Where I speak my mind about motoring

The Impreza 1.6TS after almost 7 years and a Volkswagen Golf 1.4TSI

2012-01-28T22:50:00.002+08:00

It has been almost 7 years since I bought the little Scooby and right now it is acting its age. It had a whole lot of stuff done to it. Some maintenance (a top overhaul and a radiator change) and some modifications (shocks, pulleys, wheels, exhaust etc.). Whatever it is the car has performed admirably although it is currently in need of some new spark plug cables - it is misfiring currently and not surprisingly the official importer does not keep stock of the part. Singapore is the closest source and I therefore would be driving around with a stuttering car.

Anyway, some of you may ask how fast is a 1.6liter normally aspirated Subaru with 5 speed manual All-Wheel drive? 0-100km/h in about 8 seconds and about 200km/h. Most normal 1.6TS would do it in 12.5seconds and max out at about 175km/h. So it is an improvement nonetheless. NOT 0-100km/h in 5seconds like a WRX STI but note the standard car weighs 1,250kg (1,390kg STI) and mine has a lightened flywheel, crank pulley and it is 70kg lighter too. So it is a decent B-road blaster in my not so humble opinion.

Anyway, I recently drove a Volkswagen Golf 1.4TSI recently and I am not really impressed. UNLESS your intention is buying an affordable German hatchback and not a GTI. Stay tuned folks.

Proton Wira 1.6XLi Important mods - Phenolic Spacers, Metal Gaskets & Aluminium Crankshaft Pulleys

2012-01-15T01:44:00.001+08:00

I recently fixed up a dark purple 1998 Proton Wira 1.6XLi automatic that belonged to my late father. It basically needed some TLC after being left under-utillized (since his passing). It was leaking engine oil as its fiber based cylinder head gasket deteriorated over the years. The only mods done to it was a set of 15inch wheels and 195/50/15 tyres.

The thing about fiber based gaskets is that they never last. The fiber would actually slowly deteriorates over the years and the residue actually gets eaten during combustion or if you're unlucky, like in this case, the fiber pieces get into the cooling system and clog up the cylinder head and radiator. It caused the car to overheat after being used for about an hour. Everytime you get into a traffic jam the temperature would slowly rise. So there was a need for a cylinder head rebuild. And a thorough flushing of the radiator.

So once your mechanic pulls off the cylinder head to rebuild, the best option for anyone who wants to keep the engine running well longer than any fiber based gasket is to opt for a metal gasket. This is actually an extra RM200.00 option over an above the RM200.00 needed to buy the fiber gasket/overhaul set. I opted for a slightly thicker 1.5mm Mitsubishi metal gasket set as I wanted the car to be reliable with a slight skimming of the cylinder head. Please also note that the Mitsubishi 4G93 gasket can be used for the 4G92 1.6 engine too.

There is a 0.8mm option for those who would want to increase the compression far beyond the standard 10.0:1 compression ratio. With the skimmed head, my mechanic reckoned that the CR was now 10.2:1 and not something in the 11:1 CR. That higher ratio would be good (and is what my Subaru Impreza 1.6TS now runs from its standard 10:1) for making the engine produce more horsepower and throttle response than what my rebuilt head would produce, but I was aiming for reliability here instead of all out horsepower here. It IS just a Wira 1.6.

But I wasn't without my mechanic's usual bag of tricks. He had something up his sleeves in the form of phenolic manifold spacer for the 1.6liter 4 cylinder engine. It is basically a piece of heat resistant fiber that blocks off the engine heat from the intake manifold. It is that white piece sandwiched between the inlet manifold and the cylinder head in the photo below.

Here's how it works - from GrimmSpeed.com (a US based site where I bought a set of spacers for my Impreza 1.6TS(which is another story for another time)

The intake air in your engine travels through the airbox into the turbo, then into the aluminum intake manifold. The air exits the intake manifold and goes directly into the engine.
While the intake air is within the intake manifold it picks up alot of heat from the aluminum intake manifold. This added heat reduces air density thus reducing engine power capabilities.
In stock form your engine has a steel gasket between the intake manifold and engine which allows the heat from the engine to quickly transfer into the intake manifold. By replacing this steel gasket with the GrimmSpeed™ Phenolic Spacer you are greatly reducing the transfer of engine heat into the intake manifold.
Phenolic Spacers are able to withstand 500+ degrees F. Subaru engines run at the hotter end of operation around 200 degrees F, so the Phenolic Spacer is well within its max running temperature. GrimmSpeed™ has tested that it is also safe to run race fuel, E85, and methanol with the Phenolic Spacers.
The Phenolic Spacer will conduct 300-900 times less heat than the oem steel gasket.

AND...it basically does this:

Greatly reduces the transer of heat from engine to intake manifold thus reducing heat soak.
One of a kind true Phenolic material, not cutting board material like others.
The cooler your intake temperature is the denser the air is which leads to more power
For every 5 degree reduction in temperature, increases power by 1%.
The cooler and denser the intake air that the engine sucks in, increases the amount of air that can be mixed with fuel thus increasing efficiency.

So the Wira's mechanic, a chap named Henry Khoo, the proprietor of KS Auto in Ulu Klang has actually conducted some research and came up with his own set of phenolic spacers for most of the cars in Malaysia. Custom cut of course. And it is on this Proton Wira 1.6XLi.

Now add this and an AROSPEED lightweight aluminium pulley (costing around RM250.00 and over 1.5kg lighter) things get pretty fun. Yes, this aluminium pulley is actually a very, very good mod for the Wira. It actually releases extra power that was lost from the heavy standard crankshaft pulley. The lightweight aluminium pulley decreases rotational mass making the engine rev faster than before. It basically shifts the power band a little lower and is actually very good to have in the Wira 1.6 automatic. This is because the 4 speed automatic's gearing is a little screwed up. There is a noticeable gap in the powerband that is (slightly) corrected by the pulley. As the revs come in quicker, the powerband feels smoother. But do check out the spelling for 'hardened' is only spelt 'harden'. Grammar isn't a priority around here, especially even when the Malaysian Ministry of Defence uses Google to translate Bahasa Malaysia into English. So what is a little mistake on an aluminium pulley?

Now everything else for the time being was left stock with the exception of an Ultra Racing 4 point front strut bar (which does offer some improvement in terms of handling - but not a lot). But I do believe in keeping things simple with an urban runabout. You need the reliability and the ease of driving in city traffic. This Proton Wira 1.6Xli exemplifies it. Quite well actually as the standard 0-100km/h time for this car was 12.5seconds or thereabouts. The standard car did this with about 110bhp and it is actually pretty good for a 1.6liter car which only weighs 1,090kg (according to the manual)This one now does it in the low 9seconds (with some other smaller tweaks to the stock fuel regulator, air-flow and ignition timing) . All for an investment of around RM1,500.00. Which is pretty good for a lightly modded automatic.

Indonesia's Daihatsu Sirion .....

2012-01-08T19:29:00.001+08:00

...is actually our Perodua Myvi. To those that aren't aware of this fact, The car is either brought in as a whole from Perodua's plant in Rawang, Malaysia or partly assembled in Indonesia by Daihatsu from parts brought in from Malaysia. It is basically our 1.3liter Perodua Myvi with a Daihatsu badge stuck on it. There is no other difference from the Myvi we have over here. All you have to do is go to daihatsu.astra.co.id and you will be able to see the difference. Or lack of it.

