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Malaysian round of Hot Wheels Legends Tour returns for third time

In 2018, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hot Wheels, the Hot Wheels Legends Tour began as a series of 15 car shows hosted across Walmart locations around the USA. Over the past 4 years, the competition has gone beyond US borders and grown internationally. It now covers 5 continents in countries that include Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia and, recently, Indonesia.

The Hot Wheels Legends Tour has been successfully held in Malaysia for the past two years, in spite of the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. And this year, it returns for the third time, again in collaboration with Art of Speed Malaysia (AOS).

As a celebration of car culture, the Hot Wheels Legends Tour is a global search for a custom car worthy of being reimagined as a 1:64 scale Hot Wheels die-cast vehicle. The model will then be made available for sale in more than 150 countries around the world.

Malaysian custom car enthusiasts can present their creations which will be judged against local fellow hobbyists and have a chance at greatness. For the 2022 edition, the winner selected from the Asia Pacific region (Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia) will not only move on to the Global Semi-Finals in October 2022 but will also have an additional opportunity for their custom build creation to be transformed and reimagined into a one-of-a-kind (OOAK) limited-run die-cast vehicle available for sale. This is the first time that Hot Wheels is offering such a prize.

*The 2020 Hot Wheels Legends Tour, also hosted by Art of Speed Malaysia, had to be done online due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions that did not permit gatherings.*

“After four years and dozens of events, it’s incredible to see how much the Hot Wheels Legends Tour has grown, both in the US and abroad,” said Ted Wu, Vice-President, Global Head of Design for Vehicles, Mattel. “Pivoting largely to virtual events over the past two years, we saw the competition unite in an entirely new community of global garage builders and Hot Wheels fans. We’re excited to continue this growth in 2022 as we return to our live event roots. This year’s competition is guaranteed to be the best yet, and we can’t wait to see which epic builds emerge during the Tour.”

The Malaysian round
Shortlisted entries will enter the Malaysian finals in August 2022 and will be judged by members of the Hot Wheels design team as well as local guest judges. The judging panel will have Tengku Djan, a Malaysian professional drift driver; DEV JBC, an award-winning car builder and founder of BIMMERZ ADVOCATE GARAGE; and Ahirine Ahirudin, a lover of all things motorsports and 2-time podium winner in the Vios Challenge of the TGR Racing Festival.

Hot Wheels Legend Tour — *Ravinder Singh’s ‘Mercenary’ was chosen as the best of Malaysian entries for the Hot Wheels Legends Tour in 2020.*

Each submission will be judged on authenticity (how closely the build embodies the Hot Wheels spirit), originality (how well the design stands out from the rest), and garage spirit (how well the design exemplifies the attitude of ‘built not bought’). The top 10 Malaysian entries will be recognised with a certificate, trophy, and exclusive merchandise, and the Top 3 will also receive a limited edition Legends mail-in car.

*Abdul Wahab’s 1986 Daihatsu Mira van which was the winning entry in 2021 and represented Malaysia in the Grand Finale event.*

Global Grand Finale
The Legends Tour will culminate with a Global Grand Finale event in November 2022 which will be livestreamed to the world. A winner will be chosen from the finalists and the winning build will be inducted into the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends. It will join previous champions including the 2018-winning 2JetZ, 2019-winning 1957 Nash Metropolitan, 2020-winning 1970 Pontiac Trans Am, and 2021-winning 1969 Volvo P1800 Gasser.

Registrations in Malaysia are now open and can be submitted online at https://artofspeedmy.com/hot-wheels-legends-tour-2022/. Entries close on July 31, 2022.

The global winner of the 2021 Hot Wheels Legends Tour was this 1969 Volvo P1800 – named ‘Ain’t No Saint in homage to the original ‘The Saint TV series. It was built by Lee Johnstone of JD Racing, with Steve Wright and Steven Spiller, in the UK.

Hot Wheels at 1oth Art of Speed
Incidentally, at the coming 10th Art of Speed event in MAEPS, Serdang next month, there will be a life-sized Hot Wheels Legends Tour blister pack backdrop. Enthusiasts and visitors can have a professional photo taken with their custom car. This opportunity will be offered on a first-come-first-served basis. There will also be a Hot Wheels Legends tour booth where visitors can buy Hot Wheels products and limited edition Hot Wheels Legends Tour products.

