Video of the design process of the all new Hyundai Avante/Elantra

Here is another video about the design process of the all new Hyundai Avante/Elantra. Sadly the video is in Korean language, thus I can't understand what the designers are saying. Maybe any Korean readers out there can help me to translate what the designers are saying. One word prominently stated in this video, Wind Craft, well it looks like the designers of Hyundai were inspired to design the car based on a wind flowing nature as oppose to water flowing nature of the new Hyundai Sonata. Well it does embody the “Fluidic Sculpture” of the new design language of Hyundai. Be it water or wind, all of these elements are a fluidic sculptured by its own nature. Enjoy the video

Video debut of the all new Hyundai Avante/Elantra

This is the latest set of video about the new Hyundai Avante/Elantra. This video was shot in Korea for a media test drive. As you can see the video is a part one video, I still couldn’t find the part two of the video but for the first time we can see the interior shots of the car live as compared to the still shots. The car I can say looks very sleek while in motion, perhaps a better looking car compared to the new Hyundai Sonata. Well I’m really looking forward for this car to be available here in Malaysia. As for our Korean counterpart, the sale of this new Avante will be available from August thus worldwide sale probably will be available a year after the home soil sales starts. To the management of Hyundai Sime Darby Malaysia, do drop a line to me, as I’m very eager to test drive this car and I might be popping out my check book if does drives well as good as its looks. Enjoy the video.

New spy shots of Proton Lancer spotted at KLIA!!!

Good day to all readers of Auto Insider Malaysia. I'm sorry for not updating my blog for almost 1 week now. I just went back from a team building programme with my company and as you may know or have encountered, come back from a holiday or training, work is waiting for you. I've been busy for the past few days thus I can't update my blog as always.

Experience a sheer driving pleasure at BMW Innovation day 2010

Innovation is one of a cornerstone that sets apart from a good car to a great car. With good innovation, a more technological wonders can be offered to the drivers that makes an everyday drive a truly comfortable and a safe drive. This is what BMW Malaysia is offering to its potential customers here in Malaysia and also globally. A great and wonderful yet very safe to drive to be enjoyed to the most. To make known to the public about its very technological innovation; BMW Malaysia will be a organizing a series of event known as “BMW Innovation 2010” days till the end of the year.

Another teaser video from Ford; How its camouflaging its all new 2011 Ford Explorer

This is an interesting piece of video where Ford shows a video of what is the process involved when they want to prepare the camouflage for a new car development testing. This video specifically shows the 2011 Ford Explorer as one of their teaser video before its full unveiling on July 26 2010. Enjoy the video.

First spy shots of 2012 Honda Civic!!

Shown above are the first spy shot of the all new 2012 Honda Civic bound for European market. This car features a five doors hatchback shape with its funky rear door handle on the C-pillar same as what has been offered on the new Alfa Romeo Giulietta. This new 2012 Honda Civic is also rumored to be the first Civic generation that going to have a shorter foot print of the overall car length as what has been reported previously on the internet. Shown on this blog post also are the current Honda Civic in the European market in order for you to have a clear idea of what is the current design against this new spy shots.

Enjoy the rest of the pics after the jump.

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Hyundai finally unveiled the interior design of the all new 2011 Hyundai Avante/Elantra

We have seen Hyundai unveiled the 2011 Hyundai Avante MD at its World Premiere in late April 2010 at Busan Motor Show Korea but unfortunately the unveiling only shows the exterior design of the car and not the interior design of the car which has been featured in a dark window tints during the World Premiere.

Two months after the official unveiling, Hyundai has released new pictures showing its interior of the car and I must say the design of the interior truly captures my heart. The overall design of the dashboard continues with the same “sculpted” theme seen on the new Hyundai Sonata but Avante dashboard features more swoopy lines, more in line with its younger target buyers as compared to the older buyer in the Sonata range.

The meter combi of the new Avante features a twin tunnel gauges for the tachometer and the speedometer with a unique HVAC design and layout on the centre console.

Now the circle is complete for this new Avante. I can’t wait for the car to be unveiled here in Malaysia. Hopefully Hyundai Sime Darby will not wait too long for this car to be unveiled here in Malaysia. The car features an astonishing exterior and interior design and I must say it’s truly captures my heart the same like when I sat my eyes on the Hyundai Sonata when I attended the special preview of the car before its official launching.

