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Sebastien Loeb to take on steep banking of Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry

Nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb will be taking part in the race up the steep banking of Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry at this year’s Les Grandes Heures Automobiles (LGHA). He will be piloting his monstrous Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak, the very same car that he used to shatter the Pikes Peak Hill Climb record in 2013. A feat that remains unbeatable till this day.

Unlike its road going brethren, the the 208 T16 Pikes Peak is powered by a 3.2-litre turbocharged V6 engine that puts out 875bhp. The whole car weighs a minuscule 875kg even with all the aerodynamic bits tacked on. In 2013, the car oly took 8 minutes and 13 seconds to complete the legendary hill climb race in Colorado Springs, a record that still stands today.

As such, judging from Leob’s track record, at at this year’s Les Grandes Heures Automobiles (LGHA), we may witness another record being broken. That said, it isn’t the only Peugeot competing though, because Peugeot will be showing off its Group B 205 T16s, African Rally 204 and CD-Peugeot LM66 short-tail Le Mans racer too.

The new second-generation 3008 road car will be making its world dynamic debut at the very same event, which will be a big deal for the fans of the French automaker. We will get into more of that at a later date, but we digress.

The LGHA will also play host to a display of rare classic cars and motorcycles for the public to view and admire. Though this is an annual event, this year, the organisation is hoping to attract more international car clubs and competitor participation.

Sebastien Loeb and his racer will be in action on the 23rd of September, which isn’t that far away but until then, check out his Pikes Peak hill climb attempt in this video below and let us know what you think.

Honda Odyssey converted into Minnie Van

Honda USA teamed up with Disney-ABC to produce the Minnie Van, which is essentially a 2018 Odyssey that has been reworked to resemble the looks and colours worn by the iconic Disney character.

The car features the signature polka dots worn by Minnie. And the idea of creating such a vehicle was inspired by the magic of Disney, its beloved characters and the power of imagination.

“The all-new Odyssey was developed for modern families offering high-tech features, flexible seating and new styling, all aimed at keeping everyone in the family happy,” said Susie Rossick, Assistant Vice President of Honda Marketing.

He went on to say, “In creating the MINNIE VAN that will be on display at the D23 Expo, we’re proud to partner with Disney-ABC and be inspired by the style of the most fashionable gal around – Minnie Mouse.”

The MPV will be put on display at this year’s Disney D23 Expo in Anaheim, which is said to be the company’s ultimate fan event. The vehicle isn’t meant to serve as just a tourist attraction, rather its to educate the public on the improvements made to the Odessey and the benefits that it is able to offer to families across the country.

It’s now quieter, more spacious, safer and offers a whole host of connectivity as well as entertainment features. There’s even a slew of tech that include Magic Slid second row seating, 4G LTE Wi-Fi, CabinWatch and CabinTalk technologies, and Honda Sensing® technology.

Developed in Honda’s R&D facilities in Ohio and Califronia, the Odyssey is the best selling MPV in the US for the past 7 years. And this latest vehicle should help bolster the interest in the brand and the namplate even further.

Hyundai i30 N, the Korean version of a hot hatch

The performance hatchback market has heated up these past few years. So much so that even Hyundai has decided to get in on the action. It’s setup its own performance tuning arm called the N. Vehicles that bare this letter are more performance oriented than the base models that they are based on.

If this sounds very familiar to you, that’s because it is. BMW has its M division, Mercedes-Benz has AMG and Ford has SVT. According to Hyundai, there are two reasons why the letter N was chosen to denote performance of its model naming system.

The first, N stands for Namyang, the place in South Korea that the automaker calls home and is where the idea of the creation of a performance arm came was conceptualized. The second reason is, the letter N resembles a sequence of corners of a racing track that is referred to as a chicane.

“The Hyundai i30 N has been developed for no other purpose than to deliver maximum driving fun to our customers in an accessible high-performance package,” says Albert Biermann, Executive Vice President Performance Development and High Performance Vehicle Division.”

He went on to say, “With the high-performance N models we will enhance our brand’s appeal with emotional products that cater to the needs of people who love to have a smile on their face when they drive their car on a winding road and listen to the sound of the engine.”

https://youtu.be/UUfVBi-igUQ

Whatever the case maybe, the first Hyundai to come with the N nomenclature is the i30. The humble yet striking family hatchback has been reworked from the ground up to be a performance vehicle that is able to go toe-to-toe with cars from the likes of Ford and Renault.

