Castrol Malaysia and Continental Tyre Malaysia will be collaborating to offer consumers high quality products and services for a convenient and complete experience. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore a joint initiative that will leverage on each other’s extensive dealer network, offerings, and expertise, and strengthen their respective positions in the country.
Under the proposed collaboration, both companies will offer motorists a combined trade loyalty programme where they can enjoy various deals, incentives, redemptions, and rewards. Both brands are also working towards a partnership that could see joint branded outlets nationwide with plans to grow and expand.
The extensive dealer networks of each brand will share special deals, incentives, redemptions, and rewards for the public.
“This partnership is a testament to both brands’ commitment to safety and customer satisfaction as together we join forces to further build our brand presence in Malaysia. Through our combined expertise that supports new opportunities, we will continue to lead and innovate in securing global market leadership when it comes to service and maintenance,” said Gan Wee Kiong, Market Sales Director of Castrol Malaysia & Singapore.
“There is a steady demand for both brands and our products in the market amongst the premium vehicle owners, and we saw a great opportunity for us to come together to consolidate our offerings to serve our customers better. We believe that with both brand’s long-standing service and excellence in the market, we will continue to be the preferred brands in automotive maintenance,” added Andrea Somorova, Managing Director of Continental Tyre Malaysia.
Gan Wee Kiong, Market Sales Director of Castrol Malaysia & Singapore (centreleft) and Andrea Somorova, Managing Director of Continental Tyre Malaysia (centre right) at the signing ceremony of the MoU for the two companies.
About Castrol Malaysia
Castrol has had a presence in Malaysia for over 90 years and is one of the market leaders in the retail automotive lubricants segment. The company offers a range of high-performance lubricants and has leadership positions in a majority of segments it operates in. These include passenger car engine oils, motorcycle engine oils, commercial vehicle engine oils and industrial lubricants.
The company also has a lubricants blending plant in Port Klang, Selangor and a distribution network reaching out to over 14,000 customers including retail outlets and workshops. Its exclusive outlets – Castrol Auto Service and Castrol Bike Points – offer professional maintenance services to Malaysian motorists and motorcyclists.
About Continental Tyre Malaysia
Continental is one of the world’s leading tyre manufacturers and ranks among the technology leaders in tyre production. It has a broad product range for passenger cars, commercial and special-purpose vehicles as well as two-wheelers.
In 2003, Continental AG established a joint venture company with Sime Darby Berhad as Continental Sime Tyre Sdn Bhd. The business expanded rapidly and Continental AG fully acquired the company in 2012, making it one of its production sites in the Asia-Pacific region. Currently, Continental Tyre Malaysia has more than 2,500 employees with two factories supplying tyres to countries such as Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, Korea.
For more information on Castrol products and services, visit www.castrol.com/my.
When Honda Malaysia first announced the pricing of the top of the line Honda City RS, many thought that the company had lost the plot.
The Honda City is a loved car in Malaysia. Many swear by it for its practicality and simplicity. It’s a fuss-free car that offers a good ownership experience.
The latest generation City though takes it all a notch up and includes spaciousness and impressive build quality into the mix.
But to ask RM108,000 is just borderline absurd.
The RS model is the top of the line model and features an impressive powertrain designed for fuel economy and power offered in a handsome package that also features space and quality that can rival some European marques.
Many were floored when Honda Malaysia first announced the price.
The Honda City has always been the cheap sedan that you bought if you wanted a reliable means of transport for you and your family. And you can still get that with the “lesser variant” such as the S-Spec that only costs a little under RM76,000.
But that’s also what some would call “taxi-spec”, referring to a model that only offers the bare minimum.
The RS is the model you truly want if you are the type that appreciates all the bells and whistles and the cattle they hang from.
But a Honda City at RM106,000? That’s like asking people to pay RM50 for a ‘Ramly Burger’.
Lets get metaphorical and imagine this – instead of the mass produced two millimetre thick patty that we usually get in a ramly burger, imagine that same burger but with a wagyu beef patty cooked in virgin olive oil with blue cheese and premium organic vegetables and condiments placed in between soft bread sprinkled with sesame and chia seeds.
