about 10.1 liters per 100km.

The top of the range regular X5 (it’s still lesser than an X5 M)’s 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8 makes 407 horsepower between 5,500 to 6,400rpm and 600Nm of torque from 1,750rpm up to 4,500rpm. 0 to 100km/h takes just 5.5 seconds.

The xDrive30d has the new aluminum crankcase found in the 730Ld (the 3.0d pre-LCI X5 in Malaysia uses the engine preceding this aluminum crankcase model) and makes 245hp at 4,000rpm and 540Nm from as low as 1,750rpm to 3,000rpm.

The new xDrive40d variant is powered by the BMW TwinPower Turbo version of the company’s 3.0 liter turbodiesel engine, ,akin 306hp at 4,400rpm and a massive 600Nm of torque from as low as 1,500rpm. The engine in the xDrive40d uses a smaller turbo to get the engine going and then switches to a larger turbo to handle the upper reaches of the rev range.

Other than the obvious aesthetic changes which include new headlamps that have LED white corona rings instead of the yellow version that’s being phased out from the BMW range, the xDrive50i and the xDrive40d also gets updated suspension settings.

Look after the jump for a hi-res gallery and a video of the new LCI-ed X5.

VIDEO: BMW X5 LCI B-Roll

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

As motoring journalists, we’re very lucky to have the newest and shiniest cars in town parked in our porch. After awhile, the “immune system” gets build up to a level that only the very captivating will leave a mark.

The Volkswagen Passat CC is one such car because it’s such a beauty. I caught myself looking back everytime I walked away. I unrolled the curtains so I could occasionally look at it while reading the papers. Such was the effect.

Continue reading the report after the jump.

While the Passat CC looks pretty good in pictures, only in real life does it create the abovementioned symptoms, like the captivating girl you remember so vividly one week after that brief five-second encounter.

The CC is not so much a makeover of the standard Passat, but it’s as if this was the original sketch VW designers came up with before sensibility took over. Personally, I think that this car looks better than the Mercedes-Benz CLS, which we presume was VW’s inspiration for its four-door coupe.

Like the CLS, the Passat CC sports a wider, lower and sleeker shape over the car on which it’s based on, and it shares no body panels with the normal Passat.

To be exact, the CC is 34mm longer, 35mm wider and significantly, sits 55mm lower. This, plus the high and rising waistline results in a slim glasshouse which contributes to the CC’s coupe aspirations. Oh, and aren’t those turbine 18-inch alloys sexy?

The frameless doors also do their part in adding sense of occasion. Open them and you’ll find a sumptous cabin in tan leather. Perhaps VW has gone overboard in trying to make the Passat CC special by having just two individual rear seats; while it was just nice for my family of four, the lack of seating for five could be a potential deal breaker for many.

Moving on, while the basic dash design is carried from the normal Passat, the cozy and cocooning surroundings (you sit much lower too) and the very luxe Nappa leather makes it all feel a tad more exotic. The brushed aluminium trim is convincing and VW’s excellent RCD 510 system (not found in GTI/Scirocco) is a welcome inclusion – the full colour touch screen unit incorporates a rear parking camera and ParkAssist, which gives a bird eye’s view of the car relative to obstacles. Just as well, because outward visibility – especially the over the shoulder rear three quarter view – isn’t great, thanks to the small glass area and thick pillars. Coming out of junctions could prove tricky too.

Yes, there are some parts shared with the Golf, but they look and feel good enough to belong in this car. As a whole, the Passat CC’s cabin gives off nothing to premium badged compact execs in quality, and shades them in ambience.

Looking at that arching roofline, I expected the rear quarters to be cramped, but adults below six foot tall shouldn’t have any headroom problems. Those seated here enjoy good legroom and nicely sculptured seats plus ample storage in the centre seperator. Even better if there was a full length glass roof, but we’re just being greedy here. A luxurious long distance cruiser needs a big boot, and the CC’s trunk is so long that you’ll need a hook to get to bags stored deep inside. In absolute terms, its 532 litres is just 33 litres less than the standard Passat’s.

