Following the signing of the agreement to appoint CMH Group as the distributor for Proton vehicles in South Africa in April, the first shipment of vehicles left Malaysia for the country recently. The vehicles – consisting of the Proton X50, X70 and Saga – were transported to Westport, Klang, and loaded onto the car-carrier bound for Durban in South Africa.
To arrive in South Africa by July, these vehicles are the first batch of Proton vehicles to be exported to market since 2012. “This shipment marks another significant milestone achieved by Proton this year. South Africa is a mature and competitive market, but we are confident the Proton X50, Proton X70 and Proton Saga have the right combination of features and value to compete with other brands there,” said Steven Xu, Proton’s Director of International Sales.
“CMH Group are working diligently to prepare their distribution network and the current plan is to launch our models by the end of the third quarter of this year. Ahead of this, several members of the CMH Group visited Malaysia last week to have discussions with our team and visit dealers as well as the Tanjung Malim plant,” he added.
One of the export vehicles getting a final check.
SUVs and local assembly drive export sales
Proton’s export sales growth this year has been powered by the X50 and X70, with both showing increases in demand of 77% and 31%, respectively. For the first quarter of this year, total export sales have grown by 175% over the same period in 2021 and that number is expected to increase by more than 300% by the end of 2022 as the Malaysian carmaker emphasises on growing export sales
Vital to achieving the target is the growth in local assembly operations overseas. Currently, such operations, which receive CKD (completely knocked down) kits for assembly, are running in Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh, with Sri Lanka set to join the list in the second half of 2022.
The X50 abd X70 SUV models have been powering Proton’s export sales.
Over the last 3 years – despite difficult market conditions caused by COVID-19 – Proton has shown a prominent increase in its percentage of Malaysia’s overall vehicle exports. Its share has risen from 12.8% of total exports in 2019, to 30.2% in 2020 and moved further up to 61.0% in 2021.
“Growth in export sales is vital to Proton being able to achieve its long-term goals. The company will need to explore more new markets to push its volume growth rate and we are making the necessary investments both here at Tanjung Malim and in our overseas operations to ensure we are ready to move quickly to exploit any new opportunities,” said Roslan Abdullah, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Proton.
Land Rover has unveiled the third bodystyle for the Defender, which gets the designation of ‘130’ to signify it as the longest version. While riding on the same wheelbase as the Defender 110 (3022 mm), the overall length of the Defender 130 is extended by 340 mm to 5358 mm.
The additional length, which can be seen to be achieved by increasing the overhang, allows seating for up to 8 persons on 3 full-sized rows within the cabin. At this length, the Defender 130 is certainly longer than rivals, including the Mercedes-Benz GLS.
To maintain the distinctive rear design of the Defender, Land Rover engineers have crafted a subtle boat tail-style uplift that also maximises the all-terrain capability customers expect from a Defender, providing a departure angle of 28.5 degrees. The surrounds for the rear LED lighting units have been re-engineered to maintain the 3 distinct lines that define Defender’s side profile as they rise subtly towards the rear.
The interior design features new colour and material options, with the latest connected technologies including a new, larger 11.4-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen. This gives enhanced control over the vehicle’s core functions via a crisp and intuitive display. The curved glass interface provides fast, state-of-the-art functionality and is responsive as soon as the vehicle is started, with a simple menu structure. Software Over-The-Air capability allows the owner to get updates anywhere in the world (at least anywhere where there’s a connection to the internet).
Interior air quality is an important consideration these days and Land Rover provides Cabin Air Purification Plus, which makes its Defender debut in the new 130 model. It combines nanoe X technology for allergen reduction and pathogen removal to help significantly reduce odours and viruses. In addition, CO2 management and PM2.5 filtration improve the cabin environment to give best available air quality. Additionally, a Purge function allows the driver to cleanse the cabin air prior to departure remotely using a smartphone.
The same large windows are present as well as the panoramic glass sunroof and with the increased length of the Defender 130, a second sunroof is also added over the rear occupants.
