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Lotus Elise Sprint edition is the anorexic Elise you’ve been waiting for

Lotus has introduced a new variant to its featherweight Elise family. Named Sprint edition, the new car adopts new clever weight saving measures that are reminiscent of the good old days when Colin Chapman was running the shop.’

Engineered in and out to be the lightest of the Elise family, the Sprint edition receives new distinctive styling to the exterior and interior of the car. It gets new front and rear aesthetics which are in line with the company’s design language including the lightweight open-gate gear selector mechanism seen on the Exige Sport 350. Other visual changes include bodywork keyed colour inserts for the sports seats, transmission console and HVAC surround, along with Sprint badge stitching. In addition to that, the car also receives an array of optional Alcantara trim panels on the doors, sills, seats and vents surrounds with contrasting stitching.

Improvements to the body include redesigned lightweight front clam panel, wider radiator apertures and mesh pattern grille, rear transom panel with two rear light clusters with reversing and fog lights mounted inboard. Aerodynamics have been tweaked too, with the addition of rubber elements on the flat underside ahead of the front wheel and an additional diffuser vane at the rear to improve air flow.

Lotus boasts that through various weight saving measures, it was able to bring down the overall weight to a mere 798 kg (dry). This was done by utilising lightweight components which include a Lithium-Ion battery (Saves 9kg), carbon race seats (saves 6kg), new lightweight forged alloy wheels (saves 6kg) as well as a carbon access panel, roll hoop cover, engine cover and polycarbonate rear screen that saves 6kg.

Comparatively, the Sprint edition is about 26kg lighter than the previous Sport and Sport 220 models even when fitted with optional two-piece brake discs (4kg lighter). Buyers can either opt for a 1.6-litre engine (134bhp and 160Nm of torque) or a supercharged 1.8-litre (217bhp and 250Nm of torque) one. As such, 0-100km/h for the Elise Sprint is 5.9 seconds and 4.1 seconds for the Elise Sprint 220. Lotus’s acoustic engineers have made some improvements to make the engine note more appealing to the 6 year old in all of us.

Stopping power comes courtesy of AP racing twin-piston calipers and Brembo single-piston rear calipers, however, a lightweight two-piece brake disc setup is also available as an option. Lotus does offer a number of ESP driving modes which are Drive, Sport and Off. The new Elise range which includes the Sprint, retain the same suspension configuration with fully independent double wishbone setup and a front anti-roll bar as well as Bilstein high-performance gas dampers and Eibach Coaxial coil springs for the front and rear.

Despite the lightweight measures, Lotus has still given the Sprint edition a new in-car entertainment system that offers Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, but like most Lotus buyers, the engine note is all the music we need.

The Sprint Edition sits above the the rest of the Elise line up but slots under the Elise Sport 220. Lotus plan on delivering cars to respective customers in April of this year and we hope it lives up to all the weight saving measures Lotus says it has.the hypeLotus says it deserves.

Honda City sales reach 250,000 cars

Honda Malaysia has achieved another milestone with its Honda City. The company is celebrating the sale of its 250,000th City, a feat worthy of recognition. The Japanese automaker’s B-Segment sedan has accounted for a significant chunk of its yearly sales and market share.

Starting with the second generation City, which was launched in 2001, Honda Malaysia managed to shift about 61,000 cars overall. When the third generation car came along, sales numbers increased to more than 84,000 cars sold. Then, with the introduction of the current 4th gen vehicle, which the company claims is its most success model of the lot, captured 33% of the B-segment market share in 2014 but rose to 39% toward the end of 2016.

As of now, the automaker claims that it has managed to sell 100,000 cars of the 4th gen City since 2014. What might bolster the sales figures even further, is the addition of the face-lifted car which has received about 2,500 bookings so far. The most popular of car colours for the City are the Taffeta White and Modern Steel Metallic colours.