The front fascia has been tweaked to offer a more sporting appeal, but has been left largely untouched. The subtle bodykit provide the car with a more aggressive stance yet being tasteful enough not to seem tacky.

Behind the grille, special air curtains help limit air flow to reduce turbulence in the wheel housing and allow for more efficient cooling of the engine.

There are also special channels in the front bumper that direct air to the brakes for cooling. The rear features more angular contours than that on the standard car, too.

There’s a large rear spoiler mounted on the roof to improve downforce and to maintain stability at high speed. In fact, the entire car’s body panels have been tweaked to increase aerodynamic efficiency for maximum traction.

That coupled with an electronic limited slip differential help increase grip especially during high speed cornering. The dual sports exhaust, rear diffuser and trim pieces add to the sporty appeal that complement the 18/19 inch alloy sports rims.

Under the hood is a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine that produces nearly 275bhp and 353Nm of torque. the turbo is designed to offer boost at the lower end of the rev range allowing the engine to output linear power delivery. Power is sent to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox, which should appeal to the purist fraternity.

As for the interior, the N version of the i30 receives a more sporty look which is evident by the addition of sports seats and an N exclusive, steering wheel.

This steering wheel has unique blue stitching and an N logo at the bottom. On the left of it, there’s drive selection options (Normal, Sport and Eco) that alter the drive behaviour.

On the right side of the steering wheel, there’s an N button that readies the car to match the optimum designated setting. There’s also a rev-matching feature that allow for better engine control during shifting, which should offer better acceleration and shorter sprint times.

The i30 N comes with a slew of tech that include Electronic Controlled Suspension (adjusts suspension behaviour), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Electronic Limited Slip Differential and a Variable Exhaust Valve System.

Despite the performance credentials, the car gets safety features such as Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Driver Attention Alert (DAA), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Speed Limit Information Function (SLIF) and High Beam Assist (HBA).

Hyundai’s i30 N has gone through extensive testing at the Nurburgring to ensure that they got the hot hatch recipe just right. That said, its a relatively new car, and we shall have to wait and see how well it stacks up against the VW Golf GTI and Ford Focus ST as well as other established models.

Gran Turismo Sport will be arriving in mid October 2017

After a substantial number of delays, we finally have some concrete evidence that GT Sport, the highly anticipated PlayStation 4 exclusive game, will be here soon. Based on the information we managed to gather from the gran turismo website, we now know that the highly acclaimed fifth installment of the world renowned simulation-like racing game will be put on sale on 17th October 2017.

The new game features a super realistic graphics engine that adds a sense of realism that has been absent from most of the current generation games. The vehicle textures seem very real and the attention detail that has been placed on every car, especially the interior is something that is awe-inspiring.

There’s even a specifically designed and tailored steering wheelcontroller that took four years to develop just for GT Sport, providing players with more realistic control and feedback. It’s called the Thrustmaster T-GT and it mimics the looks of a real racing steering wheel pretty well.

More details regarding the game will be divulged as we approach the launch date which is about three months away. According to the game makers, it will blitz all previous versions when it comes to performance, realism, graphics quality as well as vehicle drivability.

Till the actual launch, take a look at these trailers and let us know what you think about the upcoming game.

Handmade eccentric Mad Max-like truck driven by Jay Leno

Jay Leno, the former Tonight’s Show host, has one of the most comprehensive collection of the world’s most coveted vehicles from the infancy of the automotive era right up to the present day onwa. Name a vehicle that has left a mark on this world in any way or form, and there would probably be an example of it in Jay’s garage.

His Youtube channel titled Jay Leno’s Garage regularly publishes car reviews and other videos that showcases the various other vehicles that he has in his collection as well as those that his guests bring on his show.

This particular episode will be most intriguing to those who are fans of movie cars as well as those that border on the eccentric. Several of the ones featured on this episode, especially the replica of the first generation batmobile and an authentic one from the Batman Returns movie will resonate with DC Comics fanboys everywhere.

That said, their uniqueness, pale in comparison to the weird artistic contraption that was dreamed up by an Henry Chang, engineer turned artist. Realizing that the world of computer programming wasn’t as fulfilling as he would have liked, Henry Chang now a designer/musician, has built a one-of-a-kind automobile that looks more at home in a Mad Max movie than on regular city streets.