And instead of being served in a sloppy piece of wrapping paper, you get it properly wrapped in a premium paper box placed inside a woven tote bag. And best of all, it is hand delivered to you within 30 minutes of ordering.
That RM85 does not sound so bad now does it. I know that referencing a burger against a Honda City is also absurd, but you get the point.
So that’s basically what Honda has done. Taken a well known and much loved product, plonked in a cleverly engineered powertrain, increased the quality of everything and made the interior a very nice place to be in.
And then there is the Honda City RS hatchback.
It is basically all of the above but in a hatchback body. And at RM108,000, Honda wants RM2,000 more for it. Why? Because it has something called Ultra Seats, which gives the hatchback a level of practicality that you do not get in the sedan variant.
The Ultra Seats is basically a fancy word for seats that can either fold up to let you store tall items, fold down for long items, and amazingly can fold in such a way that you can basically create a bed which makes the City RS hatchback perfectly suited for all you ‘glamping’ lovers.
The City RS Hatchback is also powered by the same 1.5-litre hybrid powertrain that powers the sedan.
It puts out a mere 98hp and 127Nm of torque. But it has an electric motor that pushes up the torque figure to an impressive 236Nm.
This gives the car a fun character around the corners. I imagine that weekend warriors will love the urgent response and nimble front end the hatchback offers while their parents will appreciate the spaciousness and the fuel economy.
The only thing though is that there is a setback in terms of top speed, while the regular combustion powered variants max out at 194km/h, the RS has a top speed of 175km/h. But while the other variants need 10.7 seconds to reach 100km/h, the RS needs just 9.7. And best of all, according to Honda, the other variants will need 5.6 litres of fuel to reach 100 kilometres. The RS though needs just 3.6 litres, which with today’s fuel prices puts it at just under RM10 to travel 100km.
But it’s not just the powertrain that makes the RS model stand out from the rest. It is also the interior that works a charm for me.
The seats are the first thing that charm your senses. And the fact that they come wrapped in something Honda calls Ultra Suede makes it nice to touch and even nicer to sit on.
And because this is the RS variant, the side bolstering holds you in place every so gently.
The dash is easy on the eye and to the touch. The steering wheel feels meaty in your hands and the buttons actually do feel like they belong in a RM100,000 car.
On that point, even the tiny weighted clicks of the air-conditioning dial invoke a premium feeling that you would not expect to get in a City.
The entertainment system is accessed through an eight-inch display that also offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also offers smartphone mirroring capability that lets you access your navigational and other favourite applications and mirror those on the screen.
Honda has undoubtedly done a remarkable job with the interior of the new City. During our test drive event, there was a Toyota Yaris available for comparison and the interior of that felt dated and unimaginative.
The final thing that makes the argument for this City costing above RM100,000 is the fact that it comes with Honda’s popular Sensing safety suite.
Honda Sensing is basically a collection of advanced safety technologies that make the City an incredibly safe car, perhaps one of the most laden with safety tech.
Before we dive into what is on offer with Honda Sensing, keep in mind that the City RS hatchback already has LaneWatch, Hill Start Assist, Auto Brake Hold, Vehicle Stability Assist, six airbags, ABS and EBD.
Honda Sensing takes it all a notch higher by further offering Lane Departure Warning, Road Departure Mitigation, Lane Keep Assist, Forward Collision Warning, Colliding Mitigating, Auto High Beam and Adaptive Cruise Control.
Consider for a second that these are exactly the same safety systems also available in the pricier Honda Civic and the Honda CRV. The only omission being that the adaptive cruise control does not offer stop and go function.
Now, is the Honda City RS hatchback worth the RM107,000 asking price?
There is no doubt that it is a fine car with premium feel and a powertrain that balances the holy grail of power and economy. It is also packed with safety tech and has a drive that will put a smile on the faces of the young and not so young.