But anyway, this isn't the issue which actually makes me a little cheated. It is the fact that Daihatsu actually offers a 16 inch wheel option for the Sirion over there in Indonesia. The 1.3liter Daihatsu Sirion can be had with large alloy wheels whilst the people in the country that actually made it gets stuck with measly 14 inch wheels. This is even though we also get an uprated 1.5liter version too. I mean the Myvi can really move with the 1.5liter engine and it is still coupled with smallish 165/65/14 tyres.

Some of us actually think that the Myvi is now overpowered for some Malaysian road users especially since it comes with skinny tyres. I personally believe that the 1.5liter Myvi should come with the same tyre option as the Perodua Alza - the 185/55/15 tyre and wheel combo instead of the skinny 14 inch setup. If you actually did a lot of travelling, one will see 1.3liter MyviS doing over 150km/h and if this is possible for the 1.3liter, the 1.5liter Myvis are going to go faster. Much faster.

Now the obvious answer Perodua will give those that question why they aren't indulging their customers and giving them the option of larger wheels I think they'll just say that 14inch wheels are adequate and that Malaysian customers usually like to buy their own wheels. Yes they do but there are those that like to buy things all complete too.

If Daihatsu can give such an option in a poorer country like Indonesia why can't Perodua (or Daihatsu) give such an option to people here especially when we tend to buy them by the thousands? Indonesians aren't buying the Sirion in large numbers as I did not see many on the road. In fact, I only saw one (I will get to that somewhere below). It is because of this I believe that Malaysians are being taken for a ride (errr...literally).

Don't believe me? I have a scan of the Autocar Indonesia that I managed to purchase when I was over at Jakarta recently. It actually featured the Daihatsu Sirion test drive by Indonesian journalists over in Malaysia. They started out in Putrajaya and ended up at AFamosa in Malacca. One of the cars in the magazine featured the large 16inch wheels (the white one in the scan above).

Why can't Perodua give such an option to Malaysians? A large engine sometimes deserves larger wheels to compensate. It also gives customers more choice. Doesn't it?

I also have a photo of the earlier Indonesian Daihatsu Sirion aka Myvi that actually came with a manufacturer bodykit and the 16inch wheels. This was actually the only Sirion I managed to catch a glimpse of during the whole time I was in Jakarta/Bandung (a good 6 days FYI). Favourite small cars seem to be the Suzuki Swift, Nissan Juke and the Mazda 2.

Happy New Year People!!!!! And a Picture of a Ferrari Dino to end 2011

2011-12-31T21:09:00.000+08:00

2012 beckons! I hope it will be another fruitful year for all of us.

Anyway, I do not wish to be retrospective as too many other websites, facebook and twitter postings would want us to sing Auld Lang Syne and other nostalgic stuff. I did nostalgia recently already remember?

But let's end 2011 with a photo of what a new 'small' Ferrari will never ever be like again. Small and totally curvy for the sake of being curvy. The Dino 246GTS. Spotted around Petaling Jaya early this year and that little car sounded great too. Oh yes, it wasn't equipped with a V8, but a 2.4liter V6. It was actually marketed as 'almost a Ferrari' back then as this was supposed to be the budget line for Ferrari. But everyone calls it a Ferrari Dino. It is actually worthy of the name, even without the supposedly required V8 engine that a Ferrari should have.

But it is small, and if it's small you don't really need such a large engine. Especially in those days. Check out how small it looks next to a Suzy Swift. Dainty isn't it?

Happy New Year people.

I Cover the Century Ultramax and Century Battery Assist Launch

2011-12-15T23:19:00.001+08:00

A few days ago I received an invitation to attend the launch of Century Battery Malaysia's new Ultramax battery as well as the Century Battery Assist – Which is Century Battery's new Emergency Battery Assist Service. It was to be held on the 15th of December 2011 at a top secret facility somewhere in KL. I decided to attend.

Well, actually it was held at KLPAC (Kuala Lumpur Performance Arts Centre) in Sentul East (which is actually a glamorous name for someplace Off Jalan Ipoh). It just felt like someplace mysterious to be as if you look at the photo below, it does look like some military bunker of sorts.

But anyway, once I entered the KLPAC's lobby cum event location it looked....

...like any other launch event. Which is good. Obviously.

Mr Suresh Nanoo, General Manager of Century Monolite Battery Malaysia Sdn Bhd gave a short speech about the Century Ultramax battery and the continued with the Century Battery Assist service.

I shall start with the Century Battery Assist first, even though it was talked about later in the session. The Century Battery Assist service provides motorists a convenience that a motorist stricken with the sudden demise of their car battery can dial a toll free number at 1-800-BATTERY (22-88379).

Such a service would basically give the consumer less worries as it provides free delivery and installation 24/7, 365 days a year within the Klang Valley by a decent looking chap on a motorcycle (note this little fact people – it's only limited to the Klang Valley for the moment). Now this service is applicable to all motorists and not limited to current users of Century batteries. You can have your AYAM Brand battery die on you and still call Century Battery Assist for assistance or a new battery. Great isn't it?

The Century maintenance batteries sold, delivered and installed by this service will have nationwide warranty. Once the battery assist staff arrives, he will perform a complimentary check on the car charging system to make sure that the alternator is working. Plugging in a new battery will still not solve anything if the car has a faulty charging system. The Century maintenance free batteries provided in this service scheme is the Century Marathoner battery (a bit of it is shown at the right side in the photo below) instead of the newly launched Ultramax. However, one should also note that this service is a cash on delivery service – this means you should have cash in hand or you should make your way to the nearest ATM or you could try begging someone for cash if its in the middle of the night.

And now for the Century Ultramax battery. What I found out was that the maintenance free Ultramax battery is currently the only SIRIM (Malaysia's equivalent of the German TUV) approved battery on sale right now and it is the only one with a long warranty – 21 months. The usual market warranty for batteries in Malaysia these days is usually 12 months. So this is quite reassuring to most of us motorists. I could actually explain more about the technical details of the Ultramax, but to put it simply, Century uses more durable materials that last longer so that the battery will last longer giving the motorist who uses the battery peace of mind. Which is why Century now goes by the slogan 'MORE LIFE, LESS WORRIES' for both the Ultramax battery and the Century Battery Assist.

On a personal note, I usually go through a battery once every 18 -20 months or so and regardless whether it dies or not during that period, I will plonk in a new one by then. Now I was given an Ultramax battery to try out along with most of the invited media guests. This happened after food was served and duly eaten by yours truly. I parked my car at the designated space and some Century mechanics started work removing my earlier Century battery. Yes, apparently I was already using an earlier Century MF12 (Maintenance Free 12 – for 12 months warranty) series battery. I totally forgot what battery was in my Subaru, which means that most of us only think about the battery in our cars when it is about time to change it or when it dies on us. I suppose I will be writing an End-of-Term report 21 months from today to see if the Ultramax battery really does last that long.

The battery installation session went smoothly. The chaps from Century were friendly and capable. There was a lady named Leona Chin who drove a Nissan S13 and a chap from NST's car bikes and trucks with his Mazda MX5 Miata. Ms Chin couldn't get the battery installed as she had a massive sound system in that Nissan that would drain the Ultramax in NS40ZL size that she was using. This is what happens when people sponsor your but fail to sponsor a proper deep cycle battery like an OPTIMA for really serious wattage. This isn't her competition drift car (yes, I do know who she is) but her daily driver – I couldn't tell with all the stickers plastered all over. So she was left playing scissors and rocks by the looks of my photo below.

