MINI Malaysia took to the stage today to unveil their latest 2020 MINI Clubman for the local market. Major updates on the new MINI Clubman can be seen inside and out that offers an elevated MINI experience for fellow fans and enthusiasts of this compact premium automotive brand. (more…)
It used to be when the talk was of electric vehicles, the perception was that such vehicles would be slow and boring to drive. Apart from some exotic prototypes, most were small and with battery technology being what it was, they couldn’t go very fast or very far. But that’s been changing quickly as carmakers realize that their survival requires ‘electrification’ of their vehicles to meet tighter emission and fuel consumption regulations.
In order to persuade motorists to switch over, they need to develop electric vehicles (EVs) which can offer comparable performance and space as today’s cars with internal combustion engines. Hybrids have been a good transition but ultimately, the aim is to go fully electric when costs can be lowered enough.
Meanwhile, for those who worry that high performance as we know it today will be gone, Ford and Webasto have revealed the Mustang Lithium, an ultra-high-performance battery electric Mustang fastback prototype. With more than 1,356 Nm of torque and more than 900 bhp instantaneously available, this Mustang ups musclecar performance to a new level.
The Mustang Lithium is not only a one-off prototype to showcase electrification on the world’s best-selling sportscar but also a testbed for battery and thermal management technologies Webasto and Ford are creating for the growing e-mobility automotive segment.
“Ford has made no secret of the fact that we are electrifying our most popular nameplates,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s Chief Product Development and Purchasing Officer. “This one-off Mustang prototype is a great opportunity for us, together with Webasto, to showcase to our customers what a new electrified powertrain can do for performance in a car they already know and love.”
The low and sleek Mustang Lithium is not merely a production Mustang with the powertrain substituted by electric motors. It has custom carbonfibre body components, Brembo 6-piston front brakes from the Shelby GT350R, Sankuer Composite Technologies side splitters and rear diffuser, plus a Webasto bonnet with see-through polycarbonate windows. It is also fitted with Ford Performance’s Track Handling Pack and strut tower brace.
A Phi-Power dual-core electric motor and dual power inverters – all powered by an 800-volt Webasto battery system with EVDrive Technology – can discharge a mega-watt of electrical energy. At 800 volts, that’s twice the voltage of most electric cars on the road today. This allows the system to be lighter, more powerful and generate less heat, and more electric force than most battery-electric systems on the road today.
In a unique twist, the Mustang Lithium features a manual transmission and uses a dragstrip-proven Calimer-version of the Getrag MT82 6-speed transmission with billet internals to handle the huge amount of torque delivered along the driveline. To enable the driver to use all that torque optimally, there is a unique set of drive modes that apply a controlled amount of torque for different driving scenarios: Valet, Sport, Track and Beast.
Ford Performance half-shafts and a Super 8.8 Torsen differential help supply power to the road via lightweight Forgeline wheels wearing Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres.
“Very similar to Ford’s push for vehicle electrification, this is an innovative way to further the technologies we’re developing to enable vehicle electrification while creating a vision of how cool the future of electric performance will be,” said Mark Denny, Webasto Customized Solutions North America President and CEO.
Webasto, which has a 100-year history, is among the top 100 suppliers to the automotive worldwide. While its core business areas are sunroofs and panorama roofs, convertible roofs and parking heaters, they have also diversified into electric heating systems, charging solutions and battery systems we are also addressing the growth market of electromobility.
Finally, the cost of parking at shopping centres and other commercial properties which accept the Touch ’n Go (TnG) card for payment will be cheaper as the 10% surcharge will be stopped. This was confirmed by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Deputy Minister Chong Chieng Jen in Parliament today.
However, the removal of the surcharge will not be immediate as there are existing agreements which need to be honoured. While those legacy agreements expire in future, new agreements will exclude the surcharge which has so far been paid by motorists.
In fact, there are already carparks in the Klang Valley where no surcharge is imposed. The operators have recognized that using the electronic payment card not only makes things convenient for motorists but also for themselves. Traffic flow can be faster and cashless transactions means additional security.
The 10% surcharge is not the only complaint TnG users have had. Ever since the TnG card was introduced in the late 1990s as an electronic payment card for tolls on highways, motorists have always been upset that even though they paid in advance for the card to have stored value for payment, they never received any discount (although rebates started being offered about 10 years ago). That was one complaint.
As the years went by and the TnG card could be reloaded at places other than toll plazas, a 50-sen surcharge was added for reloading. This is imposed by the places that offer reload services and the money collected is retained by them. However, some may not add the 50-sen surcharge as a benefit to their customers.
Nevertheless, there are many places where motorists can reload without paying the extra 50 sen, like the self-service kiosks and TnG counters around the country. Currently, there are over 2,800 locations around the country where reloading can be done without any surcharge. For the latest list of locations with and without reload fees, click here.
