There may be a CMCO (Conditional Movement Control Order) on now but business goes on and having adapted to the ‘new normal’, some car companies are using the internet to launch their new models. It’s a safe way to do so as there are no crowds in a hall and the reach is also quite wide. Volkswagen Passengers Cars Malaysia (VPCM) was among the early ‘adopters’, having even organised online sessions to talk to the motoring media during the MCO period earlier in the year.
So with a new model – the Volkswagen Passat R-Line – to launch, the company used its social media channels today to do a live telecast with VPCM’s Managing Director, Erik Winter, and Julie Woon doing the presentation.
Priced at RM203,411.18 (without sales tax until the end of the year), the new R-Line variant is the sportier big brother of the Passat Elegance that was launched earlier. It is also assembled at the assembly facility in Pekan, Pahang.
R-Line variants are not new to Malaysia but in earlier years, they were not promoted so much. However, with the high-performance R division in Germany aiming to grow its business, R-Line offerings have increased and VPCM has found the additional sportiness of the variants to appeal to many customers.
While having the same body design as the Passat Elegance, the Passat R-Line has an overall appearance oriented towards sportiness. To achieve this, it has R-Line front and rear bumpers, chrome trim and 19-inch Verona alloy wheels.
The LED lighting is advanced for safer motoring and also generates a ‘signature’ with the day running lights as well as front and rear sequential turn signals.
R-Line identity inside
As for the interior, the R-Line people have chosen Nappa carbon-style black leather upholstery for the seats, steering wheel (with shift paddles) and provide aluminium sports pedals as well as a black roof headliner. The Passat R-Line also sets itself apart with new finishes and materials, including new Dark Diamond Flag decorative trim.
But convenience and comfort are not forgotten and there are also features such as an 11.7-inch Digital Cockpit that can be personalised with different screens, Apple Car Play/Android Auto, and even 14-way adjustment for the front seats. The driver’s seat also comes with a massage function.
VPCM has also added in a complimentary Helix 300W Soundbar (worth RM2,400) which is installed in the 586-litre boot. This Volkswagen Approved Accessory is a 5-channel amplifier with an integrated sound processor and subwoofer, which elevates the vehicle’s already-advanced sound system to a higher level.
New 320-Nm TSI engine
Under the bonnet is a new 2.0TSI turbocharged engine with an output of 190 ps/320 Nm. It is fitted with a new and improved 7-speed wet clutch direct shift gearbox (DSG) that has longer oil change intervals.
In the past, if you wanted to have more dynamic handling, you could only change the shock absorbers to a sports type. Now with more electronic systems, a driver can tune the car’s handing characteristics quite extensively.
With the Dynamic Chassis Control, there are up to 15 selectable increments or the driver can just choose a pre-packaged mode. Additionally, the Driving Mode Selection can vary the powertrain characteristics to suit personal preference from economical motoring to strong acceleration.
This weekend (October 17/18), Volkswagen dealerships nationwide will be hosting a virtual event featuring detailed walk-throughs of the new Passat R-Line where customers are invited to send in their questions and interact with Sales Consultants via Facebook Live from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
Colour choices for the Passat R-Line.
Order online and save money
Customers who place a booking during this weekend will enjoy additional RM2,000 rebate on top of RM3,500 savings currently offer for the full Passat range – via the Volkswagen eShowroom. There will also be an additional RM1,000 rebate on other Volkswagen models, with the exception of the Polo.
Travis Pastrana, Subaru Motorsports USA’s driver, aims to take Gymkhana to the next level, with an outrageous WRX STI. His custom-built tyre destroyer is set to star in the next instalment of Hoonigan’s Gymkhana video series.
Back to the Gymkhana roots
Subaru and Hoonigan announced back in May that Pastrana would take over the Gymkhana series for 2020, bringing the series back to its roots, but promising a new take on the Gymkhana concept. With Pastrana’s decades of experience in rally, rallycross, supercross, freestyle motocross, NASCAR and stunts, Subaru was tasked with delivering a vehicle that could do things no Gymkhana car had ever been asked to do.
The build was done with technical partner Vermont SportsCar and took a production-based sedan to the limit of what was possible. The focus was on extreme performance and the raw carbonfibre bodywork received a wildly aggressive and wind tunnel-proven aero package unlike anything seen on a Gymkhana build before.
