It’s here! Naza Italia, the official importer and distributor of the iconic Ferrari brand in Malaysia has just launched the all-new Ferrari Portofino (link) at Bukit Kiara Equestrian & Country Resort! And yes, it’s a stunner!
With a price tag just shy of a million ringgit (before taxes), the Portofino boasts 600bhp and a whopping 760Nm of torque from its turbocharged 3,855cc V8 engine, the Portofino is able to #dropthetop in a mere 14 seconds, and sprint from 0 to 100kmh in just 3.5sec.
As mentioned, in “just shy of a million”, we mean the new Ferrari Portofino retails for RM948,000 (base price), before taxes. Pictures don’t do it justice, so check out the official video below!
Ferrari Portofino Photo Gallery (photos by Beng Lim, EVO/Aurizn.com)
With Hari Raya Aidilfitri just a month away, the Naza Group is offering great savings and promotions at its biggest Naza Gaya Raya Autofair 2018, exclusive for customers of Naza Automall, the biggest vehicle-showroom in Malaysia.
From now until 30th June 2018, the Naza Gaya Raya Autofair 2018 is offering a massive line-up of 4-wheel and 2-wheel automotive brands with amazing deals up for grabs, as well as cash rebates, fast-loan approval, high trade-in value, free road tax and insurance, free maintenance service, vouchers, free gifts and free monthly instalments*.
Packages are available for the 14 brands of both used and new vehicles displayed in Malaysia’s largest motor showroom during the two-month campaign. Brands include Maserati, Brabus, Kia, Peugeot, Chevrolet, Ducati, Vespa and Indian Motorcycles among others. Customers can also enjoy discounts of up to 15% for both new and used luxury car brands beyond the Naza Group’s automotive brands portfolio such as the Toyota Vellfire, Toyota Alphard and Toyota Harrier.
“With Hari Raya Aidilfitri just around the corner, customers are invited to bring their family and friends to Naza Automall and check out our festive offers at the Naza Gaya Raya Autofair 2018. With a variety of automotive brands there is surely something for everyone. From brand new to quality imported preowned cars and bikes, we assure you the best deals in town, all under one roof” said Dato’ Samson Anand George, Group CEO, Automotive Group, Naza Corporation Holdings (below).
Besides the fantastic savings and fast-delivery, Naza Automall customers who purchase their dream car or bike during the Naza Gaya Raya Autofair 2018 will stand a chance to win a full-expense paid 4 days 3 nights trip to catch the 2018 FIFA World Cup semi-finals live in Moscow. Head over to the Naza Automall to find out more on how to participate and win.
Additionally, in conjunction with Mothers’ Day, Naza Automall customers are also entitled to a RM500 BLVD fine dinning voucher with purchase of any 4-wheel vehicle during the Mothers’ Day weekend (12th – 13th May 2018).
The Naza Gaya Raya Autofair 2018 also features exclusive promotions for other businesses under the Naza Group. Naza TTDI, the group’s property arm will be offering special packages for residential property purchases which include discounts, rebates, ID vouchers, progressive interest, and free legal fees for SPA and loan agreement.
Naza College of Technology and Business is also offering merit scholarships and a RM1,000 registration and resource fee waiver for students who sign up for an education course with the college at the Naza Gaya Raya Autofair 2018. Students who register during the campaign period at the Naza Automall will also be given the opportunity for a fully-sponsored SKM (Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia) program at Naza Academy in Gurun, Kedah.
Other fun activities during the Naza Gaya Raya Autofair 2018 include a Kid’s Corner for games, duit raya giveaways, and food trucks stationed at the venue only on weekends. Visit the Naza Gaya Raya Autofair 2018 at Naza Automall, to check out what Naza has in store and join in on the fun!
Located in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, along the Federal Highway, the Naza Automall is open from 9am to 6pm on weekdays and from 10am to 7pm on weekends.
*Promotions are subjected to individual automotive brands.