Yeah, right. Anyway the Ultramax battery is going to have its first real test in my Scooby. After the installation the car fired up instantly and it was off to a good start. I have already driven a total of 80km since the install earlier today and I am off to Indonesia – So the Scooby will be sitting quietly for a while until I get back. So let's see whether the Ultramax battery will last a few days without being started.

Maybach bites the dust....Again

2011-12-14T23:21:00.000+08:00

No one wants a Maybach actually. They'd rather buy Bentleys, Rolls Royces, Aston Martins and even Perodua Myvis. Which is why parent company Daimler AG, more famous for owning Mercedes Benz is ending the brand in 2013.

Read what I think about this whole thing here. Posted over at MyAutoBlog.org.

Of Nostalgia, Of Supposedly Having No Future and the Rolls Royce Corniche

2011-12-13T22:50:00.002+08:00

I feel a little nostalgic. I suppose with the big four-zero closing in rapidly one would suddenly feel that life has just passed by in an instant. Just fifteen years ago I was at the prime of my life, just starting out my career in. Just twenty two or so years ago I sat for my SPM or MCE for those older than I. It is of this period in my life that I believe is pretty interesting on several levels.

But then again, I have always had a pretty interesting teenage and very interesting twenty something life. It is indeed a blessing and a whole dose of luck that I am still, relatively speaking, in one piece. Aside from a weak left knee, some broken bones and a nice scar on my forehead I am glad to report I managed to survive my school and college days. In fact, I should be extremely thankful. Which I am.

Now one incredibly interesting story that had happened in my past was the fact that I happened to end up at the St. John's Institution, Kuala Lumpur in 1988 and was to sit for the SPM the following year. So at SJI I was put into the last class as it was the only one that offered arts as a subject. I couldn't count properly at that time so I basically hated accounting. Nothing balanced and before I ruined my SPM I had decided to take arts as a subject. And being in the last class this meant that we were the black sheep of the whole school. It also meant that it was a bloody fun place to be when you are 17.

It was so much fun that almost all the teachers hated being there as no one wanted to study, except of a few of course. Of course, teachers those days were really teachers. These were teachers that were totally English educated and actually upheld certain standards. But there were those teachers who were real characters of their own and there is this one teacher that I will never forget to this day. This teacher is of Indian descent and looked like a real bruiser. A burly chap of about five-foot-nine with a beer belly. The beer belly must have actually come from those after school drinking sessions with some of his regulars at the Colleseum bar which is just a short walk down the stairs beside the AIA building and onwards towards Jalan T.A.R.

This burly teacher must have been at least fifty in '89. He should be in his seventies if he is still around. He taught us science and basically ran through the syllabus whether we wanted to listen or not. Of course he'll lose his patience with the motley crew occasionally. This one time he lost it is the story I am willing to share. Five minutes into his science class he basically decided that we weren't paying attention. He then started his lecture that basically stated that we had 'no future'. He kept on repeating the word 'no future' and he was gesturing at all of us, waving his hands and telling us that we were on a road to hell. And after that he left.

But actually the reason why most of us wasn't paying attention was actually down to the fact that beneath his quite enormous beer belly, his zip was undone and the tail of his shirt was peeking out from the nether regions. Luckily it was only the shirt and nothing more. Anything more could mean permanent psychological damage to the minds of already corrupted seventeen year old boys. I suppose it already left a lasting effect on one of those boys as I am writing this after a good two decades or so. Imagine a burly, fat, pot bellied man with curly hair gesturing wildly shouting “you've got no future, no future at all!”.... with his fly open.

And twenty over years or so later I am where I am today. So lets talk about a car that someone with a future can drive, a Rolls Royce Corniche from the 1970s. It may not be the latest Rolls Royce, but it still is a great car. A two door coupe of immense proportions that is actually is still incredibly comfortable and surprisingly quiet by today's standard. I had a chance to drive one sometime last year and like the story above, it isn't something you'd forget easily.

You get into the Corniche like you would get into a W140 Mercedes S-class, but then you notice the upright dash that's plastered with acres of walnut and that thin rimmed steering wheel. You also notice the smell of old world leather. It is totally unlike what you'd find in a German Uber saloon. So quaint and so utterly bespoke. The next thing you'd notice is that everything is lined up on the right side of the steering wheel (in this right hand drive car). The ignition key-hole is to the right of the steering wheel, so is the handbrake and so is the gear shifter. So you start the car up, it starts up easily and settles for a smooth, silent idle. You reach for the hand brake lever to release the park brake while you are stepping on the brake pedal, select 'D' and you're off. Note that the Corniche has a three, yes, three-speed automatic transmission. But for this car, and its 6,750cc, three gears is actually all you need for the purpose that it was made for - wafting in sheer comfort and luxury.

And piloting this pretty well kept 1975 Corniche is actually quite easy. That thin rimmed bakelite steering wheel is actually quite light making it easy to place such a large car. On the 'kampung' roads, the car makes smooth progress and you waft along like it would do in the English countryside on the way to the golf club. And it does wafting better than most cars in my opinion.

Ride quality of this car is good. I would say it is smoother riding than most modern luxury saloons that would have to cope with over 300bhp these days. Try tuning a car to float over humps and crests on a modern sports saloon and you're bound to have conflicts in suspension settings. Not quite the case in a Rolls Royce from the days gone by, where power output figures are not shared by the manufacturer to the general public. It is also of the self leveling kind, so it stays nice and level even with people and shopping in the boot.

The 6,750cc V8 power output is quoted as 'adequate' and it truly is adequate. Punting a Rolls Royce around like a sports car is unbecoming. Try to even prod it harder than you should and it doesn't do anything. It is like a boulder, slowly gathering momentum. Try throwing it into a corner and it will groan like how the Titanic groans after hitting an iceberg. It will send you into the nearest ditch if you try much harder than you should. You waft in a Rolls Royce. Nothing more. Period.It's not like I didn''t try. Look at me trying to give chase to a Jaguar XJS and failing.

The newer Rolls Royce are so 'bling' compared to the subtlety of this old girl. This was from a time when only royalty, dukes and lords as well as the occasional multi-millionaire (there were not many those days) could afford one, or two in Malaysia. The Parthenon grille is all that really shines and no other funny jewellery anywhere, that traditional British smoking room smell as well as the cosseting ride and that purring carburetted V8 engine. This is why I love old British classics. No one really builds them like these anymore.

And one of the people with no future is at where he is today. A happy camper.

Note: I drove this car a while back (Nov 2010). But due to a busy schedule it stayed in my notes until now.....as somehow things have fallen in place for one of my stories. My thanks to the owner of this car for allowing me to commandeer it for a short spell.

With Power Comes Stupidity................

2011-12-06T14:34:00.000+08:00

......Or was it responsibility? Sometimes a high speed convoy is actually a very dangerous thing to be in. It may look cool, but one mistake, as was the case over in Japan. A convoy to a supercar meet ended up in the most expensive pile-up to date.

A Ferrari up front lost control and the rest couldn't stop in time) and a bazillion Yen worth of Ferrari (about 8), Lamborghini (1), Nissan (1 GT-R) a few Mercedes Benz (3) and a Prius (somehow caught in between all that carnage). Sometimes being rich does not mean you have the skill and talent to handle more than 300bhp. Some of you out there have the skill to only operate a Prius. Or an ugly Peugeot 207. Or actually ride in a bus. Understand?

