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Lexus LC to star as Black Panther’s sidekick

The highly anticipated Marvel movie, Black Panther will feature a Lexus LC as the Protagonist’s ‘sidekick’. The Japanese automaker has teamed up with Marvel for a collaboration that will see the new 2018 Lexus LC be the car of choice for the Black Panther character in Marvel Studios’ Black Panther, slated to hit theaters on Feb. 16, 2018.

Directed by Ryan Coogler, and starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyong’o, the film follows T’Challa, who, after the events of Marvel Studios’ “Captain America: Civil War,” goes back home where he takes the place of his father as King of the technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda.

“Marvel continuously captures audiences through charismatic characters and inspiring stories — the ideal fit for Lexus’ mission to craft amazing, engaging experiences,” said Brian Bolain general manager, Lexus marketing. “And the LC’s aggressive styling, high performance and agile handling are a perfect fit for the Black Panther’s quick, cat-like reflexes and superhuman feats. We’re excited to see the duo in action.”

Taking the significance of this vehicle to the next level, Lexus also teamed up with Marvel Custom Solutions to create an original graphic novel by writer Fabian Nicieza and cover illustrations by artists Scott “Rahzzah” Wilson and Szymon Kudranski.

In the comic, the LEXUS LC 500 plays an important role in helping the Black Panther defeat a legendary villain in what is probably going to be an entertaining and well illustrated comic. No word yet on when exactly that this comic will go on sale, but it will probably be after the launch of the movie.

As a means to celebrate the partnership, Lexus and Marvel will host an exclusive Black Panther themed event on Friday, July 21 during Comic-Con after-hours. There will be special performances by DJ Lulo Café and a surprise headliner. It is at that invite-only event that the duo will be unveiling six variant covers for the graphic novel to industry guests and comic enthusiasts.

In case you didn’t know, the Lexus LC is a new sports car from Lexus with a 5.0-litre V8 engine that produces 471bhp and 398Nm of torque. It is mated to a 10-speed electronically controlled Direct-Shift transmission with magnesium paddle shifters. Working together, the powertrain allows the car to accomplish the 0-100km/h sprint in a mere 4.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 270km/h.

Sporting an angular design that is both aggressive yet elegant, the LC 500 is touted as a luxury sports car that offers the best of both worlds.

Ford Focus can be yours for just RM668/month

Ford has made it even easier for car buyers to own its award winning mid-size family hatchback, the Focus. According to the automaker, owning a Focus will only cost you RM668/month or you can forgo this deal for a RM15,000 cash rebate, the choice is yours.

This is an exceptionally good deal based on the numbers but we would advice our readers to speak with a Ford repesentive to know the full terms and conditions of this repayment scheme before committing to anything.

That said, the Focus is one of the best vehicles that the US based automaker sells in our market. It’s the third generation car of the Focus family and is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged EcoBoost engine.

Thanks to forced induction technology, a smaller engine is now able to offer similar output to a much larger displacement one. As such, though the car only has a 1.5-litre engine compared to the 2.0-litre one in its predecessor, power is relatively similar.

It’s exceptionally smart too – the automated louvers behind the front grille open and close to minimize drag of up to 6% enabling the car to save more fuel. The car does this automatically when it detects the vehicle’s speed is sufficiently high and that the engine is receiving adequate air for cooling purposes.

Then, there’s a slew of safety tech such as Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with Cross-Traffic Alert feature. This system warns drivers of obstacles (vehicles) that are in their blind spots and also alerts them when it detects a vehicle approaching from either left or right side of the car, up to a range of 40 metres.

But the Focus’ best party trick, is its ability to park on its own, with minimal human intervention. Through the use if the Enhanced Active Park Assist system, the car is able to parallel or perpendicular park perfectly, with the driver only having to change gears, brake and accelerate when necessary.

In addition to that, the car can also drive itself out of parking spaces through the use of the Park-Out Assist feature. This takes the stress out of having to carefully maneuver out of tight parking spaces on congested streets. Sounds like magic, but in actual fact, the car relies on various ultrasound sensors that act as its eyes, to help it navigate in and out of spaces.

Enhanced Active City Stop system, allows the Focus to apply the brakes as and when needed at speeds of up to 50Km/h when it senses an impending collision. It cuts engine power and engages the brakes to prevent avoidable fender benders or reduce their severity.

