Home - Piston.my

Piston.my

Latest News

Mazda Announces 1.5 Trillion Yen 3-Phase Plan For Electrification Of Model Range

As Mazda Motor Corporation continues its progress after the challenging COVID-19 pandemic years, it has updated its mid-term management plan and management policy up to 2030. And despite the highly uncertain business environment, the carmaker is renewing its commitment to achieving carbon neutrality in all its operations by 2050.

In recent years, the environment in which the auto industry operates has changed dramatically, particularly in Europe, with the growth of electrified products and the associated regulatory demands. To be able to flexibly respond to these future changes, Mazda has a 3-phase plan which will see it spending up to 1.5 trillion yen (around RM48,600,000,000) during this decade.

(more…)

Toyotas Dominant In 2022 Sepang 1000KM Endurance Race

After coming so close to winning in 2021, the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia Team returned this year to take a historic 1-2 victory in the 9-hour race at the Sepang International Circuit. Three Toyotas finished in the top 5 overall positions, and in the Malaysian Touring Car (MTC) Class in only Toyota’s second year participating in the annual event.

A record total of 77 cars lined up on the grid for the 14th edition of the Sepang 1000KM event (S1K) this year. The race had the MTC and SP2 Classes for cars below 1600 cc and incorporated the GAZOO Racing Vios Enduro Cup (exclusively for the Toyota Vios cars competing in the Vios Challenge race series).

Crewed by GAZOO Racing Malaysia ambassador Tengku Djan Ley and reigning Vios Challenge Sporting Class champion Naquib Azlan, the team’s #37 Vios took the chequered flag after 181 laps. The car had started from pole position and crossed the finish line 6.2 seconds ahead of the nearest rival – the #39 Yaris of Hayden Haikal and Jwan Hii for Wing Hin Motorsports (a UMW Toyota Motor dealer).

(more…)

Pininfarina Battista Electric Hypercar Sets Record-Breaking Times At Nardo (w/VIDEO)

The switch to electric powertrains has seen a sudden leap in the power and torque available to propel cars. Unlike internal combustion engines, electric motors generate power in an entirely different way, with a huge amount of peak torque available from almost standstill.

So impressive new performance numbers are beginning to appear and new records are being set by this new generation of cars. Every month, some company will announce a sub-5-second time and sometimes it is recognised as a world record as well.

Pininfarina’s Battista electric hypercar, the most powerful car designed and built in Italy, has an output of 1,900 ps/2,340 Nm and it has achieved sizzling times for 4 different acceleration runs. They were 0 – 60 mph in 1.79 seconds; 0 – 100 km/h in 1.86 seconds, 0 – 120 mph in 4.49 seconds; and 0 – 200 km/h in 4.79 seconds.

(more…)

New Stock Ford Ranger Raptor Takes Class Win In Baja 1000 Desert Race

Remember the news about a new Ford Ranger Raptor being entered in the SCORE-International Baja 1000? Run in California, it’s one of the world’s toughest off-road races and just making it to the end in one piece is an achievement.

The Ranger Raptor – prepared in Australia for desert racing but still quite standard and even road-legal, finished its class in first place. And it was still in such good condition that the team decided to drive it back to its home base. In 2017, a stock F-150 Raptor also did the same thing.

(more…)

All-New Toyota Innova Launched In Indonesia, Now Includes Hybrid Option (w/VIDEO)

From the time it was first introduced in the mid-1970s, the Toyota Kijang has been a top-seller in Indonesia to the extent that it’s been regarded as country’s ‘national car’. Toyota had come up with a product that was ideal for the market, providing versatility to carry people and goods as well as robustness to handle the wide variations in road conditions.

After 45 years, the third generation has now been launched and takes a big step forward with a new electrified powertrain. The model’s name in Indonesia is Kijang Innova Zenix, somewhat lengthy but the ‘Kijang’ name is so strong that Toyota Indonesia has to retain it. ‘Innova’ is, of course, what Malaysians (and customers in other markets) know it as although we had a Kijang earlier that was called the Unser. Zenix is probably to highlight the transition to an electrified model.

(more…)

Tokyo Motor Show To Become Japan Mobility Show In 2023

2020 could be considered a watershed year for the big global motor shows. Though the declining interest from the auto industry was slowly showing during the past decade, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and suspension of public activities for many months led carmakers to rethink how they would spend money on promotional activities.

Launching new products online, less common before, was an approach adopted by many carmakers. They could reach bigger global audiences and at less cost than the traditional high-cost events at motorshows. The need to spend big money on a one-time extravaganza became less necessary, and this meant that organisers of the big motorshows needed to change.

While some continue with a generally traditional approach, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) which has been organising the Tokyo Motor Show for many decades has decided to have a broader scope for the event.

(more…)