The only question remains to be answered is how good the car drives. So to any Hyundai Sime Darby people who are reading my blog, do extend your invitation for a media test drive to me so that I can cover this fabulously looking car in details for your potential buyers here in Malaysia and globally. Who knows I might be the one who buys this car, as I’m itching to change my car with a much sleeker looking and a better drive car.

Audi AG to introduce the all new Audi A7 Sportback on July 26th!!

Seems like the rumours of the Audi A7 going to be introduce at Auto Salon Moscow was total rubbish. At last Audi AG has revealed that it’s going to launch the much anticipated Audi A7 Sportsback on Monday July 26th at “Pinakothek der Moderne” which is a modern art museum situated in the centre of Munich, Germany.

Audi has also revealed its engine line up that will power this new baby from Audi. The base model will received a 3.0 litre supercharged V6 engine with 272ps and a standard model will received a 4.2 litre V8 engine that produce a healthy 377ps. Beside the petrol engine, the oil burner engine will complete its line up with a base engine is powered by a 3.0 litre TDI engine that produce 253ps and also the second line up will be a 4.2 litre TDI engine with a whopping 355ps. All these engines will be connected to a 7 speed DSG gearbox driving its all wheel drive (Quattro) system.

For a more enthusiast driver, Audi also plans to introduce its famous S and RS variant of this new A7 with the S variant will be powered by a 4.2 litre V8 that produce 450ps and the RS variant that will be powered by a 5.0 litre TFSI V10 engine with a massive 580ps.

source: Audi

Mercedes to introduce an all new nine speed automatic transmission

Bye-bye seven speed and here comes the new king, a nine speed automatic transmission. According to recent report, Mercedes is currently developing a new nine speed automatic transmission dubbed as 9G-Tronic to replace its aging 7G-Tronic transmission that were introduce in 2003.

This new transmission is design to meet its target of improved fuel efficiency and reduced the Co2 emission compared to the current transmission. It is expected to be debut on the redesigned 2012 Mercedes S-Class where Mercedes believe this transmission is suitable for large engine displacement. With upcoming introduction of this new transmission, Mercedes will once again eclipse its competitor Audi AG and BMW which beats the current Mercedes transmission with its 8 speed automatic transmission supplied by ZF.

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Honda upgrades the Honda Insight to counter negetive feedback of the car suspension

The new Honda Insight has been launched 2 years ago and Honda UK has announced that the five door hatch will received an improvement to the suspension system to enhance its ride and comfort and also upgrades to its interior trim. This new upgrades was based on response from the media and also the early customers that the car suspension have give a negative feedback and also lack of ride and comfort.

In terms of improvement made to the ride, handling and stability, Honda engineers has altered the recoil rate of the springs, rear camber angles, and also changing the V-shape rear suspension brace and adjusting mounts. As for the interior, the Honda Insight gets a new dashboard with the plastic has seen some improvement to its quality, a new chrome ring surrounding to the air vents, a new seat colour and also the door has been added a silver garnish features to its trim.

For the UK Honda Insight, for ES-model and above, there will be a standard rear parking sensors, with its range topper EX model will get a leather upholstery treatment and also a DVD sat-Nav with hand-free telephone function with an addition to 2 new exterior colours namely Dynamic Blue Pearl and also Carnelian Red Pearl.

This revise Honda Insight production will start this July in Japan with no clear indication that these changes are solely for European specs or it will be standardize globally.

Mercedes takes on Volkswagen with its all new A-Class!!

The recent small vehicle tie-up between Mercedes-Benz and Renault has seen some fruitful result and the result can be seen as shown above. This is an artist impression of the upcoming new Mercedes-Benz A-Class which going to give a head on fight with the German opponent from Volkswagen more specifically the Volkswagen Golf and its traditional opponent the BMW 1 series and also the Audi A3.

The car will sport a front wheel drive platform and it is reported the design was taken from the design cue of Mercedes-Benz F800 concept that has been revealed during the Geneva Motor Show. The artist impression above have seen an idea inspired with a new prominent grille of Mercedes new family face, a LED headlights and also a more boldly sculptured body panel to make it a more desirable and sportier looking then the current Mercedes line up.

The car will be available in both three and five door variant with the engine range coming from both petrol and diesel which features a start-stop technology. In terms of cabin quality, according to Mercedes, the interior of this new car will have a better cabin quality then the Golf but it does comes with a higher price. It is expected the car will be available at Mercedes showroom at the beginning of 2012. According to Mercedes global sales and marketing boss, Dr Joachim Schmidt “In the next couple of years, we will launch additional cars where we don’t currently have predecessors and the current A-Class and B-Class will be replaced by a new platform for four totally different cars defining new segments for Mercedes.”

