Audi has officially concluded the production of the TT sports car, marking the end of a 25-year career across three generations. The Audi TT produced a fair number of final editions in a number of regional markets before it was retired.
The final Audi TT rolled off the production line at the Gyor factory in Hungary. The occasion was commemorated with a flower-decorated third-generation TTS Coupe, escorted by the original TT Coupe and TT Roadster concepts from 1995, along with two second-generation models.
The lettering on the windshield indicates that a total of 662,762 units of the Audi TT were produced at the Györ factory between February 18, 1998, and November 10, 2023. The last Audi TTS produced was finished in Chronos Gray Metallic with Dark Chrome matt accents. It featured a 2.0-litre TFSI four-cylinder engine producing 315hp, making it the second most powerful version of the third-generation TT.
While the production of the Audi TT has come to an end, the remaining stock is still available for purchase. Audi has hinted at the possibility of the TT returning as an electric car in the future, but no official decision has been made.
The iconic TT has been a symbol of Audi’s design and engineering prowess, and its legacy will be remembered in automotive history.
Bentley Motors has added a bespoke 2020 Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase to its Heritage Collection, marking the final example of the Mulsanne handcrafted at Bentley’s Dream Factory in Crewe. This particular Mulsanne was commissioned for the late Queen Elizabeth II and includes various custom features for royal duties. The exterior is in solid Barnato green, paired with an interior in Twine and Cumbrian hide, Burr Walnut wood veneers, and deep lambswool carpets.
The specifications include rear privacy curtains, the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom inlaid into the door waistrails, and a custom-sized tray to accommodate the Queen’s handbag, replacing the front center armrests. Additionally, discreetly concealed blue police lights, a siren, and a bullhorn were installed, with a dedicated switch panel hidden behind a walnut-veneered door.
The car is powered by Bentley’s famous 537PS 6.75-litre V8 engine, rides on 21” alloy wheels, and features chrome brightware for the grille and front wing vents, along with the iconic Flying B. This Mulsanne will be the third and final one in Bentley’s Heritage Collection, joining the second Mulsanne ever built and a 2019 Mulsanne Speed that previously served on Bentley’s press fleet.
The Mulsanne, initially launched in 2009, underwent several updates during its production, with the final 30 series production cars forming the unique ‘6.75 Edition by Mulliner’ in 2020. The name was derived from the car’s legendary 6.75-litre engine, which also came to the end of production after more than 60 years. The Heritage Collection is part of Bentley’s broader effort to rebuild its family of cars, covering the brand’s 104-year history.
Bentley’s Heritage Collection now comprises 45 cars, showcasing the evolution of the brand from the oldest Bentley, the 1919 3-Litre EXP2, to the 2021 Continental GT Speed. The collection includes 37 road-registered, road-legal cars that represent Bentley’s development over its 104-year history. In addition, eight motorsport and record-breaking vehicles are featured, including three Speed 8s, both generations of Continental GT3, and cars used for Pikes Peak and Ice Speed Records.
All the cars in the Heritage Collection are meticulously maintained and displayed at Bentley’s carbon-neutral Dream Factory in Crewe, England. Visitors, including customers, VIPs, media guests, and Bentley colleagues, can explore the brand’s rich history through the Collection as part of the factory tour experience.
The world of tyres is a dynamic one and probably more fiercely contested than the automotive industry it operates within.
Tyre manufacturers rely on multitudes of platforms to prove the worthiness of their product. Motorsports is one of the best and the most commonly used platforms to showcase the abilities of any tyre. But every once in a while, a tyre maker will organize a mega event and invite customers, dealers, business partners and members of the press to try out their product.
The latter is exactly what happened recently when American tyre maker BFGoodrich invited guests from far and wide for a rare “familiarisation” event in Thailand aptly called the BFGoodrich Day. The inaugural event saw visitors from eight countries congregate to experience the abilities of BFGoodrich tyres at the Khao Yai National Park, which is about a three hour drive north-east of Bangkok.
BFGoodrich has been around since the 1870s and marks several notable achievements. Some online research revealed that the company supplied tyres to the first car to cross the United States in 1903, and was also the tyre of choice for the Columbia space shuttle which flew 28 missions to space.
BFGoodrich was later bought by French rubber conglomerate Michelin, and thrived. It made a name for itself in motorsports exploits where it competed and won in several series such as the prestigious Indianapolis 500, the Baja 1000, the iconic Paris-Dakar rally, several world rally championships as well as the legendary 24 hours of Le Mans.
