Paul Tan's Raves and Rants on the Automotive Industry

Toyota Crown Hybrid features active noise control

News Editor — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:23:49 +0000

Toyota has added an “active noise control” system to the Toyota Crown Hybrid which works similiar to the way noise canceling headphones work.

Toyota says during slow city drives of between 20 to 40km/h where engine RPM is between 1,000 to 3,000rpm, muffled noise of between 50 to 150Hz can typically be transmitted to the car, impairing the car’s interior comfort.

Three microphones in the car’s interior picks up this noise and sends it to the active noise control system. The system then generates an antiphase sound signal from a set of speakers to counter the noise. Three speakers are used located on the left front door, right front door and one rear woofer. Distance between the mics that pickup the noise and the head of a passenger as well as the shape of the car’s interior has to be taken into account. Toyota says this can reduce noise levels by between 5 to 8dB.

Although there are similiaries between the Crown Hybrid and the Lexus GS450h’s hybrid drive system, the active noise control is not necessary in the Lexus GS as the engine RPM in the GS is higher at the same speeds. This is because the Crown Hybrid’s ratios are tuned for better mileage.

ETCM plans to bring in Nissan electric cars in 2015

News Editor — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:23:23 +0000

Despite also working on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, Nissan will go for electric first. Nissan is planning to sell electric vehicles (EVs) around the world by the year 2012 (with production version fleet tests beginning 2010), and the Nissan Denki Cube Concept displayed at the 2008 British International Motor Show is an example of such an EV.

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said that to remain cost effective (Nissan wants an immediate profit upon EV introduction), electric cars will have to be modular and be configured differently according to each country’s needs. He gave an example: an EV in the US would need a range of at least 160km to be practical but an European market EV would do fine with an 80km range. Different communities also have different tolerances for how long they have to wait to recharge their car.

He stressed on the fact that Nissan’s new cars would be pure electric vehicles. “I don’t want a range extender. I don’t want another hybrid. It’s not going to be zero emissions in certain conditions. It’s going to be zero emissions.” The Nissan electric drivetrain will also be shared with Renault. Renault and Nissan aim to jointly sell 1 million electric cars a year, though they did not mention by when they hope this goal can be met.

In the US, Nissan would begin its EV trials in the state of Tennessee in the year 2011. Nissan is now working with the Tennessee Valley Authority electricity company to study and develop the infrastructure needed to support electric vehicles. This infrastructure included the possibility of charging stations being set up around the state so you could charge your car (and pay for charging it) anywhere other than home. Similiar deals have also been signed with Portugal, Israel and Denmark. Talks are being held with other parties in North America, Europe and Asia.

Nissan’s BIMS 2008 concept car (shown above and after the jump) takes a standard Nissan Cube and replaces its 1.3 liter internal combustion engine with an electric motor hooked up to lithium ion batteries located under the floor and seats. The batteries are from Automotive Energy Supply Corp, a JV company between Nissan and NEC.

Edaran Tan Chong Motor executive director Dr Ang Bon Beng said that ETCM is in talks with Nissan to offer a range of Nissan electric cars here in 2015, three years after the EV range’s planned 2012 global launch. Hopefully our automotive market will be more “liberalised” by then so these can be enjoyed by the public at affordable prices. JPJ also needs to figure out road tax for electric motors.

PHOTO GALLERY: Nissan Denki Cube Concept
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo

Proton: no warranty claims recorded for Perdana V6 Executive that needed over RM100k in repairs

News Editor — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:51:29 +0000

Proton has come out to defend itself against allegations that the Proton Perdana V6 is too expensive to maintain to the point that the Terengganu state government decided to replace their 4-year old Proton Perdana V6 Executive cars with a fleet of 14 brand new Mercedes-Benz E200K cars.

Proton says a regular periodical service plus oil filter for the Perdana V6 typically costs around RM200, excluding any other incidental spare part costs. With proper care, original parts and good driving habits, there should not be any major problems with the Perdana V6’s gearbox, and that the recommended service schedule for the Perdana V6 is every 5,000km or every 3 months of usage, whichever comes first.

The big shocker is this: after digging through records, Proton found that there have never been any warranty claims made by the Terengganu state government since October 2004 for one of the cars that supposedly racked up over RM100,000 in repairs. The car was purchased in May 2004. In a previous story the state government claimed two of their Perdana V6 Executive cars incurred repair costs of RM175,229.97 and RM132,357.76 respectively since 2004.