Dr Schmidt also confirmed that these new models will not features a practicality of the older MPV design for the A-Class but the B-class will remained its current design form with its compact high roofed five door that will features a hybrid and electric power train option that is slated for debut in late 2011.

Besides this new A-class, by 2013, Mercedes also plans to release a small 4x4 or 2x4 crossover to take on the battle with the BMW X1 range and also a small four door coupe with a possible nameplate of BLS. To complete the range, Mercedes also planning a new model to fight the Audi A1 and also BMW supermini where it is likely to badge as a Smart car.

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Mugen launched the Styling Kit version of Honda Freed Spike

  

We have seen the recently launch Honda Freed Spike featured in this blog post and now Mugen of Japan have give the Honda Freed Spike its first official styling kit. This new styling kit consists of full body kits (side skirt, front skirt with integrate LED, rear skirts and spoiler) with a new front grille which blended the sporty look it portrays nicely. Besides that, Mugen also thrown in a twin tail exhaust mufflers, Mugen alumnium sets of wheels and sport lowering springs for better handling. Besides that, the headlamp of this sporty model also features a blackout headlamp housing to complete the front end transformation of the car.

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Chopard celebrate Alfa Romeo 100 years of establishment

Chopard has been establish 150 year ago and to mark its 150 years of making fine wristwatches and conveniently Alfa Romeo has been establish 100 years ago, Chopard has rolled out a range of fine watched in honoring the existence of the Italian brand.

The range of watches includes the Gran Turismo XL Alfa Romeo and the GT XL Chrono Alfa Romeo available in both stainless steel and carbon coated steel and features COSC-Certified in house automatic movements, 46 hours power reserve, 44mm cases, anti reflective sapphire crystal and Chopard signature vintage Dunlop inspired rubber straps.

To make it more unique and priceless, Chopard only plan to produce only 500 watches each for the three models which is accompanied with a table clock in PVD coated and a black leather, red stitched casing and also a specially made travel alarm clock.

Enjoy the pics after the jump.

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Breaking News!! Peugeot 309 hot from the oven

We have seen the latest Peugeot 508 unveiled by the French company this week, now looks like the French lion is very busy with its product line up. A snatched spy shot published by AutoExpress UK, caught the successor to the 308 hatchback that sport the latest family grill originated from the Peugeot SR1 concepts shown at Geneva Motor Show and also the new Peugeot 508.

This new car will be call the 309 and this is one of 14 new cars that going to be rolled out from the Lion brand factory within the next five years. Even though we have seen the car leaking on the internet, the real production version will not hit the dealers till 2013 and currently Peugeot is busy working on to improved its fuel consumption and also its emission to meet the tougher Euro Emission standard.

This new 309 will retain most of the current 308 overall shape, but it will sport the new design direction from the chief designer Gilles Vidal and it is possible this car will be called “3 by Peugeot” designed to gauge the public reaction to the new look of this car as what we have seen the version of “5 by Peugeot” at Geneva Motor Show. The new design features will include LED running lights, deep grooves along the hood and a subtle creases in the doors to bring up the design of the car apart from its newly design family face.

The power train that is likely to power the cars will be the 1.4 liter and 1.6 liter HDi diesels with a new Peugeot e-HDI Start&Stop system will be a prominent feature in the range. Besides that, the bosses of Lion brand also hinted by 2013 all of its oil burner cars will use a “microhybrid” green technology

Citroën concepts going for production!!!

Last week there has been report that Citroën has finally put an end to the rumors of producing the GTbyCitroën concept by confirming that they will not produce the radical car. Looks like we can be overjoyed when inside sources within Citroën has confirmed that they are working on to bring two more recent concepts into production.

The two concepts that I have mentioned above would be the Survolt concept and also the Metropolis concept. According to reports, Citroën is currently evaluating on its idea of having producing the electric car as a limited production and even a sport version one make racing series.

The next concepts that would become a reality would be the Metropolis concept where this model will be segmented into its D9 nameplate in the company’s premium line up.

Enjoy the pics of both concepts after the jump.

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2012 Cheverolet Aveo patent design leaked on the internet

Previously we have seen GM preview its all new 2012 Chevrolet Aveo at this year’s Detriot Auto Show with only the Aveo RS Concept hatchback was the only model that takes the centre stage. This newly discovered patent also reveals the design of the new Aveo in the form of sedan where this car features a similar profile like its bigger siblings the Cruze.

