Porsche has set a new benchmark at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, with its latest 911 GT3 becoming the fastest production car fitted with a manual transmission to lap the legendary circuit. Behind the wheel of the record-setting vehicle was Porsche brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister, who completed the 20.832km course in a remarkable 6 minutes and 56.294 seconds, eclipsing the previous best by more than nine and a half seconds.
The achievement underscores Porsche’s commitment to driver-focused engineering, particularly at a time when fully automated systems and dual-clutch gearboxes dominate the performance car landscape. This record is especially significant considering the vehicle was equipped with a traditional six-speed manual gearbox rather than the brand’s quicker, seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) transmission.
The 911 GT3, fitted with the Weissach package, delivered a performance that exceeded its predecessor’s PDK-assisted lap by 3.633 seconds, illustrating the substantial improvements made across key performance areas. Among the developments contributing to the enhanced pace were revisions to the suspension setup and chassis, largely influenced by insights gained from the more extreme 911 GT3 RS. The new model also features a revised gear ratio, shortened by eight per cent, which provides improved acceleration characteristics despite maintaining the same power output of 510PS.
Nizra Group has taken a significant step forward in redefining Malaysia’s mobility landscape with the grand opening of the MG Nizra Damansara 3S Showroom. The launch marks a pivotal milestone in the Group’s expansion into the automotive sector, showcasing its strong commitment to electric mobility, lifestyle integration, and customer-centric experiences.
Held at The Nizra Building, the event was attended by key figures including Nik Iruwan Dato’ Nik Izani, Group CEO of Nizra Group Berhad; Mr. Lee Wen Hsiang, COO of SAIC Malaysia; Mr. Liu Dong, Sales & Marketing Director of SAIC Malaysia; and Encik Hurais bin Dato’ Hanafiah, Director of Nizra Mobility.
A Comprehensive 3S Facility
The new showroom offers a full Sales, Service, and Spare Parts (3S) experience, complete with state-of-the-art service bays, dedicated consultation areas, and a customer-centric lounge designed for comfort and convenience. Demonstrating its alignment with the electric future, the facility is also equipped with DC fast-charging infrastructure, ensuring MG EV owners and prospects have access to rapid and reliable charging on-site.
Great Wall Motor (GWM) Malaysia is preparing to introduce the all-new GWM Tank 500 to the local market, positioning it as a formidable contender in the premium SUV segment. Expected to arrive with a price tag below RM350,000, the Tank 500 will be offered exclusively as a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), pairing powerful off-road capabilities with refined luxury and advanced technology.
The Tank 500 is designed to cater to discerning buyers who demand both rugged performance and premium comfort, while also embracing electrified motoring. As a full-size SUV, it boasts commanding road presence with substantial dimensions, measuring 5,078 mm in length, 1,934 mm in width, and 1,905 mm in height, riding on a 2,850 mm wheelbase, making it slightly bigger than a Land Cruiser.
Its exterior design balances muscularity with sophistication, featuring automatic LED headlights with daytime running lights and fog lamps, large 20-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, roof rails, a powered tailgate, and power-retractable side steps. Buyers will be able to choose from three exterior finishes—Crystal Gray, Hamilton White, and Sun Black.
Volvo Cars has officially unveiled the updated Volvo S90, a sleek and sophisticated evolution of its flagship sedan, now featuring a comprehensive suite of premium design elements, cutting-edge technology, and electrified powertrains aimed at enhancing comfort, safety and driving experience.
The new S90 embodies the Swedish automaker’s shift towards full electrification, offering both plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid variants. It blends modern Scandinavian aesthetics with advanced functionality, reaffirming Volvo’s commitment to innovation and sustainable luxury.
From the outside, the refreshed S90 presents a more contemporary and refined appearance. The redesigned front and rear fascias give the sedan a more assertive and polished silhouette, complemented by clean lines and an updated front grille with bold graphic detailing. A sculpted bonnet, reworked front wings, and a sharper front bumper contribute to the S90’s poised stance.
Signature design elements such as the Thor’s Hammer LED headlights have been reimagined with slimmer proportions and stretch all the way to the grille, now incorporating Volvo’s latest Matrix LED technology to enhance visibility in all conditions. At the rear, newly styled taillights integrate seamlessly with the overall design for a cohesive finish.