Speaking of the sales achievements, Honda Malaysia Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Katsuto Hayashi said, “We express our sincere heartfelt thank you and appreciation to all 250,000 City customers. Customer support and feedback have pushed us to set the benchmark for B-segment cars in each generation. Their support and belief in the Honda brand have enabled our models to achieve segment leadership positions including the City which is the B-segment leader.”

Tan Kian Hui was the lucky buyer who bought the 250,000th City and to congratulate him on his purchase, Honda awarded him RM1,000 worth of vouchers, a full set of Honda merchandise and Honda Genuine Accessories consisting of Modulo package, Urban package and Utility package worth RM5,300.

He is one of 25 customers who will received the RM1,000 worth of service vouchers with the remaining 24 being notified through the Honda Malaysia Facebook page. Apart from the vouchers, there are multiple sales campaigns that are being run concurrently by Honda which include “Best Deals Promotion”, Best Time to Get Best Protection” and “The Digital Treasure Hunt Wall Contest”. Visit the company’s website to no more about these or other deals that are currently on offer.

Chevrolet Corvette C7 Aerowagen by Callaway

Ever wondered what a shooting brake Corvette would look like? Well, wonder no more because Callaway, a US based company has done to the C7 Vette. Considered sacrilege by die hard Corvette fans, the car is offically known as the Aerowagen. Despite the extensive work on the car, the styling and fitment wouldn’t look out of place if it did roll off GM’s production floor.

The Callaway name is synonymous with modified performance Vettes since the early 2000s. And this Aerowagen in particular, has received more than just styling adjustments, Callaway gave the car performance tweaks as well. Originally, the Vette’s 6.2-litre V8 produced 650 horsepower in stock form, but Callaway has bumped up the power to 757bhp.

The car was featured on former The Tonight’s Show host Jay Leno’s famous YouTube channel, Jay Leno’s Garage. Jay did his usual walk-around of the car while interviewing owner/producer of the respective car that is on his show. This time around for the Aerowagen, it was Peter Callaway, General Manager of Callaway Cars Inc and his father Reeves Callaway, the founder of the company. And as you will see in his video, and as expected, he takes the car on his signature test drive. Take a look at this clip for the full video:

Like Brabus is to Mercedes-Benz, Shelby is to Ford, Callaway has been been tuning and upgrading Corvettes for a very long time. That said, the company, which was incorporated in the 1970s, initially gained recognition for offering Alfa Romeos and BMWs with a lot more horsepower then when they came from the factory. And despite being supercharger experts today, from the 1970s to 1990s, the company’s bread and butter was turbochargers.

As impressive as the Aerowagen is, this particular type of styling isn’t to everyone’s liking as it’s more of an acquired taste. Ferrari too tried its hand at a shooting brake with the introduction of the GTC4Lusso and despite coming from the Mac daddy of sports car makers, it wasn’t a stellar hit. Only time will tell if the Aerowagen does gain any popularity.

Mitsubishi delivers Triton to Sarawak Forestry

Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia, in an effort to support wildlife conservation efforts in Sarawak, has handed the keys of a brand new Mitsubishi Triton to the Sarawak Forestry Corporation to be used for wildlife rescue and conservation works at Matang Wildlife Centre (MWC).

Chief Executive Officer of Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia, Tomoyuki Shinnishi, personally handed over the new pick-up truck to Wong Ting Chung, CEO of Sarawak Forestry in a ceremony at MWC. This good deed is said to be part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility programme to promote a sustainable future.

During the ceremony, Shinnishi, said, “Mitsubishi Motors is proud to assist and support SARAWAK FORESTRY, an organisation that devotes its’ time for a good cause. We acknowledge their efforts in rescuing wildlife of various species which are brought in to Matang Wildlife Centre for rehabilitation purposes.”