From the rear of the car, the Aveo was design with vertically stacked lamps as oppose to horizontally stack lamp that GM design for the Cruze. As for the outer door handles, the sedan will get a conventional door handles which is not the same as what has been features in the Aveo hatchback where the outer door handles were place hidden on the C-pillar of the car. Production of this new model will not start in the first half of 2011 at General Motor’s Lake Orion assembly plant north of Detroit.

Enjoy the rest of the pics after the jump

Ferrari 458 Challenge has been revealed at Maranello

Ferrari SpA has just unveiled the new 458 Challenge where its features a modified dual clutch F1 gearbox an E-Differential and also “F1-trac” traction control system during the annual dealer meeting in Maranello.

The new 458 Challenge is based on the 458 Italia also features a race suspension which were made with solid aluminum bushing, stiffer springs and also single rate damper and its stopping power being provided by high performance Brembo CCM2 brakes derive from the Ferrari 599XX. This car has been shod with 19-inch wheels fitted with Pirelli tires.

The car is powered by a 4497cc V8 engine unleashing 570ps and 540Nm of torque which significantly lap the Ferrari test track Fiorano in 1 minute 16.5 seconds which is a full two seconds faster than the F430 Challenge.

To achieve this amazing feat is not only coming from the engine, this new Ferrari was made with thinner body panels, carbon fiber components and Lexan windows to further reduce its weight thus the driver can enjoy its full potential.

Read on after the jump for a full press release.

Buick Regal first of several new television ads found its way on the internet.

Shown above is one of the first of several television ads from General Motors on the all new 2011 Buick Regal which is essentially an Opel/Vauxhall Insignia in Europe. The TV ads spot the new Buick Regal as a sport sedan inspired by German engineering and performance as according the Craig Bierley, Buick advertising director.

As indicated in the ads, this new Buick Regal will be price starting from $26,245 and there will be two engines option with the initial offering will be; 182hp 2.4 litre 4 cylinder engine. The next engine line up that’s going to be introduce this fall in the States will be a 220hp 2.0 litre turbocharged 4 cylinder engine that surely delivers a punch but only sips petrol at a much efficient way.

This Buick Regal will be built alongside its twin brother the Insignia at Opel’s factory in Russelheim Germany and the production in North America will only commence in early 2011 at GM’s Oshawa Car Assembly plant in Canada.

Picture gallery of the new Ferrari 599 GTO. Enjoy the pics of this lovely baby

Ferrari has released several new images of the 599 GTO the most powerful Ferrari car ever. This car was basically based on the 599 GTB Fiorano but Ferrari has revised the styling with a new design of bumpers, a new front spoiler, and a more aggressive rear diffuser. Since this is one mighty sportscar, Ferrari has thrown in a Virtual Race Engineer where this system will monitor the car’s status and give feedback on the car’s performance back the drivers in order for him to improve his lap times. As usual for Ferrari cars, the interior has been luxuriously fitted with miles of carbon fibre trim and also leather plus alcantra steering wheel.

This 599 GTO is powered by a 6.0 litres V12 engine that produces 661hp and a massive 619Nm of torque tearing down the tyres. This engine was mated to a lightweight six speed transmission which can shift almost identical to a F1 at 60 milliseconds and the century sprint can be achieve in 3.35 seconds with a top speed of 335km/h.

Enjoy the pics after the jump.

Audi A7 Sportback will be launch during the Auto Salon Moscow!!

                       

Audi AG is set to launch its long awaited Audi A7 sportback at the end of this month. Details of overall car are still sketchy, based on the limited information from the teaser microsite. Of course the details will be sketchy, if not it will not be called teaser microsite right.

Apparently, interested buyers can register your interest about this car by filling in your information and Audi will update the interested buyers with some snippets about this car same like what we have seen what Audi marketing guys have been doing during the launch of Audi A5 sportback

As we have seen some of the spy photos making its way on the internet, details about the engine are still left unanswered. Sources has indicated that this new Audi baby will use a turbocharged V8 petrol, a 3.0 litre force fed V6 and V8 diesel engine and all this 3 engine models will be mated to a 7 speed DSG transmission.

Audi AG also has indicated that the car will be launch to the public during the Auto Salon Moscow on August 25 of 2010.

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Proton Exora MC 1 to be launch tomorrow!!!