A new material finish – Natural Light Oak engineered wood veneer – is inspired by driftwood and lends a natural, modern look and feel, available to elegantly complement the Light Oyster Perforated Windsor Leather seating.
Access to the cargo area is unchanged, while a body-colour hardshell cover for the spare wheel is available. From the tailgate, the Defender’s Electronic Air Suspension can be operated with buttons inside the load area to make loading items easier.
The spacious and practical load area can contain up to 3,893 litres of cargo even with the rearmost seats in place. When the seats are not in use, they stow to create a large loading area, extending the floor length. Various configurations are possible to allow for more passengers or cargo.
The Defender 130 is available with a range of electrified powertrains, including the P300 and P400 mild-hybrid Ingenium 6-cylinder petrols, and the D250 and D300 Ingenium 6-cylinder diesels. The Mild-Hybrid Electric Vehicle (MHEV) technology uses a 48V Belt-integrated Starter Generator that harvests energy normally lost under braking and deceleration. This energy is stored and utilised later in the journey, while also making the stop-start system more rapid and efficient.
As with the other models, the Defender 130 has Land Rover’s Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (iAWD) system and 8-speed ZF automatic transmission as standard. The iAWD technology efficiently and effectively manages the powertrain and power distribution between the front and rear axles, optimising on-road efficiency and all-terrain capability as necessary.
Also standard are Electronic Air Suspension with Adaptive Dynamics and Land Rover’s advanced Terrain Response system for all-terrain capability. The latter provides the driver with intelligent management of the various active systems for optimum progress over all types of surfaces.
The air suspension can provide an extra 71.5 mm of lift at the front and 73.5 mm at the rear to clear obstacles on very uneven or rough ground. As for crossing water, the Defender 130 can safely cross a river that is up to 900 mm deep.
While availability depends on what importers order, the Defender 130 has its own colour palette, with a new, exclusive Sedona Red option. The exterior is complemented by the Extended Bright Pack – available in addition to the existing Bright Pack – which provides a distinct exterior design with Ceres Silver Satin finish around all lower body cladding and front and rear skidplates in Noble Chrome.
One of the things that still worries people about owning an electric vehicle is the distance it can travel before recharging of the battery pack is needed and, more importantly, whether they will find a station to do the recharging. It’s called ‘range anxiety’ and while constantly advancing battery technology is extending the range, there is still that fear for many people.
Well, Chris Ramsey cannot afford to have range anxiety on his mission next year as he will commit to driving over 27,000 kms in the Nissan Ariya, a SUV powered only by electricity. Ramsey will be undertaking the world’s-first all-electric driving adventure from the magnetic North Pole to the South Pole.
Departing in March 2023, the Scottish adventurer and his team in an Ariya will travel across several regions and continents as they go from the ‘top of the world’ to the ‘bottom of the world’. He will be the first person to drive in a vehicle of any type on a single journey through North, Central and South America, before crossing over to Antarctica.
The route will negotiate some of the world’s most extreme, brutal, and yet beautiful scenery, from snow-covered glacial landscapes to treacherous mountain climbs and vast desert dunes. It will put the Ariya to many kinds of tests over varied and rough terrain as well as temperatures ranging from below 30⁰C to 30⁰C. Battery packs are sensitive to high and low temperatures so this will also be a test of their durability and reliability in extreme conditions.
In preparation for the freezing Arctic and Antarctic conditions, Ramsey’s expedition vehicle will be modified with a custom rugged exterior fit for extreme terrain with upgraded wheels, tyres and suspension. A second, unmodified Ariya will act as a support vehicle throughout the Americas.
One system which will help Ramsey on rough terrain is e-4ORCE, Nissan’s most advanced all-wheel control technology. The system accurately manages power output and braking performance for smoothness and stability. Its ‘intelligence’ can trace the intended driving line over a variety of road surfaces, including wet and snowy roads, without the need for changes in driving style or input.
Chris Ramsey with a standard Nissan Ariya fully electric SUV.
