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First Honda Civic Type R in US to be auctioned for good cause

A first for Honda, the new generation Civic Type R will be the first of its nameplate to be sold in the US. And the very first car with (VIN) 01, made for the market, will be auctioned online (Bring A Trailer) beginning June 7th, with all proceeds benefiting the Pediatric Brain Tumor foundation.

It is is the world’s largest nonprofit solely dedicated to fighting the deadliest childhood cancer. Since 1991, the PBTF has funded more than USD 29 million (RM124 million) in research to improve quality of life, increase survivor ship and ultimately eliminate pediatric brain tumors. The nonprofit also offers families free educational resources about brain tumors, a toolkit for newly diagnosed patients, college scholarships for survivors, emergency financial aid and other support.

The Honda Civic Type R has always eluded the grubby hands of eager American fanboys since its introduction. The Japanese never really saw North America as a viable market to sell its performance oriented C-segment car. Now however, it seems as though that has changed and we are sure that that many car enthusiasts over there, thank them for it. This new car features a turbocharged 2.0-litre 16-valve DOHC engine that produces 306 bhp. Touted as the most powerful powerplant fitted to a Honda production vehicle, it is mated to a short-shifting six-speed manual transmission to offer the most analog experience one could have.

Drivers can adjust the vehicle’s characteristics by toggling through the Comfort, Sport and +R drive modes. The change in drive mode affects the vehicle’s fully independent suspension which comprises of dual-axis strut front strut and adaptive dampers. Other outstanding features include the use of cross-drilled front brake discs, 4-pot Brembo brake calipers and an extensive aerodynamic package that is said to offer high-speed stability and low drag.

Thanks to its performance figures, the Type R holds the lap record in the Nurburgring for the fastest front-wheel-drive car to lap the circuit in 7 minutes 43.80 seconds, which is 3 seconds faster than the previous record.

Despite Honda having a factory in the US, the Civic Type R that is destined to be sold there, will be built in the automaker’s UK plant in Swindon. The car’s engine whoever, will be be produced in Ohio, USA at Honda’s largest automobile engine plant in the world.

Ford vying for second consecutive victory at Le Mans

Ford is preparing to defend its Le Mans 24 Hours title with the same four entries in this year’s race. These four factory backed Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT cars will be tasked with bringing home a second consecutive title following its 1st and 3rd place finish in last year’s race.

The last time Ford dominated this competition was in the mid 1960s when the automaker managed to bag the Le Mans title four times on the trot from 1966 to 1968. Like the GT40 before it, the current generation Ford GT has proved successful at winning races all over the world with entries in the FIA World Endurance Championship, WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as well as a number of others.

Speaking of the car, Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company, said, “The Ford GT represents the very best of Ford and our drive for excellence in all that we do. To come to Le Mans last year and win the GTE Pro Class was a huge source of pride for all our employees globally. It shows how, when you pull together, you can achieve remarkable things. We are excited to return to Le Mans to defend our title.”

One major blow to the team’s morale will be the absence of Sebatien Bourdais who was part of the three-driver team that led the #68 Ford GT to last year’s Le Mans victory. Bourdais will miss the event due to an injury that he sustained in an accident during the qualifying round of the Indianapolis 500. Tony Kanaan will serve as his replacement for this particular race and will partner the remaining two drivers, Joey Hand and Dirk Muller and attempt to repeat last year’s feat.

The Blue Oval’s three driver team for the #69 Ford GT that finished third last year, remains unchanged. Ryan Briscoe, Rhichard Westbrook and Scott Dixon will have high hopes of making it a Ford 1-2 this time instead of the previous year’s 1-3 finish. In ten days time, all four teams of drivers will be vying to replicate the success of Ford’s glory days with a a complete sweep of the podium positions, but we are sure that the Italian and German heavyweights aren’t going to make it easy for them.

Robert Kubica returns to F1 after horrific rally crash in 2011

Robert Kubica will be returning to Formula One for a series of private tests with the Renault Formula One team at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo. The Polish driver has already completed 115 laps in the 2012 E20 F1 car that is powered by a Renault V8. Several evaluations were done during the tests with various fuel-loads to gauge which setups yielded the best results.

It’s been six years since Kubica set foot in a Formula One car, with the last outing being his pre-season test in the Renault R31 at this very circuit in February of 2011. Unfortunately, he had to forgo his seat for the 2011 race calendar because he was seriously injured in a rally accident before the start of the season.

Kubica, who after recovering from these injuries, subsequently tested several racing cars including single-seater and competed in a professional rally series. That said, his path to recovery has been anything but easy, he even claimed several years ago that making a return to F1 would be nearly impossible.

Speaking of his involvement in the test session, Kubica said, “For me, it has been an important day from an emotional point of view. It has been a long time away from the paddock and I have been through difficult periods, I kept working hard and a few years ago I felt it was impossible. It is not easy after six years, but I knew I could do the job and I can be satisfied. I appreciate the opportunity. Renault gave me my first F1 test in 2005, so I appreciate another test this time around.”

Whether his contributions will eventually lead to a race seat in the next few F1 seasons is still not clear but his solid form has proven one thing – he hasn’t lost touch with the sport. And to return to form after being his horrific accident that left his right forearm partially severed, says a lot of his tenacity as a driver. Though Kubica felt it was impossible to make a full comeback, his hard work and determination have proven otherwise.