Surrey-based automotive start-up Get Lost has unveiled an audacious reinterpretation of the classic Lotus Elise S1, turning the revered lightweight sports car into a rugged off-road rally-raid machine. Known as Project Safari, the vehicle defies the Elise’s traditional road-hugging persona by embracing a radically altered design aimed at conquering rough terrain.
The Project Safari is intended as a provocative departure from the Elise’s original ethos. The team at Get Lost conceived the concept with the express purpose of challenging expectations. The Elise, first launched in the 1990s as a featherweight, track-focused sports car, has been extensively overhauled both aesthetically and mechanically to meet the demands of serious off-road driving.
Among the most significant engineering changes is the complete redesign of the car’s suspension system. The bespoke setup raises the ride height by 100mm, dramatically increasing ground clearance and enabling the vehicle to tackle uneven surfaces with greater assurance. The undertray has also been reinforced to withstand impacts from debris and rocks that might be encountered off-road.
To accommodate the vehicle’s new all-terrain Nankang tyres, the bodywork has been revised with flared wheel arches. A distinctive roof-mounted air intake, styled in homage to the Elise’s original front grille, now sits above the cabin, giving the vehicle a more aggressive silhouette. In contrast to the Elise’s famously smooth curves, Get Lost has equipped the Project Safari with rectangular LED headlights and a prominent front-end rally lamp pod, heightening the car’s off-road visual language.
While the original Rover-sourced 1.8-litre engine has been retired, Get Lost has not yet disclosed the powertrain chosen for the Project Safari. However, the company has confirmed that the new engine offers both enhanced performance and improved reliability—qualities essential for off-road capability. It is widely speculated that either Honda’s robust K-Series engine or Ford’s dependable Duratec unit has been installed, both of which are known for delivering significantly greater power than the Elise’s original 118bhp output.
If you think you’re being bombarded by new car brands from China on a near weekly basis, well, you would not be the only one.
As motoring scribes, those in my profession are facing with an onslaught of brands, information and model updates at a pace that could just match the smart phone industry.
It was never like this just a few years ago. Back then, there would probably be one new model launch a month, a couple of press conference a week and that would be about it.
The pace was slower. Much slower.
But this quicker pace of things is not a bad thing. In fact, everyone stands to win from this.
Legacy brands that have been having it easy in Malaysia are now forced to rethink their strategies to offer Malaysians the best value for money cars or otherwise stand to be left behind.
The newer brands have to compete harder to convince buyers and they do so by giving as many features as they can for as low of a price tag, they can. Many would agree that the features being offered would put some locally assembled premium brands to shame.
But who ultimately wins from all this? You! The consumer. The buyer.
And joining the race now is a brand called Jetour. And if you have not already heard of them, well, you’re in for quite a treat.
Who is Jetour?
Jetour is another brand under the massive Chery group, which also includes the likes of Omoda and Jaecoo as well.
You might be wondering why Chery would expand their brand identity so thin, but there is a specific reason behind it. While Omoda and Jaecoo focus on the export market as premium brands, Jetour has its own specific purpose as well.
A quick search online will tell you that Jetour was created to “focus on affordable, family-oriented SUVs and crossovers particularly targeting young families and middle-class consumers.”
So, by creating a sub-brand, Chery could then focus on creating niche products for a different demographic without diluting its main brand. And this would also allow Chery to compete against domestic and international rivals in the budget SUV segment.
It is no secret that Chery is interested to move upmarket with its premium brands, it is consistently firing salvos at that segment with its Omoda and Jaecoo sub-brands in the local market as well as other global market.
With Jetour, it can focus on a creating products for a completely different demographic using products that are tech-savvy and youth-focused that offer high value-for-money with a design that is both trendy and sporty.
Enter the Dashing
This is the first model introduced by Jetour for the local market. And it is set for local assembly in a few months.
Jetour is working with Berjaya Assembly to assemble the cars at its plant in Johor, but the first 100 cars will be imported from China. So as of writing this, ready stock is available for those interested.
The Dashing is available in two different variants, the entry-level Dashing 1.5 TCI Prime which is priced at RM109,800 and the flagship Prime variant, priced at RM116,800.
