Home - Piston.my

Muhammad Iqbal Suji finally wins Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship

For the past 4 years, Muhammad Iqbal Suji has been in pursuit of a title – champion of the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship. And this year, he finally got it as he powered to an emotional race victory in the finale of Season 5 of the championship held at the 1Utama Shopping Mall in Selangor.

Racing in front of a live audience at the venue as well as online ,the 24-year-old from Selangor clinched the Grand Prize of RM20,000 cash to beat 9 other finalists in a series of 3 races in the closely-fought final races.

“Toyota’s on-track and online racing activities are about empowering the dreams of individuals – propelling them to excel. The organizing of the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship gives those who excel online an ideal platform to further develop and unleash their fullest potential with some even transitioning into real racing,” said UMW Toyota Motor President, Ravindran K, adding that Toyota’s combination of physical and online racing since 2018 has given the company the opportunity to contribute immensely to greater promoting Malaysian motorsports.

Top 3 to represent Malaysia
Muhammad Iqbal will now have to put aside friendly rivalry to lead a 3-man Malaysian team consisting of Muhammad Uzair and Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira who finished second and third, respectively. This team will compete to the regional finals of the Toyota GAZOO Racing GT Cup organized by Toyota Motor Asia Pacific to be held on October 2.

This also gives Team Malaysia the chance of going on to represent Asia in the Global ESports finals to be held in Monaco on November 25.

*Members of the public also had a chance to experience sim racing and try to beat a target lap time.*

“Winning the event made me recall all the emotions and frustrations of not getting the position that I felt I deserved over the last few years and now that I finally have, it feels great and steaming hot!” said Muhammad Iqbal.

The final showdown
The 20 racers who took part in the Grand Finale had come up from an initial group of more than 500 contestants who had participated in a gruelling qualifying round held between July 9 and 17. The 3-race final showdown began with a 15-minute sprint Race 1 at Brazil’s 4.309-km Autodromo Interlagos which saw 2-time defending champion Taj Izrin Aiman winning and taking an early lead in the overall point standings. In second place was Muhammad Iqbal while finishing third was Muhammad Uzair.

In Race 2, which was also held at Interlagos and also with the 591 bhp Toyota GR Supra Racing Concept, the 30-minute session was decided in the last very last lap with 29-year-old Muhammad Uzair keeping his cool until the penultimate moments of the race to get ahead of race leader Dhanesh Wigneswaran. That race however, proved disastrous for Taj Izrin Aiman who ran as high as fourth position before finishing seventh.

2022 Toyota GR Velocity ESports Championship — *The races were also broadcast live with two commentators reporting on the action.*

“I really expected Muhammad Iqbal and Taj Izrin Aiman to be ahead. I just tried all out without thinking too much,” said Uzair who made the most of traffic on the track to inch his way ahead of the field. That victory had momentarily placed him in the lead of the overall point standings with one final race to complete.

Race 3 proved to be the hardest fought 40-minutes with racers getting behind the wheel of a 1,000 bhp Toyota TS050 Hybrid around the 7.004-km Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. In the end, it was Muhammad Iqbal who drove to a classy and composed race victory, finishing 8 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor on the track, Taj Izrin Aiman, and Muhammad Uzair in third.

*Muhammad Iqbal Suji on his way to victory in the final race.*

“In Race 3, I made a critical mistake and I overshot the first corner. That disrupted the momentum for my race. I’ve driven my best, and I would like to thank UMW Toyota Motor for continuing to organize the ESports championship and congratulate Muhammad Iqbal who drove to a remarkable championship victory,” said Taj Izrin Aiman.

Drivers and celebrities competing in the Toyota GAZOO Racing Vios Challenge race series, members of the media, invited gamers, and young drivers in the Vios Challenge rookie class, also took part in 4 exhibition races.

The celebrity race was won by actor Zizan Razak, followed by presenter Nabil Ahmad and another actor Shukri Yahaya, who coincidentally also happen to be the top three contenders in the Promotional Class of the Toyota GAZOO Racing Vios Challenge racing series.

The story behind TOYOTA GAZOO Racing and why it was created

New colour choices for the Honda CR-V

Honda Malaysia’s popular SUV, the Honda CR-V, is now available with two new colour options. The colours Ignite Red Metallic and Meteoroid Gray Metallic colour. The two colours replace the Passion Red Pearl and Modern Steel Metallic choices.

The total number of exterior colour choices therefore remains at six, the other four being Platinum White Pearl, Lunar Silver Metallic, Crystal Black Pearl and Dark Olive Metallic.