This is also the reason why I seldom participate in any 'drive-to' TT (teh tarik) sessions as it is actually quite dangerous. This is also the reason why I prefer to do b-road runs by myself. Sometimes, the kampung roads around the famed Ulu Yam - Genting Sempah area can be pretty dangerous - Chickens, dogs, cattle and even village folk who simply make U-Turns whenever they want as it IS their everyday road. Of course, you would be doing the run early in the morning or late at night. But it pays to be careful and it also pays to take it a little easy sometimes.

I still do agree to morning runs myself. But I am not bothered to wake up early these days. Anyway, this is an epic fail. Truly epic.

Destroying a Testarossa isn't cool.

Things May Be Quiet As I Have Been Busy....and a List of Cars

2011-11-06T14:05:00.000+08:00

Busy. This is a nice excuse to give everyone that you're just too lazy to start typing something. But I actually have been a little busy with family, work and friends. Work for MyAutoBlog is ongoing but other stuff has slowed down a little. It is Idul Adha anyway and I should be taking a breather from things.

Now that being said, I have prepared a short list of what I think about a few of the cars currently on sale in Malaysia (grey imports not included)
Toyota:
Camry - Ultimate Unclemobile, it makes me sleepy as soon as I enter one
Corolla Altis - Smaller Unclemobile, same effects happen as soon as I get into one.
Vios - Dull, tinny sounding and I rather drive an Inspira
Prius - Unclemobile that's trying to save the world.

Honda:
Accord - Unclemobile with handling
Civic - Decent Transport with a badge that Malaysians like
City - Skinny tall car with a badge that Malaysians like
Insight - Better looking than the Prius, but not as well built. I still won't buy it though.
CRZ - Hybrid little coupe for posers, mums, wives, girlfriends, daughters. Not a "Tap-R."

Lancer GT - A car all Inspira owners yearn for
Lancer Sportback - A car that looks good but no one buys it because Proton might make one and cause its resale value to drop drastically
ASX - a toad of a car..why buy one when a Sportback looks and drives better?

Peugeot
308VTI -dull handling, heavy, underpowered French croissant
308turbo - dullhandling, heavy, better powered French croissant
3008 - Hippotamus on wheels, enuff said.
207 Sedan - Ugliest car in Malaysia. Why buy it over an Inspira? The Badge? You stupid, stupid person you.

Volvo
All Volvos - For Life. This means you only buy one throughout your whole life.

I think I'll end it for now. I've got to be someplace elsewhere soon.

New Mitsubishi Evolution To Be A Diesel Hybrid

2011-10-24T09:03:00.002+08:00

" Imagine that, a Mitsubishi Evolution like the Evolution X pictured above may not emit a single exhaust drone at the traffic lights as the stop-start function has kicked in and when it accelerates, would sound like a Toyota Prius, i.e no sound at all, or like a Volkswagen TDI diesel accelerating or worse still, like a old Mercedes 240d taxi that is still in use somewhere in Africa."

Sigh, another petrol icon may bite the dust.

Read HERE to read what my opinion is on the matter over at CarThrottle.com.

New F30 BMW 3-Series - Evolution, not a Revolution and a bit on the earlier E90 3-series

2011-10-17T09:58:00.003+08:00

It's a Monday morning over here and I've decided to tell you readers what I think of the new BMW 3-Series. I suppose staying home and waiting for an electrical appliance to arrive allows more time for thoughts to come spilling out of me. In a nutshell, the new BMW 3-Series, codenamed F30 is pretty much like the outgoing E90 3-Series. It looks pretty much the same with the exception of the front. Much like the fridge my wife recently purchased. It basically looks the same as the outgoing one - square with doors on it. Okay, not exactly a fridge but you do get what I mean.

The front seems longer and more pronounced than before accentuating the rear wheel drive nature of the car (but I think the current Mercedes C-class does this better - it looks more rear-wheel accentuated with its fat rear arches). It still is a 'traditional' BMW 3-series in that the styling still looks evolutionary instead of a totally radical revamp. Current E90 and E46 owners may feel totally relieved as the new car does not make their model look like something totally out of date and irrelevant. That being said, the styling is summed up like this - new front end, but from the A-pillar backwards, everything is the same. Yawn. Yes, I feel it is slightly boring. More F01 7-Series long bonnet styling please.

Other important details like how long, how large or how heavy it is can be found nearly everywhere else. I've decided to focus on what I think is important. Important details are that the car looks pretty much the same, weighs pretty much the same - BMW claims that the new 320d will weigh in at 1,420kg, which is the same as the outgoing model. But it is larger overall, with a 50mm longer wheelbase. This means that it is up there with both its serious competitors, the Audi A4 and the Mercedes Benz C-class.

Again, back to styling, BMW seems to be playing it safe a tad bit. Place it beside the current B8 Audi A4 and the glitzy Mercedes C-class it still looks plainer than either one mentioned. I suppose people buy this for the sake that it is 'the Ultimate Driving Machine'. This new car still weighs in at around 1,400kg and if you notice, the current E90 (pictured below) isn't 'the Ultimate' if you buy the 2.0liter petrol version as its accleration is lame. It may handle superbly but at the traffic lights, it's just plain lame. Of course you can tweak that later but out of the showroom it's just lame for an over RM200,000 car. It's actually just as fast as the current Honda Civic 2.0 sedan in a straight line.

Which is why there is news that sometime in 2012 BMW will launch a light-pressure turbo variant running 184bhp to keep up with the other continentals mentioned. I've driven the B8 Audi A4 and been in the current W204 C-class and both aren't slouches in the handling and performance department, unlike the current E90 320i on sale in Malaysia. That car badly needs more shove. Its 150 or so bhp isn't enough to make it a really fun or JOYous drive.

Yes, the steering and handling is beautiful, but so's the steering and handling in the C-class. The handling in the Audi A4 is clinical but its performance outstanding, especially with the CVT gearbox on the base 1.8TFSI. So what I am saying here is that the base JOYful car (BMW's marketing at work claims that their car gives people this certain feeling) is not the ultimate driving machine nor does it give any pleasure to me except for the fine handling. I suppose it is JOYous to be walloped silly in a straight line by an Audi or a Mercedes. But nevermind, the supposed new turbocharged 320i should fix it. Hopefully.

BMW Malaysia should bring this in around the same time UK gets this car, which should be early 2012. Diehard BMW enthusiasts should now jump for JOY. I on the other hand will be quite skeptical until I drive one.

The Little Extras You Get For Writing, the Perodua Myvi Extreme should have another name and the Project Kahn Range Rover Vogue

2011-10-13T23:48:00.006+08:00

By now most of you would notice that I have actually come a fair bit from when I first started way back in 2006. Back then I basically wrote because of the very simple yet famous TopGear motto of "How Hard Can It Be?"

And so because of this simple thought of how hard can writing automotive related stuff can be I blogged, and blogged and blogged my heart out. Some felt that my thoughts about certain cars were true, some hated them, some didn't know what to think about what I said but in life you shouldn't try to please everyone. In fact the person that you should firstly please is yourself.

One of the best things about this job is that you get to network with people all around the world. I have long distance work commitments with people half way round the world, as well as right here in South-East Asia. It is a very international thing that I do and I am enjoying every minute of it.

But unlike other more serious bloggers out there I still choose to work on my own time and trying out the cars that I happen to stumble across instead of really going after every new car out there. It is this method to my madness that actually allows me to be totally subjective or darn objective, towards a certain subject. I am not obliged to write truly unbelievable stuff about cars like, say the Chery Easterbunny is good or the hediously ugly Peugeot 207 sedan is desirable, which I believe to be less desirable to stroke and fondle than a 75year old retired GoGo dancer.