When contacted, a Proton official mentioned that the Perdana V6 comes with a 2 year warranty. Who was maintaining and repairing these cars? Why didn’t the fleet manager claim warranty on defective parts from Proton? The answer could be one of two things:

a) the incidents which incurred repair costs only happened in the car’s third year of service onwards after the 2 year warranty period so no warranty claim could be made
b) this is another case of bocor.

Proton added that it would be seriously looking into this matter and will be contacting the Terengganu State Government to find out service history records for the affected cars and provide necessary assistance.

UPDATE: The DPM said government cars has to be national cars. The Terengganu state government justified its E200K purchase by saying Paragraph 6 (II) of the Treasury Circular No. 1 of 2008 allowed government cars that were national cars or locally assembled cars, and the E200Ks purchased are locally assembled models sourced from Mercedes-Benz Malaysia’s Pekan plant. Datuk Shahrir Samad commented on this, saying that the state government misunderstood the circular. The provision for the purchase of locally assembled cars instead of national cars was only for purchases of 4WD vehicles if necessary as Proton did not offer such vehicles in its model line-up.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro Details and Hi-Res Photos

News Editor — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:20:34 +0000

We’ve ogled at the Camaro concept in the form of Bumble Bee in the Transformers movie but now it’s time to look at the final production version and ogle at production photos of the exterior, interior as well as the technical specifications! The new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro built on GM’s new global rear wheel drive platform was revealed today and sales of the three variants (LS, LT and SS) will begin in 2009.

The new Chevrolet Camaro LS and LT are offered with a 3.6 liter direct injection V6 engine that features variable valve timing. Power is rated at 300 horsepower at 6,400rpm, and torque is an impressive 370Nm at 5,200rpm - a torque to displacement ratio of more than 100Nm per liter. This engine is available with either a 6-speed manual or a Hydra-Matic 6L50 6-speed automatic transmission. This engine is redlined at 7,000rpm.

The more powerful Chevrolet Camaro SS is V8-powered, but the manual and automatic models receive different engines. The manual model gets the Chevrolet LS3 6.2 liter V8 producing 422 horsepower at 5,000rpm and 553Nm of torque at 4,500rpm. This is paired with a 6-speed TR6060 manual transmission. The automatic model uses the L99 engine, which is based on the LS3. The L99 6.2 liter V8 produces 400 horsepower at 5,000rpm and 535Nm of torque at 4,500rpm.

A key difference between the L99 and the LS3 engine is the Active Fuel Management feature which is essentially a cylinder deactivation system which can shut off one bank of the V8, allowing it to run on four-cylinder mode during light engine load. The L99 also has a lower redline at 6,000rpm compared to the LS3’s 6,600rpm redline.

Unlike that other modern interpretation of a classic car which features a live axle at the rear, the new Chevrolet Camaro features a fully independent suspension on both front and rear. This one one American muscle car that will actually go well around the corner. It recently clocked 8:22 on the Nurburgring, beating the likes of the E46 BMW M3 and the Porsche Cayman S which clocked 8:22 and 8:25 respectively. The LS and LT models get the FE2 sport suspension while the SS model is equipped with the FE3 performance suspension which also lowers the car’s ride height. All models feature disc brakes all-round, but unlike the LS and LT which use single piston calipers the SS model uses 4-pot Brembo calipers on all four discs.

The interior features a center-console gauge cluster that pays homage to the optional gauge cluster on the 1969 Camaro. It displays oil temperature, oil pressure, battery condition and transmission fluid temperature using LED backlighting.

Continue reading for a high-resolution photo gallery of the new Camaro.

PHOTO GALLERY: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo

Renault Megane R26.R 450 unit limited edition

News Editor — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:57:25 +0000

A limited edition 450 unit run of the Megane R26 was unveiled at the 2008 British International Motor Show called the Renault Megane R26.R. The Renault Megane F1 Team R26 was used as the base car, undergoing various modifications (such as the removal of the car’s rear seats) that resulted in a kerb weight lighter by 123kg.

On the interior you have Sabelt bucket seats and aviation-style six-point harness belts. There is also an optional four-point roll-cage for track use. The suspension has been modified with uprated spring rates and dampers (13.4mm to 14mm/100kg at the front, 15.1mm to 16.2mm/100kg at the rear). One of the bushes between the front suframe and lower arm has been stiffened.

