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Cycle & Carriage can help you prepare for Chinese New Year

With the Chinese New Year coming soon, many families will be preparing to have their reunion dinners to celebrate. For some, it may have been a long time apart, given the restrictions we have had in the past year.

Some may travel far to hometowns around the country and it would be a good idea to ensure that their vehicles are ‘healthy’ and in a good running condition. For Mercedes-Benz owners, Cycle & Carriage has special offers to conduct safety checks at all their Autohaus service centres.

The ‘health check-up’, priced at RM88, covers 30 points that include the tyres, brakes, fluids, wiper, undercarriage, and systems check. In order words, technicians will look at all those areas which are vital to safe driving and if anything looks too worn out or could have problems, the owner will be informed. Better to know early than have a breakdown in some remote place far away from home or the destination.

As good stopping performance is vital for safety, the brakes should be tip-top condition. Should the vehicle’s brake pads or discs require replacing, Cycle & Carriage’s ‘Stop & Go promotion’ offers an 18% discount on related parts if purchased and changed at the Autohaus service centres.

It would also be customary to look good for the new year and that applies to the vehicle as well. For this, Cycle & Carriage offers to groom and prepare the vehicle to welcome the Year of the Tiger. The company’s professionals will provide grooming services such as the Vehicle Exterior Polish and Wax, Windscreen Polishing, Vehicle Interior Grooming and Wheel Detailing services so the inside and outside appear at their best.

For those who prefer a more hands-on approach with your car grooming experience, there are Mercedes-Benz Grooming products such as Car Shampoo, Wheel Cleaner, Interior Glass Cleaner and Window Cleaner Intensive available at the showroom. These can be purchased with an 18% discount during the festive season (until February 15, 2022).

It rains a lot these days, but it can also be very hot and on a long journey, having a cool cabin will make a big difference to how you feel when arriving at your destination for the reunion dinner. Therefore, it’s also a good idea to have the air-conditioning system checked. Cycle & Carriage offers two services and both have an 18% discount during the festive period. Customers can choose to have the fine-particle filters changed or retained.

Click here for other news and articles about Mercedes-Benz

Police to use in-car radar and iCOPS during ‘Ops Selamat’ between January 28 and February 6

For the police to catch motorists exceeding speed limits, they need to have evidence and the most common approach in Malaysia is by using speed cameras that are installed by the side of highways, or hand-held units operated by personnel. Without the evidence provided by a reliable device to show the speed the vehicle was travelling at, it would be hard to issue a summons that can be challenged in court.

Soon, the police will use a new method of determining vehicles speeds and it will be done from patrolcars with radar devices mounted on them. These are not new but are being deployed by the police when Ops Selamat is carried out between January 28 and February 6. They devices will be installed in vehicles patrolling highways around Malaysia which are expected to have at least 1.6 million vehicles on the move during the festive season.

Using vehicles to track speeds is not need to the Malaysian police and as far back as the 1970s, before radar-based devices were used, they had a system inside patrol vehicles which measured the speed of a vehicle between two points on the road. When the car passed the first point, a timer would be started and stopped when it passed the second point, and a computer would calculate the speed.

Later, as hand-held radar ‘guns’ became available, this was an easier and more accurate way to detect speeds. Fixed radars with cameras were also used as speed-enforcement devices along some highways, the first being the original Karak highway in the 1980s where the devices used solar power.

The vehicle-based radar will make it easier for the police to record vehicles committing offences at any point on the highway, rather than just fixed locations which are often known to motorists who regularly pass them.

Additionally, besides the installation of radar devices on the patrol vehicles, there will also be increased use of the iCOPS system to more quickly identify vehicles that have outstanding summonses. Failure to settle summonses has led to the police having a huge backlog to clear, so they sometimes offer discounts as incentives for motorists to pay up. There was one instance when the police database was so clogged up that it had problems.

The iCOPS system, which has been in use since 2015, has helped the police build up a database of vehicle profiles estimated to number over 6 million to date. The system is used in conjunction with Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology which can recognise numberplates so that they can more easily be checked against the database.

Besides identifying vehicles that have outstanding summonses, the iCOPS system can also help police to quickly know if a vehicle has been reported stolen. There is no need to even key in the number as the ANPR would determine the registration number optically and check it against the database. The iCOPS system is used with a Panasonic heavy-duty tablet in the car.