Remember readers of Auto Insider Malaysia that I’m going to reveal when will be the Exora MC1 going to be launch. Apparently, this blog post has revealed a Proton Edar dealer already displaying the car even it is not launch yet.

Since it’s already out to the public to see, let me reveal when it will be launch. According to my sources, the Exora MC1 will be launch tomorrow, 15th of July 2010. It will carry an additional price of RM1500.00 but it has come with a few additional features.

Peugeot 308GT THP200 bound for UK market

Looks like the VW Golf GTI will have its rival prowling behind its back in the guise of Peugeot 308 GT THP200 which will be available in the UK this month for £21,995 OTR.  

The car will be powered by Peugeot 1.6 Litre turbocharged prince engine with 200 hp THP petrol engine mated to a six speed manual gearbox. This new beast can achieve century sprint in 7.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 225km/h.

Ford shows off their 2011 Ford Explorer being tested for potential air leaks and panel gaps

Shown on this blog post are some videos from Ford on how they check and test the new 2011 Ford Explorer for potential leaks, gap and how to achieve good NVH (Noise, Harshness and Vibration). Ford uses quite a number of equipment to measure the gaps at the door, hatch and window and with the help of this high tech equipment, this will help the engineers to take accurate measurements on panel gaps and detect potential air leak issue before the vehicle goes out from the plant.

I do agree with what the engineers have describe in this video where he pointed out that the customers have grown much more complex and to keep up with the customers need of pursuing greater quality product, Ford have make and extra effort to have their standard much more stringent over the past three years. It is a good point of has been describe by this young chap, I do think Malaysia customer are already going towards understanding great quality in their cars where some customers can view the car and understand the manufacturing defects even though he/she can’t describe the root cause of the problem, but their sharp eyes and knowledge of quality is there, thus I think Malaysia car manufacturer has to be prepared to up their ante in order to fulfil the ever growing need of good and reliable quality cars here in Malaysia.

source: Ford

"Optimus Prime" spotted in Beijing!!!

Looks like the Chinese peoples are very talented in manufacturing almost everything from car, hand phone, watches and even a Transformer robot. Yes this 10 meter “Optimus Prime” was spotted at the Bird’s Nest at Beijing Olympic park. This Transformer was made from junk auto parts with pieces coming from cars, trucks and jeeps. It may not transform into a lorry as Optimus Prime or vice versa, it still a magnificent feat and very artistic to sculpture this huge robot. Enjoy the rest of the pics after the jump.

Peugeot officially unveil the all new Peugeot 508 ahead of Paris Auto Show 2010!!

Peugeot has official revealed the all new Peugeot 508 ahead of its official public unveiling at Paris Auto Show this September. This new 508 with feature both sedan and station wagon body style and according to Peugeot, this car will replace the 407 and also the 607.

This new Peugeot baby has been conceived from the “5 by Peugeot” concept car shown during the Geneva motor show last March with a firm and a more subtle design language compared to the current design. This new design language will form a new corporate image of the new Peugeot cars that will be features on all future Peugeot models.

Chevrolet to boost individuality programme of building your own engine!! Video after the jump

Individuality that sets apart from your ride and others has become a popular and profitable option for many automakers seen in the last several years. Some of the automakers even offer customer the opportunity to pick up their cars at the factory as what we have seen being offered by Volkswagen and Audi. Even the Japanese, Mitsubishi to be exact also offers customer near the Mizushima area to book their cars in the factory and the car will be delivered at the dealer just a walk away from the factory.

For the 2011 model year, now Chevrolet has jump the bandwagon of offering an individuality option to the buyers of Z06 and ZR1 Corvette where the buyers can assemble the engine by themselves. This LS7 and LS9 V8 engine use in the two models that I have mentioned above are assembled at the Performance Build Centre in Wixom Michigan where the engine is hand built and assemble by a single technician from a bare block then all way through the entire engine assembly process with the finale of attaching a name plaque of the builder before delivery.

MITI hinted the consolidation of local automotive industry!!

Did you watch the live telecast of Proton’s 25th Anniversary gala dinner which our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak called on local automotive companies to consider merging if there was overcapacity in the industry? Well it looks like the talks it already on the way for both local automotive players that have been revealed by the Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI) Datuk Seri Mustapha Mohamed during the launching of Industry Led Automotive Graduate Apprenticeship Programme on Monday.