However, BFGoodrich is probably most well-known for its off-road tyres, making some of the toughest known tyres for the most demanding terrains whether to be used by the general public or professionally in a race.
Closer to home though, the company is well known but has not been very active in recent years. Due to taxation, high cost of transportation and other related factors, BFGoodrich has operated at the background of the Malaysian tyre scene, until now.
The company is making a resurgence of sorts, not only in Malaysia but in neighboring markets as well, and the recent ‘BFGoodrich Days’ is one of their first big projects.
The event allowed members of the press to experience four tyres from the current range in the BFGoodrich stable.
BFGoodrich Mud Terrain
The ultimate off-road tyre in the BFGoodrich product range, the Mud Terrain tyre has a notable achievement in that it was the same tyre that won the grueling Baja 1000 off-road race which takes place annually at the Mexico-California peninsular and is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious off-road races in the world.
Our day at the BFGoodrich Days started off with this tyre that were fitted to a purpose-built off-road buggy’s that look like they belong in a mission to the moon.
The Mud Terrain tyres feature an aggressive tread-design that allows the vehicle fitted with it to power through just about any type of soil. It features some purpose-built technologies such as Mud-Phobic bars that can off-load compacted mud for better traction.
The compound used to make the tyre is also unique. Called the Krawl-Tech compound, it is specially designed to crawl over rock and slippery surfaces.
We experienced this firsthand on a specially designed track that featured timber that looked like it had been soaked in water for a week and mud that had not seen sunshine for a month.
It was heaven for dirt-lovers, for us it was the perfect place to get dirty with the buggy’s. BFGoodrich expected us to get dirty too and handed us ponchos to wear during the drive stint. Try as we could to get stuck but the buggy simply did not relent and would roll, climb and dig itself out of everything that the track threw at it.
At some points, the sideways incline was so steep that our heads were just about two feet off the mud, but the buggy kept going as the tyres worked like shovels to pull us through.
These specially made off-road tyres are available in Malaysia and range in price from RM1,662 to RM3,827 depending on size.
BFGoodrich Trail Terrain
A tyre specially built for on and off-roading, the Trail Terrain is said to be excellent on soft and hard surfaces including light off-road use.
The Trail Terrain offers a robust sidewall, staggered shoulder blocks and a tread design that focuses on durability over long periods of time. This extends the life of the tyre but also ensures that it can perform at its most optimum for a longer time.
We tried these tyres on a different track, one that was longer but not as hardcore as the first one. The tyres were fitted to familiar pick-up trucks such as the Ford Ranger Wildtrak and the Toyota Hilux. There were even a few Ford Everests and Toyota Fortuners fitted with these dual-purpose tyres.
Even thought it was a sun-kissed morning, it had been raining the night before so there were pockets of mud and puddles that threatened to break traction if a corner was taken too fast or if anyone misjudged the braking point. But it was a tyre test, so we deliberately accelerated and braked where we should not have. What’s the point of a slow drive when testing a tyre?
But just like the Mud Terrain, the Trail Terrain too offers technology to maximise traction and longevity. For these tyres, BFGoodrich developed 3D sipes that create traction on and off-road and also resist chipping and tearing, thus increasing the life of the tyre.
So, during the test, there was little to no sliding around except when deliberately accelerating out of a corner, where the rear broke loose from the sudden surge of power. No tyre tech will save you from that, some drivers call it drifting out of a corner and do it for fun.
The Trail Terrain is in Malaysia and priced from RM984 to RM1690.
All-Terrain KO2
This was the hardest challenge of them all and was specially designed to rip a tyre of an unsuspecting driver. It involved driving about 30km on some of Thailand’s famous concrete surfaced highways and then uphill to a scenic mountain lookout. But this involved crawling over jagged rocks that would break an axle should the tyre lose grip or worse.
But BFGoodrich was keen to show off the noise suppression of the tyre, hence the highway drive. We were in a Hilux which is not exactly known for its interior comfort compared to a Ranger. We were not allowed to drive on the highway, which turned out to be a good thing because our assigned Thai driver knew the roads and the local driving culture. To put it politely, he put some of the other Thai drivers to shame with his antics. We suspect he was told to drive hard because it was a good opportunity to show off the road noise levels of the KO2, which was impressive for an all-terrain tyre which tend to hum and drone when on regular roads.
Then came the crawling part and we took over the wheel. And though it was one of the most stressful drives since the driver turned instructor kept barking orders at every given opportunity which was every other second, it was also great to feel the tyre cling on to a rock and not break grip.