Speaking of the latest addition to Sarawak Forestry’s inventory, Wong, said ““Due to increasing public awareness on wildlife conservation and protection, Matang and Semenggoh wildlife centres are facing growing demands for additional capacities in rescue, rehabilitation and other operational aspects such as transportation. Therefore, contributions such as this Triton pick-up truck by MMM is timely, practical and very much appreciated for our works here at Matang Wildlife Centre.”

At the Matang Wildlife Centre, several endangered mammals, birds and reptiles are looked after and given the protection they deserve. The centre also has an orangutan rehabilitation programme where these endangered animals are cared for in order to increase their population. Initially, rehabilitation efforts were concentrated at Semenggoh Wildlife Center at Semenggoh Nature Reserve but in 1998, due to the increasing population of orangutans, the programme was launched in the Matang Wildlife Centre to reduce in an effort to reduce overcrowding at the Semenggoh facility.

The Triton is Mitsubishi’s answer to the Hilux, Ranger, D-Max and Navara. It features a MIVEC turbodiesel engine and can be had in either a 4×4 or 4×2 configuration. Visit the automaker’s website to learn more about the models that it currently sells in the country.

Volkswagen release Luv Bug video

VW is trying to rekindle the love many had with the original Beetle for the soon to be launched Volkswagen Atlas with the release of a short video dubbed “Luv Bug”. The story is about a young couple just starting out life together. When they start having a family, and as it grows with every addition, the couple are forced to trade in their older and smaller VWs for newer and bigger ones to accommodate the whole family.

https://youtu.be/DZ3cDd-L1Qg

Speaking of the video, Vinay Shahani, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Volkswagen America, said, “Luv Bug shows the evolution of the Volkswagen brand through the eyes of a growing American family, as they graduate from the iconic Beetle to the compact Jetta sedan then to the versatile Tiguan and eventually to our all-new 2018 Atlas. We are excited to debut the Atlas with an ad campaign that celebrates our heritage and journey, alongside that of our American consumers.”

The song featured in this short video is Dean Martin’s “The Birds and the Bees” which is rather fitting considering how PG13 the video actually is. VW’s clever objective in this video is to portray the large size and spaciousness of the Atlas to viewers by introducing the tagline “Life’s as big as you make it”.

VW’s Atlas is the company’s biggest offering yet and will be built at the company’s manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It is said to be specifically tailored to meet the needs of the American consumers. Volkswagen says that the SUV offers class-competitive levels of technology and speciousness while maintaining the driving dynamics expected from vehicles that bear the its badge.

Measuring 5037 mm long, 1979 mm wide and 1768 mm high, the Atlas is the biggest VW yet to roll off the production line to date. There are two engine option to choose from, which are the 2.0-litre TSI four-pot that produces 238bhp and a 3.6-litre VR6 one that produces 280bhp. Both engines will be mated to an 8-speed transmission but buyers can opt to have either a front-wheel-drive or 4Motion all-wheel-drive configuration. VW’s Atlas is slated for launch towards the middle of 2017 in the US and with it, VW hope to take the fight to the American Juggernauts known as Ford, Chevrolet and Jeep.

Volkswagen to use augmented reality for future designs

Volkswagen has embraced the future and is looking at augmented reality to pursue the designs of its future models.The company is currently testing this methodology with the use of the Microsoft “HoloLens” augmented reality googles. Unlike Virtual reality ones, HoloLens blends virtual reality with the real world enabling better understanding of shapes and figures in real time. The technology is said to be beneficial to a number of fields and automakers like VW believe, that it will help them shorten the timeframe of their design work.

Hooked up to a mobile computer, Microsoft’s HoloLens can project virtual content onto a physical object through gesture control and voice commands. Ostermann, who heads one of VW’s Engineering Labs uses this technology to help create, mix and match colour schemes and remove any part of a vehicle in real time. he only needs to point his finger and HoloLens makes the changes. Demonstrating this tech with a R-Line Golf, Ostermann was able to change different aspects of the vehicle such as, use different wheels and modify the fenders, turning the vehicle into a very different variant of the original one.