Good isn't it? But it also could be said that I am actually quite lazy to type out an email that says "Dear Sir, I write for various websites and I wish to try test that new model you just launched and see if it can stir my soul or tingle my loins."

But folks, this is Malaysia. The last big launch was the Perodua Myvi 1.5 Extreme. This car may be fast in the Malaysia context but it is still an extremely upright and tall hatchback with narrow tyres. Actually how extreme is that in the first place? It isn't very extreme at all. If it were really extreme it would make 2million horsepower, have 22 inch wheels, gold studded Recaro seats and a 20 inch tailpipe exiting the rear. Or maybe some 'Type RRRRR' stickers at the rear for that imaginary 200bhp.

Why can't they just call it the Perodua Myvi SEX instead? It makes sense you see. Myvi Special Edition X-treme. Now that would raise a few eyebrows. So what do you think? It would be well received wouldn't it? No? You unadventurous lot you.

Anyway, I was emailed by a Mr M (receiving mail from M makes me feel like a Double-O agent doesn't it?) from ProjectKahn about their new Bali Blue RS450 Kahn 4.4 Range Rover Vogue. I suppose when you've been writing stuff for so long people notice you and send you the latest updates directly. Is Bali noted for blue in the first place? Nevermind, the Range Rover looks pretty good in Kahn. Not that it has ever looked bad in the first place.

If you must know, I have driven a Range Rover before, a first generation 2 door version that still had that nice gurgling 3.5liter Rover V8. It, for a lack of a better word to describe it, rocked. Especially when the accelerator pedal gets floored on idle. Of course, in those days, Range Rovers were still pure, slightly luxurious farm equipment. Unlike the one pictured above.

An Update On The 1990 W124 Mercedes Benz 200e Featured Previously

2011-10-11T22:50:00.002+08:00

The 1990 W124 Mercedes Benz 200e featured in here as well in CarThrottle previously is alive and well. It dutifully serves his master well in his daily commute to and from the center of Kuala Lumpur to his place of residence somewhere on the hillslopes of Ulu Klang. This car shares this duty with a Mazda Roadster, so it gets to rest its old legs for a few days at a time.

The car has evolved again actually. From the upgraded AMG alloy wheels in the first feature (above) in here to the WALD bodykitted feature over at CarThrottle (below), it now has a new leather interior in grey in place of the fabric trim and a new body kit.

It sports an AMG bodykit these days.
The reason for this change is that its owner, Adlis K, reckons that the Wald bodykit looks a little tame (or a little too feminine) even though it does make the old Merc a little more late 1990s instead of something from the late 1980s. With the Wald kit, it looks like a W202 Mercedes Benz C-class. In fact the front bumper setup looked like it was taken from a C36 AMG and modified to suit the W124.

The AMG W124 bodykit is more angular, more squarish and therefore slightly more aggressive, and manly. This is the same look that you'd get from the classic 1986 AMG Hammer (which is totally revered by yours truly as the first truly ridiculous super saloon - 6.0liters of V8 power in a narrow, upright sedan, what could be more outrageous?). This is the earlier bodykit compared to the one used in the E36 AMG variant used in the mid-90s, which was a little smoother and a little more like the Wald kit.

The surprising thing about this change in the looks was that it actually happened about 6 months or so after the installation of the previous bodykit. Ah, the pursuit for perfection..........leads to many bodykits.

Subaru Impreza S204 - This Limited Edition Scooby Runs RON95

2011-10-06T23:10:00.002+08:00

Some of you regulars and those who know me personally are aware that I happen to drive a global specced (one that the official Subaru dealer brings in instead of those grey market imports) Subaru Impreza 1.6ts and the good thing about this car is that it has 80% of the performance of the Impreza WRX and the fuel consumption of a regular 1.6liter car (mine anyway).

Now the other fun thing about running a global spec Subaru is that it runs happily on RON92, 95, 97, 98 or even 100. This is unlike the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) cars that are actually very very happy with 100RON. You put our 97 and it basically runs happy albeit with slightly less power due to the ECU retarding ignition timing a fair bit. Then you try RON95 because RON97 costs a whole lot more these days. Now non-turbo cars wouldn't have much problems as things aren't tuned so aggressively but when you have a turboed Impreza or even a Lancer Evolution, the car's ECU would already be working overtime trying to keep the engine from running lean and then prematurely detonating thereby requiring an expensive overhaul.

And when you start modding the darn thing it gets trickier. Add an exhaust system, intake and up the boost things go wonky and the stock ECU that is already compensating for lower octane will give up and head for home if you try running RON95. If you still cannot get it, it basically means that the engine bites the dust, kicks the bucket, heads for the happy hunting grounds, swims with the fishes or gets killed to death if there ever was such a term. So how do you go about doing up a Subaru Impreza WRX or a Mitsubishi Evolution properly? You go for a proper tune-up job.

Let's just talk Subaru Impreza WRX STI for now. There are many tuners out there that say they can safely tune the WRX STI but I somehow feel that there is only one person that can actually tune a WRX STI properly so that it can run RON95. That chap is Mr Andy Lee, proprietor of LMY Automobile & Services Sdn Bhd located in Subang Jaya, Selangor.

The reason is this. Unlike most of the Subaru specialists in and around town he is the only one I know who actually OWNS a darn Scooby. He owns a Subaru Impreza S204, one of those limited run Impreza WRX STI based on the Spec C with all the goodies and some luxury too (instead of being bare like a Spec C). This is the same S204 that was featured in an earlier article about the Zerotohundred.com Time Attack event in Sepang sometime last year. If you noticed, tuners in the UK, like Litchfield, Powerstation, Roger Clark Motorsports or those from Japan like HKS Kansai, Flatt Racing, Cusco etc all have their own demonstrator Subarus to show off their talents. Andy Lee of LMY is like one of the tuners mentioned, albeit he is Malaysian and he loves his 'yamcha' sessions like any of us.

He tunes the Impreza on a proper dyno machine based on the Opensource ECU system and somehow it works. Some use a piggyback, but what I am personally aware of is that the WRX ECU is very, very conservative and does not like its signals intercepted. It will revert to safe-mode in an instant. It is actually better to re-flash the ECU via OpenEcu software or the likes of ECUTEK (which is basically a branded version of the same mumbo-jumbo – so you pay more). Buy a piggyback and it would be a waste of your money.

The reason it works is that on RON97 the car makes over 391whp and 51kg/m torque. That's wheel horsepower folks. The Impreza will usually lose 20% of its power through transmission loss and if you add this then the actual horsepower that the S204 you see in the pictures is about 480bhp at the engine. A stock S204 makes 320bhp at the engine. This S204 has some hotter cams, a larger turbine, a full decat exhaust system and a cold air intake. It however runs stock S204 internals, this means that it is still a 2.0liter flat-four.

Now when RON97 went up in price to RM2.80 per liter, even people who can afford a limited edition Subaru would feel the pinch. So off to the rollers the S204 went (this car has done over 400 dyno runs to date, check out the picture above showing run number 359 - this is why a demonstrator is so important, so that customer cars don't go Kaboom!) so that it can safely run RON95. It does, and still makes about 367bhp and the same number of torque. And to tell you the truth, the car still feels the same. I still feel the same very nauseating first run where my brain gets squashed to the rear of my skull and I go all light-headed after the re-tune.

It is all torque for acceleration. The extra 20 or so horses will make itself felt at the higher reaches of the rev-range. On road, you will only, actually feel that 20hp when you've crossed 200km/h. You see, any Impreza turbo can hit 240km/h but how fast it reaches that speed depends on horsepower. So on a B-road or in town, that 20hp would not make a big difference. You may see it missing on the Sepang circuit though, or on the North-South highway very early in the morning.