The simple answer would be yes for those who appreciate the tech. And the not so simple answer would be to consider the V-Spec which is a full RM15,000 cheaper and features all of the above but minus the hybrid powertrain and the Ultra Suede seats with red stitching. I actually prefer the leather seats available in the V-Spec than the fabric seats of the RS, as plush as those may be.
During the second half of the 1970s, one Fiat model stood out in the World Rally Championship (WRC) and other international rallies. It was the 131 Rally, a specially-built sedan for competition jointly produced by Fiat, Abarth and Bertone. 400 units were built to meet homologation requirements and Abarth mechanicals were installed in them.
The 131 Abarth Rally debuted in 1976 as a Group 4 entry and its track record up till the early 1980s has put it in history books as one of the legends of rallying. It ran for 6 years in the WRC, with victories at 18 international events, and captured 3 World Constructors Championship titles. Legendary drivers Markku Alen and Walter Rohrl also won their championship titles driving the car.
This year, on the 40th anniversary of its last race, special tribute is paid to the 131 Abarth Rally with the Abarth 695 Tributo 131 Rally special series. This is a limited edition with a production run of 695 units which will be available worldwide.
225 km/h top speed
The Abarth 695 Tributo 131 Rally has a 1.4-litre T-jet engine which develops 180 bhp/250 Nm to rocket the car from standstill to 100 km/h in a claimed 6.7 seconds, after which it can continue on to a top speed of 225 km/h.
For this special edition, Abarth has installed Koni FSD shock absorbers on both axles and a dedicated braking system which includes aluminium Brembo calipers and 4 pistons on the front and 305 mm and 240 mm ventilated discs on the rear.
Record Monza sound system
The special equipment list includes black 17-inch alloy wheels with a diamond-cut finish and the ‘Record Monza Sovrapposto’ exhaust system – an evolution on the Record Monza system, now with four vertically overlaid terminals. The Record Monza exhaust system is named after the famous Italian circuit where Carlo Abarth achieved one of the many speed records of his racing career. The exhaust system features dual-mode technology and tailpipes that together create the unique and unmistakable Abarth sound.
The variable rear spoiler
The Abarth 695 Tributo 131 Rally naturally comes with the Spoiler ad Assetto Variabile, an aerodynamic feature which Abarth engineers developed. Just like in a race, where it is not unusual to see technicians manually fine-tune the spoiler angle so the driver can set the car’s behaviour to suit the conditions and driving style, the spoiler fitted to the car is adjustable to 12 positions. These positions range from 0° to 60°, influencing airflow in such a way that cornering stability can be improved. At the maximum a 60° angle and at a speed of 200 km/h, the aerodynamic downforce load increases by up to 42 kgs.
The 131 Abarth Rally in the colours of Italy’s Alitalia airlines which was a major sponsor of Fiat’s competition teams.
While the 131 Abarth Rally cars are often remembered for their green, red and white colours – which were from Alitalia, one of the main partners of Fiat’s motorsport teams – the Abarth 695 Tributo 131 Rally has a bicolour 3-layer ‘Blue Rally’ glossy livery, which reinterprets another its original colour on some of the rallycars in a contemporary manner.
‘Easter Eggs’ around the car
This is the first Scorpion vehicle which contains ‘Easter Eggs’ – tiny stylistic ‘gems’ which the designers hide to surprise customers. Some examples: the silhouette of the 131 Rally engraved on the lower part of the car door, on the Alcantara dashboard and on the headrests of the new seats.
Specifically for the 695 cars, the livery is embellished with a roof and uprights in black Scorpion Black. The same blue can be found on the mirror caps and some details in the interiors. The sporty image is further emphasised by the Sabelt fabric seats with blue inserts and stitching inspired by those of the historic car but reinterpreted in a modern way.