The Subaru Boxer engine also underwent modifications to Pastrana’s requirements while the suspension was given longer travel and the interior was made Gymkhana-ready.
“This STI is unbelievable!” said Pastrana. “We’ve never had the opportunity to do this before, to build a car with no restrictions. Engine, suspension, aero—everything is unlimited, clean sheet. It’s crazy fast, easy to control and get sideways and it was perfect out of the box in testing. Gymkhana is a new challenge for me but I want to raise the bar, and this is the car to do it!”
Isuzu Malaysia Sdn Bhd recently had an official opening of its very first medium and heavy-duty (MHD) truck dealership in East Malaysia. Located in Kuching, Sarawak, this new MHD truck dealership is operated by Dai Max Automobile Sdn Bhd.
The dealership has 3S status, meaning it offers customers sales, service and spare parts. As its location is near industrial areas, it is readily accessible to many truck drivers whenever they require attention for their vehicles.
“We are very excited with the opening of Isuzu Malaysia’s first MHD truck dealership in Kuching which underscores our commitment to expanding our customer reach in this part of Malaysia, as well as strengthening our aftermarket services and maximising our customers’ satisfaction and trust in us,” said Koji Nakamura, CEO of Isuzu Malaysia, during the official opening ceremony.
“This dealership is designed to deliver exceptional sales and service experience to meet the needs of our customers throughout the region. With a large facility combined with a convenient location, it will definitely enable us to serve our East Malaysian customers better, thus contributing to their business productivity,” added Mr. Nakamura.
The premises of the new dealership cover roughly 3,000 square metres, with the service centre area taking up about 650 square metres. Dai Max Automobile took about 5 years to complete the new dealership which is built according to the latest service centre design. Its facilities allow easy manoeuvring of trucks for service or repair.
In addition, there are three extra bays for light commercial vehicles and light-duty vehicles, plus two extra bays for MHD trucks. The dealership also has ample parking spaces and efficient workshop layout for trucks that are waiting to be inspected.
The team of well-trained and skilled technicians use Isuzu’s latest diagnostic tools for all maintenance work. They always aim to minimise truck downtime so as to increase business efficiency for vehicle owners.
Amenities such as family-friendly customer lounge, prayer room and complimentary snacks and beverages are available for truck drivers to enjoy before they hit the road again once the truck is ready.
One of the latest Isuzu trucks available in Malaysia.
“With this new MHD truck dealership, our aim is to focus on potential customers, strengthening our team’s product knowledge and technical skills to support Isuzu Malaysia in achieving growth in this region. Through product innovation, quality service and people, we will be able to create new capabilities to provide the best support for our customers,” Mr. Nakamura promised.
“We will do this by providing competitive pricing for parts and technical services to exceed our customers’ expectations. This will eventually connect to fleet and parts sales, attract new fleet customers and create strong product and brand awareness,” he said.
The new dealership brings the total number of Isuzu MHD dealerships to 11, with 10 strategically located around Peninsular Malaysia.
After a month-long teaser campaign, the all-new Honda City in its 5th generation is officially launched for sale. In spite of the current mood of uncertainty due to the pandemic, there are already some 5,000 people who have put their money down for one and no doubt, the number will grow now that the new model is in showrooms.
The highlight of the teaser campaigns has been the new City RS e:HEV variant, which has a hybrid powertrain. Having been the first company to assemble a hybrid model locally, Honda Malaysia continues to offer it in the City with a new 2-motor hybrid system powered by intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD). Malaysia is the first country in the world to launch the RS e:HEV variant and the honour is partly because this market accounts for 40% of the hybrid vehicles Honda has sold in its Asia & Oceania region.
However, if you’re keen to get one, it’s not available right away and deliveries will only start in January 2021. So while shouting a lot about it, Honda Malaysia is not revealing its price yet but you can book one if you want and be among the first owners.
Since the hybrid model won’t be here for a few more months, we’ll focus on the other three variants first and then go back to it. As before, the variants are S, E and V, all with a 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine with a DOHC and 16-valve cylinder head. Output from this proven engine is 121 ps/145 Nm which goes through a CVT to the front wheels.
Until the end of this year, the prices will be exempted from 10% sales tax. After that, if there is no extension of the exemption, they will revert to the prices as shown below (without insurance).