“We’re proud to announce our partnership with Chris Ramsey and the ‘Pole to Pole’ expedition team,” said Nissan Executive Vice-President, Asako Hoshino, Global Head of Marketing & Sales. “The high-profile, challenging and exhilarating adventure supports Nissan Ambition 2030, the company’s long-term vision to empower mobility and beyond with electrification as a central focus. The vision aims to deliver exciting vehicles and technologies that empower customer journeys and society.
This isn’t the first all-electric expedition for Ramsey, though. He’s been on other adventures in electric vehicles for over a decade. In 2017, together with his wife, Julie, Ramsey was in the first team to complete the Mongol Rally in an all-electric vehicle. The pair travelled over 16,000 kms through multiple locales over 56 days in his own Nissan LEAF.
Earlier, in 2015, Ramsey tackled the 2,616-km journey from John O’Groats to Land’s End and back again in a LEAF, completing the journey across England in 2 days using only publicly available and free EV charging points.
Since being established in 1995, the modern DeLorean Motor Company (actually legally known as DeLorean Motors Reimagined LLC) has continued business associated with the famous stainless steel sportscar featuring gull-wing doors that appeared in ‘Back to the Future’ in 1985. While it’s done pretty well with the business, it has decided to also produce a brand new car and has been teasing this new model for the past few years.
Various teaser images have been released from time to time and even the design studio, ItalDesign, showed a darkened image of a sportscar with the gullwing doors, suggesting the model would be the DMC-12 reimagined for the 21st century. Interestingly, ItalDesign (owned by Volkswagen since 2015) was founded in 1967 by Giorgetto Giugiaro who was the designer of the DMC-12.
Today, the company has released a number of images that show us the complete car, uncamouflaged, which will be known as the Alpha5. “The Alpha5 is a representation of the past 40 years of DeLorean,” said Troy Beetz, Chief Marketing Officer of DeLorean Motor Company. “There was this enormous responsibility to make sure we honoured the history of the DeLorean brand, but an even greater responsibility in curating its future…I think we did both with the Alpha5.”
Already confirmed earlier was the fully electric powertrain that the Alpha5 will have. The DMC-12, went on sale in 1981, had French engines (from Citroen and Peugeot) which were underpowered, but the performance hinted by DeLorean for the new car will allow it to take on electric sportscars like the Porsche Taycan.
It will be able to go from 0 to 100 km/h in around 3 seconds, with the top speed electronically limited to 250 km/h. As to whether it will have four or two driving wheels, that will be known later. For now, DeLorean will say it has a battery pack of 100+ kWh and will be able to go up to 480 kms. But for sure it will not be able to travel through time like the DMC-12 in the movie.
It would have been tempting for the designers to reimagine the DMC-12 more closely but the wedge form that was the in-thing in the 1980s would look dated today. So it is mainly the louvres at the back and the gullwing doors that connect to the past while the rest of the car is the typical sleek and aerodynamic form of sportscars today.
While the DMC-12 was futuristic in its day (and still is), it had poor quality with a lot of problems that owners had to live with. The Alpha5 should be a lot better built with modern manufacturing techniques and the strict safety regulations will also ensure that it has to be strong and have all the required safety systems.
From what Autocar UK has learnt, the car will be built in Italy. Since ItalDesign can also handle low-volume manufacturing, perhaps they will make the car. The British magazine was also told that there will be 88 units offered initially and this particular number references the speed at which the DMC-12 as a time-travel machine could go back in time in the movie – 88 mph (142 km/h).
The global debut of the Alpha5 will be at the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance in California in August this year. However, production is expected to start only in 2024.
Alpine, a brand within the Renault Group, is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of its founder, Jean Redele, with the world premiere of a limited-edition. Appropriately called the A110 GT J. Redele, the sportscar was unveiled at the celebrations at the brand’s birthplace in Dieppe, France over the weekend.
Based on the A110 GT model, the limited-edition model is finished in Montebello Grey, a colour that Redele was known to be particularly fond of. In keeping with trends, it is exclusively painted with a high-gloss black roof.