In the past, Honda Malaysia would usually take us to Thailand to get first impressions of a new model and we would get to drive it some distance in places like Chiangmai or Phuket. However, with border restrictions due to the pandemic, that is no longer possible so they organized a brief drive at the Sepang circuit before the launch of the new Civic and then arranged for a media drive to Penang and back (not during the Hari Raya period, of course). Here’s what Chips Yap found out about the C-segment leader…
Whenever I look at the recent generations of Honda Civics, I am always struck by how the model has grown in size since it first appeared in the 1970s. When I tested the first generation, it was just a small hatchback and it was even smaller than a Proton Iriz. But then again, cars back then were also smaller (besides being cheaper too).
With most generation changes, there was a constant increase in length but (disregarding the first generation which was only a hatchback) it was from the fourth generation to the fifth one which came at the beginning of the 1990s that saw the greatest increase of all the generations to date. From around 4230 mm, the overall length extended to around 4450 mm – a 220 mm difference. The growth in size could have been due to the fact that Honda had begun making the Civic in America and its popularity had grown quickly, so it needed to be more ‘rightsized’ for that market.
The Civic began life as a hatchback but the sedan very quickly became the dominant version globally.
In time, it would be the US market that kept the Civic line alive and evolving because in Japan, it was no longer favoured. In 2009, out of the 609,000 units sold globally, only 9,000 were sold in Japan, and in the following year, Honda decided to stop selling it. It brought back the model in 2017 but still its appeal remained low as buyers preferred compact models and the mini MPVs. By 2020, the company again decided to stop Civic sedan sales in Japan when only 1,619 units were sold in the entire year.
However, outside Japan, the Civic has remained a popular model; although it had started as an entry-level model with low pricing, it gradually moved out of that level and further up the market (which saw the City being introduced to take over its place). Nevertheless, in markets other than Japan, it had a following that kept volumes high enough to justify its continued existence to arrive at the 11th generation which we now have.
While the Civic continues to appeal to generally younger buyers, the latest generation has given up some of its bolder styling elements this time round. Unlike the 10th generation which had a major design change from its predecessor, an evolutionary approach has been taken. The overall size is close to the 10th generation, increasing in overall length by 30 mm with a marginally longer wheelbase as well.
The totally new frontal appearance suggests that the EXCITING H!!! DESIGN philosophy which was adopted in 2013 has been finally changed to a ‘New Age Identity’ that is thin and light look. There are still remnants of the Solid Wing Face but it is a much simpler form to complement the low bonnet and front fenders.
Also gone are the crab claw tail lights which gave the 10th generation a distinctive visual signature from afar. The new LED units wrap around the corners and taper towards the centre, generating s visual signature too but nothing really unique.
Models that have gone through as many generations as the Civic has – over almost 50 years – usually become more mature, just like humans do. And so it is with the styling which is still polished and has the premium look but maybe not as aggressive as the model before. It still has sporty undertones with the roofline flowing smoothly to the rear end and the repositioning of the A-pillars further back visually stretches the bonnet line.
The drive route took us through Ipoh and gave good insights into the new car’s behaviour in various conditions. Though Honda says that noise levels are reduced, there were times when it seemed that noise from the rear was still not much changed. We would put it down to the widely varying quality of road surfaces in our country as there were times when things were quieter and the level of vibrations felt was also low.
Although the CVT was available in Malaysia as far back as the 1980s (in just a couple of models), it’s only over the past 10 years or so that it’s become mainstream and I think it was Honda that was the first major brand to offer it in Malaysia with the first Jazz. Enthusiasts dislike CVTs because of its non-linear power delivery and most people cannot stand that ‘rubberband’ characteristic when accelerating hard. But the newer CVTs, like the one in the Civic, have improved feel and less mechanical noise evident though it is still not the same as a conventional automatic. With the RS model we tested, you get paddle shifters which are useful on twisty roads when you want better control.
While it’s the same powerplant as before, the 1.5-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine has improved output with an additional 10 ps and 20 Nm to push total output to 182 ps/240 Nm. It feels a little bit slow off the line but that generous torque gives it strong muscles once on the move. High speeds can be sustained easily and there’s quick responsiveness when you need an additional burst of speed to overtake.
