You can’t drive a Formula 1 car on public roads as its designed for racetracks and even though drivers have survived horrendous crashes at high speeds, there are other aspects that do not meet safety regulations as well as general vehicle construction requirements in most countries.

However, Mercedes-AMG now offers a something close to a F1 car that can be used on the road. It’s the long-awaited Mercedes-AMG ONE which we have been waiting 5 years for. Now, on the 55^th anniversary of the high-performance arm of Mercedes-Benz, the hypercar is ready to go into production and the first of 275 customers will get their car before Christmas. The price – from £2.2 million (about RM12.15 million), which is still considerably ‘cheaper’ than Lewis Hamilton’s racing car.

“With the Mercedes-AMG ONE, we have more than pushed the envelope. The immense technical challenges of making a modern Formula 1 powertrain suitable for everyday road use have undoubtedly pushed us to our limits. Over the duration of the development period, many may have thought that the project would be impossible to implement. Nevertheless, the teams in Affalterbach (home of Mercedes-AMG) and the UK never gave up and believed in themselves. I have the highest respect for all those involved and am proud of this team achievement,” said Philipp Schiemer, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

“To put such a hypercar on wheels is certainly unique. This applies to us as Mercedes-AMG not only from a technical point of view, but also in terms of the close exchange with our loyal customers. Together with us, they have gone through ups but also downs in the course of development. They were an integral part of Project One from the very beginning and can now look forward to the highly exclusive and unique Mercedes-AMG ONE, which has now also been able to clear the next hurdle and passed all ECE certification tests,” he said.

F1 technology for the road
The E PERFORMANCE hybrid drive of the Mercedes-AMG ONE comes directly from Formula 1 and has been developed in close cooperation with Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains in England. It is a highly integrated and intelligently networked unit comprising one hybrid, turbocharged combustion engine with 4 electric motors.

The 1.6-litre V6 hybrid petrol engine with electrically assisted single-turbocharging has similar technology to the current power unit in the F1 racing cars. The engine, mounted in mid-engine position in front of the rear axle, revs up to 11,000 rpm. To achieve high engine speeds, the mechanical valve springs have been replaced by pneumatic valve springs. However, for longer durability and the use of commercial fuel, it has been set to stay below the F1 rev limit.

Mercedes-AMG’s fastest production car
The hybrid powertrain can produce 1,049 bhp but the maximum torque generated cannot be provided as the drivetrain is too complex, according to Mercedes-AMG. With a top speed of 352 km/h, this will be the brand’s fastest production car and it will be able to go from 0 to 100 km/h in a claimed 2.9 seconds. Depending on the amount of energy in the battery pack, up to 18 kms of driving on just electricity is said to be possible.

The high-performance lithium-ion battery pack and energy storage system is a special Mercedes-AMG development. Its technology has already proven itself in the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team’s racing cars. Two of the electric motors allow the braking energy to be optimally used for recuperation – up to 80% under everyday driving conditions. This energy is stored in the battery and is available for a longer electric range or for more drive performance.

The driver can select from 6 drive programs – from pure electric to racetrack mode. The modes not only alter the powertrain programming but also the active aerodynamics and chassis systems. There is also an Individual mode that allows the driver to personalize the settings.

The Mercedes-AMG ONE has a lightweight and high‑strength carbonfibre monocoque, the technology of which originates from Formula 1. The chassis is an aluminium construction at the front and rear, each with 5 links and 2 adjustable suspension struts. There is adaptive damping adjustment which can be adapted via the drive programs.

Exclusively designed wheels
A new development is the 10-spoke forged aluminium wheel with centre lock, exclusive to the Mercedes-AMG ONE. This has a radial carbonfibre partial cover with an aerodynamically sophisticated shape. It improves the aerodynamic efficiency of the hypercar by enhancing the flow around the wheel.

Also special are the optional 9-spoke magnesium forged wheels designed exclusively for the Mercedes-AMG ONE. In addition to the centre-lock technology, they feature a patented bionic design to maximize lightweight construction and rigidity. The aerodynamically designed carbonfibre partial cover is a good example of the combination of low weight, optimized brake cooling and aerodynamic efficiency. At the same time, 9 air vanes per wheel ensure active ventilation of the wheel arch and thus improved heat dissipation from the brakes.

The active, hydraulically controlled aerodynamics increase downforce on the front and rear axles and also improve aerodynamic efficiency. Depending on the driver’s preference and the selected drive program, 3 different aerodynamic setups are available.

Function in every detail
The interior design concept follows function on the racetrack and every detail has a function. ‘No styling’ is the design consequence resulting from the requirements for this driving machine. The design is a synthesis of sculptural form language and uncompromising racing design. In the bold minimalism of the monocoque interior, the reduced components are emphasized and showcased in terms of design and function.

The ergonomically contoured interior has room for two occupants on racing seats. The centre tunnel is also a functional part of the carbonfibre support structure. It blends fully into the seat sculpture and follows the principle of minimalism with its gently rising contour.

The slim wing profile of the instrument panel appears light as if floating. As a functional structural component, it also stiffens the monocoque of the hypercar. The two high-resolution, free-standing 10-inch displays with individual Mercedes-AMG ONE graphics are finished with high-quality real-metal parts and adapted to the instrument panel.

In the radically designed race steering wheel, operating and functional elements are combined with original racing car components to ensure safe operation in extreme driving situations. The ‘shift light’ is displayed at the top of the steering wheel rim, as is usual in racing cars. The steering wheel, which is flattened at the top and bottom and has an integrated airbag. It includes motorsport trim elements whereby the two integrated AMG steering wheel buttons can be used to activate various functions without having to take the hands off the wheel.