The exterior also features diamond-cut black 18-inch Grand Prix alloy wheels, through which exclusive silver brake calipers are visible. Inside, the black leather interior and elegant grey stitching throughout the cockpit emphasise the synergy between the Montebello Grey paint scheme and the dark styling elements.
The powertrain is similar to that used in the A100 GT which has a 1.8-litre 4-cylinder engine. The engine’s calibration was improved last year to raise maximum power to 300 bhp at higher engine speeds (6,300 rpm), add 20 Nm (340 Nm torque from as low as 2,400 rpm) and reach the maximum speed in 7th gear.
The driver has 3 modes – Normal, Sport and Track – to suit different conditions or driving preferences. Another new feature added is that when initialising the Launch Control procedure, one of the cylinders is temporarily disabled to release more racing-style sounds.
With its optimised aerodynamics and kerb weight of not more than 1,140 kgs, the A110 GT J. Redele is claimed to be able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds, and reach a maximum speed of 250 km/h.
Plenty of stopping power comes from the Brembo high-performance braking system while strong grip is provided by Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres (205/40 R18 at the front, 235/40 R18 at the rear)
Referencing the anniversary year, only 100 units will be produced for sale. Each car will have a numbered plaque bearing the signature of Jean Redele.
In the early 1970s, Alpine was one of the top brands in rallies, especially the Monte Carlo Rally.The original Alpine factory in 1970.
Just as the race was preparing to start, rain came down heavily, creating additional levels of stress. There was uncertainty about which tyres to start on, made worse by the fact that the street circuit is used by normal traffic at night, so it was a bit greasy too.
The formation lap was to start behind the Safety Car so everyone was required to be on full wet tyres. However, as the rain got heavier, there was a delay extending the start time to 16 minutes later than scheduled. After the cars moved off on the formation lap, the rain got even heavier and the red flags came out, so the race was suspended even before it started. There were remarks that the rainfall was unusually great… a climate-change message?
Frustrated in the pits waiting for the rain to stop, Alfa Romeo ORLEN’s Valtteri Bottas sent this tweet out to the world.
While safety considerations were understood, the teams were frustrated that they had to sit still waiting. As the rain suddenly ended 55 minutes after the race should have started, the race Director sent a message to the team to be ready to start in 10 minutes. The track was still wet, there were still dark clouds but it seemed that the race could get underway. A second message informed that the race would start at 4:05 pm – 65 minutes after the original scheduled time.
“For us, the preparation is before the start of the race and then the teams have the full allocation of tyres in blankets and can decide at the last minute what they want to do and the decision is up to the teams. The real problem here is the level of grip because we are on a street circuit. It is not the temperature because we tested the tyres in this temperature, but it is the level of grip that is really low. If the sun is coming out, the track is going to dry out very quickly, so it is another important choice for the teams’ strategists,” said Pirelli’s Motorsport Director, Mario Isola.
The 20 cars cautiously followed the Safety Car driven by birthday boy, Bernd Maylander, around the wet circuit. Two laps were completed as the race got underway with a rolling start. But even before the start took place. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll had a rear puncture and Williams Racing’s Nicholas Latifi slid into the barrier.
Charles Leclerc had sprinted off and was holding the lead with his team mate Carlos Sainz protecting him from Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen who were just seconds behind. Scuderia Alphatauri’s Pierre Gasly, in spite of a slide, set the fastest lap in the early stages. But just two laps later, on lap 9, Leclerc used the advantage of clear air to set a faster lap time.
By lap 12, the two Ferraris and two red Bulls were 8 seconds away from the rest, with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Mercedes-AMG’s George Russell duelling carefully for 5th place. Russell’s team mater, Lewis Hamilton was trying to move forward but it was hard to get past Alpine’s Fernando Alonso.
Hamilton came in on lap 16, switching to intermediate tyres. He managed to get back out in time to lose just one position to Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, slotting into ninth place. Meanwhile, Russell was asked to manage his tyres, possibly till slicks could go on. Right after Hamilton, Perez dropped out of third place and came in on the next lap for intermediates as well.
