Sime Darby Auto Performance (SDAP), the official custodian of the Porsche brand here in Malaysia, has officially announced that their latest Porsche Macan S version is now available for purchase. The unveiling was held in conjunction with their first ever Porsche Sportscar Together Day held at the Sepang International Circuit. (more…)
2019 CHINA ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP Round.2, TIANJIN
This is China’s domestic GT racing endurance championship and Round 2 was run on the V1 Auto World Circuit in Tianjin last weekend. Malaysian GT driver, Melvin Moh in the ABS Project M Racing Team’s #77 AMG GT3 won Race 1 convincingly but sadly didn’t finish in Race 2. Last time out in round 1 in Ningbo, the team won race 1 and placed 3rd in Race 2 so they should be up there in the overall points for the championship.
About the Tianjin V1 Auto World Circuit: Opened in 2018, this is another Hermann Tilke-designed circuit (he also designed many of the F1 tracks around the world, including Sepang) located in Wuqing between Tianjin and Beijing.
It has a novel feature of being able to be extended out onto public roads around the track and thus also offers a ‘street’ layout, apart from its permanent circuit. The other feature of this circuit is its ‘Z’ shaped pitlane which can accommodate the two layouts.
As an International FIA Grade 2 circuit, it can be 4.28 kms long or 3.7 kms as a Grade 3 circuit. The cars run counterclockwise around 15 corners.
2019 24-HOURS & INTERCONTINENTAL GT CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND, SPA (Belgium)
Shanghai and Sepang-based Absolute Racing, Sepang-based Modena Motorsport, China-based Open Road and Taiwan-based HubAuto Corsa teams were the few Asian teams that took part in this prestigious endurance race for GT3 cars.
HubAuto Corsa deserves special mention as they won the previous and opening round of the IGTC in Laguna Seca 8-Hours in March. Unfortunately, a crash just 26 laps into the Spa event meant the #27 Ferrari 488 GT3 was out of contention.
Also significant is that this front-running team in the Intercontinental GT Challenge Championships has 5 Malaysian technicians, the most of all the Asian teams who are running in the Spa 24-Hours.
The event was run at the Circuit De Spa-Francorchamps which is nestled in the Ardennes hills. It consists of fast sweepers, uphill and downhill stretches and parts of it is still on public roads. The original Spa circuit had a reputation for being very fast (average speed of 240 km/h!) and was unforgiving. It was one of the most feared circuits as many drivers and even track marshals lost their lives there.
The present and ‘safer’ circuit is now 7 kms long, compared to 15 kms before. It still has fast stretches where speeds in excess of 330 km/h can be reached. A round of the F1 championship is held there regularly.
Malaysian drivers and technicians head to Korea
We’re into August and this month, our Malaysian GT drivers and race technicians will be in Yeongam, Korea for Round 5 of the Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia and also for Round 4 of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia.
In the PRO/AM division of Blancpain Asia, Melvin Moh and Singaporean Daniel Au will once again be behind the #55 Craft Bamboo Mercedes AMG GT3, H.H Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahim(Jefri) will be joined by Aussie Shane Van Gisbergen in their #888 Triple Eight Racing AMG GT3 whilst in the PRO category, Weiron Tan will be piloting the Audi Sport Asia Team Absolute Racing #12 Audi R8 LMS GT3.
For the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series, Malaysian Afiq Yazid and Japan’s Ochiai in PRO/AM leads the points going into this round in Yeongam. Afiq has been the standout driver in this series in his Japan-based Hojust Racing Team this season. Aylezo Motorsports East Malaysian and gentleman racer Zen Low will also be racing this weekend in the Super Trofeo.
I’ll bring you the results next week.
UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd (UMWT) held the ‘As Never Before Bonanza‘ campaign where those who booked any new Toyota models stand a chance to win four brand new Toyota Vios. Thousands joined the festivities where attractive prizes were handed out each month, but four lucky winners took home the new Vios 1.5G. In other words, they got two Toyota models for the price of one! (more…)
BMW’s first-ever production electric car, the BMW i3s, first made its Malaysian debut last year at Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show (KLIMS) 2018 where it caught a lot of buzz. To live up to its hype, BMW Malaysia announced that it is now available for purchase at RM278,800 (OTR price without insurance). (more…)
Pending official data from the Malaysian Automotive Association later in the month, Proton has announced that it has risen to No.2 position in overall sales in July 2019. The last time the carmaker was in a similar position was March 2016, while the last calendar year it finished in second was in 2015.
The ascent to the second overall position came with the delivery of 8,590 vehicles during the month, providing a positive start to the second half of the year. It is also the seventh consecutive month of growth and Proton is the only brand to have such momentum in 2019.
47% improvement in 12 months
The brand’s market share for the month is estimated at 16.5% with a Total Industry Volume (TIV) estimated at 51,960 units. Based on cumulative sales for the year, Proton’s overall market share should be around 15% on a volume of 52,269 units. This time last year, Proton’s cumulative sales had reached 35,561 units so it’s a 47% improvement.
12 months ago, automotive sales in Malaysia received a boost when a tax holiday was implemented from June to August. Proton, like all the other brands, posted its best numbers for 2018 during that 3-month period. In 2019, even without the benefit of the tax holiday, Proton’s sales have continued to show positive growth although not as spectacular as the year before.
“For the rest of 2019, we intend to consolidate our position to finish the year
ranked second for the first time in 4 years.”
Dr. Li Chunrong, Proton CEO
Ahead of schedule
“Proton’s return to second place overall in the Malaysian automotive market has happened ahead of schedule. The growth in demand for our products show we are on track to meet our long-term targets and for the rest of 2019, we intend to consolidate our position to finish the year ranked second for the first time in 4 years,” said Dr. Li Chunrong, CEO of Proton.
“With the launch of the updated 2019 Proton Saga set to take place shortly and our other product introductions in the pipeline, the company is quietly confident of even better results in the future,” he added.
On the performance of the various models, Dr. Li said the Persona is now the sales leader in a segment that is ruled by Japanese products. “The Proton Saga is still a popular choice amongst first-time car buyers looking for a safe, reliable and economical vehicle. Even the Proton Iriz has seen a surge in demand, with sales growing by over 50%, so the company is humbled by the trust Malaysian car buyers are putting in our brand,” he said.
Visit www.proton.com to know more about the models available and where to view, test or purchase them.
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