Home - Piston.my

Piston.my

Latest News

McLaren Automotive To Collaborate With Stealth Fighter People At ‘Skunk Works’

McLaren Automotive will be collaborating with Lockheed Martin’s ‘Skunk Works’ to assess a futuristic design methodology. ‘Skunk Works’ is the nickname of the aerospace company’s advanced development projects division, which goes back to 1943, where aircraft like the twin-tail P-38 Lightning of World War II as well as the first Stealth Fighter were developed in secrecy.

McLaren’s collaboration project will focus on deploying a new Skunk Works design system, developed for the world of aviation, into the realms of high-performance, cutting-edge automotive supercar design.

(more…)

Mercedes-EQ EQE 350+ Joins EV Range In Malaysia

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia today launched the Mercedes-Benz EQE, which joins the EQA, EQB, EQC and EQS in the all-electric Mercedes-EQ range in Malaysia. Priced from RM419,888 with tax exemption, the EQE sedan looks like a scaled-down version of the EQS and is essentially the ‘E-Class’ of the Mercedes-EQ range. It is thus positioned as the business sedan of the future.

As with the carmaker’s other EV models, the EQE 350+ uses EVA2 architecture which is the first of two platforms for its EV models (the other being the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture to be used later on).

(more…)

Audi Uses Artificial Intelligence For Wheel Design

Each year, alloy wheels with new designs are introduced on new car models or as updates for existing models. The designs are varied, some purely aesthetic while others have functional features to improve cooling of the brakes or aerodynamic efficiency, especially for electric vehicles.

For original equipment wheels, ie those installed at the factory by the carmakers, the designs are usually done in-house (although there may be times when specialised wheels are provided by suppliers). This is just another part of the work at the design department and often, the designers are on the look out for new ideas and inspiration.

But where to find untapped sources of inspiration when it comes to designing wheels? This is where Audi’s design department is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), a goal the German carmaker has set itself on its way to becoming a data-driven company.

(more…)

Fiat Opens World’s First Metaverse-Powered Store

Shopping online is commonplace these days and during the lockdown periods of the past two years, many companies stepped up their online business activities as their physical retail outlets were forced to close. While there was already a trend starting towards increased online stores selling by car companies, the pandemic accelerated things in order for brands to remain accessible to customers.

Today, virtually every brand has an online showroom which mainly provides information on the latest models and if a customer is ready to make a purchase, the process can be started online as well. However, in some countries, physical presence is still required to complete the transaction as documents need to be officially signed.

Now Fiat has come out with what it says is the world’s first metaverse-powered store, taking the digital experience to a more advanced level. Starting off in Italy, the Fiat Metaverse Store provides a more sophisticated ‘shopping experience’ and there’s a real FIAT expert – called a FIAT Product Genius – on hand to answer questions.

(more…)

Hayden Haikal Finishes Second in Thailand Super Eco Series In First Ever International Season

In his first international racing season, young Malaysian racer Hayden Haikal was forced to settle for overall 2nd place in the Thailand Super Eco series after experiencing a number of unfortunate setbacks. Trailing 20 points in the championship behind local hero Na Dol Vatanatham, Hayden needed to win the final two races, and for his nearest rival to finish out of the points in order to have a shot of becoming the overall champion.

Both drivers have been head-to-head in the championship, trading places on the podium throughout the six rounds going into the finale. The odds however, appeared stacked against Hayden from the beginning of the race weekend at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, northeast of Bangkok.

(more…)

Nissan Formula E Team To Use New Gen3 Cars With New Drivers for Season 9 In 2023

It was not surprising that Nissan was the first Japanese carmaker to enter Formula E, the all-electric single-seater championship series. After all, the carmaker could be considered the pioneer in starting mass production of electric vehicles (EVs) with its LEAF. However, when it first participated in 2018, the fifth season of the series, it did so with the e.dams team.

Following its entry that year, the team was a regular each season and in March 2021, Nissan confirmed further commitment to Formula E until the end of Season 12 (2025/26). Earlier this year, Nissan decided it was ready to take on a direct involvement in the team and acquired it in April. It finished off the season with the Gen2 racing car as the all-new Gen3 version was being developed for 2023.

(more…)