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Honda Clarity Fuel Cell does lap of honour at Monaco

During the recent race weekend, Prince Albert II of Monaco chose to drive a Honda Clarity Fuel Cell for the lap of honour for the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, which served as the official opening of the prestigious race.

Prince Albert II, accompanied by Princess Charlene and a representative from the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), piloted the Clarity Fuel Cell around the 3.337km circuit.

It’s no surprise that this particular car was chosen for the opening ceremony. Prince Albert II has been an advocate for the environment and its sustainability. One of the key aims of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation is to limit the effects of climate change and promote renewable energies.

Though not popular in Asia, the Clarity Fuel Cell is a technological marvel. It features state of the art fuel cell technology that allow it to generate electricity to drive its motor, by combining hydrogen and oxygen. Unlike the harmful gases that are produced during combustion in a petrol engine, the only byproduct of a Fuel Cell reaction is water. In the Clarity Fuel Cell, the 103kW fuel cell stack is placed in the engine/motor bay instead of under the passenger seats like conventional electric cars. This allows for better cabin space and legroom for occupants.

The car looks and feels like any conventional Honda despite being anything but that. It is a Fuel Cell sedan that can seat five comfortably, and when fully filled with hydrogen, can cover a distance of 650km without needing to stop for a refill.

In the long term, cars like this will be a common sight in Honda dealerships because the automaker plans on offering some form of electrified powertrains in two thirds of its cars sold in Europe by 2025.

McLaren elects new Design Director

McLaren Automotive has decided to elect Rob Melville as its new Design Director with immediate effect and will report directly to Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Jens Ludmann. He will be responsible for further the developing the company’s design strategy, philosophy and principles as wells working with the engineering and manufacturing functions and customer insights team.

Speaking of his promotion, Melville said, “I am thrilled to be given the title of Design Director for McLaren Automotive. I remember when I got the call to come and join McLaren back in 2009 and the joy I felt then is the same today. We have developed a fantastic design team and have integrated a design philosophy that I feel passionately about. I have always believed that great design tells a great story and that is what we do here at McLaren. I’m incredibly proud.”

Melville started his career as a designer with Jaguar Land Rover where his sketches influenced designs that eventually turned into the Evoque production car. Later on, he joined GM as Senior Designer and was responsible for evolving and realizing the Cadillac design principles and philosophy.

Melville joined the supercar maker in 2009 as a Senior designer but it was only in 2014 that he was promoted to the position of Chief Designer. Since joining McLaren, he was worked on a number of amazing projects which include the McLaren P1, evolution of the 12C, 650S and 675LT as well as the company’s Sports Series.

He led the design of the 720S, which happens to be the first model in the second-generation Super Series. McLaren will be launching 12 new vehicles in the near future as part of the Track22 business plan.

Mercedes-Benz launch new GLA in Malaysia

Mercedes Benz has refreshed its crossover, the GLA, bringing it up to date with the most recent tech and cutting-edge styling that the German automaker could muster. There are three versions that you can buy right now, the GLA 200 Urban Line, GLA 250 4MATIC AMG Line and the AMG version of the GLA 45 4MATIC. All variants have extensive exterior and interior upgrades, which set them apart from the previous gen vehicle.

Compared to its predecessor, the new GLA gets reworked bumpers, light alloy wheels and a new body colour called “Canyon Beige” . A newly developed off-road suspensions is fitted to the GLA 200 Urban Line and GLA 250 4MATIC AMG Line, which should improve off-road capabilities and overall handling.

The GLA 200 Urban Line gets 19-inch 5-spoke light alloy wheels with a matte black finish, and if you opt for the Night Package, certain trim panels will be painted black which include the two louvres in the radiator grille, wing mirrors, rims and simulated under guard.

Going up the range, the GLA 250 4MATIC AMG Line gets more sporty features which include an AMG bodykit, a radiator grille with two louvres painted in silver and chrome inserts and twin-pipe sports exhaust system with chrome-plated tailpipe trim elements integrated into the bumper. Apart from that, there’s also the 19-inch AMG alloy rims, perforated brake disks at the front with brake calipers with the automaker’s named painted on.

At the top of the range, sits the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 4MATIC. It gets sharper front styling with new air intake grilles and a front splitter. The twin louvre on the AMG Twin Blade radiator grille inserts and the side sill panels have a silver chrome finish. At the rear, there’s a new diffuser insert in the apron, a new spoiler lip on the roof and certain trim panels are painted in high gloss black. Unlike the lower spec variants, this, gets 20-inch AMG multi-spoke light-alloy wheels, which makes it a little more special than the AMG Line one.

Inside, all variants of the GLA get a cabin that’s built from high quality materials, new seat covers and trim parts as well as chrome plated switchgear. The signature 8-inch media display sits at the top of the dash with the usual controls for the infotainment system elegantly placed just like with its predecessor.

Fitted as standard is the Active Brake Assist system that warns and assists in braking during emergency situations. It helps ensure that drivers have all the information and coverage as and when needed. The GLA also comes with Attention Assist, which is a system that continually monitors the driver for signs of drowsiness through steering input and warns him/her as and when necessary.

The vehicle also has a Dynamic Select button that alters the engine, transmission, steering and suspension behaviour to match the needs of the driver. The system also offers 5 different transmission modes that include Comfort, Sport, Eco, Indivivudla and off-raod (4MATIC variants only).