Stonic to be the most customisable Kia ever

Kia has revealed a concept compact crossover SUV called the Stonic, that incorporates European design and is inspired by the form and function of much larger Kia SUVs. The low slung roofline, angular contours muscular side profile lend it a muscular look that should appeal to the adventurous type.

The signature tiger nose grille is much narrower than what can be on the automaker’s current crop of vehicle, which especially true with the chrome outline that has been given more prominence than the rest of the assembly. The long sweeping DRLs underline the underside of the headlights, a similar arrangement seen on the current generation Sportage. At the rear, the Stonic features angular rear taillights that blend with the the rear bodywork. It also features a two-piece rear bumper integrated with the vehicle’s twin exhaust tips setup.

The cabin is said to be of European styling as well, which incorporates smooth surfaces and geometric design forms. It will feature cutting edge tech that will be smartly positioned to maximize space for occupants and a floating HMI (human-machine interface), which blends smartphone access with the car’s various systems.

According to Kia, the Stonic will go on sale in the second half of this year and will be the most customisable Kia ever made, both inside and out. This should hint at an extensive options list that will be made available to customers to customize the vehicle according to his/her own taste.

Bentley breaks two records at Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb

Over the weekend, Bentley broke two records at the Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb with its 600bhp Bentayga, much to the surprise of the crowd that was gathered. Driver of the Bentayga, Vicky Parrott, belted the car the entire way to secure the first ever ladies hill record for an SUV with a time of 35.53 seconds.

This feat comes exactly 80 years after Bentley last held a ladies record at the hill climb, which was in 1927. Serving as icing on the cake, the automaker also broke the overall hill record for an SUV and also won its class which included vehicles such as the supercharged Land Rover Discovery SI6 and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

Speaking of the remarkable feat, Parrot said, “I have driven on many circuits but this is my first visit to Shelsley Walsh and what a fabulous place it is, very narrow and daunting but this Bentayga is some serious machine and has enabled me to set a new women’s record, so I am very grateful to Bentley for giving me this opportunity … oh and also for the loan of the special Bentley racing overalls with the name of a certain David Brabham embroidered onto the waist band!”

The Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb is the oldest motor sport venue in the world still in use. It was opened in 1905 and till this day, still has its original track layout. Though there are a few rival venues that sport similar history, the Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb is still the favorite of many fans.

New Honda Jazz launched for Malaysian market

Honda has finally launched the facelifted version of its every popular city car, the Jazz. No drastic changes have been made for the updated car, which features subtle styling changes that include a new chrome front grille and a rear bumper. But this time around, Honda has made the Mugen pack, worth RM5,670 available as an optional extra. The package consists of front, sides, rear lip spoiler and tailgate spoiler that are of a sporty design.

That said, the Mugen pack will only be made available to order in October of this year but if you purchase the new car now, you can opt for the Urban (RM1,580) and Utility (RM820) packages to add a unique touch to the cheerful Jazz.

Two versions of the Jazz were launched simultaneously. There’s the standard petrol powered car and the halo one, the Jazz Hybrid, which is touted as the only such car in its class. The petrol car uses a 1.5-litre i-VTEC mill and CVT transmission found in its predecessor but its electrified brethren comes with a more sophisticated powertrain.

Under the hood is a brand new 1.5-litre DOHC i-VTEC engine that is mated to a (Shift by Wire) seven-speed dual clutch transmission and its integrated electric motor. This combination, according to Honda, will offer respectible power delivery and sporty character that is relatively unheard of in this category. Juice for the electric motor is supplied by a new Lithium-ion battery pack that can store more electrical energy than the one in the previous generation car but with half the size.

When pushed to the limit, with both the petrol and electric motor being active, the Jazz Hybrid is able to deliver a total output of 137bhp and 160Nm of torque which is similar to what a 1.8 or 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine is able to offer. All this power will be made available by the Sport Hybrid i-DCD unit once the S button is pressed, making power delivery a bit more peppy than its petrol powered equivalent. But, when driven frugally, the car is said to be able to offer a fuel consumption figure of 4.0-litre/100km.

The regular petrol powered Jazz comes in three different variants, S,E and V, which isn’t the case with the hybrid one (only one version is available). The E and V variants get DRLs, touch panel auto air-conditioning, reverse camera and 6.8-inch infotainment system. The top spec V car gets a bit more stuff such as dual-tone color alloy wheels, paddle shifters, cruise control and half leather seats.

The Jazz Hybrid however, gets a 3D Speed Meter design information display that shows Energy Flow, Sport Meter, Fuel Economy, Drive Info, Customization and Eco Display, as well as the same preimum stuff found in the base Jazz.

Safety tech for the cars include standard Brake Assist (BA), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), four airbags (6 airbags for V variant), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Emergency Stop Signal (ESS) and Hill Start Assist (HSA).

As for body colour options, the Jazz comes in Modern Steel Metallic, Lunar Silver Metallic, Carnival Red, Taffeta White and Crystal Black Pearl whereas the New Jazz Hybrid will be available in Lunar Silver Metallic, Modern Steel Metallic and White Orchid Pearl.

The regular base car is priced at RM74,800 for S variant, RM81,000 for E variant, RM88,400 for V variant and the Jazz Hybrid is priced at RM87,500 (on the road with GST). All variants come with a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty but the Hybrid gets gets an additional 8-years warranty for its battery pack.

If you would like to know more, visit the automaker’s local website and make an informed decision on whether the Jazz is the right car for you.