The Mercedes-AMG developers have also thought about suitability for everyday use and further ease of operation. The user interface is integrated as an autonomous concept. The most important information is displayed on the road in the line of vision above the steering wheel, so that the driver is not distracted. To ensure optimal rearward visibility despite the vertical wing on the rear, the interior mirror is replaced by a screen. It shows real-time footage from a MirrorCam integrated into the rear.

While the quality of all materials will be of the same superior standard as other Mercedes-AMG models, customers also have extensive options for very personal individualization if the already exclusive nature of the hypercar is still inadequate.

Mercedes-AMG Project ONE hypercar stars in new Forza Horizon 5 game (w/VIDEO)

The Takata airbag recall began over 10 years ago and many manufacturers had to recall millions of vehicles all over the world to replace the defective airbag inflator module that could break up during inflation. When it broke up, metal parts would shoot at the driver or front passenger at high speed, causing severe injuries as well as death.

All carmakers fulfilled their responsibility for the safety of their customers and made every effort to get vehicle owners to bring their vehicles to service centres for a free replacement. Some, like Honda Malaysia, put in an exemplary effort to locate and inform every owner who had an affected vehicle, even to the extent of asking personnel at service centres to visit homes nearby where there were Honda vehicles. The company still provides support on the Takata airbag recall issue, if required.

However, there are rare cases where owners have been without the vital support service to make the replacement because there is no longer a distributor in the country. This is the case with Chevrolet as Naza Quest stopped selling its products at the end of 2018.

Many Chevrolet models sold in Malaysia were fitted with Takata airbags and those airbags are potentially dangerous and have to be replaced as soon as possible. As a responsible manufacturer, Chevrolet will make it possible for Malaysian owners to obtain the replacements. The company has no aftersales facilities here and has arranged with Honda Malaysia to use its authorized service centres to carry out the work on affected Chevrolet vehicles.

The choice of Honda Malaysia could be that General Motors, Chevrolet’s parent company, has a close relationship with Honda. The two companies have already signed agreements to work together to develop, build and sell affordable electric vehicles during the second half of this decade. So it may be that there was a request from GM and Honda’s headquarters asked Honda Malaysia to assist.

What models are affected?
The affected models are the Cruze (2010 – 2015), Orlando (2013 – 2015) and Sonic (2013 – 2015). The company has also listed the SAAB 9-3 (2007) and Chevrolet TRAX (2017) on its recall list for Malaysia, perhaps having detected these models sold here.

Get the VIN first, then make appointment
Before visiting a designated Honda service centre, the owner must first obtain the Vehicle Identification Number or VIN which is somewhere on the vehicle. Once the number is noted, it has to be provided to the service centre for verification and if the vehicle is on the recall list, then an appointment can be made to make the replacement. It should be noted that the service centres will not entertain walk-ins, so you will need to call or e-mail there first.

Full information, including the list of designated Honda service centres and how to locate the VIN on the vehicle, can be found at this website concerning the Chevrolet recall. A call-team has also been set up to contact customers who may have difficulty connecting to the internet. To reach this team call 011 3129 9963 or 011 3129 9965 during working hours (9 am to 6 pm) daily, except Saturdays, Sundays and national public holidays. The number is only for the Takata airbag recall and not for any other matters related to Chevrolet vehicles or services.

Ferrari’s sportscars are exclusive and some are more exclusive than others, being produced in limited numbers. The Daytona SP3 unveiled in November last year is one of the more exclusive models, with only 599 units to be built for sale.

The Daytona SP3 has a design that is inspired by 1960s racing cars like the ones that finished 1-2-3 at the 1967 Daytona 24 Hours. The cars were powered by a mid-mounted naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 that could develop up to 829 bhp.

Each SP3 costs US$2.25 million (about RM9.85 million) so they will be only for the ultra rich, pf which many are already Ferrari customers. However, you can still have a SP3 in your home for very much less money. In fact, your outlay will be just US$399.99 (about RM1.750) and you won’t need an AP either.

The SP3 is from Lego Technic, which has released a 3,778-piece kit that assembles into a 1/8 scale model of the supercar. This makes it 59 cm long, 25 cm wide and 14 cm tall and this rather large size has allowed for exceptional detail.

The attention-grabber will be the mid-mounted V12 engine (which has a displacement of 6.5 litres in the real car) with pistons that move, and is coupled to the 8-speed sequential transmission. Other features in the cockpit include a detailed steering wheel with shifter paddles, removable roof, opening butterfly doors and detailed shock absorbers. Under the bonnet is a unique serial number which unlocks special online content.

While the Daytona SP3 is part of Ferrari’s Iconia series, LEGO Technic’s model is from the brand’s Ultimate Car Concept series. It is the fourth addition to this series of supercar builds. Made for display, it comes with a decorated display plate as well. There’s also a coffee-table booklet with insights into the collaboration between the LEGO designers and Ferrari.

The Daytona SP3 will be available for ordering from LEGO’s global website and stores worldwide from June 1, 2022.

McLaren Elva joins LEGO Speed Champions series

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.

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.

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.

Proton Edar to distribute smart New Energy Vehicles from China

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.

The Land Rover Defender – Past and Present

For more information and to find the location of the closest Land Rover showroom to you, visit www.landrover.com.my.