Ostermann’s lab is one of six being operated by Volkswagen Group IT in Wolsburg, Berlin, Munich and San Fransciso. The latest has recently begun operating in Barcelona and together with the other locations, teams will collaborate on the digital future with research institutions and technology partners.

“At Volkswagen, we have been using augmented reality and virtual reality for some time, mainly to obtain a three-dimensional view,” says Ostermann. “We are now taking a major step forward at the Virtual Engineering Lab. We are transforming this technology into a tool for Technical Development. This will allow Volkswagen engineers to work on a virtual vehicle, to change its equipment as they wish and even to design new components virtually. They will be able to see the results of their work immediately.”

HoloLens doesn’t just project objects onto real ones, it also enables teams from different parts of the world to collaborate on the same project, making for a more efficient working environment as changes can be made in instant and be viewed by all members of the team.

The tech is said to still be in the testing phase but in the future, VW hope to be able to call up the entire brand portfolio and make changes no matter how extensive in order to build their best vehicles for the mass market.

Mercedes-Benz R107 in pristine condition is up for sale

Collectible classic cars are always in demand especially those that have been persevered for decades but look as though they had just rolled off the showroom floor. One such car is a 1989 R107 Mercedes-Benz 500 SL with only 1538km on the odometer. Considering that this particular Merc is close to 30 years old, the mileage says a lot about how often it was actually taken out on the road.

This right-hand drive example of the R107 is said to be one of the last ones ever built and was replaced by the R129 series the very same year. Launched in 1971, the R107 was based on the E-Class W114 sedan but utilized larger and more powerful engines from the S-Class. It is the second longest running model in the company’s history and was a favorite among those who wanted a refined luxury vehicle but with the brute power of a sports car. This particular car has a 5.0-litre V8 that produces 242bhp.

Built at a time when Mercedes-Benz engineers were obsessed with perfection, this over-engineered vehicle features “Tempomat” cruise control, air-conditioning, green-tinted sun-deflecting glass, heated seats and a separate hardtop . Amazingly, it still has its original tool kit, book pack and two hardtop release handles.

The car is currently being put up for sale by London classic car retailer Hexagon and is touted as the best example of the R107 Merc in the world right now. The car is being offered with a price tag of £94,995 (RM521,969) at Hexagon Classics’ showroom in London. The lucky buyer will definitely be getting his money’s worth with this R107.

Goodyear is World’s Most Admired Tyremaker

For the fifth time in a row, Fortune magazine has recognized Goodyear as the World’s Most Admired tyremaker and also as the No.1 ranked US based company and ranked No. 2 overall in it’s category. It even finished ahead of its key global competitors in overall score and in seven of the nine categories.

Fortune magazine’s Most Admired list was first introduced in 1983 and considered “the definitive report card on corporate reputations”. Companies that get on the list after a rigorous assessment by 3,800 executives, board directors and securities analysts who make their decision after considering a company’s overall reputation by evaluating innovation, people management, and use of assets, social responsibility, management quality, financial soundness, long-term investment, product/service quality and global competitiveness.

Goodyear began selling its products in Malaysia in 1929 but it was only in 1972 that the company established its own manufacturing plant in Shah Alam. It went on to become the tyremaker’s first facility to be certified for ISO 9002 standards in 1992 and now Goodyear is one of the leading tyre companies in Malaysia producing and selling a wide range of products for various types of vehicles.

Volkswagen goes on Vento Turbocharged Tour

As a means to promote the power and agility of the new turbocharged Vento, Volkswagen will initially be taking its small yet powerful sedan on a road tour across the three states.

The company believes that the only true way to convince potential buyers of the capabilities of the new Vento, would be for them to try it for themselves.