The Civic is still a sporty handler, instilling confidence and able to give the driver an entertaining time behind the wheel with its agility around corners. Matching the mature looks, the ride is composed with a balance of sportiness and comfort. Thanks to increased body rigidity, roll is negligible and the suspension does a decent job of flattening most road imperfections but could do a better job of making potholes ‘disappear’.
For me, the highlight of this Civic generation is the dashboard. When I saw the first pictures of it, I somehow immediately had recollections of older Honda models. Friends who, like me, had been in those models of the 1970s, also felt the same way and it has something to do with the honeycomb grille that runs across the entire dashboard. It’s classy in a classic sort of way and I think that just as the designers of the Honda e looked back at the early models for the dashboard design, the interior designers of the new Civic also studied designs that predecessors adopted.
The whole dashboard has been visually decluttered, a change from the previous one, and even the air vents seem to be absent. But they aren’t – they are actually hidden under the finely detailed grille (which is metal, not plastic). The vents are adjusted by small handles which resemble joystick controllers so Gen Z should be right at home with them.
The other thing about the dashboard design is that the interior designers have paused on the rush towards digitizing everything and putting controls on display panels. It may seem like the way to go but there are practical reasons why rotary controls and physical pushbuttons are still better and the Civic shows this sensible thinking. There are three rotary knobs to adjust the air-conditioner blower speed and temperature and this is how it should be because these are operations you do not want to have to look at a panel to do. Most of the time, they are done intuitively, without looking, and that’s better for safety.
With adjustments done on a screen, I’ve found that you need to look at the screen and then precisely press a spot on it to adjust something. That’s not so good when you’re driving so Honda has got it right with the Civic, leaving the on-screen buttons as one-touch operations. Oh, the large icons on the 9-inch centre display are also appreciated and most of all, operations are intuitive enough.
It doesn’t need saying that the fit and finish are top-notch and being the RS version, there’s also a premium touch (for extra money, of course). I spent some time in the back seats and they have good form and function with the concaved cushioning providing good support and generous space on the floor. There’s good width for 3 persons to sit comfortably too with the body now having been broadened up to 1.8 metres, the widest ever in 11 generations.
The Honda SENSING driver assistance suite for the Civic RS has improved functionality and consists of 9 active safety systems. There’s now a Lead Car Departure Notification System which alerts the driver when the vehicle ahead moves off though I’m not sure if that’s really needed. But the Driver Attention Monitor is good as it could save a driver from dozing off and crashing. It monitors the way the car is being controlled and if there is unusual driving behaviour, the driver will be alerted (and should pull over for a break).
I used to disregard the value of lane-keeping systems but driving the Civic RS, I could see that apart from enhancing driving safety, the system can also help reduce fatigue on long journeys. Basically, the system will monitor lane markings and maintain the car in the middle. If there is too much deviation to one side or the other, there will be alerts but if the driver still does not take corrective action, then there will be gentle steering action to guide the car back into position.
While this may seem intrusive to some, I came to realise that when we drive, there is some adjustment of the steering to keep the car in the lane. You do it consciously or sometimes even unconsciously and it is something that requires a tiny bit of effort. If the lane-keeping system does this, then that effort is unnecessary and as I drove along gently winding roads, I noticed how the steering would turn by itself slightly as the road curved. And if you have the adaptive cruise control on, then you can enjoy a preview of autonomous motoring as well!
I’ve mentioned Honda LaneWatch a few times and praised it and I will again say it’s one of Honda’s great innovations which is now available in most models. It provides (on the screen) a view of the left side of the car whenever the left signal is activated and the good thing is that the head does not have to turn as much as if it had to look at the door mirror. Also, the small camera mounted on the mirror captures clear images at night so you get a better view. The LaneWatch display can also be manually activated by pressing on the button on the tip of the right stalk if there is a need to take a look at any time.
One thing which surprised me though was that, because the LaneWatch display uses the same centre panel, when it comes on, it dominates the screen. So if you’re looking at a map that was mirrored using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, it will suddenly ‘disappear’. The first few times it happened, I found it a bit disconcerting as it would happen at that moment when I was watching for a turn. But then again, you can get used to it and live with it.