*During the coming festive season, at least 1.6 million vehicles will be travelling on highways.*

‘Ops Selamat’, which has been absent for two years, is aimed at minimizing road accidents during the festive season as well as prevent burglaries. The latter can occur at homes where the residents have gone off on holiday or ‘balik kampung’.

For motorists who are travelling along PLUS highways, assistance will be readily available with the PLUSRonda teams on standby. The PLUSRonda service, which has been available for over 30 years, can offer various forms of assistance and the personnel are trained with technical as well as medical skills so they can attend to breakdowns and also save lives.

PLUS apologises, will reinstate 43 lanes to SmartTAG lanes to address congestion issue

Ford Bronco Raptor – the most powerful street-legal Bronco ever offered

‘Raptor’ is the name Ford adds to its models when their performance is boosted to extremes. We’ve seen how Ford Performance, the carmaker’s high-performance division, has transformed models like the F-150 and Ranger to become more hardcore as Raptor versions, and now they’ve done it with the new Bronco SUV.

Ultra4 Racing-inspired
The Bronco Raptor is the newest member of the Bronco outdoor brand of Built Wild SUVs and will be the most powerful street-legal Bronco ever offered. It is also the world’s first Ultra4 Racing-inspired SUV, built for desert running and boulder crawling.

To build the world’s first Ultra4-inspired SUV, Ford Performance had to make the Bronco even faster and bring more off-road capability, agility and maneuverability. “We had to build the Bronco Raptor – it’s our ultimate vehicle for hardcore off-road enthusiasts who demand something more,” said Carl Widmann, Ford Performance chief engineer. “Like the Ultra4 desert race trucks, the ‘Raptor of SUVs’ conquers desert dunes at highway speeds and is equipped with competition-level off-road technology and hardware.”

Starting with the Bronco frame as foundation, the Ford Performance team added more suspension travel and track width for handling stability during high-speed desert runs. At the Raptor core is a fully boxed, high-strength steel frame with new shock towers that increase wheel travel and off-road durability.

Heavy-duty hardware for desert events
Heavy-duty bash and skidplates provide continuous driveline coverage from the front bumper to the back of the engine, transmission and transfer case. In the upper body, B-pillar cross bar and C-pillar reinforcement help deliver a greater than 50% total body-in-prime torsional rigidity increase over a standard Bronco.

Competition-level, Ford Performance-developed axles further deliver on the Ultra4-inspiration. The solid rear axle is upgraded to a semi-float Dana 50 Heavy-Duty AdvanTEK with 235-mm ring gear, while the Dana 44 AdvanTEK front-drive unit includes upgraded half-shafts with 210-mm ring gear. These upgraded front and rear axles increase the track width, while larger front and rear driveshafts support increased wheel torque. An advanced 4×4 system with 3 modes includes a higher-capacity clutch designed to withstand the demands of high-performance desert events.

As with other Raptor variants, the Ford Performance team also installed FOX parts to upgrade the High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension (HOSS) system with Live Valve technology. Similar to the F-150 Raptor truck’s position-sensitive damping design, the Raptor HOSS 4.0 system features FOX 3.1 Internal Bypass Semi-Active Dampers that are uniquely tuned at the front and rear and feature integrated reservoirs up front and remote reservoirs in rear.

Suspension height sensors and other sensors at each corner monitor terrain conditions independently hundreds of times every second and adjust suspension tuning accordingly. The Bronco Raptor also runs with a minimum ground clearance of 332 mm, 122 mm more than a regular model.

More power for desert running
To give Bronco Raptor even more desert-running power, the powertrain team developed the proven twin-turbo 3.0-litre EcoBoost engine with specific Raptor-level tuning to meet Ford Performance standards. With a target of more than 400 bhp, this would make the Bronco Raptor the most powerful street-legal Bronco ever. Intercooling and air-induction systems ensure that higher ambient desert temperatures can be endured for long periods.

For higher-speed desert capabilities or crawling over rocks, the compacted graphite iron-block engine, which saves weight while providing strength for added durability, is paired with a 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission tuned to meet Ford Performance standards. A true dual-exhaust system, featuring first-for-Bronco active-valve technology, uses near-equal-length pipes for an improved exhaust note. The system allows drivers to alter the sound of their Bronco Raptor with four selectable exhaust modes, including Normal, Sport, Quiet and Baja.