The Passat CC makes a strong case for itself on the move as an executive express, and asks plenty of questions of the German 3-Series/C-Class/A4 trio. With those compact execs, you pay more for less power, and the Passat CC is one swift car with the sole option of a 197 bhp/280 Nm TSI engine (the same EA113 engine as the Mk5 Golf GTI). VW quotes 0-100 km/h in 7.8 seconds and a top speed of 232 km/h, but in practise it feels much faster than those bare figures suggest, thanks to a turbocharged wave of low down torque sustained fairly long, coupled with a willingness to rev. Much has been said about this engine already, so we’ll just add that in the Passat CC, it’s better insulated than other sportier applications, which suits the effortless nature of this car.

The choice of a torque converter automatic over DSG also makes sense in smooth operator like the Passat CC. While VW’s twin-clutch box is fast, efficient and smooth, we imagine that it would be a tad dramatic and abrupt for the Passat CC’s nature. Volkswagen does offer it paired with the 1.4 liter TSI in another variant of the Passat CC though, but the 2.0 liter TSI gets the auto. In any case, the six-speed slushbox is a good one, never caught napping and very smooth. You never really need to do it yourself, which is a mark of a good automatic. The wide 235-section tyres however (with ContiSeal self sealing technology, auto seals punctures from objects up to 5mm in diameter) generated lots of noise when cruising, marring slightly the otherwise excellent comfort.

The Passat CC gets VW’s DCC Adaptive Chassis Control, which electronically matches the damping to the conditions; there are also two driver selectable presets – Sport and Comfort besides Auto. As mentioned before, DCC is not a gimmick and you do really feel the difference between modes. Sport brings with it a heavier steering and a firmer ride, but Auto is good for most of the time. The presets are better sorted than Audi’s Drive Select.

Despite wearing very thin rubber, the CC rides very well, on the firm side when you’re in Sport but never jarring. The steering’s weighting is good, but could do with more feel and the chassis doesn’t respond to hard driving as enthusiastically as the Ford Mondeo we recently tried, but you rarely feel the urge to test the limits in the VW – it’s not that sort of car. On its own, the Passat CC is good to drive swiftly – fast, composed and stable footed, good enough for most of us.

The Passat CC is the best seller of the three latest VWs to hit our market, mainly because of the attractive RM239,888 price. For that money, you get a lot of equipment (besides those already mentioned, bi-xenons, dynamic cornering lamps, electronic parking brake, sunroof, electric rear sunshade and keyless entry are all standard), certainly more than the locally assembled 320i or C200K, both of which cost almost RM10K more.

This good value is likely to seal the deal for those already tempted by the style, comfort and pace on offer.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

UMW Toyota has put up a teaser announcing the coming launch of the facelifted Toyota Vios with the updated grille, tail lamps and etc that we saw earlier.

As expected, UMW Toyota has jacked up the prices of all models. Even the cheapest manual 1.5J has had a price hike, bringing the price now to over RM70k when previously it was priced just under RM70k. Of course, these price hikes could be accompanied with equipment list changes.

The price hike brings the top of the range Vios extremely close to the top of the range Kia Forte 2.0 SX – there’s a price difference of only RM1,000 and the Forte is a C-segment 2.0 liter sedan with a GEMA engine similiar to the one used in the Lancer, while the Vios is a 1.5 liter B-segment. On paper, the only thing the Vios has up on the Forte is a 3-year warranty (and double mileage) versus 2-years for the Kia.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

The Ford Focus RS is one hot looking hot hatch and Ford of Switzerland has raised the temperature further with this special version called “WRC Edition”. It will be produced in a limited run of 50 units to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Ford’s RS division.

