Home - Piston.my

Piston.my

Latest News

The see-through Wedding Beetle of Mexico

You’ve probably seen the beloved Volkswagen Beetle in many different forms. Imaginative creators converted the original bulbous shape into something more unique and head-turning, funny or outrageous.

In Mexico, Rafael Esparza-Prieto created the Wedding Beetle, an enchanting white, wrought iron-bodied coachbuilt car from the 1960s. The talented welder and blacksmith in Mexico City was reportedly working at a local parts shop in 1968 when his boss asked him to create a one-of-a-kind Beetle shell to display and attract new customers.

Using the Beetle as the basis, Esparza-Prieto built the skeleton of the vehicle out of white wrought iron and artistically filled in the gaps with unique floral patterns and decorative swirls. The auto store owner was so impressed with his work that he displayed the finished product on a rotating platform outside his business, where it quickly drew attention.

Even the Volkswagen executives at the newly-built Puebla plant just down the road (where new Beetles were being made daily) came to look. Impressed, Volkswagen commissioned Esparza-Prieto to make two more Wedding Beetle pieces ahead of the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City — and these were drivable.

The wire shell left the vehicle’s simple, yet sophisticated, mechanics fully exposed so anyone – the driver, passengers and even other vehicles on the street – could see under its ‘skin’.

Athletes, artisans and auto enthusiasts from around the world admired the car. As it gained popularity at the Games, Volkswagen commissioned Esparza-Prieto to build an additional 20+ units in a similar fashion to display at different dealerships around the world. The white metal whimsical designs of the car evoked images of Cinderella’s horse-drawn carriage and the cars were loaned to happy couples as picturesque getaway cars for their special day.

After Esparza-Prieto moved to California, he built two more Wedding Beetles on his own. Along with his original creation, there are believed to be around 23 Wedding Beetles in total. Several other welders have since mimicked his work and built their own wrought iron versions of the car using different colours and patterns.

Highly sought-after by collectors, these artistic cars are often used for post-wedding photoshoots. As there is no windscreen or sheet metal to protect passengers from weather or stray pebbles, they are not suitable for everyday use (and would not be road-legal anyway). But the Wedding Beetle created by Esparza-Prieto over 50 years ago still does what it was intended to do: make people stop and stare.

*In 2011, to preview the new Evoque, Land Rover also made a wire-frame model that was displayed in many countries, including Malaysia.*

2020 Mercedes-Benz C 200 Coupe AMG Line

An enhanced C 200 Coupe AMG Line has arrived at showrooms of authorised Mercedes-Benz dealerships in Malaysia. While ‘enhanced’ often refers only to cosmetic changes, for this model, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has also installed a new 2-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged engine delivering 204 bhp/300 Nm. Compared to the previous 1.5-litre EQ Boost engine, the increase in output is 20 bhp/20 Nm, with all 300 Nm available from 1,600 rpm.

The exterior appearance of the car is given a sporty, expressive character with the AMG Line accessories. The diamond radiator grille, integrated with the 3-pointed star and pins in chrome plus an AMG-specific front apron with new geometry, gives it a bold presentation.

Black trim elements in the AMG rear apron accentuate the LED rear lamps, while 18-inch AMG 5-spoke light-alloy wheels are powerful elements in the styling.

The inside of the C 200 Coupe also has AMG Line features. These include ARTICO leather upholstery, multifunction sports steering wheel in Nappa leather, galvanized steering wheel gearshift paddles, AMG sports pedals and AMG floormats.

The driver now has the services of Mercedes me connect which adds more convenience to the ownership experience. The connected car service can be used to unlock the car, start the engine remotely, or simply check the fuel level. And of course, the app also assists in vehicle maintenance and scheduling servicing.

Other features of Mercedes me connect – which can connect from anywhere in the world that there is internet service – include Mercedes–Benz emergency call system (eCall), remote vehicle diagnostics, pre-entry climate control, predictive navigation, and parked vehicle locator.

Pricing for the new C 200 Coupe AMG Line starts from RM336,129.38 (excluding insurance) , with sales tax exempted for the rest of 2020. Buyers who require financing can consider Agility Financing which starts from RM4,288 per month (terms and conditions apply) with perks such as lower monthly instalments, flexible end-of-agreement options, a guaranteed future value of the car and a MobilityPlus replacement car programme.

Click here for other news and articles about Mercedes-Benz.

US President Trump urges party supporters not to buy Goodyear tyres

Generally, companies avoid being involved in politics and prefer to remain neutral, minding their own business. Of course, in a democracy, each citizen has the right to choose which political party they want to support but that’s personal and the company they work for would not influence them one way or another. At the same time, to keep things neutral within the company, actions associated with any political parties would be forbidden in the workplace and in policies.

That’s what someone in Goodyear probably wanted to remind people at a training event recently and it came to the attention of Donald Trump, the US President. He had learnt that a presentation slide at the event in one of the tyremaker’s factories was about company policy which does not permit political attire in the workplace, giving the red caps that carry the ‘Make America Great Again’ (MAGA) slogan of Trump’s Republican party as an example.

Caps with the company’s brand name or logo would obviously be permitted but Goodyear does not permit its employees to wear caps with political slogans like the red ones used by Trump’s party supporters (inset).

