Back in March this year, as the COVID-19 pandemic began to surge across the country (and world), Proton quickly arranged to provide the Ministry of Health (MoH) with 50 vehicles to help their frontliners move around to any hotspots in need of urgent attention.
The fight against COVID-19 has not ended and throughout the year, Proton has been actively supporting the MoH in various ways. Recently, it also loaned 8 units of the Proton X70 to the ministry for use in Sabah.
Help in logistics and surveillance efforts
The SUVs will be used to assist in the ministry’s logistics and surveillance efforts in the ongoing COVID-19 fight. The hand-over was carried out at Fook Loi Corporation, a Proton dealership in Kota Kinabalu.
“The Covid-19 pandemic is probably one of the most challenging times we have faced as a nation. As a Malaysian brand, Proton feels that it is our duty to step up, and we have been supporting the government’s efforts from the outset. Logistics in Sabah is far more challenging than in the peninsular. This next batch of X70s will act as ferry vehicles for doctors, nurses and MoH officials as and when needed. We hope our contribution will help to ease the logistical needs of medical frontliners in Sabah,” said Roslan Abdullah, CEO of Proton Edar.
Besides providing vehicles, Proton also produced 60,000 units of face shields in April at their Shah Alam factory in Selangor. The face shields, essential items in the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), were distributed to government hospitals in the country, as well as other frontliners such as members of the police and armed forces.
Race starts at 8:10 pm in Bahrain/1:10 am (Monday) in Malaysia
The big news for second last race of the 2020 Formula 1 World Championship is, of course, the replacement of Lewis Hamilton by George Russell. The World Champion was tested positive on Monday after the last race and immediately started his self-isolation, as required by the authorities and in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures applied for events. As the self-isolation will be at least 10 days, this meant that he could not race this weekend at the Sakhir Grand Prix which is also run on the Bahrain Circuit.
22-year old British driver George Russell takes Hamilton’s place so his racing number ‘63’ is now on the Mercedes-AMG racing car. Russell has been with Williams Racing since 2019 and the team was willing to release him to race for Mercedes-AMG. British-Korean Jack Aiken, Williams’ test and reserve driver, will drive in his place.
Lewis Hamilton’s car number changes to ’63’, which is the racing number of his replacement, George Russell. He starts on the front row next to team mate Valtteri Bottas.
Russell is no stranger to Mercedes-Benz though, having been a member of the Mercedes-Benz Junior Programme since 2017, when he won the GP3 Series championship as a rookie, before repeating the feat in Formula 2 in 2018.
“It will not be a straightforward task for George to make the transition from the Williams to the W11, but he is race-ready and has detailed understanding of the 2020 tyres and how they perform on this generation of cars. George has shown impressive form this year with Williams, playing an instrumental role in their climb up the grid, and I am optimistic that he will deliver a strong performance alongside Valtteri, who will be a demanding reference for him,” said Team Principal and CEO Toto Wolff.
In practices during the week, Russell seems to have settled into the W11 and clocked fastest laps. “It’s been good working with the team and I’m learning a lot every single lap I’m in the car. I think my lap times are a bit deceiving at the moment and not the true representation of the pace. There’s still a lot of work to do to get comfortable in the car and with the set-up,” he said.
He is the fifth driver to race for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team since 2010, and the third British driver to represent Mercedes-Benz in F1 after Sir Stirling Moss and Lewis Hamilton.
Brazil’s Pietro Fittipaldi will also make his F1 debut, taking the place of Romain Grosjean who was involved in the horrific accident during the last race. Fittipaldi, the grandson of 2-time Formula 1 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi , is test and reserve driver for the Haas F1 team. The last time there was a Brazilian driver in F1 was Felipe Massa in the 2017 Abu Dhabi GP.
While the race takes place at the same circuit and also at night, the layout is different as the Outer Circuit is being used. This is a shorter track – 3.5 kms instead of 5.4 kms – and 11 corners instead of 15. The drivers will have to circulate for 87 laps compared to last weekend’s 57 laps to get an almost similar total distance of 300+ kms, with each lap being less than a minute.
This is the first time that the layout has ever been used for an international race, and 87 laps is the highest number on the F1 calendar. There is no historical data for the new middle sector which starts from the usual Bahrain Grand Prix layout at the exit of Turn 4.
