proton will sell lotus in 2011, malaysia proton

proton will sell lotus in 2011, malaysia proton - Lotus Boss Wants Malaysian Parent Proton to Sell: Malaysian automaker Proton, which bought Lotus in 1996, is finally receiving help from Lotus to develop a range of cars; a small city car shown at the Paris Motor Show last fall will be one of the cars shared by the two companies. Lotus needs a city car to help it meet new, more stringent fuel consumption regulations, just like Aston Martin needs the Toyota iQ-based Cygnet.

According to Danny Bahar, Lotus CEO, Proton “is getting the benefit (of owning Lotus) for the first time,” and he claims the new hatchback will look just like the concept, assuming it happens at all.

Lotus needs its five-year plan to succeed if it wants to survive in the long-term. Although owned by Proton, Bahar feels Lotus’s cars are too distant from Proton’s compact car lineup to be able to co-develop future cars that meet stricter emission and crash regulations.

Even though it’s not up to him, Bahar would like Proton to sell Lotus to a larger manufacturer such as Toyota. This would give Proton and other investors a way out. Toyota may be the smart way to go because of Lotus’s extensive use of Toyota engines in its current cars.

automobile, automobile companies, automaker, proton, lotus, toyota, city car, malaysia, 2011

confident and well prepared to follow yalta test on june 2 - 4 2011, malaysia proton

confident and well prepared to follow yalta test on june 2 - 4, 2011, malaysia proton - The automobile factory ProTon Motorsport team will be well prepared when the Intercontinental Rally Challenge continued in Ukraine on June 2 to 4.

ProTon producer Malaysia has conducted a three-day trial in the country, ahead of Prime Yalta Rally, round four of the 12-IRC event.

PG Andersson, Giandomenico Basso and Oleksandr Saliuk Sr., who made an exit once for the proton in Ukraine, everyone had the chance to try the new engine and suspension tweaks that were made in the Satria Neo S2000.

Proton Team Principal Chris Mellor said: "We had a very good proton test for the event, everything went very well with all drivers effortlessly into the car (proton) and take a lot of miles in the competition will be very difficult, but more time in the car (proton), and other improvements we made in Satria when the boys were in the Canaries last time, we feel confidence in a strong performance. "

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2011 Honda Jazz Hatchback Launched In Malaysia

Honda Malaysia launched the 2011 Honda Jazz hatchback, a new improved version of the Jazz for the second generation, which now has a sporty look, a new exterior color, interior and minor revisions to the additional safety equipment. Fortunately, all imported (from Thailand) Jazz still priced at RM 109,800 (on the road with insurance).

To give the Jazz an updated version of the new found attitude visual exterior color, bright orange metallic, which is associated with three available colors, polished metal metallic, crystal black pearl and brilliant white pear colors. The 2011 Honda Jazz hatchback includes revised grille with entangled design, modified front and rear bumpers, matte and silver highlights headlamps, a completely new front fog lights and new set of rear combination lights .

The cabin has been updated with new colors and materials are used in black and blue panels, upholstery and door and yellow lights in the speedometer and audio. To improve usability, the inside door handle now comes with a lock button and highlight orange revised air conditioning controls have an orange marker, and the fuel cover opens with a beep.

The safety of 2011 Jazz Hatchback developed with Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) is now fitted as standard, which contributes to the dual airbags and ABS earlier available. Also in this round of update is particularly headrests for all three rear seats and seat belts full three points for the rear center seat. No powertrain changes, however, since the 120 hp, 146 Nm 1.5 liter engine i-VTEC is still joined to a five-speed automatic transmission. Enjoy the 2011 Honda Jazz Hatchback gallery below!

2011 Honda Jazz Hatchback Gallery:

Update (pictures taken after the fire): R35 GT-R catches on fire after colliding with a Volkswagen MK6 Golf GTI

Once again, for the whole story as well as the video of the crash, head on over to to this blog entry. For theories behind the subsequent crash and fire, you would want to read the previous update before this one.

Now onto the pictures! These were taken after the fire had died down, showing the burned hulk of the R35 GT-R and whatever else that survived the inferno.

Update (pictures taken after the fire): R35 GT-R catches on fire after colliding with a Volkswagen MK6 Golf GTI

Once again, for the whole story as well as the video of the crash, head on over to to this blog entry. For theories behind the subsequent crash and fire, you would want to read the previous update before this one.

Now onto the pictures! These were taken after the fire had died down, showing the burned hulk of the R35 GT-R and whatever else that survived the inferno.

Update (with pictures): R35 GT-R catches on fire after colliding with a Volkswagen MK6 Golf GTI

For the earlier part of the story, as well as the video of the crash, head on over to my previous blog entry.