Now the main point of this article is that this S204 safely runs RON95 which is cheaper by almost a Ringgit. Fill up 10liters of RON95 compared to RON97 and you save RM9.00. Its as simple as that. Of course the ECU tuning isn't going to cost you peanuts. It will cost you more than a thousand Ringgit for sure. It is pretty obvious that if you pay peanuts, you get a monkey tuning your car. Tuning via the butt will not hack it. Tuning the Impreza needs some actual know-how and somehow after years of doing it, Andy does it properly. No engines destroyed.

So to those with the patience to read my ramblings and view some pictures of an Impreza S204 with loads of horsepower running on cheap petrol, with big brakes that fill out those gorgeous 18 inch alloy wheels and one that actually did quite well in a time attack event quite recently I present to you a video below showing you how an Impreza S204 sings on the dyno rollers. No Subaru Boxer burble mind you, blame the equal length exhaust manifold and the twin scroll turbocharger.

Note: By the time this article is published the S204 would have been replaced by another monster of a car. It could be said that he has mastered all that he can with the Impreza WRX/WRX STI and the sort and has decided that it is time to try something else. This time is is a Nissan, still AWD, still can sit four people but it does not have rear doors, has a V6 engine and is also recommended to run on 100RON petrol. He can tune this car to run safely on RON95 too. Watch this blog for more on this at a later date!

Car Mods: 1st Gen Perodua Myvi Mod Tips

2011-10-01T00:49:00.002+08:00

I suppose this article is a tad bit late as Perodua has already launched the second generation Myvi. But then again, I have news for you. There is actually no difference betweeen the old 1^st generation Myvi 1.3 and the new Myvi 1.3 beneath the new bodyshell, new floating type dashboard and the electrically assisted power steering that supposedly helps the engine make 4 more horses (quite true, but slightly off as the Myvi actually came with an improved cylinder head when it was facelifted – giving more torque lower down and one or two horses but this was not mentioned at all. Why? Who knows.) I should know as my mother in law just bought one and I don't seem to think that there is a big difference compared to the pink one pictured herein after a hard drive up to Genting Sempah using the old Bentong Road (lots of body roll, lots of holding on to the steering wheel for support).

Anyway, you now have a 1^st generation 1.3 Myvi from 2005- mid2011. How do you improve the performance of a Myvi? You sell it and buy yourself a Proton Inspira 2.0. No? You're stuck with it for the next five years at the very least because you took a nine year loan that only breaks even in four and a half years? Okay. Aside from being suicidal as you're stuck with a tall, skinny tyred town car for the next five or so years your options are limitless. Remember, this is Malaysia. Everything that you want to do to it can be done. The only thing that would limit you is money. The lack of it.

But seriously folks, you could plonk in a Daihatsu Boon X4 turbocharged 1.0liter engine, a YRV 1.3liter turbocharged engine or whatever engine that floats your boat. Or car. Provided that the Road Transport Department agrees with your choice that is.

But if you aren't interested in going through all the hassle of changing engines or you think that you need a little bit extra and not the full monty, you do things bit by bit and a little at a time. So the question that begs to be asked would be what is the first item, or two, that you need to do to make your Perodua Myvi a little bit better to drive?

It isn't more power actually. The car is pretty nippy as it is. In my earlier article about the pink coloured Myvi 1.3 EZ automatic I already mentioned that it is a decent performer at the traffic lights, in and about traffic and can easily cruise the Malaysian highways at 120km/h. I have seen a YouTube video of some unlucky sods in a JDM Impreza WRX STI tailing a Myvi at about 180km/h and was then left slightly behind by it. This was because the Myvi did not come with a speedcut like most Japanese Domestic Market cars do. If I was the guys in the STI, I wouldn't have even uploaded that clip on YouTube. An STI humiliated by a Myvi. Albeit a manual version.

So where was I? Ah, the first items that you could get for your Myvi. Well, the first truly important item you should get for your Myvi are original Perodua aluminium pedal covers. Stock Myvi pedals are really crap. The accelerator pedal is bare metal which is painted black. The brake pedal is rubber pad covered. Why Perodua cannot come up with a non-slip cover for the accelerator pedal is beyond me. It is because of this that you should absolutely get the aluminium pedal covers during your first or second service at the Perodua service center. You could get aftermarket ones, but these are original optional equipment. You cannot go wrong with the size and fit. And it makes the interior look better too.

No. It does not add 5bhp. It just makes the cabin feel a better place to be in. All for a price of RM50-60.00.

The next step is actually the more important bit. One that improves the Myvi a whole lot. You see, the Myvi is rubbish through the bends. It does not like bends a whole lot. This is basically down to the tall and not so rigid body as well as really skinny and tall 175/65/14 tyres.

Some would think that the wheels are the first you should upgrade. You could go and upgrade to 15, 16 or 17 inch wheels and tyres but you would technically add unsprung weight to the car. Unsprung weight and increased rolling resistance do not help a tiny 1.3liter car. Notice that drag cars do not use huge wheels, but small, balloon-like tyres to keep the inertia low and grip high. Yes. The magic isn't in 20inch wheels for race cars. Also note that race cars are seldom seen in sizes other than 17 or 18 inch even when there are 20,21 inch wheel combos out there. So what does the Myvi need then to improve its handling? You need to fix the chassis first this time around.

The Perodua Myvi of 2005 to mid 2011 is a flimsy car. If you rode it over speed bumps a little faster than usual the whole dashboard would feel like a bomb exploded in it. If you graduated from a Perodua Kancil you'd think all cars did this. They don't okay? It's called scuttle shake and not many cars in this era have it. The only reason a car like this would feel like this is the fact that its structure, or monocoque chassis is not rigid. It does not have to be Mercedes Benz rigid but there should be some sense of solidity when a car rides across bumpy surfaces. A car also needs a rigid chassis so that important items like lower arms, shock absorbers have a solid place to sit on and not flex. This flex means that there is slack in the handling, and slack means a terrible handling and even grip.

This is why I did not feel confident when taking a long sweeping corner at 100km/h on a stretch of highway in KL. The car felt like it was floaty and vague through the corner. It also required me to concentrate a tad bit while taking the corner. It does not mean that the Myvi cannot take a corner at speeds higher than 100km/h. It can. But it requires more focus, more concentration and more care to do so than you would in even a Proton Persona. Some people wouldn't even notice such feedback. Which is the actual reason why you see them beating WRX STIs on the highways. The thing about me is that I do notice little traits that cars like these have and in the Myvi, it unnerves me. If I need to think too much through a corner, this means I am trying too hard. And it this floaty and vague nature of the Myvi that urgently needs correcting before any other mods that need to be done.

The cure is quite simple. A front suspension strut brace/bar. I got the car an Ultra Racing 2 point strut bar in the Myvi and a lot changed. The car felt planted through the same sweeping corner at 100km/h and over speed bumps things felt better. The dashboard didn't feel like exploding and somehow the whole car felt more planted nearly everywhere. This little mod, costing a bit over RM100.00 actually made the Myvi a whole lot better to drive and allow it to corner about 10km/h faster than before without the driver actually trying too hard. And as such, I have to state that this is the most important mod for a 1^st generation Myvi, bar none.

So there you have it. Two basic mods. Both extremely important for the 1^st gen Myvi. But I somehow sense that if you did the same to the new Myvi, you'd get the same results.