Finally, there’s Enhanced Transitional Stability, which is a Godsend for those who constantly drive during heavy downpours. This system, monitors the car’s movements and intervenes when necessary to prevent the driver from loosing control and sending the vehicle into a spin.

Going one step further, with the Ford MyKey, owners can set limits on the abilities of the Focus when the supplementary key is in the hands of a different driver. This key can be programmed to enable or disable certain features in the vehicle. For example, if a less experienced person is about to drive, the owner can programme the key, allowing for additional features. These could include, reducing the maximum speed of the car, prompting low-fuel alerts earlier and limiting entertainment (SYNC 3) functionality until seat belts are fastened.

Other features of the Focus include the following:

Keyless entry Push-button Start
Six airbags
Dual-zone climate control
Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)
Electronic Power-assisted Steering (EPAS)
Torque Vectoring Control
Hill Launch Assist
Six-speed SelectShift with paddle shifters

The Ford Focus can be ordered in six different body colours that include Frozen White, Panther Black, Ingot Silver, Candy Red, Magnetic and Winning Blue. The Focus Trend is priced at RM118,888, the Focus Sport+ is RM139,888 while the sedan version, the Focus Titanium+, comes with a price of RM139,888.

For more information about this or other Ford models, visit the automaker’s local website or your nearest authorized dealer.

Sebastien Loeb to take on steep banking of Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry

Nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb will be taking part in the race up the steep banking of Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry at this year’s Les Grandes Heures Automobiles (LGHA). He will be piloting his monstrous Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak, the very same car that he used to shatter the Pikes Peak Hill Climb record in 2013. A feat that remains unbeatable till this day.

Unlike its road going brethren, the the 208 T16 Pikes Peak is powered by a 3.2-litre turbocharged V6 engine that puts out 875bhp. The whole car weighs a minuscule 875kg even with all the aerodynamic bits tacked on. In 2013, the car oly took 8 minutes and 13 seconds to complete the legendary hill climb race in Colorado Springs, a record that still stands today.

As such, judging from Leob’s track record, at at this year’s Les Grandes Heures Automobiles (LGHA), we may witness another record being broken. That said, it isn’t the only Peugeot competing though, because Peugeot will be showing off its Group B 205 T16s, African Rally 204 and CD-Peugeot LM66 short-tail Le Mans racer too.

The new second-generation 3008 road car will be making its world dynamic debut at the very same event, which will be a big deal for the fans of the French automaker. We will get into more of that at a later date, but we digress.

The LGHA will also play host to a display of rare classic cars and motorcycles for the public to view and admire. Though this is an annual event, this year, the organisation is hoping to attract more international car clubs and competitor participation.

Sebastien Loeb and his racer will be in action on the 23rd of September, which isn’t that far away but until then, check out his Pikes Peak hill climb attempt in this video below and let us know what you think.

Honda Odyssey converted into Minnie Van

Honda USA teamed up with Disney-ABC to produce the Minnie Van, which is essentially a 2018 Odyssey that has been reworked to resemble the looks and colours worn by the iconic Disney character.

The car features the signature polka dots worn by Minnie. And the idea of creating such a vehicle was inspired by the magic of Disney, its beloved characters and the power of imagination.

“The all-new Odyssey was developed for modern families offering high-tech features, flexible seating and new styling, all aimed at keeping everyone in the family happy,” said Susie Rossick, Assistant Vice President of Honda Marketing.

He went on to say, “In creating the MINNIE VAN that will be on display at the D23 Expo, we’re proud to partner with Disney-ABC and be inspired by the style of the most fashionable gal around – Minnie Mouse.”

The MPV will be put on display at this year’s Disney D23 Expo in Anaheim, which is said to be the company’s ultimate fan event. The vehicle isn’t meant to serve as just a tourist attraction, rather its to educate the public on the improvements made to the Odessey and the benefits that it is able to offer to families across the country.

It’s now quieter, more spacious, safer and offers a whole host of connectivity as well as entertainment features. There’s even a slew of tech that include Magic Slid second row seating, 4G LTE Wi-Fi, CabinWatch and CabinTalk technologies, and Honda Sensing® technology.

Developed in Honda’s R&D facilities in Ohio and Califronia, the Odyssey is the best selling MPV in the US for the past 7 years. And this latest vehicle should help bolster the interest in the brand and the namplate even further.

Hyundai i30 N, the Korean version of a hot hatch

The performance hatchback market has heated up these past few years. So much so that even Hyundai has decided to get in on the action. It’s setup its own performance tuning arm called the N. Vehicles that bare this letter are more performance oriented than the base models that they are based on.