More pictures can be found at the bottom of this entry

Thanks to information passed from friends of the R35 GT-R owner, there were no casulties nor injuries. The incident did indeed happen on a stretch of road near Kuala Klawang. There is however, differing views on how the two cars came into contact.

Story A
This information is from an R35 owner who knows some of the members of the GT-R convoy. Two groups of cars were traveling on opposite lanes in an area near Kuala Klawang. The Golf GTI was part of a group that was coming back from a drive in Bukit Putus. They were traveling from the direction the video was taken. The two cars met with a collision and the GT-R came to rest in the brush whereupon it caught fire. Fortunately the occupants were able to disembark and save themselves from the proceeding confulgration.

Story B
According to a mechanic friend of the owner of the burnt R35, the car had been on a spirited run a few hours before the accident. Upon being hit in the rear by the Golf GTI, the car came to a full stop at the side of the road. The GT-R's hot exhaust pipes then came into contact with the local foliage (dry leaves) and this started a fire. A puny fire extinguisher that they had at the scene was not sufficient to put out the blaze, which eventually went on to consume the whole car.

Pictures courtesy of Zerotohundred member Convict:

Update (with pictures): R35 GT-R catches on fire after colliding with a Volkswagen MK6 Golf GTI

For the earlier part of the story, as well as the video of the crash, head on over to my previous blog entry.

More pictures can be found at the bottom of this entry

Thanks to information passed from friends of the R35 GT-R owner, there were no casulties nor injuries. The incident did indeed happen on a stretch of road near Kuala Klawang. There is however, differing views on how the two cars came into contact.

Story A
This information is from an R35 owner who knows some of the members of the GT-R convoy. Two groups of cars were traveling on opposite lanes in an area near Kuala Klawang. The Golf GTI was part of a group that was coming back from a drive in Bukit Putus. They were traveling from the direction the video was taken. The two cars met with a collision and the GT-R came to rest in the brush whereupon it caught fire. Fortunately the occupants were able to disembark and save themselves from the proceeding confulgration.

Story B
According to a mechanic friend of the owner of the burnt R35, the car had been on a spirited run a few hours before the accident. Upon being hit in the rear by the Golf GTI, the car came to a full stop at the side of the road. The GT-R's hot exhaust pipes then came into contact with the local foliage (dry leaves) and this started a fire. A puny fire extinguisher that they had at the scene was not sufficient to put out the blaze, which eventually went on to consume the whole car.

Pictures courtesy of Zerotohundred member Convict:

R35 GT-R catches on fire after colliding with a Volkswagen MK6 Golf GTI

Not sure too sure as to what actually happened but judging from the absence of any other damaged vehicles in the video, it is most likely that the Golf GTI collided with the Nissan R35 GT-R and that set off the resulting inferno. 

Speculating
It looks like the GTI could have perhaps gone too fast and understeered onto the next lane, clipped the R35 from the opposite direction, and the GTR spun out and hit the tree and exploded.



The road does bear some resemblance to the locales in and around Bukit Tinggi but a friend says it happened somewhere near Kuala Klawang. Anyway, hope no one was hurt.

Bukit Tinggi (pictures courtesy of Eu Jin)

Kuala Klawang

R35 GT-R catches on fire after colliding with a Volkswagen MK6 Golf GTI

Not sure too sure as to what actually happened but judging from the absence of any other damaged vehicles in the video, it is most likely that the Golf GTI collided with the Nissan R35 GT-R and that set off the resulting inferno. 

Speculating
It looks like the GTI could have perhaps gone too fast and understeered onto the next lane, clipped the R35 from the opposite direction, and the GTR spun out and hit the tree and exploded.



The road does bear some resemblance to the locales in and around Bukit Tinggi but a friend says it happened somewhere near Kuala Klawang. Anyway, hope no one was hurt.

Bukit Tinggi (pictures courtesy of Eu Jin)

Kuala Klawang

Mazda 3 MPS to be launched in Malaysia with a sticker price of RM175k

Drove the previous gen MPS while I was living in Australia and it was quite the pocket rocket (same power output as the new model: 190kW, 380Nm). 

That much power was somewhat controllable as the MPS came with a torque-limiting system (coupled with a limited-slip front differential, switchable stability and traction control systems) for the first two gears to manage torque steer, excessive wheelspin and power-on understeer.

The only issues with the old MPS was that the exhaust note was a little restrained and the hydraulic rack steering system was a tad bit light for spirited driving. While it was responsive and well-weighted enough to entertain, it lacked the feedback and razor sharpness of say a Focus or a Golf. Lets hope this new car has rectified some of those issues.