Sadly, the cost of the Honda LaneWatch system has been high and last year, Honda said that it would eventually stop offering it and go for more conventional blindspot monitoring systems like in other cars. It’s a pity because I thought they had found a way to reduce the cost in the newer models with a separate camera mounting.
The Civic RS version we drove is the top version of the latest range and it’s priced from RM144,350.09 (without insurance and sales tax exemption only till June 30, 2022). If it’s within your budget, the extra amount you pay over the other two variants is well worth the money. It comes loaded with all the latest features and being a Civic – and a Honda – you can be sure that it will not only be reliable but also hold its value well.
The 72nd Formula 1 race on American soil saw Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc getting off to a good start and reaching the first corner before his team mate, Carlos Sainz, who had been caught by surprise by a hard-charging Max Verstappen. Mercedes-AMG’s Lewis Hamilton was also displaced from his eighth starting position briefly by Alpine’s Fernando Alonso who got a good slingshot start.
Going into the first turn, Hamilton had contact with Alonso and later, the Mercedes-AMG driver reported that he felt damage at the rear. Hamilton’s team mate, George Russell, who had started in 12th position, also had a bad start and slipped down to 15th to drop behind Alfa Romeo’s GuanYu Zhou who would have to retire by the 8th lap due to a technical issue.
The two Aston Martins had started from the pitlane as the cars had ‘fuel issues’, while Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, who did not take part in qualifying due to an earlier crash, started from the back of the grid.
On lap 10, as Verstappen got within DRS range on the start-finish straight, he got past Leclerc whose car seemed to have damaged tyres. Behind Leclerc was his team mate Sainz who was pursued by the other Red Bull, Sergio Perez. 8 seconds behind the four frontrunners were two former team mates – Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas – duelling for fifth place.
On lap 12, Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda was the first driver to return to the pits to change his medium tyres for hards, rejoining at the back. He was closely followed by Haas F1’s Kevin Magnussen who also wanted to get onto hard tyres like Tsunoda. However, Verstappen seemed to be doing okay with his medium tyres. None of the top 10 cars were called in for tyre-changes.
On lap 20, Perez began to drop back noticeably and seemed to be losing power. However, his engineers could not see anything on the telemetry but he had slipped back by almost 3 seconds during the lap. Whatever it was, his gap from Sainz extended to 7 seconds. Later, the engineers would report that a sensor issue had been the cause.
Lewis Hamilton was the first of the top 10 to come in on lap 23, retaining his position as he shot back out. Two laps later, Leclerc came in, glad to finally be rid of the tyres that were making it a struggle to drive his car. When he rejoined, he was down in fourth, 27 seconds behind Verstappen in the lead and 2 seconds ahead of Bottas. After the Alfa Romeo driver was a wide gap to Russell who was some 16 seconds furtherback.
Finally, Verstappen came in for hard tyres on lap 26, losing the lead which was taken over by Sainz. And just two laps later, both Sainz and Perez came in at the same time, with the Red Bull crew getting four tyres changed in less time than the Ferrari crew (apparently there was a wheel nut problem). Verstappen was back in the lead, with a 7-second gap from Leclerc.
Russell, who had started in 12th, had done well to be up to fifth by lap 30, managing to stay keep Bottas back as Hamilton tried to close the 4-second gap. He was still on his original tyres, one of the last few drivers who had not come in. But Hamilton was not happy as the tyres were running hot with the high track temperatures.
Further down the field, Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel was also having a hard time with his tyres, and the only glimmer of hope given to him as he struggled to stay close to McLaren’s Lando Norris was that rain ‘might come in 3 minutes’. Russell too was hoping for a change in weather – or a Safety Car making an appearance.
