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Volvo Trucks appoints new Managing Director for Malaysia

Volvo Trucks has appointed Mitch Peden (above) as its new Managing Director for Malaysia, with an aim to further strengthen Volvo Trucks’ position in the commercial vehicle market, and to bring the company to greater heights than ever before. Hailing from Australia, Mitch started his career at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Mitch took his first step into the automotive sector in 1994 when he joined General Motors.

Since then, Mitch has worked in a number of automotive companies before joining Volvo Trucks in 2005. Mitch has been a member of the Volvo Trucks management team, helming a few positions in sales and marketing area throughout his career, prior to being appointed as Volvo Trucks Malaysia’s new MD.

Mitch will be taking over from his predecessor, Mats Nilsson, who after working in Volvo Trucks Malaysia for 5 years, will be moving to the Renault Organisation in France within the Volvo Group. As the new managing director, Mitch will be responsible for growing the trucks sales and aftermarket business in Malaysia and Brunei.

“It is an exciting time for Volvo Trucks today with so many new developments in Malaysia. Volvo Trucks will continue introducing new technology and innovation as we head into the future and to provide better quality services and products to our customers here. I am excited to continue on the footsteps of my predecessor and fellow colleague, Mats Nilsson, who has done a brilliant job in raising Volvo Trucks Malaysia to where it is today. I am very confident that, with the strong commitment of the team here in Malaysia, we will be able to continuously offer the best to our customers.” said Mitch.

With over two decades of industry experience, 13 years of which were with Volvo Trucks, Mitch is truly an industry veteran who is tasked to take Volvo Trucks Malaysia to greater heights. Mitch graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and also holds a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from Bond University.

Volvo Trucks Malaysia Photo Gallery (Truck images from Volvo Trucks M’sia Webpage)

Naza Group Steps Forward to Contribute to Tabung Harapan Malaysia

The Naza Group announced it will contribute RM1,000 towards Tabung Harapan Malaysia for every car sold by the Group, from 1^st June to 31^st August 2018. The Naza Group is an importer and distributor for a diverse range of international automotive brands such as Ferrari, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Citroën, DS and Kia in Malaysia.

SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin, Group Executive Chairman and CEO, Naza Corporation Holdings Sdn Bhd said, “The Naza Group is proud to play its part by contributing to Tabung Harapan Malaysia as a responsible and patriotic corporate citizen. Our contribution is also our way of thanking the Government of Malaysia for the stable economic and political landscape and most of all for the 3-month tax holiday which has spurred sales of cars to achieve record levels this year.”

“As a homegrown company, it is our obligation and responsibility to assist wherever possible for the betterment of our beloved nation, especially as we soon celebrate our 61^st anniversary of Merdeka and 55^th Malaysia Day,” added SM Nasarudin.

Regas Premium Sabah & BMW Malaysia Open New Dealership in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Regas Premium Sabah and BMW Malaysia today opened doors to its newest BMW and BMW Motorrad showroom in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Harald Hoelzl, (below, second from left) Managing Director and CEO of BMW Group Malaysia said, “Partnerships and collaborations with our dealer representatives such as Regas Premium Sabah form crucial touch points to deliver our promise of Sheer Driving Pleasure to our customers in the country. While Regas Premium Sabah is now a new dealership in Kota Kinabalu, its owners Tan Brothers Machinery Company (TBMC) and Regas Group of Companies are no strangers to the premium automotive industry in East Malaysia.”

Hoelzl added that annually, East Malaysia contributes over 500 vehicles to BMW’s performance in Malaysia and the state of Sabah accounts to over 200 vehicles, proving that the state is a key touch point in the country. Mr. Matthew Tan, Managing Director and Dealer Principal of Regas Premium Sabah, meanwhile said, “The BMW Group is the leader in Mobility of the Future, delivering the best premium products and the best premium services for individual mobility. The brands representing the premium automaker are also the fastest growing brands in the premium segment in Malaysia with innovations that are leading the automotive industry in the country, which is why it has been an ambition for us at TBMC Group of Companies to represent the brand here in Sabah.”

Last year, the deliveries across the BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad range experienced an 18% growth in Sabah compared to performance in 2016. Regas Premium Sabah Sdn Bhd is a joint venture between TM Vision Auto Services Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of TBMC Group of Companies and Regas Premium Auto Sdn Bhd. Regas Premium Auto is the authorised dealer representative for the brands BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad in the state of Sarawak. Regas Premium Auto was also appointed as the authorised service dealership for BMW i in 2016 in the state, and last year established the first-ever BMW i public charging facilities in East Malaysia at CityOne Megamall Kuching.