Abdul Wahab’s 1986 Daihatsu Mira van will be Malaysia’s entry in Hot Wheels Legends event

F1/Round 9: Preview & Provisional Starting Grid of 2022 Canadian Grand Prix


Race starts at 2 pm in Canada/2 am in Malaysia (Monday)

A Formula 1 race is being run again in Canada after 3 years of absence, and it is held at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve which has been the venue for the Canadian Grand Prix since it opened in 1978. Originally known as Circuit Ile Notre Dame (after the island it is situated on), It is one of three circuits that has hosted the Canadian GP since 1967. In 1982, after Canadian F1 driver Gilles Villeneuve (father of Jacques Villeneuve) died in an accident, the track was renamed in his honour.

The 4.361-km is similar in characteristics to the Baku City Circuit. In fact, long before Azerbaijan became part of the F1 itinerary, it was the circuit in Montreal that teams had to develop a special wing for. The wing was to minimize drag as much as possible on the straights but generate as much downforce as possible in the slow corners. That is the requirement at Baku today.

However, the circuit is also unique for its succession of chicanes and calls for a car that can ride kerbs. There are also frequent hard stops and Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve is traditionally regarded as very tough on brakes, similar to the Austrian GP. But there are usually fewer cooling problems in Canada than at Spielberg, because the lap distance is greater and there is more time for the brakes to dissipate temperature.

With the constant cycle of heavy braking and equally heavy acceleration, the track takes its toll on the hybrid components of the powertrain, with many long deployments followed by big charging events. In the course of a single lap, there are 3 strong braking events that generate forces greater than 4g for a duration of more than 0.4 seconds.

The 14 corners of the circuit comprise 6 left-hand turns and 8 right-handers. As in Baku, most of the corners are within a similar speed range, which is at the lower end of the scale compared to the rest of the circuits on the racing calendar. Unlike Baku, however, most corners in Montreal come as a double change of direction (left/right or right left combinations) that require good responsiveness from the car.

Apart from not having raced on this circuit for 3 years, there will be a number of question marks for the teams, according to Mario Isola, Pirelli’s Motorsport Director. “The weather is often variable, all previous data is 3 years old, and we have a completely different range of tyres with new compounds and structures, on a track that is hardly ever used. This will lead to a very high degree of evolution,” he said.

“Compared to their last visit to Montreal, the drivers should find compounds that are more stable with a wider working range, enabling them to push harder throughout each stint with a much lower risk of overheating. One interesting aspect to Montreal is that it has one of the lowest pitlane time loss penalties on the calendar, meaning that a car can be in and out of the pit lane in less than 20 seconds. This could open up a few options in terms of strategy,” he predicted.

The 404-metre pitlane (which got flooded recently after a heavy downpour) is among the top third of all circuits this season in terms of length. Even so, the time expended during a pit stop is relatively small, as the drivers are spared the inconvenience of going through the last chicane, instead entering the pitlane directly. Furthermore, the pit exit is in Turn 2, which means they don’t have to negotiate the first corner either.

With the long history of the Canadian GP, McLaren has been the most successful team at the event, with 13 victories, although that is just one more than Ferrari who are the most successful at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve specifically with 11 wins.

Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton have, over the years, collected 7 victories each so they are tied for the most successful drivers. Other drivers who have won the Canadian GP before and are in the race this weekend are Fernando Alonso, Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel. Robert Kubica, Alfa Romeo ORLEN’s reserve driver also won in 2008.

10th Art of Speed to be held at MAEPS on July 2 & 3

After a 2-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the well-established Art of Speed is making a comeback. Malaysia’s premier Kustom & Counter Culture event will celebrate 10 years of cool bikes, radical rides, art and culture, and it’s going to be big this year.

To be held at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park in Serdang (MAEPS), which is outside Kuala Lumpur, the Art of Speed 2022 (AOS 2022) will be on July 2, 2022 (10:30 am – 8:00 pm) and July 3, 2022 between 10:30 am and 8 pm on both days.