The 6-Hours of Spa Francorchamps on May 5 for the season opener of the FIA WEC 2018/19 Super Season saw our all-Malaysian team finishing the race at a remarkable P4, despite set backs. Racing under the Jackie Chan DC Racing x Jota Team, Nabil Jeffri, Weiron Tan and Jazeman Jaafar (below, right to left) were running a strong P2 in their FortuneCat#37 car until the last 65 minutes, when they pitted in for the final driver switch.
During this pit-stop, an unrelated crash occurred in Sector 1, forcing the untimely deployment of the safety car and automatically turning the pit-exit lights red. The team were very close to an almost certain podium debut, if not for the unlucky final pit in; well as they say, “that’s racing”.
However, the team’s successful climb back to a strong P4 finish scored them valuable World Championship points in the first leg of the FIA WEC 2018/19 Super Season.
Global demand for the Ford Mustang, which was introduced in Malaysia in 2016, has driven the Mustang to its third straight year as the best-selling sports coupe in the world. Global Mustang registrations in 2017 totaled 125,809 cars, according to Ford analysis of the most recent new light vehicle registration data from IHS Markit. This data – compiled from government and other sources and capturing 95 percent of global new vehicle volumes in more than 80 countries – puts Mustang ahead of all other sports coupe competitors worldwide.
“The world is falling in love with Mustang,” says Erich Merkle, Ford sales analyst. “Mustang represents the best of American design, performance and freedom, with an unmistakable personality that’s appeals – regardless of your postcode.” Speaking of postcodes, here’s what our friends at Autobuzz.my had to say about the Mustang…
Of the nearly 126,000 vehicles registered worldwide in 2017, Ford reported 81,866 of those were registered in the United States, meaning just over one-third of all Mustang registrations are occurring in export markets. Demand remains particularly strong in China, where Mustang was the best-selling sports coupe last year based on 7,125 registrations.
The most popular configuration worldwide is the Mustang GT with the 5.0-liter V8. While sports cars have traditionally skewed toward male buyers in the United States, Mustang is increasingly finding favor with women. In an environment of relatively flat sports car sales to women, Ford research shows a 10 percent gain in women buying Mustang in the last five years.
Since global exports began in 2015, and up till December 2017, Ford has sold 418,000 Mustangs around the world. Sports coupes, as defined by IHS Markit, include two-door and convertible models. Malaysians who are interested in owning this world’s best-selling coupe can call 012-3333873 for further information.
Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) has announced that from now until 30 June 2018, customers who book and register the Outlander 2.0-litre will get two new accessories – All Round Monitor and Premium Leatherette seats as part of Mitsubishi’s Special Raya Promo! That’s not all, both the Outlander 2.0-litre and Outlander 2.4-litre will come with a RM4,000 Raya bonus respectively. The Outlander 2.0-litre is priced at RM139,988.00 while the Outlander 2.4-litre is priced at RM154,988.00.
Additionally, customers who book and register a new Mitsubishi Triton will enjoy Raya bonus worth up to RM12,000! Raya 2018 promotions for all Triton variants are as follows*:
No
Model/Variant
OTR Price without insurance GST inclusive (RM) in Peninsular Malaysia
Raya Bonus (RM)
Warranty
1
Triton Athlete
126,990.00
4,000
All Triton variants except Triton Quest: Five years warranty or 200,000km
Triton Quest: Five years warranty or 100,000km
2
Triton VGT Adventure X
126,990.00
4,000
3
Triton VGT AT Premium
116,300.00
12,000
4
Triton VGT AT GL
103,800.00
4,000
5
Triton VGT MT
107,600.00
4,000
6
Triton MT
93,920.00
8,000
7
Triton Quest
77,390.00
8,000
Last but not least, customers who choose the ASX Compact SUV 2WD or ASX Compact SUV 4WD will receive Raya bonus up worth to RM8,000 respectively. The ASX 4WD is priced at RM134,300.00 while the ASX 2WD is priced at RM119,100.00.
All Mitsubishi Outlander and ASX models come with five years warranty/unlimited mileage.
*Prices are quoted on-the-road without insurance, GST inclusive for private registration in Peninsular Malaysia (not applicable in duty free zones). Terms and Conditions Apply.