Regas Premium Sabah will be taking over FM Autohaus as BMW Group Malaysia’s new dealership in Kota Kinabalu and will operate in the existing 53,500 sq ft facility located in the prime area along Jalan Penampang. It offers the full suite of Sales, Services, Spare Parts and Systems (4S) for the brands BMW and BMW Motorrad, as well as service facilities for the brands BMW i and MINI.

BMW Group Malaysia currently has a network of 20 BMW, 8 MINI, and 9 BMW Motorrad dealerships nationwide. Regas Premium Sabah is located at Lot 17362, Mile 3, Lido, Jalan Penampang, 88300 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Toyota Gazoo Racing: Celebs & Teen Drivers Graduate For The Opening Round Of The Toyota Vios Challenge 2018!

It was a graduation ceremony of a different kind at the Sepang International Circuit with eight individuals trading academic robes and caps for nomex fire resistant racing suits and helmets as they completed six days of intensive training at the Vios Challenge Racing School en route to becoming certified to compete in the upcoming second season of the Toyota Vios Challenge.

The graduates comprise of six new Malaysian celebrities who will be competing in the Promotional Class and two teenagers who will be making their saloon car racing debut in the Sporting Class. The newcomers to this season’s Toyota Vios Challenge are singers Aiman Tino, Khai Bahar, Nabila Razali, Wany Hasrita, Akim Ahmad and comedian Nabil Ahmad.

“While some of us may have had the experience of sharing the stage with one another, it’s going to be an entirely out of water experience to be racing alongside each other,” said Nabil. Likewise, 26-year-old Wany is also looking forward to her debut as a celebrity racer. “It’s an honour to have been selected by UMW Toyota Motor to become one of four women on the grid and I look forward to the first round,” said Wany.

This season’s race will also see the return of celebrities Shawn Lee who is defending champion in the Promotional Class, and fellow artistes Diana Danielle, Janna Nick and Syukri Yahaya who had also completed a refresher course. The outstanding performances of Lee and Syukri last year however, will see both celebrities upgraded to compete in the Sporting Class.

For former child actor and beatboxer Shawn Lee said the experience from competing in the first season of the Toyota Vios Challenge has been both exciting and challenging. “Returning as defending champion, the expectations are certainly higher. Season 1 was an extremely steep learning curve for me, and I am sure for all the other celebrities on the grid as well, but the refresher course has enabled me to enhance my car control, speed and intuitiveness behind the wheel,” said Lee.

“Like everything else, practice makes perfect and although I endured a rough start to the season, my performance, confidence and consistency gradually increased…With the four of us (including Shawn, Janna and Syukri) returning for a second season, there’s really no excuse not to gun for a top three finish this time round,” said Diana.

The Toyota Vios Challenge will anchor the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival organised by UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd and features some 40 identically race-prepared vehicles competing in three classifications: Promotional Class, Sporting Class and Super Sporting Class (for elite and professional race drivers). The Sporting Class will see the participation of two talented 14-year-olds and former karting team mates Mohamed Hayden Mohamad Haikal and Oscar Ng Kok Tung.

“When I race, I like to push the limits to do better and better. The Toyota Vios Challenge has provided me with a new set of challenges as it is a different type of racing compared to karting. There’s a lot for me to learn, different techniques, different challenges. I’m thrilled to have been given the chance to race with well-known racers and celebrities. All this really excites me,” said Mohamed Hayden.

Meanwhile, for young Oscar, stepping up into saloon car racing will be following in the footsteps of his father Ng Wai Leong, a former national karter and single-seater race car driver. “The principles of racing remain unchanged, but it’s an entirely new experience piloting a full-sized saloon car with a manual transmission as opposed to driving a kart, and something I’ve got to quickly come to terms in order to be competitive,” he said.

Managed by Wing Hin Motorsports under the supervision of Toyota Racing Development (TRD) Japan, the Vios Challenge Racing School had put the drivers through six days of intensive training. It included a one-day theory session on the principles of defensive driving, vehicle technology, driving attitude and behaviour, and emergency braking and avoidance techniques.

The drivers subsequently spent another five days on track at the Sepang International Circuit where they were taught the principles of racing, understanding track rules and regulations, how to execute a proper gear change (yes, all the cars are fitted with manual transmission) including the heel and toe technique, racing lines and how to enter and exit corners, as well as the proper technique and threshold of braking.