The Dashing operates in the ultra-competitive SUV C-Segment, which includes such heavyweights as the Proton X70, Honda CRV as well as the GWM Haval H6. So, the Dashing truly has a mountain to climb to convince buyers.
The trick is up in its sleeve
I look for the good and the bad every time I review a car. So that I can help you make an informed purchase decision. But any car reviewer should always look at the price tag of the car first, before seeing the actual car what more driving it.
On a recent first impression drive organized by the team at Jetour Malaysia, I had a chance to get properly acquainted with the flagship Prime variant. That was the only model available, and with a price tag of the aforementioned RM116,800, I approached it whole heartedly.
And you can’t help but embrace the experience whole heartedly because when you first see the Dashing in person, it truly looks like a majestic car because of its size and futuristic design angles.
Its design has a little bit of everything in it. A touch of Lotus, headlights from the Omoda 5 and stacked on top of one another like they are on the Mitsubishi Triton. The rear is a mix of Toyota Corolla Cross and the Omoda 5 as well.
It is a good-looking car, and that is to be expected since the brains behind the design of the car is none other than Hakan Saracoglu.
Hakan is a Turkish-German automotive who formerly worked for Porsche and designed such greats as the Boxster, Cayman and the 918 Spyder. So, with such design pedigree, it is not entirely surprising that Jetour’s first model for the Malaysian market has such a dashing appearance (lame, I know).
And then there is the size that grips you when you first lay eyes on it. It may not look like it in these photos, but it is a big car. And you feel the space inside as well.
The interior is said to be inspired by oriental living layout, which is meant to wrap around you according to the Jetour spokesperson who was giving the pre-drive briefing.
I am not sure what to make of that, but I can tell you that the interior is a nice balance of minimalist futurism. The two screens up ahead for the infotainment system and instrument cluster each measure in at 10.25-inches.
But in typical Chery fashion which in turn has some design inspiration from Mercedes-Benz, the two screens are merged at the centre to form one giant screen. You see this in almost all of Chery products except for the Jaecoo J7.
So, what is that trick up its sleeve you may ask? It is the space and comfort levels of the Dashing. It is easy for someone about six-feet tall to get comfortable in the front and rear seats. There is plenty of boot space as well, 486 litres expandable to 977 litres to be exact.
And for that price tag, this is quite impressive, and I believe this alone may attract some buyers.
The space is further complemented by such niceties like wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, a full panoramic roof, six-speaker sound system, ambient lighting and of course, multiple USB ports sprinkled all around the cabin.
But what is that its trick up its sleeve?
Because driving it is not an occasion to be remembered. I know that is putting it very bluntly, but the Dashing is a tool, a means to an end.
It is designed to be a nice big SUV that will keep your family safe and comfortable and will get you to where you want to go without so much as a fuss. And that is about it.
Powering the Dashing is a 1.5-litre, turbocharged, four-cylinder petrol engine. It is mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission which sends 156PS and 230Nm of torque to the front wheels.
It is not a very powerful powertrain but neither does it try to be either. There are only two drive modes – Sports and Eco but this is for power delivery. There are also two drive modes for the steering wheel – Sports and Comfortable.
Though they might sound purposeful, but the difference between two modes is not that broad. And finding and selecting the modes is a multistep process that involves diving deep into multiple menu layers when a simple dedicated button would have done the trick. Or perhaps included it as an option in the swipe down menu.
A little more eagerness from the powertrain would have helped with merging into traffic and accelerating to get up to highway speed. In its current form, it feels a little lethargic. But as I said earlier in this article, we must keep its price in mind.
The fact of the matter is, the Dashing is an affordable SUV that offers impressive space and comfort. And if its more power you want, there are other fruits to pick from Chery’s tree in the form of models from Omoda, Jaecoo and Chery itself.
Anything else you should know about?
For its price tag, it offers some impressive safety systems as well. These differ between the Prime and the Comfort, but the flagship variant gives you six airbags, brake assist, traction control, electronic stability control, tyre pressure monitoring system, and even an ADAS suite that include lane change warning, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and a 540-degree camera.
It may not be a power monger, but it does come with an impressive array of features designed to keep you safe and comfortable. That alone makes the Dashing worth a look.