Watch the video of Jay Leno and fellow comedian Jeff Dunham ride on this giant handmade, monster truck. Let us know what you think of the vehicle in the comments below.

Top Gear exhibit opens in the UK

Chris Harris, one of the current Top Gear presenters, launched the World of Top Gear exhibit at Beaulieu. The exhibit showcases the more memorable vehicles that were featured on the famous automotive programme in its 40 year history.

Regarding the launch, Chris Harris said, “It’s very exciting, seeing all these incredible cars in one place. It’s a privilege to have a home for all of the weird Frankenstein creations that we have on the show.”

The display is open to the general public over there in the UK and is meant to reflect the recent changes to the BBC’s Top Gear. That said, the new look includes homage to the past, with a heritage corridor timeline paying tribute to the show’s 40-year history.

It all began with Angela Rippon as the first presenter, but back then, it wasn’t the show we know today. In fact, it wasn’t till the early 2000s that Top Gear starting growing in popularity. And we all have Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May to thank for making the automotive show, a global phenomenon.

Visitors to the exhibit will get to see the Panda limousine, which Jeremy used to ferry a celebrity about in one of the trio’s famous challenges on the show. Then there’s the infamous Reliant Robin that was converted into a space shuttle, which the boys used to demonstrate to the world’s space agencies, that space travel isn’t that complicated. They had an impressive launch, but everything went south soon after.

Other notable mentions include the Caravan Airship, red Lotus Excel Motorhome complete with its rocket-shaped roof-mounted sleeping compartment, Porsche 944 Turbo ambulance, indestructible Toyota Hilux and double-decker racing cars.

There’s also memorabilia from Top Gear on show throughout the display, including the Jaguar steering wheel from The India Special and door panels from the Hindustan Ambassador, which raced to victory over all other taxis in one of the most entertaining races that we’ve ever seen.

To complement the launch of the exhibit, there will be a demonstration by Harris to entertain the crowd and remind us all that the shenanigans that comes with the programme is alive and well even though Clarkson, Hammond and May have moved on to another show.

Jeep’s new Rubicon Recon is the the toughest of the lot

Jeep’s new Wrangler 4×4 family, which was launched at the recent Geneva Motor Show, has grown larger with the introduction of the Rubicon Recon, which is said to offer better capabilities and is able to take on much tougher off-road terrain.

What sets it apart from other varaints is the addtion of a stronger front axle, heavy-duty cast rear differential covers, ‘off-road’ stylying, 18-inch low gloss Granite Crystal painted aluminium wheels, dual-vented power dome hood with a black-silhouette “Rubicon” decal featuring red accent lettering on both sides. There’s also a trail rated logo with red accents, a black fuel filler door, and a black hard spare tyre cover.

As for the inside, there’s a black and red themed upholstery, which is rather unique for a Jeep. Red accent stitching contrasts the standard black leather heated seats with a “Rubicon” embroidered logo.

Other subtle hints that tell the Rubion Recon apart from the rest of the line-up include, Black vinyl-wrapped front door armrest and console lid with black stitching, red accent netting on front door pockets and the centre console, unique leather-wrapped steering wheel and red accent colored seat belts.

Under the hood of the Rubicon Recon is a 3.6-litre V6 engine that produces 284bhp and is mated to a 5-speed automatic gearbox. Buyers will be able to choose between having a two or four-door body configuration as well as three different exterior colours, which are Gobi, Bright White, and Granite Crystal.

This particular Jeep is on sale in the UK right now but we do hope the options trickle down into what we are currently being offered. The aesthetics and off-road capabilities will definitely be appealing to the more adventurous Malaysian car buyers.

Honda Malaysia launches new CR-V

Honda Malaysia has launched their latest addition to their ever-growing fleet of premium vehicles in the Malaysian market but instead of just any model with a few updates, they’ve raised the bar to greater heights with the 2017 Honda CR-V. The fifth generation CR-V has been completely reengineered from the ground up to give the best driving experience coupled with the most state-of-the-art vehicle technology.

Following the recent launch of the all-new Honda Jazz Sport Hybrid i-DCD and the Civic 1.5-litre turbocharged VTEC, the new CR-V has the best of both worlds when it comes to power as well as futuristic vehicle capabilities.