Anyway, Bermaz (Berjaya) is definitely keen on wanting a bigger slice of the local automotive market. The fact that MPSes have always come in manual guise might limit its appeal to the auto / slush box loving Malaysian public.

Oh and I prefer the previous MPS' looks compared to this new 'smiley' faced one.

http://paultan.org/2011/02/18/mazda3-mps-to-be-launched-in-early-march-rm175k/

Mazda3 MPS to be launched in early March – RM175k

Yes, it’s definitely cheery news for the performance hatch brigade, especially those into stick shifters – the Mazda3 MPS is set to be launched on March 2, and you can catch the car in the metal at the Mazda Motor Show at 1 Utama from then to March 6.

The five-door hatch, which was spotted in January at JPJ Putrajaya doing type approval, will roll into the market at RM175,000, which is definitely competitive for what it is.

The Mazda Performance Series gem is powered by a turbocharged MZR 2.3 litre DISI block offering 256 hp at 5,500rpm and 380Nm of torque at 3,000rpm, working with a six-speed manual tranny and a torque-sensing limited-slip differential.

The Mazda Motor Show will also see the introduction of the locally-assembled Mazda3 in both sedan and hatch form. The car began rolling out of the production line in January at the Inokom assembly plant in Kedah, and production is expected to be around 3,000 units a year.

No pricing has been announced yet, but going the CKD route should bring the price to a very competitive level – we’ll just have to wait for March 2 to find out what it is. Four colours will be available for the locally-assembled version.

Aside from that, the Mazda Motor Show – which will be located on the ground floor of the new wing of 1 Utama – will feature pretty much the entire range of Mazda vehicles brought in by Prima Merdu and distributed by Bermaz, these being the Mazda2, Mazda5, Mazda6, Mazda8, CX-7, CX-9, RX-8 and MX-5, so if you’re into your Mazdas, the roadshow is where you’ll find the full deck of cards at one go.

Mazda 3 MPS to be launched in Malaysia with a sticker price of RM175k

Drove the previous gen MPS while I was living in Australia and it was quite the pocket rocket (same power output as the new model: 190kW, 380Nm). 

That much power was somewhat controllable as the MPS came with a torque-limiting system (coupled with a limited-slip front differential, switchable stability and traction control systems) for the first two gears to manage torque steer, excessive wheelspin and power-on understeer.

The only issues with the old MPS was that the exhaust note was a little restrained and the hydraulic rack steering system was a tad bit light for spirited driving. While it was responsive and well-weighted enough to entertain, it lacked the feedback and razor sharpness of say a Focus or a Golf. Lets hope this new car has rectified some of those issues.

Anyway, Bermaz (Berjaya) is definitely keen on wanting a bigger slice of the local automotive market. The fact that MPSes have always come in manual guise might limit its appeal to the auto / slush box loving Malaysian public.

Oh and I prefer the previous MPS' looks compared to this new 'smiley' faced one.

http://paultan.org/2011/02/18/mazda3-mps-to-be-launched-in-early-march-rm175k/

Mazda3 MPS to be launched in early March – RM175k

Yes, it’s definitely cheery news for the performance hatch brigade, especially those into stick shifters – the Mazda3 MPS is set to be launched on March 2, and you can catch the car in the metal at the Mazda Motor Show at 1 Utama from then to March 6.

The five-door hatch, which was spotted in January at JPJ Putrajaya doing type approval, will roll into the market at RM175,000, which is definitely competitive for what it is.

The Mazda Performance Series gem is powered by a turbocharged MZR 2.3 litre DISI block offering 256 hp at 5,500rpm and 380Nm of torque at 3,000rpm, working with a six-speed manual tranny and a torque-sensing limited-slip differential.

The Mazda Motor Show will also see the introduction of the locally-assembled Mazda3 in both sedan and hatch form. The car began rolling out of the production line in January at the Inokom assembly plant in Kedah, and production is expected to be around 3,000 units a year.

No pricing has been announced yet, but going the CKD route should bring the price to a very competitive level – we’ll just have to wait for March 2 to find out what it is. Four colours will be available for the locally-assembled version.

Aside from that, the Mazda Motor Show – which will be located on the ground floor of the new wing of 1 Utama – will feature pretty much the entire range of Mazda vehicles brought in by Prima Merdu and distributed by Bermaz, these being the Mazda2, Mazda5, Mazda6, Mazda8, CX-7, CX-9, RX-8 and MX-5, so if you’re into your Mazdas, the roadshow is where you’ll find the full deck of cards at one go.

Dyno'ed the R33 GTR - Dyno Sheet, Pictures & Videos Included

Dyno'ed the R33 GTR at N1 Racing's Dynojet rig on the 8th of January 2011.