Track surface is always a big topic with new tracks and while the surface on the new section in Bahrain is similar to the rest of the circuit and made from the same material, it’s not been used anywhere near as much, so is therefore less worn and ‘greener’ as a result. Pirelli is supplying the same tyres as last weekend, with the C2 compound as the white Hard tyres, the C3 as the yellow Medium, and the C4 as the soft tyres.
The different layout will require some set-up changes, though not great. Though there are few braking points, those that exist will be hard on brakes so effective cooling will be important.
24-year old Pietro Fittipaldi, who takes the place of Romain Grosjean in the Haas F1 team, is the grandson of former F1 champion, Emerson Fittipaldi.
“In terms of the race itself, firstly the person putting out the pit board is going to be busy… with 87 laps worth of updates and only 60 seconds (compared to 90 seconds) to place the correct lap number and gaps to the car in front and behind. And on the pit wall, there will be less time for decisions to be made, with a smaller window to consider, decide and action those crucial strategic calls,” said a member of the Mercedes-AMG team.
Much of the Klang Valley (Selangor and WP Kuala Lumpur) will continue to be under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) which has been in force since October 14. Penang can resume its Recovery MCO (RMCO, except for the sub-districts of Barat Daya and Timur Laut which will be under CMCO until December 20. Other states and regions will have varying levels of MCO depending on the number of cases.
There will no longer be roadblocks but the police will be checking on SOP compliance.
Speaking on behalf of the National Security Council, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that, from Monday December 7, there will be no roadblocks at state borders as the public can travel between states.
The number of passengers in vehicles will also not be limited to two or three but depend on the permissible seating capacity of the vehicle. A 7-seater can therefore have 7 people on board and will not be stopped by the police. This should be a relief for those with big families who wish to go out together although restrictions are still in force at restaurants with regard to the number of people at a table.
The number of occupants in a vehicle can be up to the maximum number permitted for the vehicle type.
What is important is to practice social distancing and not gather in groups, and to wear a face mask when in public areas. You should also make it a point to use hand sanitizer frequently and wash your hands with soap and water as well. Do make it a point to have your temperature checked, and scan the QR code or provide your contact details at shops or other places as this is important information in case contact tracing is necessary. You would want to know of a possible case at a place that you had visited, wouldn’t you?
R-Reforged, the 2-year old Swiss company, has created two models to celebrate Zagato’s centenary. They are referred to as the Aston Martin V12 Zagato Heritage TWINS by R-Reforged. Making their debut are the first pair of TWINS, which are prototypes specified by Andrea and Marella Zagato and reserved for the private Zagato collection.
Exclusively available as a pair in Coupe and Speedster form – each pair costing £1.75 million (about RM9.6 million) – just 19 customer sets will be built for sale. Each pair will be hand-assembled in the company’s factory in the UK. Each car takes a team of 12 craftspeople 16 weeks to assemble and will receive over 500 new components.
2011 Aston Martin Vantage Zagato Coupe
Styled at Zagato’s Milan headquarters, the iconic Italian design house has evolved the 2011 Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato Coupe form into a new, pure Speedster twin. Sharper, cleaner and highly collectible – thanks to their limited run and significance in Zagato’s history – both are now fully clothed in carbonfibre.
The design changes run from the nose, which incorporates a new splitter and front wings, through to the sleeker tail, now with active aero that transforms the cars’ balance but retains the defined Zagato lines.
The TWINS can be specified as matching or individual designs, and owners will be able to discuss with the car’s designers and engineers to personalise virtually every element.
“The essence of this project was to create a perfect ‘garage’, comprising two desirable and collectable cars; Coupe and Roadster,” said Andrea Zagato. “Limited to just 19 pairs, a significant number, recalling the year Zagato was formed, the Aston Martin V12 Zagato Heritage TWINS by R-Reforged mark a remarkable milestone for the Milanese atelier.”
“Despite having created over 450 models since our formation, we chose Aston Martin, which has surely been our most prestigious partner over the last 50 years, to mark this celebration. The cooperation with R-Reforged ensured that we could create an instant classic,” he added.
The partnership between Zagato and Aston Martin started in 1960 with the DB4 GT Zagato.
The 19 owners of this rare and special series, licenced by Aston Martin, will also experience the significant transformation to vehicle performance delivered through a series of meaningful engine and dynamic improvements.
The potent 5.9-litre V12 has been uprated to produce close to 600 bhp, which is 80 bhp more than standard. This is, in part, due to a performance aluminium air intake and titanium exhaust. The lean stance of the cars is enhanced by the 10 mm ride height reduction and 20 mm stretched track.