According to the minister, this is a timely suggestion and the consolidation was urgent as there was excess capacity, keen competition and also a need to increase export earnings as the local automotive industry cannot depend on the small domestic market.

Lotus Plc to unveil the new Lotus Esprit at Paris Auto Show!!!

After not so long ago, Lotus Group Plc has announce its top management reshuffle with all of its top management coming from the cream of the cream in the automotive industry backed with its five year turn around program to make the Lotus brand a premier high performance car, looks like Lotus is ready to take on the automotive industry big time.

Shown above are the some of the speculation of the new Lotus Esprit concept and it is rumored that Lotus would be unveiling the new Esprit at the upcoming Paris Auto Show in September 2010. From these pictures, we can see the idea coming from Lotus new design director Donato Coco which is a real transformation from the current design language of Lotus cars.

Honda of Japan launch the JDM Honda Freed Spike

Honda of Japan has just recently launched a new JDM Honda Freed called the “Freed Spike” for people with active lifestyle. This model is basically a spin off version from the original Freed that was recently offered here in Malaysia.

The changes of this new model were it is only have two rows of seats for five passengers that can be arranged in several configurations. Besides that, Honda also added a new dual height floor panels in the cargo area and also an additional storage areas on the side panels.

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Exclusive video from Ford Europe; How the Ford Focus RS500 comes to life!!

Shown above is the video of how the FMC (Ford Motor Company) produce its super hot hatches the Ford Focus RS500. The car started off as nearly identical to the standard Ford Focus hatchback even sharing the same producing line as the stock model. This reminds me of seeing the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution on its production line when I was there at Mizushima for training. There is no special production line for the super hot car; it goes through all the normal process just like the same stock cars.

The differences of the Ford Focus RS as compared to the Lancer EVO is the car only goes its special treatment with the assembly of unique hood and installation of special intercooler, bodywork, wheels and also spoilers. The finale of this special car; the video also shows how the car transformed from a shinning black painted car to a matt black car wrap with a 3M black vinyl. Enjoy the video

Press conference video of Mazda 8 launching brought to you by Auto Insider Malaysia.

Shown above are the video from the press conference during the launching of Mazda 8 on 8th of July 2010. I'm sorry for the delay of posting this video from my blog since I have problem uploading the video plus the pictures together in one single post. Enjoy the video shown above to get some idea what's installed for the Mazda 8 future and also the other future development of Mazda cars in Malaysia.

p/s You need to up the volume of your speaker, seems like the compression of the video to make it easier to upload to Youtube has makes the sound quality a bit poor. I'm sorry for the inconvenience caused.

25 years celebration of BMW M3!!!

It’s been 25 year of Proton establishment that we celebrate yesterday, seems like not only Proton celebrates its Silver jubilee celebration, BMW also celebrate its Silver jubilee celebration but not for its establishment but more of to its model.

Yesterday BMW celebrate its 25 year anniversary celebration with its BMW M3 where the car has been evolved from simple yet powerful cars till one of fierce car roaming around the road in its class or above it. The car started its life with E30 3 series model which features a 2.3 litre S14 engine and this model has entered a lot of races such Group A Touring Car racing, and also rallying.

The E30 M3 differed from the normal E30 stock cars in many ways such as the M3 was equipped with a revised stiffer and more aerodynamic body panel as well as “box flared” wheel arches to accommodate a wider track of its wheels. The only body panels that the M3 and the standard 3 series shares were the hood and sunroof. Besides that, the M3 shared a larger wheel bearings and front brake callipers with the E28 5 series. As you can see in the pictures after the jump, the car is also equipped with a 5 speed manual transmission from Getrag with the rear differential and also different final drive ratio as compared to the stock 3 series.

Enjoy the history of the jump

Proton Unveiled The Special 25th Anniversary Edition of The Exora, Persona And Saga. Happy Birthday Proton From Auto Insider Malaysia. Updated blog post!!

Yes Proton has just unveiled the special edition 25th Anniversary car for the public tonight. The car features a same colour theme on all 3 models which essential the car painted in Pearl White colour with a black coloured roof top, front grille and also tailgate of the car and also the Exora MPV.

Let me explain to you readers of Auto Insider Malaysia what are the changes on the car of each particular model.

More pics after the jump

Mazda 6 Facelift Launched In Malaysia!!!

Besides the Mazda 8 launch, Bermaz Motor Sdn Bhd also takes this opportunity to launch the facelift version of its Mazda 6 range. This facelift version has been launch in Japan in January this year, and I have seen this car on the road of Japan during my training in Japan recently.