The racing cars are also prepared under the supervision by Toyota Racing Development (TRD) Japan, with the race run to regulations governed by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM). While the cars take after the base model Toyota Vios 1.5, it is fitted with a full roll cage for safety, and equipped with race-worthy modifications that include aerodynamics, suspension system, exhaust, brakes, clutch, a limited slip differential and tyres.

“The first season of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival and the running of the Toyota Vios Challenge have been absolutely phenomenal from both a promotional and commercial perspective,” said UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd President, Ravindran K.

“In line with the company’s tagline All About the Drive, both the festival and the Vios Challenge successfully promoted the merits of the brand and this commercially translated into an increase in sales, particularly for the Vios. It visibly demonstrated the Vios’ competitiveness, reliability, durability, safety and agility, propositions that may have otherwise been taken for granted by consumers in search of a mid-sized entry level or family sedan. Like we say, it’s All About the Drive and in order to truly appreciate what the car is capable of, you have to first get behind the wheel of a Vios!” he added.

While most of the action and competitive driving takes place on a specially-built street circuit on the grounds of the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Kuala Terengganu, the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival is a carnival in itself providing members of the public with a myriad of activities that include an elaborate display of Toyota’s fleet of new vehicles, stage games, promotional activities, lucky draws and a Superfans Signing Session for a chance to mingle with the celebrity drivers.

“Kuala Terengganu is going to be special as it will not only be the opening race of the season but it will also be the festival’s visit to the East Coast, and we’re looking forward to the warm hospitality and extraordinary spectator support Terengganu is well known for,’ said Ravindran. The Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival kicks off from 9am on Friday (3 August 2018) to Saturday (4 August 2018), and entrance is free!

From Kuala Terengganu, the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival will move to the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) in Serdang, Selangor on 19-21 October 2018; the Batu Kawan Stadium in Penang from 22-24 February 2019; with the finale being contested at the Sepang International Circuit on 12-14 April 2019.

SCTD In Bangkok: Porsche Celebrates 70th Anniversary @ Thai Capital City In Fine Style!

Held recently, Sportscar Together Day (SCTD) in Bangkok, Southeast Asia’s largest Porsche gathering to celebrate 70 years of Porsche sports cars, featured supercars and superstars, races, plus fun-filled activities that catered for petrolheads and families alike.

Thousands came to the event at Show DC Oasis Arena and more than 300 Porsche cars arrived throughout the course of the day, despite rain or shine. In parallel, droves of spectators turned up to watch 911 GT3 Cup cars tackle the challenging corners of the street circuit perched at Bangsaen beach for Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (PCCA).

70 years after the first sports car to bear the Porsche name, the 1948 356 “No.1” Roadster, received its general operating permit, the brand is celebrating its heritage, while at the same time looking resolutely to the future, in anticipation of its first all-electric model, the Taycan.

Throughout the day at Show DC Oasis Arena, guests were entertained by performances from celebrities including Thai singer-songwriter Singto Numchok, R&B idol and role-model mother Lydia Sarunrat, and top local disc jockey DJ Yukio, with actress, presenter and Instagram-celebrity Diana Chungjintanakarn presiding as emcee.

Crowning the evening at Show DC Oasis Arena, the Porsche family joined Singto Numchok to cut a giant cake, made of 400 individual cupcakes arranged in a mosaic forming the Porsche logo in a photo-finish moment.

In parallel, AAS Auto Service (AAS), the sole authorised importer and distributor of Porsche cars in Thailand, had a beachside hospitality at Bangsaen where guests enjoyed watching the PCCA race while having a view of the Gulf of Thailand.

Adding to the impressively varied fleet of Porsche owner cars as well as “Das Treffen” vehicles over the two locations of SCTD, Porsche Asia Pacific flew in straight from Zuffenhausen, Germany a Porsche 918 Spyder. It is owned by the Porsche Museum, and is a powerful mid-engine plug-in hybrid sports car that smashed the Nürburgring record of seven minutes. The same sports car was driven by Jacky Ickx at PCCA in Bangsaen, who made a guest appearance doing a viewing lap of the meandering circuit before the race began.

The Porsche Museum also loaned its legendary 959 Paris-Dakar, a technology demonstrator that earned its stripes in one of the world’s toughest rallies, completing the 13,800 km desert course with a one-two victory in 1986.