When all you don’t like about a bike are its awkwardly long-in-stalk mirrors, you just know you’re in a heap of trouble… and boy was I ever. You see, not too long ago I owned a Kawasaki Zephyr 750 (below), and it was one of the best bikes I’d ever owned up till that point in time…
Surprisingly though, Kawasaki themselves seem to have forgotten about the Zephyr, (then) available in both 750cc and 1100cc guise, the latter being one of the first modern production bikes to feature twin-spark technology – eight plugs in all, two per cylinder. Instead they harked all the way back to the 70’s when the Z1 (below) first made its debut…
Fond memories of my Zephyr came rushing back as the launch and subsequent media test ride of the Z900RS ensued, and while I’ve never owned a Z1, I can honestly say, the Z900RS is most definitely the spiritual successor to the Zephyr. It made me feel 18 again… here’s the official video from Kawasaki.
Here’s the thing, the idea of a ‘modern retro’ like this Z900RS is nothing new, just about every bike-maker out there has at least one of these models that harks back to a bygone age of motorcycling, and while every internal component may be new and improved, design and styling wise, they’re supposed to remind everyone of what’s fondly remembered as the golden-age of motorcycling. And that’s EXACTLY what the Z900RS does. It’ll make you wanna watch “On Any Sunday” all over again. You can’t call yourself a biker if you’ve never heard of that classic docu-movie…
My initial ride impression can be found here, but recently I managed to get the bike all to myself for a few blissful days, and having put an additional 250+km on its odometer, my initial impression of the bike has definitely changed; I like it even more now.
Okay, well, you already know how I feel about those mirrors, and to be honest, I would opt for the ‘high-seat’ option (apparently available in Europe) since that one may have a bit more much-needed padding, especially for long distance rides. Speaking of which, if the latter is your cuppa tea, the Z900RS will not let you down in that department either.
Power wise, granted, on paper it may only boast 111Ps & 98.5Nm of torque, but with 948cc (which begs the question why they didn’t just badge it a Z950RS) dual-overhead cams, 16-valves and a 10,000rpm redline, the Z900RS is by no means a slouch. It may have the same engine as its sibling the Z900, but this RS (Retro Sport) has been re-tuned to offer a lot more low-end torque.
So ferocious is this low-end torque, that during the initial convoy media ride, the Z900RS was able to keep up with a Kawasaki GTR1400 during hard acceleration from a standstill. This didn’t just surprise me, but the ride Marshal on the GTR1400 was left wide-eyed as well. It’s a very short first gear for instant acceleration, eventually ending with a very tall sixth gear for cruising.
A word of caution though, the Z900RS’s throttle is incredibly sensitive. Just a twitch sends the revs into the upper ends of the counter, and thus getting used to this instant power delivery at the end of a hair-trigger is a must. Some will find filtering in traffic a bit dicey because of this. Let’s put it this way, if you’re filtering around traffic and suddenly have to sneeze, come to a complete stop first before letting it rip. Trust me on this, lest ending up a boot- or hood-ornament was your ride-objective that day.
In terms of specs and safety, the Z900RS comes standard with ABS, Kawasaki’s famed 3-mode KTRC traction-control system, 41mm inverted front forks, slipper clutch, and Kawasaki’s first fully-tuned exhaust note, which ‘audibly’ takes you back to the aforementioned golden-age of biking, if its looks weren’t enough to do that in the first place. (For the FULL specifications and features download this: 2018-Z900RS)
I can’t remember a recent time where I had so much fun on a test bike, really. The Z900RS is pretty-much the perfect all-rounder bike in my honest opinion, and being a modern retro is just a bonus. For the duration I had it, I was always thinking of places I’d love to ride this bike to if I had more time with it, and that’s how you know if a bike is going to be a genuine pleasure to own; when it inspires you to go riding just for the hell of it.
Well as they say, all good things must come to an end, and with that, here are my final parting words upon returning the Z900RS to KMSB… I’m already missing this bike… a lot! Anyone have RM69,900 just lying around not doing anything? – Chris Wee.
STOP THE PRESS! Check out the Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe Racer Conversion!