Ignite Red Metallic and Meteoroid Gray Metallic are not new to the Honda range in Malaysia as they are already offered for the City, City Hatchback, Civic, BR-V and latest HR-V. The Accord is also available with the Meteoroid Gray Metallic colour.

According to Honda Malaysia’s Managing Director and CEO, Hironobu Yoshimura, both colours have been popular. The Ignite Red Metallic colour was chosen by an average of 18% of buyers of each of the five models, while the Meteoroid Gray Metallic colour was the choice of 24% on average.

*The new HR-V (above) and Accord (below) are also available in Meteoroid Gray Metallic.*

“With the CR-V as the latest model to receive both colour options, we have completed the expansion of the Ignite Red Metallic and Meteoroid Gray Metallic colours into the full Honda line-up. We are confident that both new colours will further accentuate the appearance of the CR-V for customers who seek an SUV with a bolder and modern exterior,” said Mr. Yoshimura.

Since its launch in 2017, the 5th Generation CR-V has recorded an outstanding sales record with more than 63,000 units sold. Of this total volume, more than 27,000 units were of the facelifted model which was launched in November 2020. This year, the CR-V has contributed 12% to the brand’s total sales volume from January to July 2022.

The CR-V is powered by a proven 1.5-litre VTEC turbocharged engine which produces 193 ps/243 Nm. The power goes to the front wheels or all four wheels, depending on the version. Besides the comprehensive list of standard safety features, the CR-V is equipped with Honda SENSING, a suite of 8 active safety systems that help the driver avoid accidents or reduce the effects of an accident.

The CR-V is available in 4 versions – 2.0 2WD, 1.5TC-P 2WD, Black Edition and 1.5TC- 4WD, with prices ranging from RM146,900 to RM171,400 (excluding insurance, Peninsular Malaysia registration).

For more information on the CR-V or other Honda models in Malaysia, visit any of the 102 authorised Honda dealerships nationwide or www.honda.com.my.

More peace of mind buying pre-owned Honda vehicles from Honda Certified Used Car dealers

Rodin Cars to offer the world’s fastest track car next year

New Zealand may be some distance ‘down under’ from the rest of the world, but the country does not lack expertise when it comes to high performance machinery. Rodin Cars, one of the performance car manufacturers there, has announced its plan to produce the FZERO as the world’s fastest track car. It will be engineered to lap a circuit faster than a current Grand Prix Formula 1 racer.

The FZERO, revealed 3 years ago, is a follow-up to the FZED, which provided the same sort of experience behind the wheel of a modern Formula 1 car. With the FZERO, Rodin Car can aim for the ultimate in track performance as it is designed without the restrictions of road laws or motorsport regulations. Thus it can be developed right to the edge of the performance to reach a top speed targeted to be 360 km/h.

“The Rodin FZERO is the physical representation of the ultimate heights in vehicle performance. Without the restrictions of building to a set of rules, we are able to make the car lighter, more powerful, and produce significantly more downforce. The only real restrictions we face are the laws of physics, and we have even pushed those to the absolute limit. We look forward to bringing the most intense driving experience conceivable to tracks around the world,” said David Dicker, Founder of Rodin Cars.

Based in New Zealand, Dicker has developed Rodin Cars from scratch in to possibly the most unique and technically advanced vehicle manufacturing facility in the world. Located on a remote 550-hectare property in the South Island, the site includes world-leading 3D printing resources and 3 test tracks.

The FZERO will be use a hybrid powerplant consisting of a 4-litre V10 twin-turbo engine and a 130-kW electric power unit. At just 132 kgs, the 1,176 ps/1,026 Nm engine named ‘RCTEN’ is designed to be the lightest and most compact V10 ever built, it is claimed.

Designed and developed in-house in conjunction with engine manufacturer Neil Brown Engineering, the RCTEN can spin all the way to 10,000 rpm. A bespoke gearbox unit manufactured in conjunction with Ricardo UK has 8 gears and adds less than 66 kgs. The gearbox is encased in a titanium 3D-rinted case, printed on site in Rodin Cars’ state-of-the-art 3D printing facility. The differential is hydraulic, and computer-controlled.

As the car is made to clock super-quick lap times, the emphasis of the FZERO is on weight and airflow aerodynamics. The chassis is constructed from entirely of carbonfibre composite, with all components manufactured on site.

The massive wings and floor are capable of producing up to 4000 kgs of downforce which. when compared to the cars weight of just 698 kgs, is impressive.