Bermaz Motor continues to offer two engine options which are 2.0 litre and also the more powerful 2.5 litre with more features added in. Since it offers more, so it goes with the price, as the 2.0 litres sees an increase of RM5K which is translated to an actual price of RM153, 016.90 OTR. Meanwhile for the 2.5 litre sees only RM1K increases with now the price is RM179, 663.20 OTR. Shown below are the new and enhanced features of the facelift Mazda 6.

• Telescopic and height adjustable steering

• Paddle shifters and steering wheel mounted audio controls

• Bi-Xenon headlights with Adaptive Front Lighting (AFS)

• Redesigned headlights/foglights and rear combination lamps with chrome plated wing shape decoration

• Dual zone air conditioning with individual climate control

• Cruise control with steering wheel mounted controls

• 6 Disc CD Changer with MP3 and AUX jack

• BOSE premium 8 speakers sound system (2.5litres only)

• Electric sunroof and leather seat (2.5 litres only)

• Smart keyless entry with anti theft system. Push start engine button (2.5 litres only)

• 4 wheel anti lock braking system (ABS) with Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and Traction Control (TCS), Variable Valve System (VIS) and Sequential Valve Timing System (S-VT).

Enjoy the pics of this new face lifted Mazda 6.

Mazda 8 Unveiled In Malaysia; Stylish, Impressive, Practical, Updated With The Pictures From The Lauching Event

                         

As I have mentioned yesterday, today Bermaz Motor Sdn Bhd will unveiled the all new Mazda 8 MPV to the media and also the public at Centre Court MidValley Megamall. The showcase will be there till this Sunday as part of Bermaz Motor Sdn Bhd road show.

I was there during the launching and during the post launch press conference where members of the press were informed that as of today, Bermaz Motor has received 80 pre launch orders of this new Mazda 8. The waiting period for the Mazda 8 as indicated by the CEO of Bermaz Motor Sdn Bhd Dato’ Ben Yeoh is one and a half month if the buyers place their booking now. You can view the press conference video at the bottom of this post.

Catch The Full Array of Peugeot Car At 1 Utama Till This Sunday

Wow this week is a very exciting week for auto enthusiast here in Malaysia. Besides Mazda launching its Mazda 8 and facelift Mazda 6, Proton with its unveiling of special edition 25th Years Anniversary Saga, Persona and Exora, Peugeot also jumps the wagon with road show at 1 Utama shopping centre from today till this Sunday 11th of July. Nasim which is the distributor of Peugeot cars in Malaysia has bring in all the models under its stable with the key features being the newly launched Peugeot 3008 and the spec updated Peugeot 308VTi. Shown below are the new features of 308VTi.

• Body coloured side protector moldings

• Electric folding side mirrors

• Black instrument dials

• 4 point rear parking sensor instead of 2

• 308 Turbo style front grille

• 308 Turbo interior trim (without rear air con vent and panoramic roof)

• Dual zone auto air con

• Leather wrapped steering wheel.

• New design 16” alloy rim

• Redesigned multi function display

Al this new added features has seen an increase of nearly RM3K to its retail price and now the revise price is RM99,888.00 OTR.

Volvo Unveiled The New Wagon; The Volvo V60. Pictures and Video After The Jump!!

A new Volvo has been launched to add another range to its stable which is the Volvo V60. The Volvo V60 is essentially a five door wagon version of the S60 which features a mix of design from the S60 and also the SUV XC60. You can clearly spot the mixture of a front design cues from the S60 and the rear design cues of the XC60.

The new Volvo also features a 1905mm wide tailgate which has a boot load of 430 litres when the rear seats are up. This is quite small if you class it as a station wagon, but compromise must be made in order to fill all the design requirements of the car. As a start Volvo will offer a range of five petrol engines and three diesel engine variants. The most powerful engine will be the T6 3.0 litre six cylinder 304hp engine, followed by the T5 four cylinder 240hp engines and the T4 and T3 which makes 180hp and 150hp respectively.

As for the diesel engines, Volvo offers a turbo diesel D5 five cylinder engine with the power of 205hp and a blazing torque amount of 420Nm which surely can push the car and its masses with ease. The next engine is the D3 2.0 five cylinder 163hp engines that also produce an equally impressive 400Nm of torque.