Honda City 1.5S: RM76,800 | Honda City 1.5E: RM84,800 | Honda City 1.5V: RM89,800
The platform has essentially the same elements as before although, in the spirit of kaizen (constant improvement), there would be improvements in materials and engineering to increase efficiency and comfort.
ASEAN NCAP 5-star rating
The latest City has already been tested by ASEAN NCAP and given the maximum rating of 5 stars, which is not surprising. Besides its strong and protective body structure, the car also has a comprehensive range of safety systems that will help the driver avoid accidents and in the 1.5V, six airbags to provide cushioning during a severe accident.
While virtually all cars today come with reverse sensors to help during parking, Honda Malaysia also includes a reverse camera in all three variants. Unlike many reverse camera systems which present only a single image, the one in the City can show three angles – wide, normal and top-down. The different views aid proper positioning of the car in a bay so it won’t appear in some social media post as an example of poor parking.
Same functionality, practicality
Inside, the new City maintains the same functional and practical layout with improvements in the quality of materials. There’s an extra 111 mm in overall length which has been put to good use by improving rear legroom while an additional 54 mm in the overall width should also do something for lateral comfort.
The standard equipment is quite extensive although the cheapest 1.5S variant does not have cruise control nor paddle shifters, and the air-conditioning system requires manual managements. However, all variants now have ducting to the rear so more cool air can reach the passengers.
The 1.5E and 1.5V variants also have Remote Engine Start which allows starting the engine before you even open the doors. While modern engines don’t really need to warm up before moving off, being able to start the engine remotely means that the air-conditioning can be activated to cool down the interior.
The audio system is a standard type on the 1.5S but 1.5E and 1.5V come with an 8-inch display panel that looks like a tablet was stuck on the centre of the dashboard. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are provided so smartphones can be easily linked and apps transferred to the display. For ease of operation, the icons on the display are large so they will be easy to select. Management of the audio system can be done using switches on the steering wheel.
Honda continues to use rotary dials for the air-conditioning system which is actually better than other methods. With rotary dials, adjustments can be easily done even without looking, certainly better than having the settings done via a touchscreen.
For those who need to recharge their devices, there are two USB ports, along with a 12V plug-in power outlet. Both are located at the front but, strangely rear passengers get two 12V sockets, (located below the air-conditioner vents) instead of USB ports which would be more useful.
Evolutionary styling
The styling of the new City can be considered evolutionary with a sleeker profile as a result of the lower roofline. The front end has also been completely restyled with slimmer headlights. Those on the 1.5V are LEDs and all variants come with LED daytime running lights that also provide a distinctive visual ‘signature’. The rear lighting units on all variants are all LEDs, which has given more design flexibility.
The City RS e-HEV
As this variant won’t be available until January 2021, we’ll just provide an overview for now and tell you more in detail when the car actually goes on sale. As mentioned earlier, the RS e:HEV variant is a world-first with its intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) powertrain.
This electrified powertrain is an advanced hybrid powertrain with 2 motors and an Electric Continuous Variable Transmission (e-CVT). Together with a 1.5-litre petrol engine, the i-MMD powertrain can generate up to 253 Nm of torque, an exceptional output for its size. Maximum power output is 108 ps which can take the City beyond 170 km/h and yet consume fuel at a claimed rate of 26.5 kms/litre.
The fuel efficiency comes from intelligent use of the two power units, alternating between three driving modes of EV Drive, Hybrid Drive and Engine Drive. There are no paddle shifters but there are Deceleration Selector Paddles that allow the driver to slow down while also getting power regeneration to recharge the battery pack.
The RS variant will have a sportier interior with Ultrasuede upholstery and Red Stitching as well as Sport Pedal Pads. The instrument panel also uses a 7-inch TFT screen to display a wide range of information to the driver.
To enhance the appeal of the City RS, it will be offered with Honda SENSING, a suite of driver assistance systems that are the most advanced in its class. Using a front wide view camera mounted on the windscreen, it can adjust the cruising speed, identify pedestrians and even cyclists and warn the driver or activate the brakes, if necessary. The system can also help to keep the car within its lane and alert the driver if there is wandering off the lane (or even road). Also included is an automatic high-beam system which switches to low beam if there is an oncoming vehicle so as not to dazzle the driver.