The WRC Edition, which pays tribute to the legendary Escort RS1600 that was launched in 1970, was designed with the help of Swiss fans who participated in a design competition. The winning design’s base is a “Frozen White” paint finish contrasted by black and green stickers and stripes as well as the 19-inch OZ Superturismo GT multispoke alloys in black. As with all special editions, there’s a plaque and this one bears the signatures of Ford WRC drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen.

No changes under the bonnet, so the 305 bhp 2.5-litre turbocharged inline-five sprints to 100 km/h in under 6 seconds and on to a top speed of 263 km/h. It is priced at 55,900 francs or about 37,950 euros. Check out some of the proposals that didn’t make it after the jump.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

Now comes Live Every Litre – even the name sounds quite alike to Drive Every Drop. It’s also a show, but the concept is completely different. With Live Every Litre, Honda will put real participants behind the wheel of a Honda CR-Z, and cameras mounted around the car will record the participants’ journey and/or challenges across Europe.

VIDEO: Live Every Litre ‘Trailer’

Participants can do whatever they want. Honda gave a few examples in their press release – “propose to their girlfriend in Paris, take their band to play a charity gig, trace their ancestry to find a long lost relative, drive on a road they’ve always dreamed off.” Reactions, emotions, and experiences will be captured by the cameras.

All the footage will then be edited into a documentary-like film by Swiss filmmaker Claudio Von Planta and his team.

If you want to participate, you can logon to Live Every Litre’s website. I think it’s only fair to assume that you have to actually be in Europe to enter. As of today, you have 43 days left to apply, and they will begin filming in May.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

Carlsson calls this a ’self-developed’ automobile, but one look and you’ll know it still has a lot of Mercedes-Benz underpinnings. It’s probably a rebodied SL, which Carlsson calls the new Carlsson C25, which will debut at Geneva 2010 this March.

The 6.0 liter twin-turbocharged V12 under the hood of the C25 makes 753 horsepower and an insane 1,150Nm of torque, which will take it from 0 to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds. And 1,150Nm is just the limited figure (likely to preserve the mechanical sanity of drivetrain components) – fully unlocked it has a 1,320Nm peak at 3,750rpm.

Seriously, even in normally aspirated form a 6.0 liter engine would be putting out something close to 600Nm which is already going to give you a huge kick in the butt when you put the pedal to the metal. It’s one of my dreams (and probably any motorheads dreams) to experience acceleration from torque in excess of 1,000Nm one day!

The C25 was designed as a ‘Super GT’. It will go into production, but only 25 units will be made. There’s actually something very interesting about how these 25 units will be distributed. Each owner is promised that he’ll be the only C25 owner in his country! Once you buy a C25 in the USA, no one else can order a C25 and register it in that country. This means it will be offered in a maximum of 25 countries.

Not sure what’s preventing some rich guy from ordering one in some weird country somewhere and importing it to his original country though. Anyone wanna bet if there’ll be one in Malaysia?

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

The German was linked with a drive at Mercedes before Silver Arrows opted for the returning Michael Schumacher. When that happened, “Quick Nick” was reported to be in talks with Renault and Lotus but none materialised.

“I am very pleased to be joining the Mercedes GP Petronas Formula 1 Team. It’s the team which has attracted the most interest in the close season, not only because of the comeback of Michael Schumacher, but also because this season sees the return of the Silver Arrows cars as a Mercedes-Benz works team for the first time in over 50 years

“While I would of course have preferred a seat as an active driver, I am really proud to be part of the new Silver Arrows team. I have seen how committed everyone at the team is and I feel the same. I will be doing my very best to support Michael and Nico this year,” Heidfeld said.

With Heidfeld on board, Mercedes GP Petronas now has three German drivers!

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

The Geneva Motor Show is fast approaching, and there will be many previews before the press unveilings start on 2nd March. Here’s one from Volkswagen’s Spanish brand SEAT, which will debut this Ibiza ST in Switzerland. An extension of the Ibiza supermini family, the Ibiza ST (Sport Tourer) will have six engines shared with its VW Group cousins, four of them TSI/TDI units with direct injection and turbocharging. DSG is an option and there will be three trim lines – Reference, Style and Sport.