As usual, the world’s safest car manufacturer will include an army of aid assistance technology which includes the Advanced Stability Control, Corner Traction Control, City Safety and Rollover Protection System (RPS). This is also help with dynamic handling abilities which offers the same dynamic chassis from the S60. Enjoy the pictures and the videos of the car after the jump.

source: Volvo

Enjoy The Videos of Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG And McLaren MP4-12C Blasting The Course of Goodwood Festival of Speed

Here’s another two videos of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and also the McLaren MP4-12C from Goodwood Festival of Speed. The first video shown above is the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG doing a little hill climb sprinting at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. With the on board camera mounted on top of the dashboard you can hear the engine roar of the SLS AMG blasting around the circuit.

The second video shown below is the McLaren MP4-12C driven by the F1 World Champion Jenson Button and also Lewis Hamilton. This is the first official drive public appearance of the McLaren MP4-12C and boy this car is really fast. The MP4-12C is powered by a 600hp twin turbo 3.8Liter V8 engine that delivers a massive 599Nm of torque. The car is capable of reach a century sprint time of 3.8seconds with a top speed of over 300km/h.

Looks like both car manufacturers used the Goodwood Festival of Speed to showcase its cars to the public as an excellent promotional tool to attract potential buyers to sign their cheque book. Truly a rich boy’s club scene. Enjoy the videos.

Video of Ferrari 458 Italia At Goodwood Festival of Speed

To Ferrari lovers out there, enjoy the video of the new Ferrari 458 Italia shred its rubber at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the United Kingdom. Ferrari also features the 599GTO and also the Ferrari California during this year Goodwood Festival of Speed. Shot on this video is an on board camera mounted on the dashboard of the Ferrari 458 Italia which makes a blazing lap of 54 seconds, a full 3 seconds faster than the more tame Ferrari California.

Besides that, Ferrari’s test driver, Marc Gene also took the honour to drive the F60 used during the 2009 F1 season and took the F60 up to 241km/h (150mhp) on the famous course. Enjoy the video.

Mazda 8 Will Be Launch Tomorrow At Mid Valley Shopping Centre!!

Looks like not only Proton will launch a new car within the next 48 hours; Bermaz Motor Sdn. Bhd. through its official importer Prima Merdu will also launch the new Mazda 8 tomorrow 8th of July 2010. The launching will be held at Mid Valley shopping centre tomorrow morning. The indication introductory price will be RM 195,000.00 OTR. Shown below are some of the specs being offered here in Malaysia.

Engine                            : MZR In-Line 4 Cylinder, DOHC 16Valve S-VT & VIS

Displacement                   : 2260 cc

Max Output(PS/rpm)EEC     : 163PS/6500rpm

Max Torque(kg-m/rpm)EEC : 20.7kg-m/3500rpm

Fuel Tank Capacity            : 68.5Litre

Chassis                            : Mazda Geometric Motion Absorption (MAGMA)

Suspension (Front)             : McPherson Struts

                 (Rear)             : Multi Link

Steering                            : EHPHAS Rack & Pinion

Turning Radius                   : 5.7m

Brakes                              : Front & Rear Ventilated Disc

Transmission                     :Activematic 5 speed

Dimension                         : 4860mm (L)x 1850mm(W)x 1685mm(H)

Wheelbase                        : 2950mm

Kerb Weight                      : 1780kg

Seating Capacity                : 8

Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution(EBD),

Brake Assist System(BA)

Leather Upholstery

Driver Power Seat

2nd Row Super Relax Captain Seats w/ seat cushion tilt mechanism, Adjustable Ottoman, Armrest & Head restraint w/ a Swing Function

Smart Keyless

3 Dimension Black Out Panel Meter Set

Leather Steering Wheel

Leather Shift Knob

Instrument Panel Indirect Illumination

2nd Row Karakuri Seat w/ Separated Long-slide & Passenger-side Slide (left) Mechanism

Split Foldable 3rd Row Seat w/ Power Reversion Seatbacks

Air Conditioner, 3-Zone (Driver, Front Passenger & Rear Seat) Fully Auto Air Conditioner w/ Pollen Air Filter & Ion Generation System

Power Central Door Lock

External Air Thermometer

With this attractive price, looks like the well establish name like Honda Odyssey sold by Honda Malaysia will give a good run for their money in order attract the buyers here in Malaysia. Looks like consumers in Malaysia are being spoilt with choices which is a good indication how the auto industry in Malaysia has seen a positive outlook. I will cover the launch for the Mazda 8 tomorrow. Stay tune for more updates!!!