Archive for category: Commentary

Happy 40th Birthday, BMW M!

“A company is like a human being. As long as it goes in for sports, it is fit, well-trained, full of enthusiasm and performance.”

These were the words of Robert A. Lutz, BMW AG Board Member Sales, back in 1972. They were the words christening the youngest subsidiary of BMW AG at the time, BMW Motorsport GmbH. Today the company is called BMW M GmbH. The early 1970s were the dawn of a new age for BMW; a new, young Board of Management under Eberhard von Kuenheim had established BMW’s own in-house Sports Division. Check out the jump for the historic achievements of the M division.

Achilles Formula Drift Malaysia 2012: Tengku Djan Qualifies With Best Score in Top 32

Team Malaysia – Ah Fai (lead car) and Tengku Djan during the 36BOL Nations Cup at Formula Drift Malaysia 2012

Saturday, 19th May 2012 - Tomorrow’s nail-biting Round of 32 will see exciting head-to-head tandem driving between world-class riders in a knockout format to determine the champion for the title. Tengku Djan, who is making his comeback to the Achilles Asian Drift series, was in top form with Ah Fai who led the pack in qualifying, with an high scores of 94 and 90 respectively. Malaysian fans can also expect a feast of top-class drifting tomorrow with the current seeding setting up a potential mouth-watering semi-final clash between Djan and defending champion Daigo, who finished fourth in qualifying, while Ah Fai could face Japanese superstar Orido, in the quarter-finals.

Continental HCS Around the World

On Continental HCS around the World

Ever had the urge to travel the world? How about doing it without flying? Meet “HerrMan”, a custom made 18-tonne monster equipped with 6 x 14.00R20 HCS Continental Tires, with husband-wife team Stefan Sigl and Petra Mester.

HINCITY At Yogyakarta, 12 – 13th May 2012

If you are in Yogyakarta, Indonesia next weekend, drop by the Jogja Expo Center for the start of the 2012  HIN (Honda Import Nights) tour series. The event will then continue to Surabaya, Bali and Jakarta, before coming to Malaysia. The finale for the tour series will end at Kuala Lumpur, 15 – 16 Dec. Numerous contests will be run, from Hottest Engine Bay to Miss HIN. Check out the itinerary and also the venue arrangement after the jump!

Proton Prevé vs Competitors

Prevé, ronounced “prae-vae”, not "pri-vi"

Well, the new Proton Prevé (means, to prove) was launched recently and it is only natural that one tries to compare it with other makes and models. So, here it is. We have taken the Premium variant of the Prevé and put it into a busy fight with the Toyota Vios G, Honda City E, Volkswagen Polo Sedan, Ford Fiesta 1.6L Sedan LX, Mazda 2 Sedan, Kia Forte 1.6L EX and Hyundai Elantra 1.6 AT Standard. The basis for choosing these are because they have a 1.5 / 1.6-litre engine, which are below RM 100k. There are also 2 segment of cars in it as well. Proton Prevé is in the C-segment. Check out the jump for the spec comparison and comments!

How Does The All-New Toyota Camry Stack Up Against Its Competitors?

Only Available in Thailand

By now, you would have seen the brochure and also the estimated price for the new Toyota Camry, which is coming to Malaysia in June. How would Malaysia’s all time favourite large sedan/saloon stack up against rivals? In the 2.0 litre segment, there is the traditional Honda Accord 2.0 VTi-L, Nissan Teana 2.0 Luxury, Mazda 6 2.0 and couple of Koreans – Hyundai Sonata YF 2.0 and Kia Optima K5 2.0. Price segment in this, ranges from RM 143k (Koreans) to RM 160k (estimated for Toyota Camry 2.0G). Table after the jump summarizes the comparison.

Design+Branding: BMW Design Icons

A very important aspect of brand recognition: iconic design philosophies.

BMW has a rather distinct history; strict adherence to a limited set of design principles. Through years of tradition and brand establishment, these designs have since become an icon, easily recognizable even without the badge. This article attempt to celebrate the enduring power of BMW design principles.

Brabus 6.5 (W124 500E)

The ultimate sleeper car

Definition of a “sleeper” – a car that has high performance in an unassuming exterior. Enter the Brabus Mercedes Benz W124 500E.  The ordinary W124 is a car which any ordinary old man would likely be seen in. The 500E however, may give that old man a heart attack. For a start, the Mercedes – Porsche collaboration’s 5.0 litre V8, which is good for 322 hp and 480 Nm is “displaced” by Brabus to a 6.5 litre (hence the name 6.5). This gives the Brabus Merc an upgraded 444 hp and is good enough to complete the century sprint in just 5.2s, which will reach a top speed of 285 km/h.

Now, if you are looking for a mint Brabus 6.5, good news! Brabus themselves are selling a very mint, very well taken care of unit and very low mileage too. All 252 km of it! So, head on to Brabus website quickly to grab it before someone else does.

5 Things You Won’t See In Cars In The Next Decade

Anyone who is old enough will remember that the high beam switch was next to the clutch pedal

The advent of newer technology will possibly mean that some features we see in our cars today will phase out in, say, 10 to 15 years’ time. To go slightly off tangent, Moore’s Law, which states that transistor quantity in (computer) processors will double every two years, would directly affect the electronic industry currently and in the future, and indirectly affect how features in cars are introduced.

This is a list of features in cars that may inevitably disappear in the next decade or so.

TCG is going to MotoXpo!

I got a call from Des just now telling me that we got an invite from the Motorcycle & Scooter Assemblers And Distributors Association of Malaysia (MASAAM) to cover the MotoXpo KL 2012 show. Being motorheads of any kind, I guess it will be a good opportunity to check the exposition out.