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When one spends over a million ringgit on a car, it can be taken for granted that it will be of the highest quality with the best materials. If it is a sports model, then it would be expected to deliver truly high performance. And where comfort is concerned, that’s a given – with emphasis on the rear accommodation taking precedence over the front (unless it’s a convertible which would usually be driven by the owner).

Bentley’s Azure range, introduced in May last year, goes beyond the realms of just being comfortable. With this range – available for all Bentley models – the wellbeing of the occupants is paramount and not only is there superlative comfort along the way but the occupants can also arrive at their destination in an even better shape, more relaxed than when they left home or office.

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When local production of motor vehicles in Malaysia started in 1967, the vehicles were assembled from parts imported from factories in other countries. The parts came in what are known as completely knocked-down (CKD) packs – just like a Tamiya scale model – and were assembled in the factory.

Some parts – like seatbelts, windscreen glass, tyres and wire harnesses – were supplied by local companies that were established but the larger parts like bodyshells and engines still came from overseas. It was not feasible in the early years to produce the body parts which required huge and expensive presses to stamp the steel panels. These required larger volumes than what the local car market had in the 1960s and 1970s.

When the Malaysian National Car project was started, the idea was to boost volume and with economies of scale, stamping of body panels could be done. This was one of the major investments Proton made in 1984 and it was the first company to make its own body panels for the Proton Saga.

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There are probably times when you’ve been irritated by a car ahead that is moving much slower than other traffic. The car may be in the slow lane to the side but you are caught behind because there is a lot of traffic moving in the other lanes. Some drivers may even be so irritated and create a dangerous situation by tailgating the car ahead, driving right up to the bumper to ‘urge’ the driver to go faster.

There are probably good reasons why the driver is going so slow. He or she may not have confidence even though possessing a driving licence. The car may have some problem that is preventing it from going faster. The person is not feeling well so he is taking it easy. Lots of reasons but drivers behind won’t be aware and only know they are having to drive slowly and are unhappy.

One driver took the initiative to try to let others behind understand why he was going so slowly. He pasted a handwritten message on his bootlid which read: “Sorry xleh laju wife czer” (sorry cannot go fast, wife had czer). For those who are unfamiliar with ‘czer’, it’s a reference to ‘caesarean section’ (c-section) which is an operation done to bring out the baby through a cut made in the abdomen. This is done in the event that a normal delivery cannot be done for various reasons.

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The UX or User Experience for the driver of today’s cars is a very important aspect that interior designers pay a lot of attention to. Not only does it make a difference to motoring pleasure but also has major influence on safety. With the rapid increase in electronic systems and graphic displays, the UX must be as efficient as possible and also intuitive so that it makes life easier, rather than confusing.

When BMW introduced the iDrive system some 20 years ago, it gave the driver a new way to manage what would come to be called the infotainment system on a display panel in the middle of the dashboard. Instead of having an array of switches and buttons on the dashboard to operate various functions, there was a rotary controller which worked somewhat like a computer mouse.

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In earlier years, car companies focussed mainly on their business – primarily sales and aftersales of new motor vehicles. But as they grew bigger and their role as Corporate Citizens became more significant, they also had to do their part for society and the communities they operate. This is done in many different ways – from supporting needy organisations and supporting events to activities that do something to protect the environment.

For UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT), its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities have been diverse and growing in importance has been those related to the environment. This is aligned with the commitment of Toyota Motor Corporation to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, not only for its products but also every aspect of its business operations globally.

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The Sainz family may have been a bit disappointed that Carlos Sainz Junior missed out on the podium at the Bahrain F1 GP last weekend, having been overtaken by BWT Alpine’s Fernando Alonso in the last quarter of the race. But they can still celebrate with Sainz Senior’s team taking their first ever win in the Extreme E all-electric off-road series over the weekend.

The ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team finished ahead of Veloce Racing and Rosberg X Racing (RXR) after a battle over the sands of NEOM in Saudi Arabia during the Desert X-Prix. The crew of Laia Sanz and Mattias Ekstrom dominated the race from start to finish, establishing a comfortable lead as Veloce Racing and RXR fought over the runners-up spot.

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