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400bhp Land Rover Defender V8 Announced!

Land Rover UK has announced a limited-edition high-performance version of the iconic Defender, with up to 150 V8-powered examples re-engineered to celebrate the Land Rover marque’s 70^th anniversary in 2018.

The Defender Works V8 pays homage to the early high-powered engines in both the Series III Stage 1 V8 from 1979 and subsequent Defenders including the 50^th Anniversary Edition, which are highly sought after by enthusiasts and collectors today.

Defender Works V8 is the most powerful and fastest version that Land Rover has ever created. The 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol V8 powertrain produces 405PS and 515 Nm of torque (the standard Defender delivered 122PS and 360 Nm). The Defender Works V8 will accelerate from 0-60mph in 5.6sec*, while top speed is increased to 106mph.

Tim Hannig, Jaguar Land Rover Classic Director, said: “It’s fitting that we’ve been able to release the full potential of the iconic Defender, whose much-loved shape remains synonymous with Land Rover, 70 years since it was seen in public for the first time. The idea of reintroducing a V8 Defender was something we were discussing as far back as 2014, when we were still building the Defender in Solihull. We knew the demand was there for a powerful and fast Defender; the Land Rover authenticity is the ultimate finishing touch for discerning clients purchasing these collector’s edition Defenders.”

The V8 powertrain will be fitted to 150 specially-selected and re-engineered Defenders for the 70^th Edition, complemented by an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission with sport mode, uprated brakes and handling kit (springs, dampers and anti-roll bars), plus exclusive 18-inch diamond-turned Sawtooth alloy wheels and 265/65 R18 all-terrain tyres.

Malaysia’s Commemorative Edition of the Defender

In commemorating the anniversary celebration of the iconic Defender, Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia has released the last lot of Double Cab Defenders in limited commemorative special colours. The last 12 units of Defenders in Malaysia sport contrasting black roof and rims for the Sicilian Yellow and Montalcino Red whilst contrasting silver roof and rims are paired with the Baltic Blue double cabs. Coloured stitching for the leather gear knob, steering wheel and seats are matched to the exterior paint. The headlining of the commemorative edition defenders in Malaysia have also been upgraded to provide a luxurious feel to the overall cabin.

The commemorative edition is retailed at MYR198,800.00 (inclusive of GST but excludes road tax, insurance and registration). It is powered by a 2.2l Diesel engine and paired with a 6-Speed manual transmission.

TECHNICAL DATA	LAND ROVER DEFENDER WORKS V8 – 70^TH EDITION
ENGINE & TRANSMISSION
Engine capacity (cc)	4,999
Cylinders	V8 naturally-aspirated petrol (EU5)
Power PS	405 @ 6,000rpm
Torque Nm	515 @ 5,000rpm
Transmission	8-speed automatic with Pistol Shifter, All-Wheel Drive, two-speed transfer box, heavy-duty front and rear differentials, torque-biasing centre differential
CHASSIS
Front and rear suspension	Front: live beam axle, coil springs, telescopic dampers. Panhard rod and Radius arms. Anti-roll bar Rear: live beam axle, coil springs, telescopic dampers. ‘A’ frame and Trailing Links. Anti-roll bar.
Front brakes	Servo-assisted 335mm discs, four-piston calipers
Rear brakes	Servo-assisted 300mm discs, four-piston calipers
Wheels and tyres	18in diamond-turned Sawtooth alloy wheels, 265/65 R18 all-terrain tyres
Steering	Recirculating ball, power-assisted
PERFORMANCE & ECONOMY
0-60mph (sec)	5.6 (*90 Station Wagon)
Top speed (mph)	106 (limited)

MARKET AVAILABILITY

Defender Works V8 is available in the United Kingdom, and MENA markets on a personal import basis. European market availability is also on an individual import basis, subject to rules on importation of vehicle conversions.