BFGoodrich says the KO2’s are the toughest all-terrain tyres ever made and offer aggressive traction for on and off-road adventures. The KO2’s also have tougher than usual sidewalls that are designed to resists splitting. After what we experienced up on that mountain, we believe these claims.
The All-Terrain KO2’s are also available in Malaysia and are priced at RM930 to RM2,398.
G-Force Phenom
To test out these tyres, our drive took us to a small race track that allowed us to try out the high speed cornering. The G-Force Phenom tyres are BFGoodrich’s ultra-high performance that are specially designed for acceleration, tight cornering and hard braking.
We were handed a BMW 330i to test the claim and told to speed into corners, not brake and steer towards some cones and then stand on the brakes to come to a complete stop.
As you probably would expect, there were no dramas. There may be better high-performance tyres out there which we will never know about without a proper tyre test, but for what they can do, the G-Force Phenom’s are remarkable.
To achieve this, BFGoodrich uses Performance Racing Core construction that reduces flex in corners so the tyres respond immediately to every turn of the steering wheel. And there is also the Ulti-Grip Technology that evacuates water from the tyre to improve wet weather grip.
The G-Force Phenom’s are priced at RM438 to RM1,241.
In the near two decades of writing about cars, motorcycles and everything that is related, this was the first time this writer experienced BFGoodrich tyres and their capabilities. Every tyre maker will say their product is the best, but few will let you push them to the breaking point, and that no tyre was permanently destroyed that day is a proper testament to BFGoodrich tyres.
Renault is set to revive the iconic Renault Twingo as an affordable electric vehicle (EV) hatchback. The new Twingo Legend concept, inspired by the first-generation Twingo from the 1990s, is part of Renault’s plans for a new lineup of electric cars. The company aims to produce this new Twingo as an entry-level model with a starting price of under €20,000 (RM101k).
While detailed specifications for the Twingo EV are not provided, it will be built on one of Renault’s new EV-specific platforms. The design pays homage to the original Twingo, featuring semicircle-shaped headlights and taillights and an upright two-door hatchback shape, reminiscent of the iconic 1990s model. The design not only brings back a sense of nostalgia but also promises a remarkably spacious cabin despite its compact size.
Bugatti’s track-only hyper sports car, the Bolide, features a specially designed interior tailored for its exceptional performance. The interior is crafted around an all-new lightweight and high-strength monocoque, even stronger and stiffer than the Chiron’s, due to the Bolide’s incredible performance requirements.
The new monocoque allows for a unique seating position, with the driver leaning rearwards into the car, and the passenger optimally angled towards the front. The interior is exclusive to the Bolide project and includes racing seats, a high-tech steering wheel, and bespoke arrangements for safety, comfort, and performance.
The Bolide’s interior design is inspired by the exterior’s ‘X-theme’ aesthetic, featuring X-shaped taillights and a visionary steering wheel with an ‘X-theme’ structure at its core. The steering wheel is not only functional but also a piece of art that can be easily unfastened and used as a decorative element in other spaces, emphasising the anticipation of future thrilling driving experiences.
The steering wheel’s design process involved state-of-the-art modelling software, including high-tech 3D shaping with polygonal modelling, allowing Bugatti specialists to accurately model its complex structures. Feedback from test drivers contributed to a tight, compact, and ergonomic design with eight key buttons optimally placed for driving at high speeds and handling g-forces.
For on-track driving, the Bolide offers two display interfaces, one with complex motorsport values for high-performance driving and another providing key information for customers. The ‘X-theme’ aesthetic extends to the seats, with an ‘X-theme’ treatment embedded in the multi-pad design. The seats are fixed directly onto the monocoque, ensuring a perfect connection between the driver and the car without compromising comfort. The Bolide offers four seating size options, and materials such as leather, suede, napa, and Alcantara can be specified.
To keep the driver cool on the track, the Bolide features a lightweight climate control system with a symmetrical quad design incorporating four pipes with aluminium nozzles, maintaining an aesthetic connection to the Bolide’s exterior.
Bugatti is in the final stages of personalisation for Bolide customers, ensuring each example is unparalleled in every respect with input from expert test drivers, designers, and engineers.
Stellantis Group is undergoing a significant transformation in its Peugeot operations in Malaysia, shifting from its current partnership with Bermaz Auto Bhd to establish its own national sales company. Under this restructuring, Stellantis will directly handle distribution and sales in Malaysia, while Bermaz Auto Bhd’s role will be scaled down to that of a super dealer from its previous position as an exclusive distributor.