For a 13 year old car with her stock RB26DETT internals and turbos, shes putting out approximately 347.25 whp and 42.68 torque at the wheel. The car was pushing 1.25 bar of boost at 7500 rpm. 

The only performance mods that she had on were:

- Kakimoto Racing Full Mega N1 exhaust
 - Trust downpipe
 - HKS oil cooler
 - Custom de-cat pipe
 - Custom intercooler
 - Apexi induction kit
 - Apexi PFC with boost control

Quite happy with the dyno results. Here are some pics and vids I took of the car while it was being dynoed.

Dyno'ed the R33 GTR - Dyno Sheet, Pictures & Videos Included

Dyno'ed the R33 GTR at N1 Racing's Dynojet rig on the 8th of January 2011.

For a 13 year old car with her stock RB26DETT internals and turbos, shes putting out approximately 347.25 whp and 42.68 torque at the wheel. The car was pushing 1.25 bar of boost at 7500 rpm. 

The only performance mods that she had on were:

- Kakimoto Racing Full Mega N1 exhaust
 - Trust downpipe
 - HKS oil cooler
 - Custom de-cat pipe
 - Custom intercooler
 - Apexi induction kit
 - Apexi PFC with boost control

Quite happy with the dyno results. Here are some pics and vids I took of the car while it was being dynoed.

1992 R32 GTR Skyline Going For RM85,000

This car came up for sale in the Zerotohundred Skyline Club forum. 

 

 
This BNR32 is being imported into Malaysia, from the UK, on a student AP. As such, ownership is not transferable until two years has lapsed starting from the time the car is registered.

Note: If the student were to die, the new owner has to make sure that a signed transfer application to a relative of the student is ready - not to mention the transfer of ownership form signed by the relative to the new owner as well. Talk about complicated but here is a chance for someone to own an old school Godzilla.

Mileage:
80,xxx kms

Description:
import car from uk. use student AP.
cash buyer only. tiptop condition.

Contact:
Efendi - 0104265404 / 0192128085
 

1992 R32 GTR Skyline Going For RM85,000

This car came up for sale in the Zerotohundred Skyline Club forum. 

 

 
This BNR32 is being imported into Malaysia, from the UK, on a student AP. As such, ownership is not transferable until two years has lapsed starting from the time the car is registered.

Note: If the student were to die, the new owner has to make sure that a signed transfer application to a relative of the student is ready - not to mention the transfer of ownership form signed by the relative to the new owner as well. Talk about complicated but here is a chance for someone to own an old school Godzilla.

Mileage:
80,xxx kms

Description:
import car from uk. use student AP.
cash buyer only. tiptop condition.

Contact:
Efendi - 0104265404 / 0192128085
 

Skyline Club of Malaysia's Family Day BBQ

Thanks to the efforts of Azmir Zainuddin, PIMPIN and Feedzya, Malaysian Skyline owners (myself included) had an awesome day today in Janda Baik. The trio had organised a BBQ for the club and it was a great way to end the year in the company of like minded people & friends. 

At last count, there were:

1 x R33 GTR

2 x R32 GTR

3 x R34 GTR

3 x R33 GTS

4 x R32 GTS

6 x R34 GTT

The Petronas station after the Karak Highway Toll (where I met up with the convoy, some 18 Skylines in a pack!)

The convoy making our way to Janda Baik (I was third from the front by this time)

The road got a little bit twisty as we got nearer to the BBQ venue

Then it got a little bit more smaller as we got closer to our destination

It was a very scenic drive as the lush greenery around us made it not so much a journey but more of an adventure

Finally arrived at the venue and being welcomed by our generous host hehe!

The boys slowly getting their cars parked as we prepared to head on down to the BBQ area and the river - it was awesome to see so many Skylines together

Holy Skylines Batman!

Everyone parked and we slowly made our way into the house

We were greeted with this sight - a great BBQ chill out area and a lovely river in which the kids (there were some 'big' ones mind you) to swim in

The lovely venue which is a private home of one of the club members - it was very kind of him to open it up and made arrangements for the BBQ

The food that Azmir and the boys had brought with them were being cooked - smelled heavenly!

There was more awesome food being cooked but this was my only shot of the feast as I was too busy eating to take more pictures!

It was Azmir's birthday today and so his wife along with PIMPIN surprised him with a birthday cake! :) Happy birthday again dude!

All good things must come to an end and we slowly started to line up as a convoy for the drive back to KL

... not before an impromptu night run along the twisty b-roads of Janda Baik! Felt really good to be doing it with other Skylines!

Thanks again boys! Was a great day that ended well and looking forward to the next event!