Another complaint which should be addressed is the dormant card issue (besides the lifespan of 10 years). If a TnG card is not used for any transaction (a reload also counts as a transaction) for a consecutive period of 12 months, it will be deactivated. TnG says the move is to prevent ‘unnecessary load that prevent the system from operating optimally’. According to TnG’s conditions last updated on November 15, 2018, an administration fee of RM5 will be imposed immediately and deducted from the deposit or unutilised card balance. If the card remains inactive, a maintenance fee of RM5 will be charged every 6 months!
The fee will be stopped when the card is reactivated, returned for refund or until the deposit and card balance are depleted, or up to 7 years (whichever comes first). This is something which surprised people who tried to reactivate their card, remembering that it had some balance and then found that some amount was deducted. TnG says the fees are to urge customers to claim the unutilised balance and allow them to terminate the card account in their system.
Cycle & Carriage Bintang Berhad (C&C) recently previewed the all-new Mercedes-AMG A35 4Matic Sedan to the AMG Owners Community Malaysia while hosting their intimate gathering to celebrate their first-ever anniversary of the club’s existence here in the country. (more…)
The newly designed McLaren Kuala Lumpur 3S showroom was just launched earlier today and to celebrate its new premise, Mc Farren Supercars (McLaren Kuala Lumpur) has unveiled the latest 2020 McLaren GT for the Malaysian market. (more…)
At the end of last month, we tipped you off on a new partnership between Aston Martin and Brough Superior, a motorcycle brand with a history going back to 1913. The two companies would collaborate on creating ‘a piece of automotive art for the motorbike connoisseur’. The first product has now been unveiled at EICMA, the Milan Motorcycle Show which is on this week.
First deliveries will begin during the fourth quarter of 2020 with each unit built and hand-assembled in the Brough Superior factory in France. Prices start from 108,000 euros (equivalent to RM494,000).
As the first chapter of the new partnership, the motorcycle known as the AMB 001 will be strictly limited to just 100 units and will be for track use only. The AMB 001 is a unique, modern, lightweight and powerful sports bike concept, boasting exclusive technical features, including a chassis configuration with a double wishbone front fork and structural carbonfibre body.
Taking their inspiration from the new series of mid-engined Aston Martin cars, the Aston Martin Design team worked on clear principles of form and function, where design and engineering had to work together, resulting in a motorcycle that is a high performance work of art.
In keeping with its track-inspired pedigree, the AMB 001 is presented with ultra-lightweight Aston Martin wings, which sit under the lacquer of the bodywork on the nose and the tank. These are the same 9-micron stainless steel wings that adorn the Aston Martin Valkyrie.
Presented in the traditional Aston Martin Racing colours of Stirling Green and Lime Essence with Matte Black wheels, forks and brake assemblies, the AMB 001 features a sublime combination of paint and bare carbon fibre that accentuates the lines of this collectors’ item. As befits the Aston Martin and Brough Superior brands, all of the components have been specially designed using the best processes and materials, including carbon fibre, titanium and billet aluminium.
The machine boasts a strong, sculptural body form, beautifully accented by a carbonfibre fin – the design of which is derived from the side strake on Aston Martin cars – that runs along the full length of the Stirling Green tank, passing under the saddle and out onto the rear, creating a flowing form along the top of the bike. As the fin passes under the saddle, it can be seen through breaks in the Oxford Tan leather pads of the hand-stitched saddle, which combines old techniques and modern technology in one swooping area that is a perfect fit for the human form.
The AMB 001 has been designed to display a level of elegance that isn’t normally found on racing bikes. Beauty and power are the order of the day for this track-only racer. Aerodynamic wings attached to the cowl on the front of the bike take their direction from the S-Curve on the front of an Aston Martin, providing aerodynamic downforce.
The turbocharged V-twin is an 8-valver with water and oil cooling. Its output is 108 bhp with huge torque (not specified) generated over a wide rpm range. Timing is driven by a short Morse chain and a geartrain, a compact conception for precision and reliability. The engine covers are machined from plain by aeronautical suppliers. The transmission includes an extractible 6-speed gearbox with APTC Clutch, and final drive is by chain. The exhaust manifold is made from Inconel, a superalloy chosen for its thermal and mechanical properties.
“This is what we believe a cutting-edge motorcycle should be and we are very proud to see the Aston Martin wings on a motorcycle for the first time. In addition to applying the skills we have developed for cars such as the ground-breaking Aston Martin Valkyrie, we have also been able to bring our special expertise in the traditional craft techniques to this project. The finished product is a truly beautiful motorcycle; a design and engineering work of art,” said Aston Martin Executive Vice-President and Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman.
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