Honda LANEWATCH, which was first offered in the Accord, now reaches the City and will be available in the RS variant. This innovative feature provides the driver with a view of the blind spot on the left side of the car by using a small camera mounted below the left door mirror. The display appears whenever the signal light switch is activated. The good thing about this approach is that the driver does not have to turn the head much to see the display at the centre of the dashboard, as opposed to looking for a warning light on the door mirror.
As with other models, Honda Malaysia also offers Modulo accessories specially for the new City. There are 4 packages to suit different requirements with prices starting from RM3,007. The cost can be included in the financing of the car and therefore repaid over a number of years… something which no accessory shop would give you.
Test-drive and viewing of the new City can be done at all authorised Honda dealerships nationwide (although some may be subject to specific MCO conditions). To locate a dealership, visit www.honda.com.my.
Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) and local denim streetwear brand Tarik Jeans have launched the second instalment of an exclusively-designed capsule collection – Modern Nostalgia Pt.2. The collaboration, which kicked-off earlier this year, has the objective of raising funds and awareness for the endangered Malayan Tapir.
Similar to the first instalment, Modern Nostalgia Pt.2 is a limited-run capsule collection. While the first collection featured Volkswagen models combined with Tarik’s local vintage design elements, the more premium Modern Nostalgia Pt.2 draws its inspiration from the raw, rugged and hands-on workshop life.
Volkswagen racing heritage and spirit
The new designs shift gears to capture Volkswagen’s racing heritage and spirit whilst incorporating performance-themed colours that will appeal to motorheads and car enthusiasts. Modern Nostalgia Pt. 2 comprises a variety of high-quality apparels such as denim jackets that retail at RM259, work shirts at RM159 and t-shirts at RM79.
“VPCM is proud to be able to play a part in Malaysia to make a difference, and while the COVID-19 outbreak had unfortunately affected the timeline of the campaign, we remain committed to the project. Together with our friends at Tarik Jeans, I firmly believe in the success of this campaign, and I would like to urge fans of the Volkswagen and Tarik brands to make that purchase for a good cause,” said Erik Winter, Managing Director of VPCM.
He added that sustainability and conservation is a key pillar for Volkswagen, with the brand already investing heavily in reforestation projects around the world.
Merchandise from the complete collection can be purchased on Tarik Jeans’ website, Shopee and Zalora. 50% of all proceeds generated from the sales of this campaign will be donated to the Kenaboi Forest Reserve in Negeri Sembilan on World Tapir Day on April 27, 2021.
About the Malayan Tapir
The Malayan tapir is the only Asian species native to the island of Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and Southern Thailand with a distinctive coat pattern. The tapir has a lifespan of up to 30 years, but agricultural developments and deforestation, being hunted for food and sport and illegal animal trafficking have resulted in an alarming decrease in their numbers. It is estimated that there are only less than 3,000 of them left.
The rumours that Bermaz Auto Berhad will take over the distributorship of the Kia and Peugeot brands is quite strong now, according to a report in the New Straits Times. The company started off with the Mazda business 12 years ago and has made it a successful brand with steady growth in volumes.
The Kia and Peugeot brands are presently handled by subsidiaries in the Naza Group, which also represents many other brands. It had previously established a relationship with Kia Motors in the 1990s, enabling it to begin volume sales rather than being just in the niche market it had started from in the mid-1970s. Although an agreement with Kia allowed Naza to brand some models under its own name, the strategy did not seem to be beneficial and the Naza brand slowly faded away.
The Kia brand has been handled by Naza since the 1990s, while the Peugeot brand has been with the group since 2008.
The Peugeot brand came into Naza’s portfolio in 2008, after Cycle & Carriage Bintang decided not to continue handling it. While Bermaz Motor took over Mazda from C&C Bintang, Naza took Peugeot which was placed under Nasim Sdn Bhd. There were big plans for growth and development, especially since Naza had its own assembly plant in Kedah (which was acquired by the PSA Group a few years ago).
Naza has invested a lot in growing both brands and created quite an extensive retail network nationwide. However, the past few years have seen a dip in sales volumes and it also wasted 8 years with the Chevrolet brand that it stopped representing in 2018. The pandemic this year has only worsened things with the auto industry suffering a severe impact in the first half of the year.