Other parts sacrificed in the interest of weight reduction includes all airbags except the driver airbag, automatic climate control, rear wiper and wash, foglamps, headlamp washes and most of the soundproofing material. The bonnet is now made of carbon fibre (saves 7.5kg), as with the seat shells (25kg). The quarterlights and rear screen are now made of polycarbonate which saves 5.7kg.

The 312mm front brake discs are grooved instead of cross-drilled and are stopped with 4-pot Brembo calipers. Tyres are Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tyres in 235/40R18 size, with optional Toyo Proxes R888 in 225/40R18 available.

The complete drivetrain has been carried over from the R26 including the 6-speed manual and LSD. The engine is a 2.0 liter turbocharged inline-4 producing 230 horsepower and a peak torque of 310Nm, with 90% of the peak torque available from 2,000rpm to 6,000rpm. 0 to 100km/h takes 6 seconds, and a Nurburgring lap takes 8 minutes and 17 seconds, which Renault says is a record for front wheel drive cars.

The 450 cars will be divided between Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Spain and Germany. Each country gets 26 units except for Great Britain and France which get 230 and 126 units respectively.

Continue reading for more photos in a high resolution gallery.

PHOTO GALLERY: Renault Megane R26.R
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo

Honda OSM two-seater roadster concept

News Editor — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:14:19 +0000

Honda’s 2-seater sports car design study called the Honda Open Study Model Concept (OSM Concept) has been unveiled at the 2008 British International Motor Show in London.

The Honda OSM Concept pitches the idea of a lightweight front-wheel drive roadster that is both stylish and environmentally friendly. The theme for the OSM is “Clean and Dynamic” and it was designed at Honda’s European R&D Facility in Offenbach, Germany.

On the interior you have the double deck dashboard with a rev meter on the bottom deck and vital information displayed in digital format on the top deck, similiar to the 2006 Honda Civic. The dash curves to the right and downwards in the left hand drive layout, providing a cockpit-like environment.

Continue reading for more photos.

Perodua to install rear seatbelts for existing Perodua cars for free in 2009

News Editor — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:51:26 +0000

Perodua will spend RM41.8 million to install rear seat belts for a total of 431,262 Perodua cars consisting of the Kancil, Kenari, Kembara, Kelisa and Rusa models. The exercise will begin in 2009 and installation will be conducted at Perodua service centers.

CBU imported Nissan Navara by end 2008

News Editor — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:11:54 +0000

Edaran Tan Chong Motors Sdn Bhd will be launching the Nissan Navara before the end of the year, and the new pick-up truck will be a fully imported CBU model, revealed its executive director Datuk Dr Ang Bon Beng in a report by Bernama.

There are also on-going talks with Nissan for more fuel efficient compacts to be brought in. This likely means moving downmarket and offering cars smaller than the Latio such as the Nissan Pino, Nissan Note, and Nissan Moco (rebadged Suzuki MR Wagon).

Related Posts:
ETCM to launch Nissan Frontier successor soon - plenty of technical details
Shocking EuroNCAP pick-up truck crash test results - a must read!

Terengganu will justify E200K purchase in detail

News Editor — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:06:52 +0000

The Terengganu state government will justify its recent purchase of 14 units of the Mercedes-Benz E200K for state exco use by providing a detailed breakdown of maintenance costs associated with the 4-year old Proton Perdana V6 Executive cars that the E200Ks replace.

Two of the Perdana V6s in particular seemed to need constant expensive repairs, racking up massive repair costs of RM175,229.97 and RM132,357.76 respectively since 2004. It’s not completely off target for them to assume the rest of the fleet are timebombs just waiting for everything to start breaking down. However, no information has been revealed so far as to which party has been maintaining the cars.

I don’t know about them and won’t assume anything but from my personal experience of owning a 2001 Proton Perdana V6 which I bought second hand, in the past 1.5 years of ownership I’ve spent not more than RM10,000 in repairs which included extensive repairs to the suspension and gearbox and minor repairs to the engine.

BTW I think its worth noting that the Perdana V6 Executive is the slightly longer (but not full limo length) Perdana you sometimes see on the road that has a rear door stretched 250mm longer. The conversion is done by Automotive Conversion Engineering Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of EON. ACE also builds the TD2000.

Source

Lotus Evora: official name for the Project Eagle 2+2

News Editor — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:04:26 +0000

Click for high resolution photo

Lotus has unveiled its highly secretive Project Eagle car, now officially christened the Lotus Evora at the 2008 British International Motor Show.