Lap 41 provided the huge crowd with some excitement as Scuderia Alphatauri’s Pierre Gasly and Alonso made contact when the Alpine locked up going into Turn 1. Gasly was unable to avoid and fell to to 11th spot but worse, Norris was just behind and couldn’t avoid him and slid off to the side to end his race. Out came the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) – with Russell probably smiling under his helmet. The Stewards decided that Alonso was at fault and gave him a 5-seond penalty.
With the VSC activated, Russell came into the pits, along with Alpine’s Esteban Ocon who decided to take on soft tyres. Perez also made a second stop, this time to go to medium tyres again. Gasly had come in just as the VSC ended and was heard to say that he thought something had broken.
The race got underway again with 10 laps remaining of the 57-lap race. Verstappen sped off with Leclerc just behind. Their team mates were under 3 seconds behind and both also close enough to duel for the third place.
Russell was playing the dutiful No. 2 to his team mate as he kept clear of Hamilton who was aiming to get past Bottas, which he did by lap 48. That was as far as the 7-time world champion would make it as it was then a 3-second gap to Perez. One lap later, however, Russell found himself in an advantageous position after having overtaken Bottas as well and slipped ahead of Hamilton into fifth place. However, he was later told to give the place back to Hamilton as the move had been done off the track.
As the race reached its final 5 laps, the excitement was building up. Verstappen was able to keep Leclerc from passing while Sainz was managing to hold third place for Ferrari. Verstappen made no mistakes and crossed the finish line to big cheers from the Red Bull fans. Another good day for the Dutchman who is now climbing back up the championship ladder.
Last year, when Peugeot Sport announced its new program to develop the 9X8 hypercar for endurance racing, it expected to join the World Endurance Championship in 2022. However, the team decided to forego the first two rounds, at Sebring and this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, and was planning to debut at the classic Le Mans 24-Hour race in June. However, because it has not participated in the first two rounds, the organisers have said it cannot take part in Le Mans.
Accepting the ruling in a positive way, Peugeot Sport’s Technical Director of the WEC programme, Olivier Jansonnie, said that this would give them team additional time to achieve the necessary level of reliability. “Both operationally and from a reliability perspective, Le Mans is the most difficult race on the calendar. Our planning will enable us to put the full weight of our teams and resources behind our own test sessions, without the disruption of racing at Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans. We will begin with some shorter races, which will allow us to progressively get up to speed in the championship. Like with our road-going cars when we have to choose between meeting a deadline or focussing on quality, we always prioritise quality,” he explained.
The homologation process
Before a car can enter competition, it must be homologated by the racing authorities. In the case of the new hypercar class, once homologation has been done, the design cannot be modified further until 2025 (except in very particular circumstances governed by strict conditions). Any such modifications will be counted as ‘EVO jokers’, which are limited to just five between 2021 and 2025 – aside from specific force majeure situations such as, for example, when the car’s safety or reliability is compromised.
“Restricting development in this way is important, since it would not be possible to adjust the performance of a car that is subject to constant technical updates through ‘Balance Of Performance’ (BoP) tweaks,” said Jansonnie. ”The homologation process itself consists of a series of milestones. Its schedule and execution are very precisely defined. The process concludes with the submission of a homologation file – describing in minute detail all of the vehicle’s components (with photos and weight measurements) – as well as a wind tunnel test of its aerodynamics and an inspection of the vehicle by the FIA/ACO. After this, its development is ‘frozen’. Its performance parameters are subsequently assessed in order to be able to adjust its power, weight and minimum speed of hybrid energy deployment, which are the key factors in Balance Of Performance.”
Peugeot Sport therefore has a little bit more time before it submits the 9X8 for homologation. A manufacturer judges that its car is ready to be homologated when it believes it has attained the required level of performance and reliability to be eligible for ‘Balance Of Performance’ evaluation. “That means it has the same theoretical chance of winning in the WEC and at the Le Mans 24 Hours as any of its competitors. It accepts from this point that its vehicle will not be able to undergo any further major technical changes until the end of the homologation cycle,” explained Jansonnie.