R-Reforged can also offer a full body ‘visual carbon’ finish as a further option. The 400-hour process requires extensive and careful preparation so as not to disturb the carbon weave. Then begins the application of a bespoke lacquer providing UV stability prior to tuning both the colour and density of the tint to any shade requested.
The superior quality of materials and attention to detail are evident in every facet of the car’s build with R-Reforged’s team ensuring that the cars truly worthy of marking Zagato’s centenary. Inside are sensory-rich materials with an almost infinite range of colours, bespoke patterns and textures.
A close look inside will reveal colour matching the horn button on the steering wheel, the first time in the Vantage’s history that has been done. Other examples include a sleeker, longer windscreen for the Speedster and retooling the entire carpet boot moulding, which required a significant investment, purely because the original material and form did not meet R-Reforged’s stringent standards.
Underlining that ownership is about more than just buying the cars: owners will also receive a series of special tailored gifts that starts with a TWINS carbonfibre presentation case, cataloguing specification details using scale models and samples. They will then continue to receive a stream of themed gifts, invitations and experiences throughout their ownership.
The concessionaire of Lebuhraya Pantai Timur 2 (LPT2) – LPT2 Sdn Bhd – urges motorists who are affected by flooded roads during the monsoon season to make use of its highway.
“We encourage the public travelling on the East Coast to use our LPT2 highway as it is a safer, more convenient and easier route. Our highway provides not only clean rest areas but also a force of 60-strong LPT2Ronda officers and 30 highway patrolling units to assist,” said LPT2 Regional Business Manager, Roszi Ibrahim.
LPT2Ronda personnelA Rest & Service area along the highway.
In case of any emergencies, motorists can make stop at any of the Rest & Service Areas in Perasing, Paka and Ajil. However, remember the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that are in force which require social distancing (at least 1 metre apart) and use of face masks in public areas, especially where there are many people.
The 24-hour LPT2 Helpline is 1-800-88-0220 and provides highway users can obtain the latest traffic updates and emergency assistance along the 184-km stretch that runs from Jabor to Kuala Terengganu.
The sale of pre-owned (not pre-registered) vehicles by franchise holders of various brands has been going on for some time. In fact, the first one in Malaysia might have been Federal Auto, which set up its own division to handle used cars as far back as the early 1970s. Other companies have also had used car divisions although most have not focussed greatly on this business, leaving it more to used car dealers.
These days, there is greater demand for pre-owned vehicles (a nicer term for used vehicles) and a number of companies, even premium brands, have invested in the business more substantially. They give more attention to the condition of the vehicles they offer, ensuring that the safety aspects are not compromised. In some case, they recondition the vehicle to ‘almost as good as new’.
Peace of mind purchase
Bermaz Motor, which handles Mazda, has also been dealing in pre-owned vehicles since 2015 through its Mazda Anshin centre in Glenmarie, Selangor. ‘Anshin’ is a Japanese word for ‘peace of mind’ so a selling point to customers is that they can have peace of mind buying from Mazda Anshin.
Many businesses are going online these days, partly due to the COVID-19 situation which has put limitations on interactions between people. As far as possible, companies now make it easier and safer for customers to view and know about what they offer before the need to actually be at the showroom.
Bermaz now as a website for its Mazda Anshin business and this serves as a one-stop platform for customers to sell or buy Mazda vehicles. It offers many company demo vehicles as well as those owned by customers who may have trade-in for a new model.
Every vehicle has to go through a thorough inspection and be certified before being offered for sale on the website.
111-point inspection to be certified
Regardless of whether the vehicles were previously demo units or in the company fleet, or a customer’s vehicle, every vehicle must undergo a comprehensive 111-point inspection. This is done by trained technicians at two authorized Mazda Service Centres in Selangor.
Owners who have this inspection done are charged a minimal fee of RM200. After the inspection, the owner will receive the best Mazda Anshin Certified Valuation and recommend selling price.
Mazda Anshin’s quality standards require that the pre-owned vehicles have had no major accident damages, no frame damages, and never been through a flood.
3 simple steps
Customers shopping for Mazda vehicles can browse through the Mazda Anshin website for the best- -value, best-quality models available, all with Mazda Anshin Certification. The existing warranty, if still in effect, will still be available to the new owner, as well as the free scheduled service based on from the original registration date.
So the next time you want a pre-owned Mazda, consider the offerings at the Mazda Anshin website. After all, it’s the company that knows Mazda best.