V8 DEFENDER HISTORY

V8 powertrains in the Land Rover Defender and its production predecessors started with the Series III Stage 1 V8 of 1979. The carburetted 3.5-litre Rover V8 produced 90bhp.
The Land Rover One Ten from 1983, and Ninety from 1984, used the same 3.5-litre Rover V8 engine as the Series III Stage 1 V8, but in 113bhp form, uprated to 135bhp from 1987.
For North American Specification (NAS) Defender 90s and 110s only, from 1992, a 182bhp fuel-injected 3.9-litre version of the Rover V8 was fitted, along with a four-speed automatic transmission.
In 1998, the fuel-injected 190bhp 4.0-litre V8 from the second-generation Range Rover was fitted to a limited run of 50^th Anniversary Defender 90s, with a four-speed automatic transmission.
0-litre naturally-aspirated 2018 Defender Works V8 is the first official V8-powered Land Rover Defender to be introduced since 1998.

For the FULL press release on the Land Rover Defender 70th Anniversary Edition, click here: LAND ROVER LAUNCHES V8 EDITION TO CELEBRATE 70TH ANNIVERSARY (Global Release)

A Lucky Day For Haye! Toyota Gazoo Racing Fan Wins A Vios!

Talk about starting the year on a high-note! Muhammad Haye Nafiqi bin Saidin probably never expected it, but he was picked as the lucky visitor and won himself a brand-new Toyota Vios SE, at the Toyota Gazoo Racing event in JB over the weekend.

By correctly answering a few questions during the event in MAEPS, Serdang and submitting his entry for the draw, Haye became the new proud owner of car worth over RM85,000.00.

“I have always dreamed of owning a Vios but never in my dreams did I imagine I would win one. I went to watch the Vios Challenge because I enjoy watching motor racing and together with some friends, we went to see Fattah Amin race. A couple of weeks later, I received a call from someone in UMW Toyota Motor telling me that I won the car. I am just so happy. It is perfect timing for me too because I will be getting married soon and will get to use the Vios as my wedding car,” said the proud 27-year old technician (above, left).

Muhammad Haye who hails from Selangor, travelled to Medini City in Johor for this weekend’s Toyota GAZOO Racing (TGR) Racing Festival to catch all the action and to receive his prize that was presented by the Deputy Chairman of UMW Toyota Motor Mr Akio Takeyama during the event (main image, centre).

Another Toyota Vios SE will be available for visitors to the recently concluded Medini City Toyota GAZOO Racing (TGR) Racing Festival and the winner will be announced once all the entries have been verified by auditors.

UMW Toyota Begins Deliveries Of New 2018 Harrier

Following the preview of the all-new Toyota Harrier at the Malaysia Auto Show 2017 last November, UMW Toyota Motor received many orders for the model which is being officially sold for the first time in Malaysia. The first units are now being delivered to customers who made bookings earlier and the new Harrier has prices starting from RM238,000 in Peninsular Malaysia.

“We are encouraged by the response to the introduction of the all-new Toyota Harrier in Malaysia. As the earlier generations were intended only for the Japanese domestic market, we were unable to sell them officially. However, Toyota Motor Corporation has now decided to offer it outside Japan and we are among the first countries to sell it officially,” said Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor.

The Harrier comes with a 5-year warranty with unlimited mileage. This includes availability of genuine replacement parts for this latest generation.

The latest generation of the Harrier has a sharp aerodynamically-angled grille and incorporates a hawk emblem which emphasises the aggressive and elegant image. LEDs are used for the headlamps, Daytime Running Lights, cornering lamps, foglamps and rear combinations lamps. The front signals show the driver’s intention to turn left or right, or change lanes, by a sequential display of lights.

The fully imported Harrier 2.0T comes with a 2-litre turbocharged engine. Two versions are available – the Harrier 2.0T Premium and Harrier 2.0T Luxury which has additional equipment. It comes with 4 colour choices.

The Harrier has the 8AR-FTS petrol engine with a twin scroll turbocharger. This engine features D-4ST direct fuel-injection and a VVT-iW (Variable Valve Timing-intelligent Wide) system.