The low weight is helpful when it comes to stopping but given the very high speeds the car can travel at, stopping power has still to be powerful. To ensure this, there are front and rear 380 mm PFC Carbon-Carbon brakes, with Titanium calipers (6-piston front and 4-piston rear. The brakes also have regenerative capability to capture energy that would otherwise be wasted away during braking.

*One of the three test tracks at the Rodin Cars site in New Zealand’s South Island.*

The FZERO will be available to customers in a configuration of their choice, allowing them to customize specific aspects of the car based on their driving style and the track on which they will be using it. In addition, owners receive access to custom racewear services, vehicle storage and delivery, and full driver training at Rodin’s picturesque private racetracks.

27 Rodin FZEROs, each to be priced from £1.8 million (about RM9.71 million), will be offered available to buyers worldwide, with the first coming off the assembly line in the middle of 2023.

Red Bull Advanced Technologies to build £5 million RB17 hypercar

New Lamborghini Urus sets record at Pikes Peak even before launch

A new Urus SUV will make its debut in the near future but even before its world premiere, it has already collected a new record in the production SUV category on the track used for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) in America.

Yet to make its formal debut, the new Urus was not entered in the official race but the time was recorded by the official timekeepers of the event. When it reached the peak, its record time was quicker than both the previous PPIHC-sanctioned non-race day manufacturer record of 12:35.610 set by Paul Dallenbach in 2014, and the current race day record of 10:49.902 held by Rhys Millen, set in 2018, in a Bentley Bentayga.

The Urus was piloted by hillclimb champion and Pirelli test driver, Simone Faggioli, holder of the rear-wheel drive record set in the 2018 ‘Race to the Clouds’, the name given to the PPIHC. Because it has not made its official debut, the SUV was covered with a camouflage wrap to conceal some of its styling features.

The timed drive took place on the same route as the race, with the road closed to traffic for the occasion. Starting from an altitude of 2862 metres, Faggioli tackled the 156 turns that wind for 20 kms, rising a further 1,439 metres to reach the finish-line at the top which is at an altitude of 4,302 metres. It took him 10:32.064.

“The decision to test ourselves at Pikes Peak reflects the Lamborghini spirit of ‘expect the unexpected’, and demonstrates the outstanding performance of the new Urus model to be presented shortly,” said Rouven Mohr, Automobili Lamborghini Chief Technical Officer. “Pikes Peak is the most famous hillclimb event in the world, as well as being extremely challenging for the car: the uneven track layout tests the chassis’ balance; the significant altitude differences stress the powertrain; and the weather conditions can change very rapidly between start to finish.”

The Urus, equipped with the standard twin-turbo V8 engine, was modified to comply with the safety regulations of the event. Some of the changes and additions were the roll-cage installed around the cabin; the standard seats replaced by a racing seat with 6-point harness; and a fire extinguishing system.

The tyres fitted (285/40 R22 and 325/35 R22) were an evolution of the Urus’ Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R. For the first time, the Pirelli semi-slick tyre has been developed to meet the characteristics of an SUV, with this particular variant developed in cooperation with Lamborghini.

The result of the collaboration is a tyre with increased versatility, returning high performance both on dry asphalt with high ambient temperatures and on wet surfaces with colder temperatures.

Taming a Hurricane: Driving The Fastest Street Legal Lamborghini Huracan Around Sepang Circuit!

RFID can now be used for fuel purchases at Shell stations

While most people associate the RFID (Radio-Frequency IDentification) tag with electronic toll payment, the potential of the system is actually greater and it can be used for other types of transactions as well. Touch ‘n Go, the company running the RFID and eWallet service in Malaysia, is exploring other services to hook up with and one of them which is now officially active is fuel purchases – specifically at Shell stations.

The company today launched the Touch ‘n Go RFID payment channel which will be available at 88 Shell stations nationwide. The number of stations will double by the end of this year, and within 3 years, motorists will be able to pay for fuel purchases using RFID at 50% of Shell stations.

“In line with our commitment in making our customers’ daily journeys more seamless through innovative offerings, we embarked on this partnership with Touch ‘n Go to develop a new payment method that provides cashless convenience, using RFID technology, without the hassle of a mobile app, said Seow Lee Ming, General Manager, Mobility for Shell in Malaysia and Singapore.

“Over the last year, we have received positive response from over 10,000 pilot users, and we have been working closely with Touch ‘n Go to continuously optimise the technology to ensure a truly hassle-free payment experience. We are confident that this collaboration with Touch ‘n Go will further enhance our customer experience at Shell,” she added.