According to Honda Malaysia Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Katsuto Hayashi, he said “To set a higher benchmark in the segment and exceed customers’ expectations, Honda Malaysia has shifted to focus more on Advanced Technology starting with the introduction of the 1.5L VTEC Turbocharged Civic and New Jazz Sport Hybrid i-DCD”

“We are very excited to show you the 5th Generation All-New CR-V that is equipped with three key Advanced Technologies, the ‘1.5L VTEC Turbocharged Engine’, ‘Honda SENSING’ and advanced features such as ‘Programmable Power Tailgate’”.

“We believe this focus transition will lead us to make ‘Tomorrow’s Dream, Today’s Reality’. We are also proud to note that Malaysia is the first country in ASEAN that is introducing Honda SENSING, the Next Generation Advanced Safety Technology in the All-New CR-V.”

With a rapid decline on of the CR-V segment here in Malaysia from 2013 until early 2017, the new CR-V is said to be Honda’s ultimate game-changer to take over the market share in the vehicle class. The ever growing demand of SUVs in the market that’s able to provide high levels of safety to the occupants, impressive fuel efficiency and pure driving enjoyment, the new CR-V offers all of these plus much, much more.

In terms of design, the exterior of the new CR-V showcases Honda’s fundamental ideas on modern functional dynamic facade combined with their signature specifications like the Daytime Running Lights and turn signals which you will notice in the car’s front advanced full LED headlights as well as the rear lights. This gives the latest generation CR-V a much bolder and tougher appearance without being too aggressive or tacky.

The interior has gone through a major makeover according to Honda’s “Man Maximum, Machine Minimum’ design principle. The sporty yet spacious interior allows for greater driving experience as well as a heighten sense of comfort for all occupants especially for those seated in the rear seats where the new CR-V now offers an extra 90mm of luxurious legroom.

A more dynamic and modern styling design concept has been embedded into essence of the CR-V where all the high-tech goods are available for everyone to enjoy. Features like the 7-inch Advanced Display Audio that is compatible to both Android and Apple compatible with seamless smart connectivity and entertainment.

For all-round creature comforts, the CR-V comes with Dual-Zone Air-Conditioning to ensure all occupants are comfortable according to each individual’s preferences. Seeing how there would usually be more than one occupant apart from the driver, rear USB ports have been installed to allow easy charging of any of your mobile devices. There are also the comfortable combi leather seats with an eight-way power seat for the driver and a four-way for the front passenger for maximum posture position with a lot of comfort thrown into the package.

Going to the back, the new Programmable Power Tailgate (available on the 1.5TC-P 2WD variant only) gives a boost of convenience to future CR-V owners where they can easily control and adjust the opening height with a simple push of a button. This is the first time Honda is offering such a feature in the vehicle line up and best of all, it comes with a ‘Stop and Hold Programmable Height’ function without giving any hassle to the users.

Do also take note on the boot space where when the second row seats are folded flat, you’ll get a whopping 1,084 litres of storage space. The new CR-V is able to provide such space as there’s now an extra 250mm of space compared to the previous generation.

Take a peek under that front bonnet and you’ll get a very pleasant surprise. In total, there are a four different variants available ranging from the lowest 2.0-litre 2WD up to the awesome 1.5-litre turbocharged Premium 2WD. The two variants sitting right in the middle are the 1.5-litre turbocharged 2WD and 1.5-litre turbocharged 4WD.

All the engines have been developed under Honda’s Earth Dream Technology and with the first ever CR-V to be paired with the latest 1.5-litre turbocharged VTEC engine, it can produce a whopping 190hp at 6,500rpm and 243Nm of torque at 4,300rpm. Even the 2.0-litre is able to churn out 151hp and 189Nm of torque.

Earlier in the article, we also mentioned that the new CR-V comes with Honda’s SENSING™ which is Honda’s latest driving technology that’s probably be the ultimate driving aid system ever to be put in any production vehicle. The Honda SENSING™ comes with a few specifications such as Driving Cruising Aid (Adaptive Cruise Control and Low-Speed Follow), Frontal Collision Deterrence (Forward Collision Warning and Collision Mitigation Braking System) and Side Collision Deterrence (Lane Departure Warning, Road Departure Mitigation and Lane Keep Assist System).

In the name of safety, the all-new CR-V also comes with six airbags, Vehicle Stability Assist, Agile Handling Assist, Hill Start Assist, Emergency Stop Signal, Electronic Brake Distribution, Anti-Lock Braking System and a Multi-Angle Rearview Camera available in the top variant.