Initial existence in digital world
Prior to taking to the track for its pre-homologation test sessions, the 9X8 began life as a 51.1GB digital project, made up of 15,267 files stored on a hard drive. Digital advances have opened up a whole new realm of possibilities in motorsport, enabling Peugeot Sport’s engineers to visualise a truly disruptive concept for the new Hypercar – and validate it before manufacturing so much as a single physical component.
The sophistication of modern-day digital software makes it possible to conduct in-depth technological studies while saving significant time, money and resources, and the 9X8 lived an entirely ‘virtual existence’ for some time before finally turning its first wheel on-track. Peugeot Sport’s teams spent two years modelling and simulating it, utilising both existing software – adapted where necessary to suit the project’s specific requirements – as well as computer programs developed entirely in-house from scratch.
“Thanks to all of our software, we can envisage a wide range of dimensions, shapes and materials, and work on the weight of the car in-line with the technical regulations,” said Francois Coudrain, Powertrain Director of the WEC programme. “As with the choice of base concept, being able to take a purely digital approach to trialling systems and components allows us to assess a large number of potential solutions, which would quite simply be impossible to achieve in the real world.”
Digital simulations also allow for customisation where necessary – for example, what material to use around the exhaust outlets. Here, the heat levels are very high, and simulations revealed that the carbon bodywork needed to be either protected or even replaced by aluminium or titanium. Initially highlighted for attention in the design brief, this was corroborated during the simulation phase and then again in the first real-life test session.
From hard drive to racetrack
Following its digital development, the hard drive containing all the technical data of the Peugeot 9X8 provided the basis for the creation of an initial 1:1 scale model for wind tunnel use and, subsequently, a physical race car, whose ongoing development is taking place on the track.
‘9X8’, the designation, is derived from a combination of the brand’s motorsport heritage and vision for the future. The ‘9’ continues the series used by Peugeot on its previous endurance racing cars. The ‘X’ refers to the all-wheel drive technology and hybrid powertrain. The ‘8’ is common across all of Peugeot’s current models – from the 208 and 2008 to the 308, 3008, 508 and 5008.
No rear wing
Unique to the hypercar’s design is the absence of a rear wing – an aerodynamic feature that has long been thought necessary for racing cars. Rear wings were first seen at the 1967 Le Mans 24 Hours on the Chaparral 2F but now, after half a century, the necessity is questioned and the 9X8 has been designed without a rear wing.
“The absence of a rear wing on the Peugeot 9X8 is a major innovative step. We have achieved a degree of aerodynamic efficiency that allows us to do away with this feature. Don’t ask how, though! We have every intention of keeping that a secret as long as we possibly can!” said Jean-Marc Finot, Senior Vice-President of Stellantis Motorsport (Peugeot is part of the Stellantis Group).
Peugeot HYBRID4 powertrain
The 5-metre long racing car has a rear-mounted, 2.6-litre, bi-turbo, 680-bhp 90-degree V6 as part of the Peugeot HYBRID4 powertrain. The system output gets another 200 kW from the front-mounted 200kW motor-generator unit powered by a high-voltage 900V high-density battery pack.
The battery pack is located in a carbonfibre casing inside the car’s monocoque structure, behind the driver and underneath the fuel tank. It has been designed to combine durability with consistent performance during races of durations of up to 24 hours, and even beyond.
Although the system output is over 500 kW, the regulations set a maximum power output of just 500 kW during races. The regulations also forbid the use of electrical energy below 120 km/h, so the motor generator unit only engages once this speed has been reached. The car must pull away from standstill under the power of its internal combustion engine alone.
At full power, the power output is limited to 300 kW and adjusted as a function of the power delivered by the motor generator unit at 200 kW which is directly dependent on the battery level. When the motor generator unit comes into use, the car automatically switches to 4-wheel drive, thereby modifying its drivability.
When the battery pack is empty, the engine reverts to 500 kW power output and the drivetrain reverts to rear-wheel drive. During races, the battery will be fully charged prior to the start by means of a mains-connected plug-in hybrid charger. Once on the track, the battery will function completely independently and be charged only by the kinetic braking energy recovery system.