Bermaz Auto took over the Mazda brand in 2008 from C & C Bintang and has grown its volumes significantly over the years.
The team at Bermaz Auto has a good track record, not just with the Mazda brand but also with the Hyundai brand which they successfully built up in the 2000s under Hyumal, before the Korean brand was taken over by Sime Darby Motors. Dato’ Sri Ben Yeoh, Executive Chairman of Bermaz Auto, is a veteran in the automotive industry with experience going back to the 1970s. He has worked with brands like Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Daihatsu, Proton and Hyundai.
The track record of Bermaz Auto in building up Mazda after taking over would certainly impress Kia and Peugeot, giving an advantage over others who are also known to be interested in the brands. Positioning each brand in Bermaz Auto’s portfolio could be tricky though.
And there will be the question of whether Naza will remain involved in the brands as a dealer chain. Incidentally, it also handles the Citroen and DS brands which are from the PSA Group but sell in very small volumes. Bermaz Auto is unlikely to want to bother with these brands which would probably be tedious to manage anyway.
Naza’s factory in Gurun, Kedah, was taken over by the PSA Group which uses it to assemble Peugeot vehicles for the region.The Inokom manufacturing complex in Kulim, Kedah, where Mazda Malaysia has an assembly facility.
Bermaz Auto has no assembly plant of its own, relying on the Mazda Malaysia facility within the Inokom manufacturing complex in Kedah for the assembly of its Mazda models, some of which are exported. In order to grow any brand in Malaysia, local assembly is vital under current policies.
Peugeot would be okay since PSA continues to assemble the 3008 and 5008 for the Malaysian and exports markets but Kia assembly has pretty much stopped, with only 4 vehicles assembled this year (2,293 were assembled last year). If Bermaz Auto takes over Kia, it would want to assemble some models and would likely do so at the Inokom plant where Hyundai models are also being assembled.
Now that news of Bermaz Auto acquiring new business is getting so strong, we can expect that being a public-listed company, a statement will soon be forthcoming to provide clarification for shareholders.
Although the Range Rover, launched in the mid-1970s, can lay claim to being the first premium SUV, large premium SUVs only appeared in the late 1990s. However, the two Japanese premium brands – Lexus and Infiniti – had developed their own versions of luxury SUVs based on existing 4×4 models of their parent brands, Toyota and Nissan, respectively.
As the volumes are relatively small, it has not been viable to develop their own models so up till today, the large SUVs are still adapted from the models of the other brands. Unlike the newer models, these two original ones retain the greater degree of ruggedness and capability for off-road driving. This year, both companies are using the Rebelle Rally to demonstrate this.
Lexus J201 Concept
Lexus, Toyota’s premium luxury brand, has a range of SUVs today but before the RX came out in 1997, its only SUV was the Land Cruiser-based LX. The model line continues up till today, offering a large premium SUV which is also pretty rugged.
The LX has gone through the usual evolutionary improvements over the years being launched in 1995 and to remind people how rugged it is, the company has developed the J201 Concept which uses the current LX570’s platform. The ‘J201’ designation is even derived from the internal Lexus chassis code of the LX470 – URJ201.
The inspiration for the J201 project came from seeing how a growing number of Lexus SUV owners are going off-road with their adventurous activities. The concept SUV, which has a supercharged 550-bhp engine, is for what Lexus calls the ‘Experiential Adventurer’ and has been built by overlanding experts, Expedition Overland.
The J201 Concept will demonstrate its capabilities in the 10-day Rebelle Rally, an all-female event covering over 2,000 kms of off-road terrain in the US states of California and Nevada. The crew will be defending Rebelle Rally champions, Rachelle Croft and Taylor Pawley of The X Elles.
Infiniti QX80 Rebelle
Infiniti, Nissan premium luxury brand, also has a big flagship SUV, the QX80 which has been around for the past 16 years and is based on Nissan’s Patrol model. Like Lexus, Infiniti has also prepared a special QX80 for the Rebelle Rally. The crew of the 5.6-litre 400-bhp SUV consists of Nicole Wakelin and Alice Chase (Team Wander Women).
Infiniti worked with off-road specialists CALMINI Products to prepare the QX80, installing off-road suspension components, custom front and rear bumpers suited for demanding approach and departure angles, heavy-duty control arms, thicker skid plates, and chunky all-terrain tyres.