The 2+2 mid-engined sports car weighs just 1,350 kg and is powered by a Toyota 3.5 liter V6 Dual VVT-i engine with a Lotus T6e ECU putting out 280 PS at 6,400rpm and 342Nm of torque at 4,700rpm. It’s 0 to 100km/h time is measured at under 5 seconds. For those who are environmentally conscious, CO2 emissions are measured at just under 225 g/km and the car achieves more than 30 mpg on a combined cycle. This is mated to a 6-speed manual, but the ratios are tuned for a more relaxing GT-like drive. A close ratio gearbox is still under development.

Braking is via AP Racing 4-pot calipers for both front (350mm disc) and rear (332mm disc), hiding behind large 18 inch wheels at the front and 19 inch wheels at the rear wrapped with Yokohama rubber in 225/40ZR18 and 255/35ZR19 sizes respectively.

Its chassis is based on the Lotus Versatile Vehicle Architecture, which was showcased quite some time ago as the base for the Lotus APX Concept MPV. In this incarnation the VVA platform measures 2,575mm long in wheelbase, and the car itself measures 3242mm long and 1223mm tall with a track of 1565mm at the front and 1557mm at the rear. The body has a drag coefficient of 0.33 cD.

The Evora’s composite roof is used as a stressed structural member to help the vehicle achieve a chassis stiffness of 26,000 Nm per degree. The suspension uses Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs with dual path top mounts.

The Evora will be priced between £45k to a little over £50k. For those that think this is the Europa all over again, one key difference between the Evora and the Europe is probably the fact that the Evora is based on a new platform and is larger. But then again, the car is somewhat marketed at a similiar market, so only time will tell how the Evora will do. The car is actually not complete yet - there is still another 6 months of R&D to go but these photos and spec figures are pretty much what the production version will be.

Continue reading for more photos…

Click for high resolution photo

PHOTO GALLERY: Lotus Evora 2+2 Sports Car
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo

MITI: No hurry to open up automotive industry

News Editor — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:15:49 +0000

MITI Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin says Malaysia is in “no hurry to further liberalise” its automotive sector, but at the same time says Malaysia is fully committed to fulfilling its WTO multilateral commitments. He added that MITI will be looking into ways to ensure Proton remains protected but at the same time improve the National Automotive Policy to be a more progressive policy compared to the “slanted” NAP it is now.

What is desired is a win-win environment where both Proton and foreign brand present can prosper and MITI is trying to achieve that. Industry sources say one of the main reasons foreign investments have shied away from our country is that our policies are too volatile in nature (read: flip flop), making mid to long term planning next to impossible.

Think about it: why do you think certain foreign manufacturers prefer to have ultra long waiting lists rivalling the Perodua Myvi’s at one point record long waiting list rather than expand capacity? Fix that and it is already step one in bringing back the FDI.

Let’s wait and see what the NAP review brings.

Source

New improved toll gantry to begin trial in November

News Editor — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:47:54 +0000

A new toll gantry system will undergo testing at the Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong’s Sungai Penchala Toll Plaza from November 2008 onwards.

Highway Authority director-general Datuk Mohamad Razali Othman says the new toll gantry system is more efficient compared to the existing infrared-based SmartTag system as there are no boom gates that force motorists to slow down.

The trial will be sponsored by Mitsubishi and will use a new microwave-based onboard-unit that is claimed to be able to detect motorists passing through the toll gantry even at speeds of up to 180km/h. The trial will begin with one lane that will accept existing SmartTag systems and the new microwave-based trial units.

Because of the smoother traffic flow the new gantry is expected to allow up to 2,000 cars through an hour, compared to the current SmartTag system which only can only allow between 800 to 1,000 cars an hour.

There’s just one issue though - since there are no boom gates, motorists without the SmartTag system or the new microwave-based unit can just drive through without paying. Datuk Mohamad Razali says they are still figuring out how to go after such cases.

Source

Denny Klein’s Aquygen, yet another “just add water” hydrogen injection system

News Editor — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:23:31 +0000

Denny Klein is yet another inventor that has created a device that can split water into its components hydrogen and oxygen. The mixture of hydrogen and oxygen is called HHO (or HOH), sometimes also known as Brown’s Gas. Klein originally created his water splitting device to power blow torches, welding machines and similiar devices. He now calls his system Aguygen and has filed a patent related to his system, but you have to remember that a patent application is nothing more than just that… an application.