The Ibiza ST features SEAT’s unique design language with its “arrow design”. With a length of 4.23 metres, this compact wagon is 18 centimeters longer than the Ibiza hatch, with 430 litres luggage volume before folding the split rear seats. SEAT makes a lot of noise about the quality of the interior, which is claimed to be functional, practical to use, and meticulously crafted, with high quality materials and tight tolerances.

Gallery is after the jump.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

We’ve just saw the 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Mazda MX-5 and here’s another “edition” car, this time it’s Nissan with the 370Z Black Edition that marks the 40th anniversary of the Z-car. Available from April as a coupé only, and in a limited run of just 370 units in Europe, it comes in two metallic shades: black and quartz. Both paints use Nissan’s pioneering Scratch Shield technology which “heals” the finish in the case of stone chip damage.

You can spot a Black Edition by its dark grey 19” aluminium forged RAYS wheels, red brake callipers and 40th Anniversary emblem at the rear. Inside, there’s red leather and suede on the seats and door trim, with embossed 40th Anniversary logo on the chairs. To match that, the leather steering, centre console and knee pads come withe red stitching. Nissan’s Connect Premium combined touch-screen satellite navigation and audio system with USB connectivity (9.3GB hard disk) tops it all off.

No change under the skin. The 370Z is powered by a 324 bhp 3.7-litre V6 capable of 0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds (5.6 seconds for the automatic version) and is Euro 5 compliant. Edaran Tan Chong sells the standard 370Z in Malaysia at RM370,000. Interestingly, our car is quoted to have 328 bhp – perhaps Nissan had to sacrifice a few horses to meet Euro 5 standards.

More pictures after the jump.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

If you don’t know the name BYD, perhaps you might have seen some of their cars on this blog or car magazines. I was shocked speechless at the Shanghai Motor Show to see a Mercedes CLK front merged with a Renault Megane CC rear! Or how about the famous Altis front-City rear F3 sedan, or even the cloned Toyota Aygo?

Well, there’s a possibility of these cars coming to our shores as BYD Auto (Build Your Dreams) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Berjaya Corp Bhd to explore the possibility of building the F0 1.0-litre small car for ASEAN. F0 is the Aygo lookalike currently retailing for US$5,000 to US$7,000 in China.

The terms of the agreement includes a feasibility study on the conversion of the left-hand drive F0 to a right-hand drive version together with related research and development as well as having Berjaya as the distributor of the vehicle. Both parties would also cooperate in setting up a manufacturing plant near Rawang where Berjaya has set aside a 100-acre site.

But first, Berjaya needs a new manufacturing license as under the current National Automotive Policy, the Government has frozen licenses for the manufacture of petroleum-based vehicles under 1.8 litres. Berjaya executive director Datuk Francis Lee said there was “a strong case” for the Government to approve the manufacturing license as the deal would be the first step towards making Malaysia the regional hub for BYD’s right hand drive cars.

Shenzhen-based BYD is an auto and battery manufacturer that’s relatively advanced in the development of hybrid and electric vehicles. It was the fourth-largest automaker by sales volume in China last year with more than 450,000 units sold, and targets to touch 800,000 units this year. Berjaya’s Lee added the future plant would be initially for petroleum-based vehicles but would be expanded to include BYD’s new-energy vehicles at a later stage.

Source

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

At times, it’s good to lighten up a little, take our mind off government policies, impending fuel price hikes and overpriced cars, that’s why we’re sharing this with you. Citroën has been the “official car” for Arsenal Football Club since 2008, and the French car company recently placed new luxury pitch-side seats at the North London club’s Emirates Stadium.

I always wondered why footballers would want to watch their teammates in tight Recaros, but these red Citroën seats with the Arsenal crest actually look really plush – I wouldn’t mind them in my living room (by now you must have guessed which team I support). Designed by Loughborough UK based Auto-kit International, the 40 seats are wrapped with top-quality leather. Gunners boss Arsène Wenger said: “We are delighted with the new Citroën dugout seats, which are a real improvement and very much in keeping with the overall stadium design.”