Owners of the new Harrier will be well protected by the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) Package, a suite of Active Safety systems available in a Toyota model in Malaysia for the first time. Pre-Crash System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping System, Lane Departure Alert and Adaptive High-Beam System are part of the TSS Package.

Other safety systems include Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control (TRC), Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), Emergency Stop Signal (flashes the rear hazard warning lamps to warn following drivers in an emergency braking situation), Electronic Parking Brake + Auto Brake Hold, and Parking Sensors with Reverse Camera.

Additionally up to 7 SRS airbags protection and cushioning for the front occupants, supplemented by side airbags as well as curtain shield airbags which deploy over the side windows (front and rear) during a side collision. There is also a knee airbag below the steering column to protect the driver’s knees during a frontal collision.

For more information on the new Harrier, visit Toyota’s website toyota.com.my.

(All photos herein supplied by UMW Toyota Motor, as is)

Perodua Targets 2% Growth, 35% Market Share In 2018

After a banner year in 2017, Perodua is now targeting sales of 209,000 vehicles for 2018 – a modest 2% jump from the 204,900 vehicles registered in 2017 – mainly due to continued strong demand for its current model line-up.

“The momentum carried by the Bezza in the earlier part of 2017 and the continued demand for our other models have helped make us the top-selling carmaker in Malaysia for the 12th year running,” said Perodua President and Chief Executive Officer Datuk (Dr) Aminar Rashid Salleh (above).

“Based on our internal calculations, we expect the total industry volume to increase to 590,000 units in 2018, which would see our market share sustained at slightly above 35%,” he said.

On the current sales performance, Aminar said that the 204,900 figure in 2017 was above Perodua’s earlier target of 202,000; however, the 2017 performance was slightly lower than the 207,100 recorded in 2016, amidst challenging market conditions, intense competition and strict hire purchase guidelines.

“That being said, we are happy to say that we expect the numbers to climb back up this year due to favourable economic conditions as well as the continued momentum for the new Myvi,” he added.

The new Perodua Myvi (above)has garnered over 36,000 bookings since order-taking began in November 2017, and over 11,000 units have found homes to date.

“We expect more registrations moving forward, as most of the customers who placed orders last year wanted their cars delivered in 2018,” Aminar said.

“That being said, we are also doing our level best to meet demand especially for the 1.5 variants, which was beyond our expectations. Perodua Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, our manufacturing arm, is currently working overtime to ensure deliveries are made within an acceptable time frame,” he said, adding that Perodua will focus on maximising the sales potential of all its models in 2018 to meet the 209,000-unit target.

Datuk Aminar said that the increase in demand this year will also have a positive impact on vehicle production with an estimated 215,334 units to be produced at both its manufacturing facilities this year compared with 200,146 units produced in 2017.

Perodua’s intake growth has been positive in 2017, with the national car company expecting its service intakes to grow by 1.9% from 2.1 million intakes in 2017 to 2.14 million in 2018. From a corporate responsibility standpoint, Perodua will be undertaking a few long-term projects that will shape the youth and sports landscape.

Kicking them off is the Perodua Malaysia Masters, an international badminton tournament that is on-going this week at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, with the finals taking place this Sunday.

“Sponsored by our technical partner Daihatsu Motor Company of Japan, the Perodua Malaysia Masters will see top as well as up-and-coming Malaysian shuttlers duking it out with their international counterparts for victory,” said Datuk Aminar.

(Top main image, from left to right):

Perodua Global Manufacturing Sdn Bhd President Datuk Ahmad Suhaimi Hashim

Perodua Auto Corporation Sdn Bhd President Mr Masanori Takahashi

Perodua President and Chief Executive Officer Datuk (Dr) Aminar Rashid Salleh

Perodua Auto Corporation Sdn Bhd Vice-President Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad

Perodua Executive Director Takamasa Kurinami