Extreme Built Wild design
“As the most badass Bronco yet, the Bronco Raptor design is extreme,” said Paul Wraith, the Bronco’s design chief. “It’s muscular, while maintaining an underlying simplicity with performance-focused details added only for outstanding high-speed capability.”

Familiar Ford block lettering at the front stretches across the signature two-piece rectangular grille. LED headlights with amber daytime running lamps and integrated amber marker lamps further tie in the DNA of the Raptor to provide a menacing look. A heavy-duty modular steel front bumper by Ford Performance includes tow hooks, removable bumper end caps for improved off-road clearance and rigid off-road lamps for greater illumination.

The bonnet is made of sheet-molding compound, which allowed the design team to dramatically sculpt its muscular shape. An integrated vent is molded-in-colour Carbon Black and fender vents are painted body colour.

The Bronco Raptor leverages on the Bronco’s patented off-road modular design, stripped it to its base, and replaced components with unique-to-Raptor front and rear quarter-panels, fenders, fender flares and door appliques. Sheet-molding compound is once again used to sculpt the wider front fenders and integrated bodyside heat extraction ducts, which provide additional engine cooling.

Race-focused interior
The driver gets the familiar heritage-inspired horizontal dashboard, integrating an all-digital 12-inch cluster. The cluster allows drivers to select from various views, including a Bronco Raptor-exclusive Performance View that emphasizes tachometer and gear readings and allows the customization of gauges.

“The Bronco Raptor interior was designed around what we know hardcore off-road racers want in a vehicle,” said Ryan Olsson, design manager. “From the all-new Performance View on the cluster and unique steering wheel with paddle shifters and fingertip access to Raptor-specific controls, to its race-ready, high-bolster front seats, Bronco Raptor leaves the factory ready for the starting line.”

As standard, it has SYNC4 with a 12-inch touchscreen, information on-demand panel and enhanced voice recognition. Other technology features include an exterior camera with 360-degree viewing capability. The Lux Package is available for customers looking for even more human-centered technology, such as an optional 10-speaker B&O audio system and Adaptive Cruise Control.

Ford brings back the Bronco, the original small SUV

Latest Isuzu D-MAX keeps winning new buyers, especially with the flagship X-Terrain variant

Since its global debut, the all-new third-generation Isuzu D-MAX has impressed buyers and critics alike, attracting new users who have appreciate its impressive level of sophistication, comfort and capability.

Launched in Malaysia last April, the new D-MAX has expanded the brand’s appeal and reach. “Through the strong and bold design of the new model, excellent safety features and impressive comfort and premium SUV-like refinement, the D-MAX – especially the flagship X-Terrain variant – has raised the bar to be one of the most desirable pick-up trucks on the market today,” said Isuzu Malaysia’s Chief Operating Officer, Kenkichi Sogo.

Most popular in Klang Valley/Kota Kinabalu
Despite the acute shortage of D-MAX supply due to the global semi-conductor shortage, 713 owners took delivery of their new X-Terrain, making it the 2nd-most popular model in Isuzu Malaysia’s line-up. The versatile and highly capable 1.9-litre 4×4 Premium model also found 842 customers, especially in the Klang Valley and Kota Kinabalu. In fact, these two areas took more than half of the nationwide total volume.

The new X-Terrain variant has been regarded as a revolutionary truck, having redefined the landscape of the pick-up truck industry. It introduces new and higher levels of comfort, refinement and safety. Yet there is no compromise on Isuzu’s long-established qualities of versatility and overall dependability.

5 titles in less than a year
In less than a year in the Malaysian market, the new D-Max X-Terrain has received no less than 5 ‘Pick-up Truck of the Year’ titles. These have come from media titles such as Carplus, Carlist, DSF.my, Rider ATH and Wapcar, which picked the Isuzu as the worthy title-holder for its impressive ability to bring the pick-up truck experience to a whole new level.

“There were just so many ‘wow’ factors in the new Isuzu D-MAX that it was immediately the worthy choice. During our test drive of the Isuzu, we often wondered how a tough and capable vehicle like the D-MAX was able to be transformed from a rough diamond to be a brilliantly-polished gem,” an impressed senior editor said.