Seen here are Thomas Vermaelen, Manuel Almunia, Craig Eastmond and Eduardo. Perhaps they should spend less time on PSPs and train harder for this Sunday’s must-win match against Chelsea! A closer look at the new chairs after the jump.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

Although not all of us own iPhones, it’s still somewhat more accesible than the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, otherwise known as “the new Gullwing”. Why do we put these two cool products together? Because moving an iPhone around will be the closest most of us will get to driving the SLS AMG, as Stuttgart has launched a new iPhone application called SLS AMG (a highly creative name we must add).

The SLS AMG app has been “designed to give players a taste of the new super sports car via 360° gameplay featuring the iPhone’s innovative accelerometer technology” says Mercedes. Players can either play alone or pit their skills in races against other players from all over the world. The app is free.

Proving that Mercedes is taking games very seriously, the three-pointed star has also managed to place their hero car on the cover of the upcoming Gran Turismo 5 for PlayStation 3. The gullwing will create history as the first German car to star on a cover of the hit racing simulator series.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

Virgin Racing Formula One team, one of the sport’s four new entrants for the 2010 season, has unveiled its VR-01 race car. Virgin says that the VR-01 “is the first of a new breed of race car designed entirely in the digital domain using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics)”, which means there were no scalemodel and no wind tunnel testing to bring this car to life. The digital launch happenned on VR’s website and the VR-01 was taken directly to Silverstone where it will undergo a two-day shakedown prior to its first scheduled test in Jerez next week.

When “virgins” Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi start testing, the VR-01 should feel very similar to the car they “drove” on the Wirth Research simulator, said Technical Director, Nick Wirth. The team that was originally named Manor Motorsport are using Cosworth’s CA2010 V8 engines this year.

“I’m sure we will be measured by how fast the car is on the track in Jerez next week, but I hope that doesn’t overshadow the far bigger achievement of pulling an entire racing team together and taking a brave step that defies convention. In many ways this is an exploration, but given the absolute self-belief we have seen, I can’t help but feel very excited about what we can go on to achieve in the years ahead,” said Sir Richard Branson, Virgin’s chairman.

Cool logo, cool livery (check out the “tribal tattoo” design!) and a cool boss – Virgin could well take over from the Red Bull contingent as the fun guys of the paddock!

More pics after the jump.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

The Renault Nissan Alliance, which now counts Russia’s AvtoVaz Lada brand as part of its group, captured 9.8% of the global auto market in 2009, an increase from 2008’s 9.4%. This result was achieved in a global market that contracted 4.5% last year, and desipte the decline in volumes for Renault (-3.1%) and Nissan (-9.4%). Renault and Nissan sold 2,309,188 and 3,358,413 vehicles respectively, while Lada accounted for 417,457 units.

In Western Europe, Renault reclaimed third spot, mainly due to new additions Megane and Twingo. In its home market, Renault sales increased by 7.3% and it retains the title of France’s best selling brand with a 23.5% market share. The brand also grew in Korea through subsidiary Renault-Samsung Motors.

Nissan meanwhile closed the year with total sales of 3,358,413 units or a market share of 5.4%. In China, now Nissan’s second largest global market after the US, passenger car sales increased 38.7% to 755,518 units. Sales were led by the Teana flagship model (108,504) followed by the Sylphy (96,174).

The new Teana should be launched in Malaysia this year as Nissan’s challenger to the Accord and Camry. In Thailand and Singapore, the D-segment contender can be had with two engines; the MR20DE 2.0-litre (as found in the Sylphy) and a 2.5-litre V6 with 180 bhp and 228 Nm, figures that are slightly higher than the Accord 2.4.