In order to make payment with Touch ‘n Go RFID at Shell petrol stations, motorists must of course first have the RFID tag on their vehicle, and linked to their Touch ‘n Go eWallet account. There is a one-time registration and activation through the Touch ‘n Go eWallet app, which will also link to the motorist’s Bonuslink account for points to be awarded.

Once the registration and activation are done, the motorist can then look for stations which have RFID scanners installed over the pump area. These stations will be identified on the signs outside the station and the pumps with RFID will have bays designated with clear markings.

The vehicle’s RFID tag should be detected within seconds, and payment will be auto-debited from the customer’s Touch n’ Go eWallet, allowing refuelling to commence. Any unutilised amount will be immediately refunded to eWallet account when refuelling ends.

One thing to keep in mind is that the fuel purchase will usually be more than a typical toll payment so the e-Wallet balance will be significantly lower after the transaction. For those with autoload enabled to top-up the e-Wallet balance, there should be no issues. However, if topping-up is done manually, then it would be a good idea to check the balance and take action to top up if necessary.

From August 10 to September 16, 2022, Shell and Touch ‘n Go will be rewarding the first 25,000 customers who purchase fuels at Shell stations using Touch ‘n Go RFID. They need to pump a minimum of RM50 on their first Touch ‘n Go RFID transaction at Shell to receive a RM10 cashback. Customers eligible for this cashback would have to be first-time users of this feature.

First High-Performance Charging Station of Shell and Porsche Asia Pacific collaboration opens in Johor

Fuel Price Updates For August 11 – August 17, 2022

Fuel Price Updates for coming 7 days has a 10 sen drop while other prices of other grades are controlled.

Fuel saving tips
Slow and steady: You don’t have to drive at a crawl to save fuel but if you just drive more frequently at 80/90 km/h instead of 100/110 km/h, you could save 10 to 15% in fuel. Keeping a steady speed rather than ‘pumping‘ the pedal will also save on fuel.

Switch off the engine more: Many motorists do not fully realise that the engine is burning fuel every second it is running. They will keep the engine running for long periods while waiting for someone to buy things or waiting for their children to come out from school. This is very wasteful and running the air-conditioner at the same time wastes more fuel. Switch off the engine when you are going to be stationary for more than 5 minutes and you’ll find your fuel consumption improving.

Right tyres pressures: Under-inflated tyres will cause more rolling resistance (not to mention faster wear) which will worsen fuel consumption. Be sure they are inflated to the minimum recommended by the manufacturer and a bit more might also be better.

Service the engine regularly: Engine parts wear out or get dirty over time and reduce the operating efficiency of the engine. Regular servicing ensures that adjustments are set correctly and periodically, parts like filters or sparkplugs need to be replaced.

Don’t carry unnecessary weight: The less weight your car has to move, the less hard the engine has to work. So whatever you do not need to keep in the boot should be taken out. This includes those golfbags.

Plan trips: If you have different places to go on a single journey, spend a few minutes to think about the route so that you avoid congested areas. You may have to travel a few extra kilometres using a less congested route but you will actually use less fuel because the car won’t be stuck in a jam burning fuel going nowhere. Plus you will probably be less stressed out when you reach your destination.

Piston.my

Latest News

Muhammad Iqbal Suji finally wins Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship

New colour choices for the Honda CR-V

Rodin Cars to offer the world’s fastest track car next year

New Lamborghini Urus sets record at Pikes Peak even before launch

RFID can now be used for fuel purchases at Shell stations

Fuel Price Updates For August 11 – August 17, 2022

Ingress Motors opens fourth Mitsubishi Motors showroom in Klang Valley

Genesis begins public testing of new GV70 SUV

137 Mustang owners create new listing in the Malaysia Book of Records

Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship Grand Final

ID.4 – first all-electric SUV from Volkswagen

Polestar confirms Precept as production model

Setel app gets Deliver2Me function for added convenience at PETRONAS stations

Hyundai N reveals RM20e electric midship racing car (w/VIDEO)

F1 (Round 10): Results And Highlights Of 2020 Russian Grand Prix

Ferrari Omologata – very unique and very exclusive

Archive

Used Car Dealer Ordered to Cover Full Cost of Compressor Replacement

Review: The Haval H6 Hybrid Is A Nice Balance Of Power & Efficiency

Jaecoo Helps Drivers Make Informed Decisions With PHEV, HEV Education

Mechanic and Staff Injured After BMW Owner Drives Off Without Paying RM38,000 Bill

Proton Sales Grow By 13.6% In October

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on YouTube

The Piston Show