8,000 units targeted for 2022
With the momentum of strong demand expected to continue through 2022, Isuzu Malaysia’s priorities will be to address the backlog of supply in order not to disappoint eager customers. “Many customers have been patiently awaiting delivery of their new vehicles. We are hoping that the supply disruptions can be alleviated soon in order for us to fulfill the demand for this new truck,” said Mr. Sogo. “We expect that once supply is regulated, we will be able to double the deliveries and achieve our target of selling 8,000 units this year.”

*Isuzu Malaysia’s Chief Operating Officer, Kenkichi Sogo. with the latest D-MAX.*

The latest D-MAX range comes in a variety of variants suited to different requirements and budgets. Those who require a durable and reliable pick-up truck for work can choose the Single Cab variants. There is a wide selection of Double Cab variants powered by the 1.9-turbodiesel litre engine or the powerful and capable 3.0-litre powerplant.

To find out more or to have a test-drive, visit any authorised Isuzu dealer in Malaysia. Locations can be found at pickuptruck.isuzu.net.my.

Improved in all aspects, the all-new Isuzu D-MAX aims to win more customers (w/VIDEO)

M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 wins first round of new hybrid era of World Rally Championship

It’s been a while since Ford had a victory in the World Rally Championship (the last one was in the Rally Great Britain in 2018) and Sebastien Loeb’s win in the 2022 Monte Carlo Rally was all the more significant as it was the first one in the new hybrid era of rallying.

Loeb won using the new Ford Puma Rally1 with the British M-Sport Ford team run by Malcolm Wilson, a former rally driver as well. Aged 47, Loeb, from France, was also the oldest winner of an FIA World Rally Championship round. Loeb’s win in Monte Carlo makes it 8 for him, putting him alongside Sebastian Ogier as far as wins on the classic event are concerned.

Loeb had beaten his Ogier, who was using a Toyota GAZOO Racing Yaris Rally1, on the final day when Ogier, driving a, was given a 10-second penalty for a jump-start earlier. To make things worse, a puncture on a front tyre slowed him although he made it to the finish but by then, Loeb had ended with a 10.5-second lead. Incidentally, Ogier will only enter selected events this year after stepping away from full-time competition.

Loeb, accompanied by co-driver Isabelle Galmiche (a 50-year-old teacher), had been running behind Ogier initially but then clocked 4 fastest times consecutively to move into the lead. The Toyota driver’s puncture on the penultimate stage of the rally had lost him his lead of 24.6 seconds but he fought hard and, even with the penalty, cut the deficit down to 10.5 seconds.

Another Ford Puma, driven by Craig Breen, finished in third and added to the team’s points to gain an early lead in the Manufacturers’ championship. Fourth was an impressive result for young Kalle Rovanpera and his co-driver Jonne Halttunen, who made huge strides forward in pace and confidence in their new GR Yaris Rally1.

For the Hyundai Motorsport’s Ott Tanak, the opening round of the 2022 World Rally Championship was one to forget. Tanak, champion in 2019, and his team mates experienced troubles during the second last day and had only 2 of the new Hyundai i20 cars to finish the rally.

“We had a tough weekend,” said Thierry Neuville. “There has been a huge amount of work behind the scenes to prepare for this event, from me and Martijn, as well as the team, so to come away without any reward is hard to accept. We won’t give up. There are different areas we are going to work on but most important is the reliability.”

The WRC2 category was also fiercely contested, with Andreas Mikkelsen/Torstein Eriksen working hard to keep their titles again this year. Signs are good that they can, with victory in their Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo ahead of Erik Cais who was in a Ford Fiesta, and Mikkelsen’s team mate in Toksport, Nikolay Gryazin.

Sami Pajari marked the start of the new-look FIA WRC3 category, which is now for Rally3 cars, beating Jan Cerny to the class win with a margin of just 7.6 seconds. Enrico Brazzoli rounded out the top three with all drivers competing in Ford Fiesta Rally3s.

The new era of WRC, which starts its 50^th season this year, focusses on hybrid powertrains for the Rally1 cars, with 100 kW electric motors coupled to 1.6-litre turbocharged engines that generate at least 500 bhp. The new regulations are aimed at moving the championship towards a more sustainable future and include use of 100% hydrocarbon fossil-free fuel.