The tour will provide the general public with the opportunity to be up close and personal with the new car and drive it to its fullest potential. Besides giving the general public a feel for the car, the tour’s objectives include educating potential buyers on car safety and driving skills. This would include proper seating positions for drivers, correct steering wheel placement, emergency braking, defensive driving skills and how to maneuver through slalom courses. Taking it one step further, VW will also allow members of the public to participate in various stunt demo sessions.

The company will also be bringing along a number of other models for the public to see and test drive. So if you are interested in attending the tour, plan your weekends around the following dates of the first three tours:

18 – 19 March
(10.00a.m – 7.00p.m) -Aeon Bukit Tinggi, Klang

13 – 14 May
(10.00a.m – 7.00p.m) – Mydin Ayer Keroh, Malacca

29 – 30 July
(10.00a.m – 7.00p.m) – Stadium Darul Makmur, Kuantan

The Vento Turbocharged Tour is free of charge and open to the public but only those who have valid driver licenses are allowed to take part in the driving activities. In case you were wondering, the Vento comes with a 1.2-litre TSI turbo engine which is mated to a 7-speed DSG (Dual Clutch) gearbox. Touted as the vehicle with the highest torque in its class, the Vento is said to offer premium power at an affordable price. So, if you are interested to know more about the car, visit the VW Malaysia website or your nearest VW dealership.

New Porsche Centre Opens in Penang

Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP) has officially launched the new 3S Porsche Centre Penang on 16th March 2017. The 35,575 sq ft facility is located along Jalan Baru in Seberang Perai and can be accessed from Penang island with the use of the first Penang bridge.

The RM15 Million facility boasts impressive capabilities such as a showroom with a capacity to display 10 cars, two air-conditioned dialogue bays and an after sales reception equipped with a Carrera Lounge. The service section of the facility features 9 service bays and a warehouse for spare parts. A welcomed addition to the centre is the Porsche Driver’s Selection shop where visitors are able to shop for their favourite Porsche branded apparel, personal accessories and toy models.

Speaking of the new facility, Arnt Bayer, Chief Executive Officer of Simer Darby Auto Performance, said, “We are thrilled to be moving into Penang with our third Porsche Centre in Malaysia.” He later added, “This new 3S Porsche Centre will enable us to deliver a higher level of customer satisfaction and a unique ownership experience for all Porsche owners and enthusiasts in the northern region.”

Martin Limpert (above, right), Managing Director of Porsche Asia Pacific, said: “The new Porsche Centre Penang marks another milestone for the Porsche growth in Malaysia and is a bold statement of SDAP’s commitment. I strongly believe in the long-term potential for Porsche in Malaysia and I am convinced that this latest addition to the Porsche dealer network will support our growth path and assure an outstanding customer experience.”

If your pockets are deep enough to own a Porsche and you happen to be in Penang, take the time to visit this impressive facility to enjoy all the ammenities that the centre has to offer.

Piston.my

English

Lotus Elise Sprint edition is the anorexic Elise you’ve been waiting for

Honda City sales reach 250,000 cars

Chevrolet Corvette C7 Aerowagen by Callaway

Mitsubishi delivers Triton to Sarawak Forestry

Volkswagen release Luv Bug video

Volkswagen to use augmented reality for future designs

Mercedes-Benz R107 in pristine condition is up for sale

Goodyear is World’s Most Admired Tyremaker

Volkswagen goes on Vento Turbocharged Tour

New Porsche Centre Opens in Penang

Hyundai Motor moves up to 5th place in brand value among global automakers

Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia introduces additional online aftersales services

The Hummer returns… as an EV supertruck with 1,000 horsepower (w/VIDEO)

CUPRA is first carmaker to join new EXTREME E off-road championship

Euro NCAP evaluations now include Highway Assist systems

New Vehicle Sales And Production Summary For September 2020

Volvo takes a different approach to helping reduce distractions to drivers

Another 49 employees at Proton Shah Alam factory found to be infected with COVID-19

6 Mazda models recalled for fuel pump replacement

FEATURE: A closer look at the Nissan Almera Turbo engine

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