Art of Speed Malaysia (AOSM), which has the support of Tourism Malaysia, is well known beyond Malaysian borders too and many foreign guests from the international custom community and media will also be attending the event.

Notables among them are Emi Suganuma, ‘Sunny’ Yano & Michi ‘NATQQ’ from MOONEYES Japan; Scott Johnson from Mama Tried Motorcycle Show in the USA; Chopper and Kustom artist, Russell Murchie ‘MOW’ from Australia; Pinstripe artists Mil of Millart, Irvine Jasta and Fahmi Freeflow from Indonesia; and Aekalak Kitdusitpong, a diecast modeler from AKARA in Thailand.

AOS 2022 will have many different activities during the two days. The main highlights for AOS 2022 will include the Invitational Bike Build Off 2022, Hot Wheels Legends Tour, Hail Vintage (a vintage work wear exhibition), Off The Grid (outdoor camping and lifestyle), and the Sound Circus Festival (for ages 18 years old and above only).

Qhalis Najmi from NoEqual.co will be this year’s host for the Kustom & Koffee Talk. He will be joined by overseas panelists Scott Johnson from Mama Tried Motorcycle Show and Warren Heir Jr. from Flat Out Friday. The forum will discuss the latest trends in bike and car industries.

Additional AOS 2022 activities include Roda Rumble (a Two Wheels Gathering & Outdoor Festival), La Cultura (Malaysia’s first Chicano Culture Appreciation Gathering), Vintage Flea Market, Alfa Romeo Club Malaysia Gathering, Mini Crawlers RC demo and display, as well as bike test rides of well known brands.

Naturally, during the event, visitors will get thirsty and hungry, and there will be Food Park vendors and trucks on-site. They are located in a sheltered area so no worries if it rains during the weekend.

At the conclusion, there will be a lucky draw with two lucky winners. One will go home with a Classic Vespa EV (fully restored by Kluk Klek Soul and EV conversion by Elders Elettrico), and the other will win another Hausboom customized EV Classic Vespa.

AOS 2022 will reintroduce the Speed Lane ticket priced at RM55 valid for both days. With this ticket, visitors can enter one hour before the official opening time. The weekend pass is available at the door and online for RM35, with children below 12 years old entering for free. OKU (disabled) Pass Holders will also enjoy free entry.

Incidentally, Sound Circus Festival outdoor only tickets are already sold out, but the Sound Circus Festival + Weekend Pass combo is still available online only. For purchasing online visit aos2022.qtic.my.

Milivie 1 – a legendary icon evolved to become the ultimate performance classic

These days, it seems that reviving iconic models is a growing trend and while doing so, designers also use the opportunity to reimagine the model. While retaining the iconic elements, they make subtle (or not so subtle) changes to modernise the design which still remains immediately recognisable.

The Milivie 1 is such a car, instantly recognisable as the legendary Volkswagen Beetle but evolved in various ways. It is the brainchild of Jonathan Engler, an artistic engineer with the vision to celebrate extinct German automotive icons and discreetly re-engineer them anew as an exclusive machine for the very select few.

Engler and his team start with a carefully selected donor VW 1303 model. While many will think of the Beetle as a product in the 1950 or 1960s, the 1303 in particular was actually produced in the 1970s when the model was given a bigger engine. Once the unit is acquired, it will receive over a thousand hours of craftsmanship and engineering. This evolved it into a car that shares little other than the metal monocoque section of body and the floorboards with the donor. Even these areas are vastly modified from the original car.

The aim is also to provide a driving feel that is tactile, active and agile, hence every single component has been enhanced with a spec list that rivals the ultimate performance classic. The chassis is enhanced and onto it goes an air-cooled 2.28-litre flat four powertrain, precision-built for each car, tuned to the specific car’s use case and eventual environment. The Carrera 2-sourced ZF 4HP transmission is totally reworked to deliver the engaging, thrilling drive that will be the car’s signature.

The body, at first glance seemingly unchanged, is elegantly and artfully crafted to produce a smoother, more contemporary silhouette that combines shared DNA with a unique stance. The interior echoes familiarity but offers modernity. The vision for creating the interior design was to entirely replace the dominantly geometric and static design with a ground-up surface dynamic that elaborates on the exterior. Yet those shapes that are faithful to the original organic design base are the details characteristic to each generation of the donor vehicle’s history.