Nissan (Jatco) makes some of the best CVT gearboxes around and the Teana will get that instead of a torque converter automatic. Prices are bound to be much more competitive than the previous model, which only sold by the handful due to a scary sticker price.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

The 599XX is one of of the most extreme cars Ferrari makes, along with fellow XX model FXX. Making its debut at last year’s Geneva show, the 599XX is made for track but not official competition use, which means it’s unrestricted either by homologation limitations or regulatory restrictions. This 700 bhp Prancing Horse is, in Ferrari’s own words “a genuine technological laboratory” which “incorporates the very best of Ferrari technology”.

The 599XX has finally made its track debut, driven by none other than the Scuderia’s F1 driver Felipe Massa. The Brazilian driver met 599XX customers and members of Ferrari’s Corse Clienti programme (private owners who race Ferraris) at the Ricardo Tormo track in Valencia , leading seven cars around the circuit. After several laps Felipe said: “I really enjoyed testing this car, I think it’s extremely powerful and has an exceptional stability. Considering that it has been planned for the track it’s really easy to drive.”

Ferrari will organise customer events on race tracks in America, Europe and Asia featuring the 599XX. My guess is that the Asia leg will be in Shanghai to coincide with the F1 race. I was at an A1GP race in Shanghai when Ferrari held such an event featuring the FXX, which sounded absolutely ballistic! More pictures after the jump.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

Peugeot has dominated the Intercontinental Rally Challenge for the past three years with its 207 S2000 rally car, and most recently British driver Kris Meeke wrapped up the 2009 season in style, taking for himself the 2009 IRC drivers’ title. To commemorate the victory (and to sell more cars) Peugeot UK has created the Special Edition 207 S16, which is limited to 250 examples.

Based on the three-door 207 Sport 1.6 VTi, the S16 adds on full 207 RC Cup bodykit comprising front and rear spoilers, side skirts and a “pseudo rear diffuser”, 17″ Hockenheim alloys, SP Sports mesh grille, dark tinted rear windows from the 207 GTi, a special interior badge signed by Kris Meeke and of course – vinyl rally graphics which mimic Meeke’s IRC winning 207 S2000. The decals blends elements from the Union Jack and Peugeot’s lion; thankfully they did not cover the bonnet with the flag as well, as the race car does. Not all will like it, so they can have their S16 in pure Bianca White.

Top speed of 200 km/h and 0-100 km/h in 10.7 seconds isn’t really SS winning speed but hey, at least you’ll feel like a champ behind the wheel!

One more image after the jump.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

The Kia Ray concept car will make its debut at next week’s Chicago motor show. Previously we’ve seen a design sketch that showed a low-roof coupe style four-door body. That image, which shows the rear of the Ray, also revealed a glass roof and prominent wheel arches. Now we can see the front design – no grille, long headlamps that stretch into the front fender and very little front overhang.

Styled at the Kia Design Centre in the US, the Ray is a plug-in hybrid that also shows off “Kia’s evolving design direction”. Since we like how the current crop of Kias look, it’ll be interesting to see how they’ll evolve.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

We already saw how the new Kia Sportage looks like in clear view thanks to EU patent applications mid last month, but here are the first official teaser photos from Kia, which they posted on their Kia Buzz blog.

Both an orange and a silver car is pictured. The teaser actually includes both the North American spec and the Europe spec. The North American spec is the one with amber signal lamps as required by their laws (pictured above) while the Europe spec has fully clear lenses. Looks pretty good, like a smaller and stouter version of the Sorento!

The new Sportage will be longer, lower and wider than the previous generation model. It will also have a longer wheelbase which will likely translate to a roomier interior and a plusher ride. It will premiere at the Geneva show in March.

Look after the jump for the full pix.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

What does Spyker see in Saab? What does it plan to do with the brand from now? How different will the new Saab be? New models? There are tons of questions we can throw at Spyker, the small volume Dutch sportscar maker who succeeded in buying Saab from GM. Well, Spyker has now shed some light on the matter.