If this sounds very familiar to you, that’s because it is. BMW has its M division, Mercedes-Benz has AMG and Ford has SVT. According to Hyundai, there are two reasons why the letter N was chosen to denote performance of its model naming system.

The first, N stands for Namyang, the place in South Korea that the automaker calls home and is where the idea of the creation of a performance arm came was conceptualized. The second reason is, the letter N resembles a sequence of corners of a racing track that is referred to as a chicane.

“The Hyundai i30 N has been developed for no other purpose than to deliver maximum driving fun to our customers in an accessible high-performance package,” says Albert Biermann, Executive Vice President Performance Development and High Performance Vehicle Division.”

He went on to say, “With the high-performance N models we will enhance our brand’s appeal with emotional products that cater to the needs of people who love to have a smile on their face when they drive their car on a winding road and listen to the sound of the engine.”

https://youtu.be/UUfVBi-igUQ

Whatever the case maybe, the first Hyundai to come with the N nomenclature is the i30. The humble yet striking family hatchback has been reworked from the ground up to be a performance vehicle that is able to go toe-to-toe with cars from the likes of Ford and Renault.

The front fascia has been tweaked to offer a more sporting appeal, but has been left largely untouched. The subtle bodykit provide the car with a more aggressive stance yet being tasteful enough not to seem tacky.

Behind the grille, special air curtains help limit air flow to reduce turbulence in the wheel housing and allow for more efficient cooling of the engine.

There are also special channels in the front bumper that direct air to the brakes for cooling. The rear features more angular contours than that on the standard car, too.

There’s a large rear spoiler mounted on the roof to improve downforce and to maintain stability at high speed. In fact, the entire car’s body panels have been tweaked to increase aerodynamic efficiency for maximum traction.

That coupled with an electronic limited slip differential help increase grip especially during high speed cornering. The dual sports exhaust, rear diffuser and trim pieces add to the sporty appeal that complement the 18/19 inch alloy sports rims.

Under the hood is a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine that produces nearly 275bhp and 353Nm of torque. the turbo is designed to offer boost at the lower end of the rev range allowing the engine to output linear power delivery. Power is sent to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox, which should appeal to the purist fraternity.

As for the interior, the N version of the i30 receives a more sporty look which is evident by the addition of sports seats and an N exclusive, steering wheel.

This steering wheel has unique blue stitching and an N logo at the bottom. On the left of it, there’s drive selection options (Normal, Sport and Eco) that alter the drive behaviour.

On the right side of the steering wheel, there’s an N button that readies the car to match the optimum designated setting. There’s also a rev-matching feature that allow for better engine control during shifting, which should offer better acceleration and shorter sprint times.

The i30 N comes with a slew of tech that include Electronic Controlled Suspension (adjusts suspension behaviour), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Electronic Limited Slip Differential and a Variable Exhaust Valve System.

Despite the performance credentials, the car gets safety features such as Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Driver Attention Alert (DAA), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Speed Limit Information Function (SLIF) and High Beam Assist (HBA).

Hyundai’s i30 N has gone through extensive testing at the Nurburgring to ensure that they got the hot hatch recipe just right. That said, its a relatively new car, and we shall have to wait and see how well it stacks up against the VW Golf GTI and Ford Focus ST as well as other established models.

Gran Turismo Sport will be arriving in mid October 2017

After a substantial number of delays, we finally have some concrete evidence that GT Sport, the highly anticipated PlayStation 4 exclusive game, will be here soon. Based on the information we managed to gather from the gran turismo website, we now know that the highly acclaimed fifth installment of the world renowned simulation-like racing game will be put on sale on 17th October 2017.

The new game features a super realistic graphics engine that adds a sense of realism that has been absent from most of the current generation games. The vehicle textures seem very real and the attention detail that has been placed on every car, especially the interior is something that is awe-inspiring.

There’s even a specifically designed and tailored steering wheelcontroller that took four years to develop just for GT Sport, providing players with more realistic control and feedback. It’s called the Thrustmaster T-GT and it mimics the looks of a real racing steering wheel pretty well.

More details regarding the game will be divulged as we approach the launch date which is about three months away. According to the game makers, it will blitz all previous versions when it comes to performance, realism, graphics quality as well as vehicle drivability.

Till the actual launch, take a look at these trailers and let us know what you think about the upcoming game.