Engler has combined a subtle and unobtrusive exterior appearance with a complete reappraisal of driver and passenger desires that blends an old school driving feel with cutting edge technology and contemporary comforts.

The entire team has drawn on 70 years of air-cooled history and acted to build on the 78,000 incremental OEM changes made by the original manufacturer during the vehicle’s production period. To Engler and his team, the original story is an unfinished one deserving of a final, respectful yet totally modern evolution to mark the final chapter.

The number of cars that will be offered for sale – 22 – honours the 22 million total production output of the original Beetle, making each car representative of one in a million. In creating a car that is not only approachable in style but exclusive in every single detail, the Milivie team looked back not only to the donor vehicle’s extensive DNA, but also to wider evocation from air-cooled classics.

Complementing their evolution study references were drawn to pay homage to early Porsche designs, enabling them to respect and embrace the design vision of the car’s original creator – Ferdinand Porsche. 904 bodyline elements lead into the distinctive ducktail; the 935 echoes in the exhaust tips; and the 956 in the high-cut rear fenders and bumpers. The 964 inspired the concave indents of the rear fenders, not revealed until you glimpse the top view. The subtly inverted angle rear bumper from the type 64 results in a higher and longer rear end.

The slightly lower and more centred placement of the actual headlights and turn signals are inspired by the Rallye and buggy culture of the donor and once again evoke the 718, whilst the high-tension running lights are the stretched oval outlines of the Porsche RS Spyder headlights. The execution of painstaking design and artfully considered evolution delivers an initial silhouette that seems immediately familiar, whilst the detail intrigues and draws in the passionate driver for closer inspection.

Milivie is now taking orders for the cars which will have prices starting from €570,000 (around RM2.633 million). The first car will be delivered in July 2023 with subsequent units going to customers thereafter up till May 2025.

The Beetles that never made it to the showrooms

Mazda to introduce third premium colour – Rhodium White – with new CX-60

Design has been a major selling feature of Mazda vehicles for some time, with the ‘KODO – Soul of Motion’ design language being used for all current models. Because Mazda designers believe that colour is an element of form, they have also developed some special exterior colours that accentuate the dynamic and delicate expression of the designs.

The first of these colours was Soul Red, which has a unique mix of translucence and depth. Red has been often used on Mazda models and the colour has deep roots in Japanese culture. It denotes strength, passion and is even used to depict the sun in the Japanese national flag.

2022 Mazda CX-60 — *Soul Red Crystal (above) is evolved from the original Soul Red which was the first premium signature colour. The second signature colour is Machine Grey (below).*

Soul Red evolved into Soul Red Crystal, adding another level of vividness and depth, while Machine Grey was also introduced as another premium signature colour. Later this year, Mazda will introduce the third signature colour – Rhodium White – with the all-new Mazda CX-60 being the first model to have it as an option.

Pure white inspired by Japanese aesthetics
Rhodium White is a pure white inspired by Japanese aesthetics, finding beauty in simplicity and the absence of superfluous elements. Furthermore, the paint’s fine grain accentuates the shadows on the surface of the vehicle complementing the metallic texture of the finish.

Takuminuri paint technology
Like the first two colours, Rhodium White was created and applied using Mazda’s unique Takuminuri paint technology, which translates to English as ‘paint by master craftsman’. The technology creates colours with rich depth and radiance while also reducing the environmental impact of the painting process in keeping with the brand’s long-term Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030 vision.

Cutting-edge painting robots use data obtained through simulation painting with Mazda’s best craftsmen to replicate traditional techniques to give mass-production vehicles a precise, high-quality and hand-sprayed finish.

While developing Rhodium White, Mazda was able to take Takuminuri to new heights, successfully mass producing an expressive finish using only 3 layers: a clear layer, a reflective layer and the coloured layer. This coloured layer provides a newly developed white pigment that delivers a silky smooth, fine-grain white. As standard practice with white paints, the undercoat tends to show through, and the clear coat is generally thicker than for other tonalities.