TOP 10 FINISHERS
1. Sebastien Loeb/Isabelle Galmiche | Ford Puma Rally1
2. Sebastien Ogier/Benjamin Veillas | Toyota GR YARIS Rally1
3. Craig Breen/Paul Nagle | Ford Puma Rally1
4. Kalle Rovanpera/Jonne Halttunen | Toyota GR YARIS Rally1
5. Gus Greensmith/Jonas Andersson | Ford Puma Rally1
6.Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe | Hyundai i20 N Rally1
7. Andreas Mikkelsen/Torstein Eriksen | Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo
8. Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston | Toyota GR YARIS Rally1
9. Erik Cais/Petr Tesínsky | Ford Fiesta Rally2
10. Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov | Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo

Hybrid power for new era of World Rally Championship starts this year

Climbing almost 5 kms vertically without leaving the ground

These days, it seems that the fully electric Porsche Taycan is setting a new record every few months. Many are speed-related and demonstrate the performance that would be expected of a Porsche. Recently, a Taycan Cross Turismo set another new record which has gone into the the Guinness World Record book and it’s one which sets a new benchmark.

The Taycan Cross Turismo, on its journey, made the greatest altitude change ever achieved by an electric car – 4,842.967 metres – going from inside a mine to the top of the famous Pikes Peak that is at the end of an annual hillclimb event.

A ‘what if?’ project
The sportscar was driven by a J.F. Musial and his team who are usually behind the camera, creating automotive films and TV shows. Motivated by curiosity, they decided to take the Porsche from the lowest point they could access in America to one of the highest. Their journey covered more than 2,250 kms between the two points.

“It started as a ‘what if?’ – a passion project, mixing our love for cars and travel and taking it to extremes,” explained Musial. “We wanted to drive from the lowest point in America to one of the highest, Pikes Peak – where we’ve spent countless hours filming the famous hillclimb. The project relied on a lot of goodwill, and a car that’s pretty much unique in its mix of abilities.”

Going deep underground
The lowest point in America is Badwater Basin in Death Valley -t 86 metres below sea level. To go any deeper, you have to go underground. And so the team did exactly that, with the cooperation of Eagle Mine in the state of Michigan. The nickel and copper mine is the only mine in America where a car can be driven to sufficient depths, down a ramp usually used by specialist mining vehicles.

Due to the Taycan Cross Turismo being a pure battery electric vehicle (BEV) as well as being capable off-road with its raised ride height and all-wheel drive, it met Eagle Mine’s criteria for being allowed to drive through the portal and into the tunnel itself and down to 540.8 metres below sea level.

The Taycan Cross Turismo was an ideal choice as it is one of very few cars in the world with the right mix of capabilities to be able to attempt the trip. It needed no modification and even used completely standard road tyres.

“It was fitting to have the Porsche Taycan drive to the bottom of our nickel and copper mine, as both elements are essential to electric vehicles. After numerous risk assessments, safety discussions, and detailed planning, our mine team was up to the challenge. We are proud to have worked with Porsche to safely execute and complete a new world record,” said Darby Stacey, Managing Director of Eagle Mine.

Climbing almost 5 kms vertically
With their precise depth measured and verified by specialist surveyors, the team emerged from the mine just after dawn and began their journey to Pikes Peak in the state of Colorado. The journey was among the most demanding the car and team had ever experienced. It would take them across 6 states, and would ascend 4,842.967 metres – without ever leaving the ground.

The oxygen available to them at the start of the journey fell by 40% by the time they reached the top of the mountain. However, the electric powertrain – unlike a combustion engine – did not suffer from the effects of thinner air. Nevertheless, the varied conditions, including snow and ice, gave the Taycan Cross Turismo a strong challenge.

In total, 3 groups of drivers working in tandem took on the driving duties. They conducted the whole attempt by the book, with separate, sealed GPS devices monitoring their route and altitude throughout – along with an analogue altimeter and witness logs to satisfy the strict Guinness World Records requirements.

Fittingly it was Dai Yoshihara – class winner at the 2020 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb – behind the wheel for the final, record-breaking stage of the drive. The team of record-breakers had covered a total of nearly 5 kms straight up, and 2,274 kms along the ground, in 33 hours and 48 minutes.

Piston.my

Latest News

Cycle & Carriage can help you prepare for Chinese New Year

Police to use in-car radar and iCOPS during ‘Ops Selamat’ between January 28 and February 6

Ford Bronco Raptor – the most powerful street-legal Bronco ever offered

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M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 wins first round of new hybrid era of World Rally Championship

Climbing almost 5 kms vertically without leaving the ground

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