The red QX80 also has Off-Road Monster 18-inch wheels, a PowerTank air-up tank and digital air-down kit, plus a unique and secure custom safety cage.
About the Rebelle Rally
The Rebelle Rally was started a few years ago by Emily Miller, 51, who is very active in adventure events. Apart from being only for women, the event is unique in that the participants cannot use modern devices – no smartphones, no GPS systems – and must find their way from point to point using maps and compasses… and maybe following the sun. Yes, the old-fashioned methods of navigation that adventurers used.
♦ Spectators were again allowed to watch the race from the stands and some 20,000 were present at Nurburgring.
♦ When the lights turned green, Kimi Raikkonen shot off from the starting grid on his 323rd Grand Prix and that makes him the record-holder with the most F1 starts, ahead of Rubens Barrichello.
Kimi Raikkonen celebrated his 323rd F1 start, which made him the driver with the most F1 starts ever.
♦ 14 minutes into the race, Romain Grosjean alerted his team that his finger seemed to be damaged by what he believed to be gravel hitting his hand during lap 7.
♦ Red Bull Racing’s Alexander Albon was the first driver to return to the pits for a tyre change at the end of lap 7 as he seemed to have flat-spotted the tyres.
♦ Valtteri Bottas had gotten a good start to lead, with Lewis Hamilton chasing him. He lost the lead when he locked up going into Turn 1 and Hamilton swept past him. The tyres were flat-spotted so he headed into the pits for a change.
♦ On lap 14, Williams Racing’s George Russell got bumped off at Turn 1 by Kimi Raikkonen and his departure brought the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) into action. The VSC was tested in 2014 and found to be useful so it was adopted from the 2015 season. The Stewards looked into the collision and whether Raikkonen was at fault.
♦ As the VSC ended about a lap later, Albon crossed the path of Daniil Kvyat and damaged the front wing of the Scuderia AlphaTauri. The collision got Albon a 5-second penalty. Anyway, the THial Red Bull Racing driver retired on lap 24 after returning to the pits.
♦ On lap 17, as the first few drops of rain were felt in some areas of the track, Bottas’ car suddenly lost power and he had to bring it back to the pits, and had to retire as the Power Unit had problems. Meanwhile, at the front, Hamilton was pursued by Max Verstappen.
♦ A few laps before the race reached the halfway mark, Esteban Ocon had to retire due to a suspected hydraulic problem and then Lando Norris reported that his car was losing power. He struggled to keep up the speed as Sergio Perez got past him.
♦ At the halfway mark, Hamilton and Verstappen were way ahead in the lead, a 5-second gap separating the world champion from the Dutchman. Almost a minute behind was Daniel Ricciardo, the Renault driver. Four cars had retired.
♦ By lap 45, Norris’ McLaren pulled over, smoke coming out and because it was in a rather tricky position, the Mercedes-AMG Safety Car was despatched while removal was underway. The other McLaren driven by Carlos Sainz Jr was in close contention with Sergio Perez of BWT Racing Point.
♦ 10 laps were left when the Safety Car withdrew and Hamilton managed to get a strong start ahead although Verstappen almost bumped into him. The Mercedes driver even set a new lap record to make sure he had the dominance to stay ahead till the end.
♦ Hamilton took his seventh win of the season with a 4.4-second lead but more significantly, it was the 91st win of his career which now puts him equal with Michael Schumacher.
For those who want a rare collectible version of the new Bentley Bentayga V8, the First Edition is now available in Malaysia. With a selection of Bentley options included, the First Edition is priced from RM935,000 (excluding taxes and insurance), a difference of RM191,900 from the base price of the standard price of the latest Bentayga.
Top specs for limited run
The First Edition is a limited run so only a certain number will be available to each market. Each SUV comes with Bentley Dynamic Ride (and active roll control system), Touring Specification as well as Mulliner Driving Specification. This specification includes 22-inch black-painted and directional alloy wheels and sports pedals.
With the new Bentayga, the interior has undergone revisions that include a new centre fascia and steering wheels, door trims and seats (which are also now available with ventilation at the rear of the 5-seat option). There’s also up to 100 mm more legroom for rear occupants, depending on the configuration.