More environment-friendly process
Rhodium White, however, uses a newly developed pigment which Mazda was able to reduce the thickness of the clear coat by up to 30%. This contributes to a more efficient use of resources and a reduction of CO₂ emissions during the production process.

Extremely thin layers
Mazda uses a method in which paint containing ultra-thin, high luminance aluminium flakes are applied meticulously to achieve a uniform thickness and which then dramatically shrink in volume during the drying process for the reflective layer. The result is an extremely thin reflective layer of approximately 0.5 microns or about 7% of the thickness of a typical reflective layer.

In addition, a hand-painted like finish with the aluminium flakes smoothly aligned at regular intervals in the reflective layer is achieved. The entire surface gleams when exposed to light and displays a realistic metallic texture. Individual aluminium flakes are distributed evenly and parallel to the undulations of the body surface, producing a glossy and shaded appearance when touched by light despite the brightness of Rhodium White.

Advanced Modern Apprenticeship at Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Training Academy now open for applications

As the auto industry in Malaysia keeps growing, the need for a bigger workforce grows likewise. However, there has to be a pool of human resources from which companies can draw from, and in order to build this pool. Some companies provide training programmes to incubate young Malaysians who aspire to start a career in the auto industry.

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) is one of them and has a Training Academy which has been in operation since 1984. More than 900 apprentices have graduated from this academy and they are working with the brand’s authorised dealers in various positions across different specializations. On average, the programme has been receiving 500 applicants annually since 2017.

“As the technology of Mercedes-Benz vehicles continues to evolve, gearing for Battery Electric Vehicle readiness and the acceleration of dealer network expansion locally, we want to continue training and growing our skilled workforce to meet this demand,” said Edmin Naidoo, Vice-President of Customer Services, Mercedes-Benz Cars, Malaysia & SEA II.

One of the programmes is the Advanced Modern Apprenticeship, a 3-year course which covers a wide range of globally approved syllabuses and training guidelines by Mercedes-Benz Global Training with Mercedes-Benz Competence elements to ensure trainees continue development with the brand. The programme incorporates International Qualifications up to Level 3 and is recognised by the Department of Skills Development under the Ministry of Human Resources.

*With electric vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz EQA now being introduced, the academy will also include training for Electric Vehicle Specialists.*

As part of the brand’s strategy and global direction to lead in electric, Mercedes-Benz has developed a new profile for the Electric Vehicle Specialists, known as Expert in High Voltage (EHV) which will make its debut in the programme this year. This new syllabus will be added on the existing modules as part of the brand’s efforts to train and equip talents to be future-ready for the demands of mobility of tomorrow.

By the end of the Advanced Modern Apprenticeship programme, participants will gain certification in NDTS Level 3, C&G VRQ Level 3, Qualified Maintenance Technician (QMT), Qualified System Technician (QST)/Qualified Service Advisor (QSA)/Expert in High Voltage (EHV), depending on the specialisation chosen. They will also be fully equipped wide range of skills including presentation, critical analysis, decision-making, systematic thinking as an automotive technician for systems and high-voltage technology.

The programme also guarantees employment upon completion with guaranteed minimum salary in the first year with incremental opportunity thereafter. The entire course will be held at the purpose-built Mercedes-Benz National Training Academy in Bandar Kinrara, Puchong, Selangor.

*Since 1984, more than 900 technicians have graduated from the Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Training Academy with various specialisations.*

Applications are open from now till July 31, 2022 and those who are interested can find out more at the Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Training Academy Open Day happening this June 25, 2022 (from 9 am till 12 noon) at Wisma Mercedes-Benz in Puchong, Selangor. The minimum requirement is 3 credits in SPM or equivalent with a pass in English.

“Education is power and we want to invite and tap into Malaysia’s brightest young talents to join us through our Mercedes-Benz Global Training programme. This is a great platform for us to recruit, nurture and develop talent that will become an integral component of delivering a seamless luxurious retail experience to our customers and further grow our presence in the country. There is a national demand for highly skilled talent in the automotive industry and through this apprenticeship, we are able to offer Malaysians an exciting opportunity and career with us,” said Sagree Sardien, President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, and Head of Region, Southeast Asia II.