Note: This could be the first in a series of articles featuring our long term cars.

If This Is 2004.....

2011-09-25T10:39:00.000+08:00

...this would be the quality of photos we would use for our point and shoot blogging and spur of the moment articles. My car reviews would have photo quality like this photo below. Terrible isn't it?

Taken by a Nokia 6610i's CIF camera. This was taken sometime early 2011. This photo was obviously not taken in 2004 as that would mean that my wife's Myvi has gone back through time as the first MYVI was made in 2005. And mankind has not invented the time machine for general use as yet. Unless this was something I am not aware of.

Do take a look at my other website amalaysiaman.blogspot.com to have a look at the comparo pictures and the main article. You can click on the link above or here to go direct to the article itself.

Aston Martin V12 Zagato - Too Much Like A Nissan? I think so too.

2011-09-11T20:14:00.000+08:00

Do you think the new Aston Martin V12 Zagato looks too much like the Nissan 370Z or the Nissan GT-R? I do. It basically shows that Zagato these days are running out of ideas. Take a look at my posting here over at MyAutoblog.org. There are comparison photos for you to decide. I already have.

Trip to Australia Special: The FG series Ford Falcon XR6

2011-09-09T00:30:00.001+08:00

I recently went on holiday to the Gold Coast in Australia. Like my last holiday that required me to fly somewhere I rented a car. The thing about having your own set of wheels is that you are not dictated by the rigidity of public transport or the whims and fancies of tour guides. You are free to plan your journeys and maximize the time you spend in foreign lands. So in Australia, the land of Koalas, Platypuses (or Platypi or Platypus'), Roos and Wombats I rented a car.

Now renting a car in Australia is pretty easy. There are tons of websites that link you to car rental companies so that as soon as you arrive, whether in style or feeling ridiculously sleepy from the lack of sleep due to claustrophobic seating conditions flying coach, you will be given the keys to freedom. Freedom in this case is a late model FG series Ford Falcon XR6 with less than 10,000km on the clock.

Nice car this Ford. It packs 261bhp and 391Nm torque from its straight-6 engine when using 91RON petrol (4 more bhp and over 400Nm torque on 95RON). It weighs in at around 1,700kgs and with the 6 speed automatic transmission can do the 0-100km/h dash in about 6.5 seconds. After driving this car for about three whole days I believe it could too.

Other details of the car are that it runs on 225/50 series tires on 17inch alloy wheels, the Ford Sports Control Blade Independent Rear Suspension (IRS) and something called a 'virtual pivot' suspension up front, Sports body kit with side skirts and rear bumper, rear spoiler, front fog lamps, leather wrapped steering wheel with mounted audio controls, alloy pedal covers and cloth sports seats.

Actually details like this are stuff you can find anywhere. Somehow specs alone do not make a car, or a proper review. Those that have followed my writings (and tall tales) have noticed that I do not really care about specs and numbers. I tend to write about how the car makes me feel.

This car makes me feel utterly good about myself. This is even though I am fully aware that I am driving a car that is like a Proton or a Perodua in Malaysia. You see, over there in good ol' Australia the Ford Falcon and its Holden counterpart, the Commodore is everywhere. There is actually nothing unique about the Falcon's looks because of this but somehow it's all very quaint to be driving one.

The Australian motor industry has basically evolved into producing its own specific vehicles. I mean Ford or General Motors could have basically taken an American model and developed it to suit Australia. I suppose this was done in the early days (1940-1950s) but by the late 1950s they went their own way. The cars are as large as those American barges but somehow they have a European tint in their styling. Big, brutal but not in the American way. Take a look at the Falcon XR6 and you can tell its European Ford origins. The 'Kinetic' styling of the Ford Mondeo and Focus clearly shines through its Australian chassis. Whatever that means actually.

This car is actually a darn good drive. The 4.0liter engine is a lugger and the gears seem well suited to the car. At a 115km/h cruise or thereabouts it ticks over slightly over 2,000rpm. When you release the fun pedal a little and then floor it from 80km/h to 110km/h it drops a cog (or two) and you're at the Gold Coast highway's speed limit within a couple of seconds. The handling of the car is pretty good. A car as large as a Toyota Camry that can be hustled. And you can't really hustle an Camry. It'll understeer its way to the opposite side of the road at the speeds the Falcon XR6 can take. It'll also put you to sleep too, the Camry.

None of that dull unclemobile nonsense with the XR6. Accelerate out of a corner at full throttle with the traction control button off and the inner rear wheel spins (it IS rear wheel drive you know – what a traditional large sports saloon should be). Grip is very high in the dry though but I suspect (and was also informed) that it could be a handful in the wet. But heck, most fun cars are actually like this. I remember driving a 1970s Triumph Stag that had good dry road grip but give it some sand or some water on the road and the tail will be happy. Take sweeping corners at around 90-100km/h and things are still drama free even with the traction control button off (I left it on most of the time as this was a vacation, not an all out pedal to the metal road test). The handling is a little weird with the traction control on, like the rear is slightly out of step with the very quick steering. But it still corners with verve and understeer is really put in check (so it oversteer – in the dry that is).It feels neutral. It does feel like a proper sports sedan when it comes to steering feel, ride (slightly firm but still able to soak up potholes with ease) and handling.

So is the car good? It is actually very good. It isn't a lumbering barge. It isn't a low quality locally made lump of metal too. It's nothing like buying a Proton. If I was Australian, I wouldn't have any qualms plumping down a wad of cash for some Australian metal like this. Nothing broke throughout the three days of driving up and down the Gold Coast, Brisbane and also Byron Bay in bordering New South Wales. The seats comfy yet supportive. The material used for the interior was good with soft touch plastic in all the right places. It was reliable. It had a large boot which swallowed up my wife and kid's shopping with ease. It had power. It had handling. It had good ride comfort. It got me thinking that if any national car maker came up with a 4.0liter car like this I wouldn't mind buying it in an instant. Ford or Holden left, right and center and I'd still get one over most of the cars in its price range – it would cost between AUD$30,000-50,000 depending on whether you buy it brand new or used or whether its this normally aspirated version or the XR6 Turbo which has 360bhp and 533Nm torques -even better and was even voted 'Best Bang for Buck' by Motor magazine in 2008 – I would agree so too after driving this non-turbo version. The only thing that I thought was worth criticizing is the fact that the steering is set slightly lower than what I'd like it to be. If it was about and inch or so higher it would be better. In fact, any person with thighs larger than mine would have some problems getting in and out of the car. But if you had thighs larger than mine, you must be a true lard ball as I already am quite a chubby little kid.

So the Ford Falcon XR6 rocks. Go rent one if you're Down Under as it got me grinning like a shot fox. It was a drive to remember.

It's Eid-Ul-Fitr Over Here In Malaysia and I Am Full

2011-08-30T16:45:00.001+08:00

Full of food. After a whole month of fasting we've now arrived at the point of eating. Kuala Lumpur has about half of its denizens away due to the 'Balik Kampung' phenomenon. Those who aren't muslims also take full advantage of this long holiday to go shopping or to travel to someplace. The roads out of Kuala Lumpur were jammed but as I am writing this, it isn't as everyone has basically arrived to where they wanted to be.

As for some 'Hari Raya' advice on cars and motoring I have to say;

that this is still the ugliest sedan you can buy in Malaysia today.

and this is a wayyyyyy better buy than that regardless of the badging. I know of a story where someone bought one 1.8 manual version and converted it to a Lancer GT right down to the windows - it now has embossed on the glass Mitsubishi instead of Proton - over RM18,000 worth.