First Edition buyers can choose from a wide range of leather upholstery and wood veneers, allowing the unique contrasted stitching on the diamond quality areas to stand out. There’s First Edition badging around the vehicle and customers can also ask for the words or the Bentley wings to be embroidered on the seats.
Revised exclusive interior
The latest hardware and software includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, alongside the existing wired system, for connectivity flexibility. Rear seat occupants can enjoy journeys with a large touchscreen remote control tablet, similar to that introduced in the latest Flying Spur.
The exclusive nature of the First Edition is complemented by the best audio system available from Bentley – Naim for Bentley. This 1,780W system specially customized for the Bentayga comes with 20 speakers and 8 listening modes, ranging from Digital Media to Classic.
The First Edition doesn’t come with a more powerful engine but the standard V8 performance should satisfy even the most demanding driver. The 4-litre 32-valve twin scroll turbocharged engine produces up to 550 ps/770 Nm that gives a claimed 0 to 100 km/h capability of 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 290 km/h. This output is intelligently distributed to all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Race starts at 2:10 pm in Germany/8:10 pm in Malaysia
Round 11 of the 2020 FIA Formula One World Championship sees yet another different name for the event that will run at Germany’s Nurburgring circuit. It’s called the Eifel Grand Prix this time, which makes it the fourth name, having previously hosted the German, European and Luxembourg Grands Prix. The circuit has not had a F1 race since the German Grand Prix of 2013.
The ‘Eifel’ name refers to the mountains in the region (nothing to do with the Eiffel Tower in Paris) and in the 1930s when there was a race of that name, it saw the birth of the Silver Arrows legend. On June 3 1934, the newly developed Mercedes-Benz W25 won the Eifelrennen with an average speed of 122.5 km/h. Legend has it that the W25 was slightly above the weight limit for the 750-kg Formula in which it competed. And (allegedly) its white paint was scraped off before the race to meet the regulatory limits, exposing its shiny bodywork – hence the first Silver Arrow was born.
The first of the Silver Arrows at the 1934 Eifel Grand Prix.
Technical track
The layout of the Nurburgring’s GP Circuit draws some comparisons with Silverstone in that it features a technical, low-speed opening sector followed by faster corners later in the lap. It presents a good all-round test of a car’s performance because it includes a wide range of corner speed and profiles – from high-speed turns, to slow-speed hairpins and twisty chicanes.
While lacking the extreme high-speed turns of the British circuit, it is expected to demand similarly high levels of downforce. This means that the maximum speed anticipated for the W11 (316 km/h) is expected to be the lowest figure of this season.
The circuit’s undulations are one of its most striking features, with a large amount of elevation change. In fact, the difference between the highest point (the start/finish straight) and the lowest point at Turn 7 is around 55 metres.
One of the biggest unknowns for all of the teams this weekend is the track surface and how it has evolved over time. Getting the tyres to work and understanding the operating window will be crucial to unlocking performance out on track.
The tyres Pirelli will supply
Pirelli brings tyres from the middle of the range this weekend with a C2 Hard tyre, C3 Medium tyre and C4 Soft tyre provided. The circuit is not noted as being particularly tough on the rubber but the Italian manufacturer cites the heavy deceleration into the hairpin and its unusual camber as factors likely to push the front left tyre very hard.
While the GP Circuit made its F1 debut in an October race, it is unusual to be racing this far north, this late in the season. The reason is, of course, due to the suspension of activities in the first half of the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a rescheduling of the rounds from July.
The forecast for the weekend indicates the potential for temperatures in single figures alongside the usual Eifel showers. It is something the teams will watch closely as it will present its own unique set of challenges for the tyres.
Victory and fastest lap for Valtteri Bottas in Russia last time out saw the Finn close the gap on his team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the top of the Drivers’ Championship table. Hamilton continues to lead with 205 points to Bottas’ 161. The tightest battle among the drivers is currently over fourth position, between Lando Norris, Alex Albon and Daniel Ricciardo.
Championship positions
Victory and third place in Sochi extended the Mercedes-AMG advantage in the Constructors’ Championship to 174 points. They now lead Red Bull Racing 366 to 192. Behind Red Bull, the battle for third has become intense after a poor showing in Sochi dragged McLaren back towards their rivals. With 106 points, they are two ahead of Racing Point, on 104, and seven ahead of Renault on 99.