Like mentioned before, plans for such devices are available on the internet. In fact, we are thinking of perhaps building one soon for experiment’s sake and trying it out on an old car… sort of like a Mythbusters thing. Any donor vehicles?

Watch the interview after the jump.

VIDEO: Fox News on Denny Klein

Hydrofuel System Inventor Dr Halim Ali: Interview

News Editor — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:13:00 +0000

NTV7’s Edisi 7 interviews Dr Halim Ali, inventor of the Hydrofuel system (I noticed the Hydroxene name is not used anymore). He says 5 liters of water lasts about 2,000km.

He claims over 79,000 (multiplied by RM1,300 that’s about RM102.7 million in sales!) bookings so far for the system and plans to expand the Hydrofuel dealer network up to 600 dealers nationwide. The first Hydrofuel units will be installed into customer vehicles in about 2 weeks time, and installation could take anywhere between 45 minutes to 3 hours.

Watch the video after the jump and if you can just ignore the little distractions and the opening and closing clips that the video author (not me!) has put into the recording.

VIDEO: Edisi 7 Interview with Dr Halim Ali

Related Links:
Water4Gas - this teaches you how to build your own hydrogen fuel module instead of you buying a RM1300 unit off the shelf.

NICE MyCar two-seater electric car

News Editor — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:14:31 +0000

The other production car from NICE that will be displayed at the 2008 British Motor Show in London is the NICE MyCar, a two-seater “coupe” with a 65km/h top speed, 65km range and a 6 to 8 hour charge time for its maintenance-free lead acid battery.

The NICE MyCar is priced at £8,995 (roughly RM57,607) and is exempted from London’s congestion charge, road tax, and in certain locations even parking. It is built on a steel tubular spaceframe chassis with independent suspension for both the front and rear axle. It will go on sale in Autumn 2008.

Standard equipment includes electric windows and mirrors, a radio CD MP3 player, 14” alloys, remote central locking, and storage areas under the bonnet, in the boot and in the glove compartment. Optional is a glass roof or a removable fiberglass targa top.

Nissan Grand Livina 1.8 Automatic Review

News Editor — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:51:18 +0000

Seven seater multi-purpose vehicles (MPV) is a popular segment of automobiles in Malaysia, more so the sub-RM100k ones. So much so, Malaysians seem to lap up practically all of the affordable MPV models being dished out to them.

This brings us to Nissan’s answer to Toyota’s low cost Avanza, and to a certain extent the Innova. However, unlike the Avanza, the Latio-based Grand Livina is more akin to the Honda Stream 1.8 and the Toyota Wish 2.0, possibly just a few inches shorter but returns some RM50k in spare change!

Read a test drive review of the Nissan Grand Livina after the jump.

At the time of writing, the Nissan Grand Livina waiting period is an average 4 to 6 months down the road (depending upon variants), with 16,000 customers logged by Edaran Tan Chong Motors (ETCM) since launch in December last year.

So what makes the Grand Livina so desirable and worth waiting for? Ask any buyer out there the answers will invariably be its 7-seating capacity and its sub-100k pricing. The purposeful lower slung, sedan-like or more appropriately station wagon (SW) stance has enhanced its aesthetics appeal over its competitors.

Truth be told, the Livina’s dashboard is also better looking than the Latio’s, and better made (multi grade textured plastics et al) than the other van-type budget MPVs out there. Though not a fan of fake wood inserts in a car’s cabin, Nissan’s non-glossy items are pretty convincing and somehow nicely accentuating the Grand Livina’s 1.8 interior.

In addition, utilising Latio’s monocoque platform did lend some credibility towards better ride pliancy, lower centre of gravity and therefore more responsive handling. Driving the Grand Livina is a light and easy affair, with the Renault-Nissan’s MR18DE a peppy little 4-pot paired with a feathery and responsive throttle. The MPV can breach highway speed limits easily, with cruising a calm and serene affair at triple digits speed.

On full load, the Grand Livina 1.8 did not disappoint with its load hauling ability. For figure heads (no pun intended) who are turned on by numbers, Nissan’s 1798cc block with CVTC churns out 126ps at 5,200rpm and 174Nm of torque at 4,800rpm. Incidentally this is exactly the same engine specs as the Latio 1.8.

Though softly sprung, throwing this Nissan into corners is met with good confidence i.e. progressive roll and understeer as you become more ambitious around bends. Typical of any electric powered steering (EPS) system, the Livina’s rack is light and easy to manouvre, albeit a little vague at times. Braking is never an issue with its disc-drum combo for the front and rear axles respectively.