Under the new masterplan, Spyker will now be called Saab Spyker Automobiles NV and this entity will operate Spyker and Saab as two separate companies. Saab will be repositioned as an “independent performance-oriented niche car company with an industry-leading environmental strategy”. The Saab Business Plan, drawn up by Saab management over the past ten months, will be executed and enhanced upon.

Saab will have three main model lines: 9-3, 9-5 and 9-4X. There’s a possibility of adding a smaller car line should the “positive development of the smaller car segment continues”. However, the “9-1″ is not included in the Business Plan and will need additional financing for development. Upcoming launches will be the new 9-5 this year, the 9-4X in early 2011 and the new 9-3 in 2012. Saab cars will use their “strong and unique brand heritage” to rival Audi and BMW.

Saab’s Trollhättan facility has full capability in developing complete vehicles and will continue to do so. Calling it one of the most efficient mid-size car plants in Europe, Saab Spyker aims for production and sales volumes to be rebuilt to “recent pre-crisis levels of about 100,000 to 125,000 vehicles”. This figure will include the 9-4X, which will be built in Mexico alongside stablemate Cadillac SRX. Beyond that, on-going collaborations with GM in parts sourcing will continue, but Saab Spyker will gradually reduce dependency on GM in this aspect.

How about Spyker, the car brand? It can benefit from Saab’s extensive global network of 1,100 dealers, its engineering know how and technologies. The two brands will share parts in the future.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

Heard of Stefan GP? A Serbian based team named after founder Zoran Stefanovic, Stefan GP failed to gain a ticket to enter the 2010 Formula 1 season, but will still go ahead in launching its car and testing it. The car in question is actually a Toyota in disguise, as Stefan GP managed to buy the Japanese team’s chassis, gearbox and 2010 spec engine. The renamed Stefan S-01 chassis and Stefan RG-01 engine will be serviced by Toyota.

The team is unrelenting in its pursuit of an F1 slot, and has announced that it will test its car later this month in Portugal with two drivers. Despite not having an entry, Stefan GP is sending equipment to Bahrain for the 2010 F1 season opener! Now, Mr Stefanovic is either a loony or very confident that one of the new teams will fail to make the grid, allowing his team to take over the spot.

If the latter situation comes true, Stefan GP will be relatively well prepared to race – it has a potential points scoring machine in the “Toyota TF110″ that never was, testing under its belt, and former Williams driver Kazuki Nakajima as one of the team’s drivers, according to an Autosport report. Another man under Stefanovic’s payroll is former McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan, who was fired for his part in the Spygate scandal.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.

Some 15 per cent of road accidents in Malaysia are related to bald or regrooved tyres, according to Jabatan Keselamatan Jalan Raya (JKJR) Director General Datuk Suret Singh at a ceremony where Goodyear dealers pledged their support to the recent move the JKJR and the Ministry of Transport to ban the selling of bald and regrooved tyres in an effort to improve road safety levels in Malaysia. Regrooved tyres are produced by carving new treads into a worn tyre to create more tread depth.

The Goodyear dealers promised that such tyres are not sold, stocked or displayed in their premises. In addition, posters, banners and brochures will be placed in their outlets to educate consumers on the dangers of using these “recycled” tyres. “It is extremely dangerous to use these types of tyres. Take two minutes to check the condition of your tyres before embarking on your journey,” Datuk Suret added.

For this, Goodyear recommends the “20-sen tyre test”. Insert a 20-sen coin in the groove of a tyre to check the depth of the tread. If the word “sen” is clearly visible, then the tyre is considered “bald” and should be replaced. Alternatively, you can drop by any Goodyear Autocare or Servitekar outlet for a free 10-point check, which includes inspection of your car’s tyre pressure and wear, power steering fluid, air filter, spark plugs, engine oil, transmission fluid, radiator coolant, brake pads and fluid, battery terminal connection and water, as well as fan and air-conditioning belts.

© 2010 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Tue, 09 Feb 10 09:35:30 +0000.