The all new CR-V is priced from RM142,400 to RM167,700 (basic prices with GST) and is available in five different colours; Lunar Silver Metallic, Modern Steel Metallic, White Orchid Pearl, Obsidian Blue Pearl and the brand new Dark Olive Metallic.

To add more functionality to the CR-V, future owners can opt for a number of different accessory packages that ranges from RM1,900 to RM5,900. All new Honda CR-V comes with a five-year warranty with unlimited mileage.

Together with the launch of the brand new CR-V, Honda Malaysia also introduced their brand new line-up of merchandise centred on the “Challenging Spirit” value as their design core of inspiration. The new merchandise line-up includes t-shirts, polo shirts, sweaters, backpacks, water bottles and many more. The entire collection will be available at all 91 showrooms at the end of August 2017.

Sepp Iran

At 79-years-old, Smith drives Formula One car

Most people, when approaching their senior years, tend to choose a more mellow lifestyle. Rosemary Smith, the 79 year old former rally driver, chose to do the exact opposite. She has always had the dream of driving a Formula One car sometime on her lifetime.

And as part of Renault Sport Formula One Team’s 40th Anniversary celebrations, the team at Renault UK obliged and wanted to help make Smith’s dream come true. She would pilot the team’s contemporary F1 car around the Circuit Paul Ricard in France and compare notes with Renault’s driver, Jolyon Palmer.

A seamstress by trade, earlier on, Smith had her own dress shop business. And only stumbled upon the world of rallying by accident when a client invited her to navigate one of the rallies. Having tasted the adrenaline-packed action that the sport offered, the Dublin-born Smith was hooked, which lead her to participate a lot more in the sport.

Smith did exceptionally well, winning trophies for various rallies despite a number of disqualifications and people sabotaging her success along the way, due to the fact that she was a woman in a male dominated sport. However, that didn’t deter her as she racked up, win after win.

One notable victory was the one at the Tulip Rally in 1965, where her achievement was not only noticed by the Motorsport world but Hollywood as well with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton sending her a huge bouquet and congratulatory letter.

After years of competing and winning at the highest level in the world rallying, Smith set up her own driving school using Renault Clios and for the past two decades has campaigned for young driver education to be introduced in schools across the country.

She only decided to have a go at F1, which is the pinnacle of motor racing, after being encouraged and persuaded by long-term friend and navigator, Pauline Gullick. But after this experience, we doubt that the world of rallying will be able to match this visceral level of raw action.

Speaking of the experience Rosemary said, “Driving an 800bhp car is something I, like many other racers, have always dreamed of but I didn’t think I’d ever have the opportunity to do it, so when the team at Renault UK contacted me I jumped at the chance. It was definitely very different to the rally cars I’m used to but was an amazing experience.”

Check out this video below to understand her side of the story:

John Lennon’s Phantom V heads for London exhibit

This rather eccentric looking Rolls-Royce Phantom V once owned by the greatest musicians of his area, John Lennon, will be travelling from Canada to London for an exhibition. Dubbed The Great Eight Phantoms, the event will take place at Bonhams international flagship saleroom and galleries in New Bond Street, London from 29th July to 2nd August.

On June 3rd 1965, The leader of the Beatles took ownership of the Phantom V, that was originally painted Valentine Black. According to the singer, he had aspirations of becoming an eccentric millionaire and believed that the car would take him a step closer to making that dream a reality. Later, he had the Rolls-Royce customized in true rockstar style.

The rear seat was converted to a double bed, a television, telephone and refrigerator were installed, along with a ‘floating’ record player and a custom sound system (which included an external loud hailer).

As for its ‘psychedelic’ yellow paint job, the car received it upon request by Lennon to Surrey coach-builders as a means to commemorate the release of the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album. The freshly-painted Phantom was unveiled days before the worldwide release of Sgt. Pepper’s on 1 June and it seemed part of the overall concept of the album.

The paint scheme, reflected the cover of the well-known album but with closer inspection, you will notice that the random swirl decal, isn’t that random after all. It’s a floral Romany scroll design, as used on gypsy caravans and canal barges, with a zodiac symbol on the roof.

The car was used regularly by Lennon till 1969, this is including the time when he picked up his MBE with the rest of the band in 1965. He had it shipped to the US in 1970 when he moved it there but loaned the car out to ferry other rock stars around.

These entertainers included The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and The Moody Blues. In 1977, after a period in storage, it was donated by billionaire Jim Pattison to the current owner, Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.