The leather seats are reasonably comfy for short drive (perhaps to destinations within an hour or so), with the arch for lumbar support a little lacking and the seat bottom a tad too flat. Passengers comfort may be compromised on those long interstate jaunts. There are also no ISOFIX points for child seats at the 2nd row.

The numerous tug strips or synthetic fabric bands meant to flip and tumble of the 2nd and 3rd rows can be quite a pain to use, conveying a flimsy and cheap execution of things. You need to really tug or pull quite hard and they don’t seem too ergonomic and tactile to use. Something tells me that the good old lever and handles would be better.

Absence of 3rd row back rest split folding also hampers flexibility and practicality should one decides to seat 2-3-1 with half of third row space used for some baggages. Having a wheelbase that’s 100mm or so shorter than C-segment platforms based MPVs (Stream and Wish) does have its shortcomings in cabin space for the 2nd and 3rd row passengers. Leg rooms do get a bit tight for the back passengers and fitting three abreast in 2nd row is definitely snug for three full-grown adults. Thankfully the 2nd bench is adjustable fore/aft for more leg space, applicable when the 3rd row isn’t occupied.

Air-conditioning for the interior cabin is adequate, with the 3rd row occupants not feeling stuffy on hot-sunny days provided they are not BMI challenged (plus sized). After all, this place is mostly meant for kids below 12 years of age. The 2nd row mini A/C vents worked reasonably well as an adjunct to the main A/C vents at the centre of the dash up front. Cabin ambience is airy mostly with expansive glass areas and two-tone interiors.

The front doors don’t close with the “industrial-standard” reassuring thud as the rear and this is likely attributed to the thin upper-portion only (half-cut) rubber door seal on the body. On the tester unit a couple of door hinges’ mounting nuts was found to have rusted and this may point to lapse in QC in the interest of cost-cutting for this Indonesian sourced MPV (CKD pack).

Lack of cubby holes aft to the gear shift lever, with only two measly water-bottle holders serves to limit the family utility appeal somewhat. The door pockets are rather slim with no bottle holders mould, not even in front. After having owned a Toyota Innova 2.0G Auto back in 2006, I found the lack of a centre console box cum armrest (just aft and above hand brake lever) disabling, while the glove box was quite hopeless in holding down stuffs like keys and small personal items – they get flung about noisily in that boxy little thing! Then again, perhaps I am more used to the drop-down parcel type of glovebox.

All in all, despite some perceived shortcomings in the Grand Livina 1.8, it is very much a value buy with strong practical points, a trusted brandname, a decent drive and most importantly, relatively affordable. It is with this, that possibly the Grand Livina could have used the tag line “The Ideal MPV”, taking a leaf from the marketing caption of another recently launched midi-SUV.

Story by Dr. Max Long

Top Gear drives the Nissan GT-R

News Editor — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:09:41 +0000

The amazing Nissan GT-R piloted by The Stig managed to get around Top Gear’s track faster than the likes of the Porsche Carrera GT, McLaren SLR, Lamborghini LP640 and just 0.2 seconds slower than the Ariel Atom.

I’ll let the video do the talking… watch it after the jump.

VIDEO: Top Gear drives the Nissan GT-R

New Mercedes-Benz E200K cars for Terengganu exco

News Editor — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:11:06 +0000

BN state Terengganu has procured 14 units of the Mercedes-Benz E200K at a price of RM3.43 million (RM245K each?) to replace the Proton Perdana V6 Executive state exco cars that was purchased in 2004. The new E200Ks will be used by the state exco members, state assembly speaker, secretary, legal adviser and finance officer.

Terengganu State Secretary Datuk Mokhtar Nong said the state felt the E200K was better for the long term compared to the Perdana V6 as the maintenance costs were lower. Terengganu MB Datuk Ahmad Said said that the Perdana V6 was not suitable for continuous long-distance journeys as they were coughing up alot of money maintaining the car, especially the gearbox.

The MB used state exco Toh Chin Yaw’s Perdana V6 as an example to prove his point. The Perdana V6 was claimed to have burned RM50k in repairs in the past 3 years. He did not go into details on what exactly needed to be repaired that needed that sum of money, and where the repair works were performed.

UPDATE: The DPM says the cabinet will be discussing the Terengganu state government’s purchase of the 14 units of E200K. He added that it was a policy that all federal and state government cars are to be national cars.

Source