The 919 Hybrid, which is on its Tribute Tour across the world, made a stop in Bangkok and reunited symbolically with Porsche Works Driver Earl Bamber, who raced it to multiple victories at the World Endurance Championship (WEC), including 4 wins and 5 podiums in the 2017 season. It too did a parade around the Bangsaen circuit to the delight of its fans.

It was a truly special day not just for car lovers. Sanjay Rekhi, a Porsche Club Singapore member who planned an elaborate surprise proposal to his girlfriend right at Show DC Oasis Arena, was overjoyed when she said an emphatic ‘yes’ surrounded by dozens of balloons and thunderous applause.

Arthur Willmann, Managing Director of Porsche Asia Pacific, said: “Sportscar Together Day brings together the Porsche community and fans, as well as their friends and families. The year 2018 marks the 70th anniversary of the brand and we want to celebrate the milestone by remembering where we came from, what we have achieved and the future that we will be embracing. Das Treffen is also proof of the dedication of the Thai people to Porsche, and we wanted to reciprocate that love by hosting our signature event here.”

He added: “Thailand has been a great market for us. It is one of the largest in the region, boasting three Porsche centres. I am also pleased to announce that the highly-anticipated Porsche Studio at Icon Siam, the fourth Porsche facility in Thailand, is opening by the end of this year.”

After travelling a few thousand kilometres from all over Southeast Asia, Porsche Club members, owners as well as media colleagues arrived to the SCTD in a Porsche car procession worthy of the feted marque. They were accompanied by police escorts that ushered their grand arrival to Southeast Asia’s largest Porsche gathering.

Some cars had travelled from as far as Singapore and Malaysia, while others were just from the neighbourhood. The vehicles represent a cross section of Porsche’s illustrious history, including every single model in the Porsche range – the 911, 718 Boxster & 718 Cayman, the Panamera, the Cayenne and the Macan. Remarkably, 6 air-cooled Porsche cars from Singapore also made the trip up to Bangkok, their durability matched equally with the passion of its drivers. All were united by their great sporting heritage and their owners’ unwavering love for the Porsche brand.

While it was Porsche’s 70th birthday, it was the carmaker who did all the giving. Benefiting children from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the local arm of a global charity organisation that grants wishes for children with critical illnesses, Porsche cut a cheque for THB 356,000 that was presented on stage. The figure was not a coincidence; it was a nod to the Porsche 356 “No.1” Roadster that started it all 70 years ago.

Facts and figures

Approximately 2,000km – the distance driven by the Porsche Club Singapore to reach SCTD

More than 300 – the number of cars that were on display at SCTD throughout the day

42 – the total number of Porsche cars that made the journey from Singapore and Malaysia

6 – classic Porsche cars drove from Singapore: 1978 911SC, 1972 911 2.4 E, 1973 911 2.4 E, 1989 930 Flachbau, 1982 930, 1970 911T

46 years – the birthday of the 1972 911 2.4 E was celebrated on its way to Bangkok

KIA Stinger Becomes Centre Of Attraction @ “Revolution By Time Kulture” Event

With its sleek fastback silhouette and rear-wheel-drive proportions, the newly introduced Kia Stinger was the centre of attraction at the Revolution by Time Kulture Kia Stinger Exclusive Night, an evening dedicated for Naza Kia Malaysia’s business partners and loyal customer as the Revolution by Time Kulture’s Official Auto Partner. Guests who attended the exclusive event could not help but to stop and stare at the stunning sporty sedan that Naza Kia Malaysia recently unveiled to Malaysians just last week.

“With its apt tagline ‘The Power to Surprise’, the Kia Stinger ushers in a new era of innovation for the Kia brand while preserving its DNA, and is nothing short of a revolutionary benchmark for the future of Kia vehicles. The Kia Stinger is the brand’s fastest car yet and is a true gran turismo. With its blend of high performance and supreme comfort, it perfectly complements the lifestyle of those who appreciate world-class luxurious watch brands and other finer things in life,” said Dato’ Samson Anand George, Group CEO, Automotive Group, Naza Corporation Holdings Sdn Bhd (below, centre).

Naza Kia Malaysia is the Official Auto Partner of the fifth edition signature Revolution by Time Kulture event. Organised by Valiram Group’s Swiss Watch Gallery, the premium watch showcase themed “Temple of Speed” has visual references to the world of motorsports which inspires many luxurious watchmakers in their pursuit of high precision and accuracy.