On another note, I shall be reviewing one of the fastest Subaru Impreza STI S204s around. Now we all know that the S204 is already a limited edition Impreza GD model that has all the goodies and is quite fast in its stock (which isn't very stock at all) form. The thing about this car is that it is a JDM (Japan Domestic Market) car and in Japan, they like running these cars on 100ron instead of the 97ron or 95 ron we have over here. So if you end up buying one, the minimum octane rating you should run on your JDM Impreza STi is 97ron. Any lower and you may incur engine knocking and later on a rebuild if your pistons start to melt like some Japanese Nuclear reactor.

Anyway, this S204 (Pictured with an Impreza GC8 here) makes over 360whp (wheel horsepower) and a good 51kg/m of torque from 95RON. Read about this sometime after my Raya break folks. Sometime here could be a while....I may be a little lazy. You never know.

MTM Audi A1 Is NOTHING Like The Poofy Audi A1 On Sale In Malaysia - And That Car Has Issues

2011-08-22T16:23:00.001+08:00

"....it is gravity defying in that the tiny (still) front-drive Audi A1 can accelerate from a standstill to 100km/h in 4.5seconds and go on to 324km/h. In such a small car doing anything above 300km/h must be like riding a bicycle downhill at breakneck speed without any safety gear or even any clothes on."

Click here to read more about this tiny tot. Over at myAutoblog.org.

That being said I would never buy the Audi A1 1.4 sold by the local distributors for RM189,000+. I can bloody buy a Scirocco 1.4 for about the same price.

One other reason why I won't buy the A1 1.4 here from the local distributors is the fact that they purportedly ordered the A1 without the painted silver A - C Pillars and they are outsourcing the painting to some local MudGuard-lo. This basically means that the quality isn't factory fit and if you actually dinged it, you may see red paint underneath. They couldn't even bother ordering the car with the optional (yet very sought after) Audi A1 look. Wonderful isn't it? So anyone who bought that close to RM190K little Audi actually has part of their Audi painted by some Malaysian...or a Bangladeshi working for the Malaysian. Which is worse.

This little bit of information was supplied to me by someone who knows someone who happens to know a whole lot about Audis in Malaysia. Of course this could be hearsay and you shouldn't take my word for it....but remember, this is Bolehland.

New McLaren Lacks Soul

2011-08-22T14:36:00.000+08:00

"Of course, you could engineer 'soul' into the car and this is what McLaren will be doing to all MP4-12Cs after this. The main changes to the car centers around a sharper throttle response and a better exhaust note. Somehow these two items add 'soul' to a car, "

Click here to read more about it. Posted over at MyAutoblog.org

News About Lotus And The Lotus Evora IPS

2011-08-15T20:35:00.001+08:00

This is the link to the full write-up of our late night/early morning chance meet with the boys from Lotus Cars Malaysia. I've posted it on CarThrottle.com. Basically our conversation with the guys from Lotus has enlightened us on their business plan and a few marketing tricks too.

Oh yes, more pictures and more on the Lotus Evora IPS. Click here to go straight to the article.

Late Night Rendezvous With A Lotus Evora IPS

2011-08-14T21:28:00.002+08:00

It is still hard to spot a Lotus that isn't an Elise in Malaysia even though Proton has owned Lotus for a good fifteen or so years. I happened to be with a few friends and we managed to catch one at a car wash in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. The Lotus Evora IPS in the photograph above is still undergoing testing for our local climate especially in the transmission department since its the first automatic Lotus since the 1980s. It was just back from a run to Kuantan and back to see if all systems are go.

The Lotus Evora IPS with its 276HP 3.5liter V6 engine coupled to a 6 speed automatic gearbox and flappy pedals is on sale in Malaysia for a reasonable RM460,000 (without roadtax and insurance). Stay tuned for a longer write-up and better pics of this chance meeting soon.

Thanks to the chaps from Lotus Cars Malaysia who basically entertained our questions at 230am on a Sunday morning.

The 2012 Suzuki Swift Sport Is Finally Revealed

2011-08-11T11:20:00.003+08:00

Suzuki has finally revealed the new Suzuki Swift Sport. Based on the recently launched new Swift launched early this year it should be equipped with the same 50mm longer wheelbase and lots more size and space. And we in Malaysia haven't even received the new bread and butter Swift to date. The reason we are not getting a new Swift when Singapore has already got the latest Swift models is that we assemble out Swifts locally. I suppose CKD packs of the current Swift have not run out to make it economically feasible for them to bring in the latest model. Boo Hoo to Suzuki Malaysia.

Anyway, aside from the small rant above the new Swift Sport should be going on sale sometime next year. If it is brought here we should get the 5 door version instead of the one pictured above which is certainly a Euro only variant as even the Japanese got the 5 door version of the previous Swift Sport.

It will get a revised 1.6liter DOHC engine that'll put out 134hp instead of 125hp. It also gets 160Nm instead of 148Nm torque. I suppose this is to offset the slight gain in size (and bulk) of the new car. It also gets a 6 speed gearbox and 17 inch alloys too. I suppose the alloy wheel upgrade is necessary considering the car is slightly larger now.

Whatever the case is I hope that it'll handle like the earlier car, which was bloody good (aside from having a slightly tallish sitting position which is actually typical in all modern superminis). I rate that car as one of the best affordable drives around. You can click here to go to read about what I thought of the soon to be replaced Suzy Swift Sport.

At The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymetric 2 & Directional 5 Tire Launch

2011-08-08T09:01:00.002+08:00

It was a whole day event held on the 30th of July 2011 which I attended together with a pal of mine, Firdaus (who maintains his own VW Polo GTI blog). The event was pretty good actually. We got to know about the new Eagle F1 tires and they had food. There was breakfast, lunch and tea. We had food and was asked to drive around some cones, sat through a product briefing, was driven round and round the Proton High Speed Oval Test Ring and then drove round a short time attack course - which I promptly got confused and drove an extra trip around some cones. Give me a proper track or a navigator as I am useless in memorizing stuff.

It was an event for the local car clubs and on-line forums. Something different as the potential consumers get to experience what automotive journalists and the manufacturer's vendors get to experience at most product launches. I like the food part, aside from piloting the Honda Civics and BMWs available. I hated being driven by others at high speeds around a test track. Especially after lunch.

And the event ended with the Goodyear Drift Team's drift exhibition. Firdaus managed to catch a ride and found out how effective 400-500bhp can wipe out Eagle F1 tires in a few minutes. As I feel extremely mortal and Firdaus being a tad bit younger by almost a decade, I did not do so. Ah, the exuberance of youth.

Thanks to Leon of Quick-Save Auto Boutique, USJ's friendly neighbourhood tire shop who did not get lost during the time attack event and managed to get a ride in the track-day prepared Porsche Cayman. This car was fast, really fast (even if it is only a Cayman).

Oh yes. The tires are fine. As high performance all weather tires both Eagle F1 Asymetric 2 and the Eagle F1 Directional 5 are good. The Asymetric 2 feels much better even in the wet. I suppose this is because it IS the more expensive tire of the two. And I did wish that they'd throw in some other tires or even the earlier Eagle F1s for us to compare especially since they claim the Directional 5 brakes 3 meters shorter and the Asymetric 2 brake a meter shorter than other tires. These tires are good....but how good in real life situations are another thing.

Anyway, the whole review is posted on CarThrottle.com. You can click here to read a more detailed report or view some more pictures of the event.