The most powerful of the 2.0-litre turbo engines fitted in the three variants is in teh AMG GLA 45 4MATIC. It develops 381bhp and 475Nm of torque, which allows the vehicle to sprint from 0-100km.h in just 4.4 seconds. Power is transferred to the wheels through the AMG Speedshift DCT 7-speed transmission. It is said to offer optimised response and shift times thanks to the closer ratios between gears.

All three variants are available for purchase with the base GLA 200 priced at RM239,888, the GLA 250 4MATIC at RM269,888 and GLA 45 4MATIC at RM408,888. All three figures represent on the road prices, inclusive of GST but without insurance factored in them. Visit the local Mercedes-Benz website to learn more about the vehicle.

Dixon and Howard uninjured despite terrifying crash at Indy500

Whoever said that IndyCar racing was as thrilling as watching a TV test pattern, clearly hadn’t watched last weekend’s Indianapolis 500 that took place at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was an action-packed race that saw rookie, Fernando Alonso, who, despite an impressive form all weekend, was relegated to the sidelines due to engine failure.

Takuma Sato eventually emerged victorious after a hard fought battle and has entered the record books as the first Japanese driver to win the prestigious race. Despite his amazing feat, this year’s race will be remembered for a very different reason.

Most will remember it as a day they witnessed a terrifying crash between pole sitter Scott Dixon and Jay Howard. Howard, driving the No.77 Lucas Oil/Team One Cure Honda hit the barrier outside of turn 2 and careened back towards the track, directly into the path of Scott Dixon’s No.9 Caping World Honda. Dixon with no time to react, plowed into Howard’s car, launching his No.9 car into the air and hitting the fence. Both cars were heavily damaged and debris from the crash was spread all over that section of the track.

Surprisingly, neither Dixon nor Howard sustained any injuries, which is a testament to the safety that is engineered to these types of race cars. The incident caused a 19-minute red flag for wall repair and track cleaning.

Check out the video above to see exactly what contributed to the hair-raising crash that we will not forget anytime soon.

Source: indianapolismotorspeedway.com

Shell partners Waze to warn you of accident-prone areas

Shell Lubricants Malaysia’s Shell Helix, has partnered with the mobile navigation app, Waze, to make driving home this festive season, a little bit safer. From 16 May to 15 July 2017, those using the Waze app will receive special alerts courtesy of Shell Helix about accident-prone areas during their travels.

So far, the partnership has identified 50 spots that are considered accident-prone areas. The app will infrom Waze users nearing said areas with an alert in the App, urging road users to be extra cautious while driving through these areas. This will lend a helping hand to road users and should some-what help relieve their worries while making the long journey home this festive season. According to Shell, the alerts should be displayed when the vehicle is ‘stationary to avoid any further distractions’.

Speaking of the newly added feature within Waze, Shell Lubricants Malaysia and Singapore, Marketing Manager Alex Lim, said, “This cooperation with Waze reflects our desire to take our commitment in road safety to the next level by engaging drivers in real-time. We are delighted to work with Shell Helix to launch this initiative that reminds drivers to stay extra safe. By reducing crashes, we also reduce traffic jams and this benefits everyone.”

As an added bonus this festive season, Shell will be offering a special oil change discount during the pre-peak travel period at selected Shell stations and Shell trade partners across the country. A unique promo code will be displayed in the Waze up, which the app user can use at said Shell outlets to redeem a RM30 discount on the cost of an oil change service at participating Shell Helix branded workshops and retail stations’ Lube Bay service outlets.

Shell’s initiatives this festive season should help reduce congestion and vehicle breakdowns as well as help Malaysians get to their destinations safely.

Aston Martin emerge victorious at Nurburgring 24 Hours

Aston Martin had an eventful weekend which finally led to it clinching the win in the 2017 ADAC Nurburgring 24 Hours SP8 category. It’s GT8 race car piloted by Darren Turner survived a torrential downpour without incident to reach the finish line ahead of all its rivals. The late storm covered a third of the 20.832km circuit, making it very challenging for everyone to stay on track.

The Aston Martin Vantage GT8 led its class for much of the race thanks to its revolutionary active oil management system. The car was performing so well that for much of the night, it was able to keep up with more powerful GT3 cars in higher classes as well as run with the top 30 cars in the race.

Despite the heavy downpour, Aston Martin elected to keep Turner on track with dry weather tyres rather than risk loosing positions with a pit-stop. The team felt that it had enough of a lead to maintain its position despite the traction deficit from the tyres.

Thankfully, the tactic paid off, and Turner managed to nurse the car to the chequered flag in 21st position and 1st in its class. Turner was joined by co-drivers reigning FIA World Endurance Champion Nicki Thiim and Peter Cate on the podium for a much deserved celebration.

Speaking of the hard fought win, Turner said, “When you have heavy rain here, it might only fall on a third of the track. So you really want to wait until it looks like everything is going to get wet before changing tyres. It’s great to have won here at the Nordschleife. You are constantly fighting the circuit and the elements here rather than the competition. This is a hard track, in what is effectively a production car, and to survive that is testament to the build and quality of the Vantage GT8.”

The near to production Vantage GT8 shares very little with a GT3 spec race car. In fact, the car runs with a standard V8 engine, gearbox and electronics that is similar to what you would get from a conventional Vantage. This is a testament to the capabilities of the car at running with higher powered racers and still being able to keep up with them.