On lap 19, both Leclerc and Verstappen came in and took on intermediate tyres. However, Haas F1’s Mick Schumacher who also came in took on hard tyres, much to everyone’s surprise. The order then was Sainz in the lead, still on the first set of tyres, followed by Perez and then Leclerc.
As the 20th lap approached, Hamilton and Ocon were dicing and on one occasion, had contact. The Mercedes-AMG driver was uncertain if his car was damaged but did not report any unusual condition.
On lap 22, it was time to go to hard compounds and both the Ferraris quickly shot into the pits. Perez took over the lead as Sainz returned to the track behind him and Verstappen slotted into the space ahead of Leclerc.
Yellow flags appeared on lap 26 as Schumacher crashed and the Virtual Safety Car was activated initially and then the Safety Car went out. With Schumacher’s departure, both Haas cars were out of the Monaco GP as Kevin Magnussen had retired earlier. Sainz too had a heart-stopping moment as his car slid towards the barrier but there’s probably some rally DNA from his father and he managed to save the car from crashing.
As Schumacher’s car was being cleared, it was found that the barriers were quite severely damaged and more time was needed to make repairs. The decision was made to put out the red flag (which the Red Bull boss predicted) and stop the race, and the drivers headed back to the pits. The running order at that time on lap 29 was Perez, Sainz, Verstappen and Leclerc. Six seconds away from the Ferrari driver was Russell in fifth place.
The race was suspended for 19 minutes and resumed with a rolling start. The running order when the red flag had come out was Perez, Sainz, Verstappen and Leclerc. Six seconds away from the Ferrari driver was Russell in fifth place. The forecast was that there would be no more rain for the remaining 44 laps of the 77-lap race – but there was also the possibility that time might run out at the 2-hour limit.
The four frontrunners sped off but this time, Russell and Norris were also closer, just a few seconds further back and ready to take advantage of any slip the Ferrari or Red Bull ahead made. Behind Norris was a big 15-second gap to the next car.
Perez had the advantage of clear air but the race was not going to run for 77 laps and was likely to have only 29 laps remaining. Hamilton was again stuck behind Alonso and trying to take over 7th place. The Alpine driver seemed to be losing the pace although the team’s engineers said nothing was wrong. Still, it was difficult for Hamilton to get past on the narrow track.
Understanding that the race was shortened, Norris was beginning to plan for a more aggressive effort to take the fifth place from Russell before the race ended. The main consideration was whether the tyres could take the increased efforts and last for another 20+ laps – and Pirelli said that there was an outside chance of rain before the race ended.
And it was not only the Mercedes-AMG driver being frustrated by Alonso but others as well and the gap from the front got wider and wider. In fact, when Hamilton asked how far ahead the front-runners were, his team suggested that he not think of that and instead think of how far they were behind – which was about 30 seconds! By lap 51, Perez was already seeing the backmarkers not far ahead.
As Perez closed in on the lapped cars ahead, Sainz began to put the pressure on. Encountering traffic would make things tricky for the Mexican Red Bull driver who had to look ahead as well as watch behind. Verstappen and Leclerc were about 2 seconds away, also in a position to grab a better spot if the opportunity came up.
The pressure on Perez was very great as the Ferrari was right behind, almost under his wing. His tyres were not in great shape and at that point, no one was certain what the outcome of the race would be. The four leaders came up behind Alfa Romeo ORLEN’s Zhou GuanYu who got out of the way quickly to let them pass.
It was clear that with 5 minutes remaining, the front drivers were giving everything that had as there were moments when they looked like they would lose it. Sainz was pushing Perez and Verstappen was also pressuring from behind. Latifi was also in the way but moved aside and then there was some space to the next cars so the leaders began to push harder.
The clock stopped at lap 64 and Perez held on to his lead through 19 corners to cross the finish line and win the 2022 Monaco GP. Sainz was not letting up and neither was Verstappen so it was that order of finish, with a disappointed Leclerc coming up behind in fourth.
