This year’s “The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering” in Monterey will feature two unique models from Bugatti. In addition to the one-of-a-kind Chiron Super Sport Golden Era, which featured the hand-sketched vinyl, the Molsheim brand developed a colour-matching Mistral to highlight the customizability options provided by the Bugatti Sur Mesure programme.
The Bugatti Mistral was revealed to the world at the Monterey Car Week precisely one year prior, and despite its €5 million price tag, all 99 of its models were already sold out. A pricey limited-production like this is perfect for customisation, and owners have the option of getting the Bugatti Sur Mesure treatment.
Lamborghini’s Iron Lynx completed the first on-track running of its SC63 prototype during a two-day test at Imola, Italy. The Iron Lynx will be used to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship next year.
The SC63 is the first Lamborghini hybrid racing car prototype with a 3.8-litre turbo V8 which is an entirely new engine from Lamborghini. It puts out a total of 671hp and the hybrid components include a motor generator and battery with a Bosch electronic control unit.
The recently unveiled DB12 Volante is a testimony to Aston Martin’s reputation for producing stylish convertibles. Now, the DB12 drop-top model debuts three months after its coupe counterpart, sacrificing the V12 option of the DB11 Volante in exchange for a fresh exterior and an updated interior with modern electronics.
We recently got to witness the DB12 coupe’s debut here in Malaysia and now, it already has an open-top variant. The Volante maintains the distinctive fabric reclining roof of its predecessors, appealing to aficionados who like driving in the open air. Notably, when the top is tucked away under the hard tonneau cover, revealing the luxurious inside materials and emphasising the attractive tail, the convertible has even more alluring proportions than the coupe.
With the signing of a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) on August 9, 2023, Public Bank Berhad formally joined forces with Proton New Energy Technology Sdn Bhd (Pro-Net) to offer financing options for wholesome financial products and services and to start the digitalisation process by integrating with smart Malaysia and its authorised dealers.
Through this partnership, Public Bank will be able to connect with and assist digitalisation through online hire purchase, end-financing application submission, floor stocking through smart client apps, and their authorised dealers, increasing market shares in the EV vehicle sector.
The Bank had mobilized over RM30 billion in domestic NEV financing by the end of 2022, representing approximately 52% of the Bank’s total domestic Hire Purchase financing portfolio. To signify the Bank’s commitment, the NEV lending target had now been increased to RM33 billion by 2025.
We recently got to take a second test drive in the Dolphin but from the perspective of someone who has only driven a handful of EVs. This time the drive was from Desa Park City to Elmina, roughly around 30km and with clear roads. However, our drive began at 3:30pm on a Friday, so there was no such thing as clear roads.
The one exterior feature that caught my eye is the design of the taillights. According to BYD, the inspiration for the design was taken from a Chinese lantern that has similar twirling lines.
Another interesting feature is that, on the premium extended range, the rims come in three colours. You have your standard dual-tone silver and black, but in addition to that, a third colour (depending on the body colour of the car you choose) is applied. But on the standard range, you only get the dual-tone rims.
During the launch of the new facelifted Honda City, one of the messages that Honda was keen to talk about is the new and improved Honda Connect App. It has been around for a while already, but it is not at its most matured form.
You may or may not have heard of the Honda Connect App, but either way, it is one of those applications that is worth having for your Honda these days.
It if offered as standard on selected Honda models, but for those who want to purchase it, it costs RM1,500. But before you dismiss it as exorbitant, it is an application that is worth considering.
The Honda Connect App predominantly focuses on three areas:
Safety
Security
Convenience
Safety
Under the safety part, the application is designed to be able to alert you or a loved in the event of a collision. This is important especially if the driver is unconscious. The app will detect that a collision has happened and a call centre will be alerted. The operators from the call centre will first try to reach out to the driver of the vehicle, and if the person does not answer, the call centre will then try to reach out to a second number provided.
In the event that the second person too does not answer, the call centre will immediately dispatch emergency services to the last known location. This is especially helpful when driving in a remote area.
The app is also able to inform the driver in the event that the alarm goes off. Alarms are great theft deterrents, but chances are the owner of a car will not be able to hear the alarm if the car is parked in a basement car park or somewhere far off. This is where the Honda Connect App is quite good because it alerts the driver when the alarm goes off, giving the owner precious minutes to rush to the car to see why the alarm went off.
Besides that, the owner of the Honda is also able to set a speed limit of the car, and will be alerted if the car goes beyond the set threshold. Perfect for parents who do not want their children or loved ones to be speeding, or even companies who need to implement health and safety policies, thus assisting to promote safety.
Security
Ever wondered around a car park wondering where you parked your car? We have all been there. This is where the Honda Connect App is especially handy because it has a “Find My Car” feature that is able to assist you to find your parked car. This is also great if your child has taken your car without informing you. If you are a parent, you’re welcome on the tip, if you’re a child, you may not like this feature.
One of our favourite features is something called Geo Fencing Alert. This allows you to set a paremeter of a few hundred meters or a maximum of 160km. And if the car goes beyond the set parameter, the application will alert you. This is especially handy for companies that need to keep track on where their cars are going.
But on a personal level, there’s a feature called Emergency Call. This feature connects the phone to the national emergency number – 999 – and when pressed, will immediately call the emergency number. This is great in parking lots, shopping malls or even in dark alleys at night. You don’t even need to be walking to your car but can use it anytime you feel threatened.
Convenience
So the app is more than just safety, security and controlling measures, it also allows incredible ownership convenience. It allows the owner to check on the car’s status, such as fuel level, battery level and everything about the car that an owner needs to know.
One interesting feature though is the Remote Vehicle Control. This allows the owner to remote start or stop a car, which is great if you need to be away for a few weeks and don’t want the battery of your car going flat. Yes, you can start the car and warm it up even if you are in a different country.
Does your wife need to get something from the car, but you accidentally took the keys with you and the spare key is dead? Yes, you can remotely unlock your car and no this does not mean she can start the car and drive away.
These are just some of the many features that the app has to offer, and some of the more notable ones include being able to locate the closet petrol station, ATM and even book a service appointment.
with all of the features on offer, the RM1,500 asking price suddenly seems like a good deal as it is not just an application, but consider it an automotive personal assistant.