Under normal circumstances, the controversial President would probably just be angry but with his re-election campaign underway, he is even more furious about such ‘discrimination’. For Trump, not showing support for his policies and his administration are already bad enough, so forbidding people from wearing his party’s caps is deemed ‘unfair’. More so when the company is okay with issues relating to the ‘Black Lives Matter’ and LGBT movements, and allows its employees to wear apparel relating to these issues.

This led to him sending out a message to his supporters on Twitter to boycott Goodyear and not buy its tyres. “Don’t buy GOODYEAR TIRES – They announced a BAN ON MAGA HATS. Get better tires for far less! (This is what the Radical Left Democrats do. Two can play the same game, and we have to start playing it now!),” he urged.

Goodyear was quick to respond with a statement (via Twitter as well) that clarified that the training slide ‘was not created or distributed by Goodyear corporate’. The statement, however, reminded employees to ‘refrain from workplace expressions in support of political campaigning for any candidate or political party, as well as similar forms of advocacy that fall outside the scope of racial justice and equity issues’.

Goodyear is not the only company that has received such an attack by Trump. He has also called for a boycott of Harley-Davidson because it wanted to move its production out of America. Other companies and products that he has targeted include Apple, CNN, a scotch whisky company – and even Oreos (yes, those biscuits)! And with his war against China, Huawei and TikTok have also come under attack by Trump, who has been President since January 2017.

*Goodyear joins a long list of companies and products that Trump dislikes because they do things against his policies or don’t show support for his administration.*

*The US President’s limousine, nicknamed ‘The Beast’, runs on tyres that Goodyear specially developed.*

Whether Trump’s call to boycott Goodyear will have any noticeable effect on its tyre sales remains to be seen (he does have many supporters) but on his part, he might even ask for the tyres on ‘The Beast’ – the nickname for his huge limousine – to be made by someone else. The tyres were specially developed by Goodyear for the official car which is made by General Motors.

Winners of 2020 Volvo Cars & Aurizn EcoDesign Challenge announced

Six Malaysian interior design firms have been picked as the winners of the 2020 Volvo Cars & Aurizn EcoDesign Challenge. The event, which began in May this year, required participants to submit their most creative ideas which could bring Scandinavian philosophy of human-centric design to the fore, focusing on functionality and sustainability to bring out the natural and organic beauty of a product.

For 2020, the Swedish car brand has collaborated with duduk (a brand by Eco World Development Group Berhad) and lifestyle publishing house Aurizn. This year, participants had the opportunity to join an online briefing with Jonathan Disley, Head of Design at Volvo Car Asia Pacific and Owen Ready, Head of Strategic and Brand Design of Volvo Cars, where they learned how to consider Volvo Cars’ Scandinavian philosophy to inspire their designs.

In addition to designs that display a high level of originality and understanding of Scandinavian aesthetics, this year’s submissions were also judged based on functionality, material quality, the emotional quotient that the space brings, and sustainability – all of which shape Volvo’s design philosophy.

Public involved in voting
From the 50 entries received, 22 submissions passed initial evaluation on budget compliance and completeness of inventory. These were then put online for the Malaysian public to vote for their favourite designs, where the votes had accounted for a portion of the total score given by the panel of judges. The 10 designs with the highest online voting scores were shortlisted for final judging, out of which the six highest scorers were announced winners.

Among the 10 shortlisted designs, A&A Concept Design & Contract Sdn. Bhd., Forfar Design Sdn. Bhd., IQI Concept Sdn. Bhd., Orb Group Sdn. Bhd., Kort Studio and Studio BEVD Sdn. Bhd. were chosen by online voters and the judging panel.

*Winners of the 2020 Volvo Cars & Aurizn EcoDesign Challenge*

A Volvo for 6 months
The winning firms will each have usage of a Volvo S90 T8 Inscription Plus for 6 months and, more importantly, they will be awarded contracts to furnish the top three floors of two duduk by EcoWorld projects. In total, the six contracts are worth a combined value of RM4.5 million across both developments. This represents the first occasion in which a new property development is available for purchase with interior design inspired by Volvo Cars’ philosophy.

“Scandinavian design at its best is often understated yet stands out by the mere presence of its simplicity,” said Nalin Jain, MD of Volvo Car Malaysia. “This functional, open and minimalistic design language can be seen in all Volvo cars. On the outside, we have clean and proportioned lines that look and feel just right; and inside, careful craftmanship, attention to details, and quality, earthy materials that create an open, uncluttered space. The six winners today succinctly captured Volvo’s design philosophy and translated them into Malaysian homes, and for that, they have my heartfelt congratulations.”

Click here for other news and articles about Volvo

Sales & Production Summary – July 2020

*Source: Malaysian Automotive Association*

♦ With the government exempting Sales Tax and car-buyers able to save money, new vehicle purchases have started rising, with July increasing by 29% over the June Total Industry Volume.

♦ The Total Industry Volume (TIV) of 57,552 units comprised 52,119 passenger vehicles, and 5,433 commercial vehicles (including pick-up trucks).

♦ Compared to the same month in 2019, this year’s volume was 13% higher.

♦ However, cumulative sales after 7 months of 232,245 units are 33% lower than for the same period in 2019 which was 347,171 units.

♦ To achieve the MAA’s 470,000-unit forecast for 2020, the industry must sell an average of 47,551 units, or a total of 237,755 units, in the remaining 5 months.

♦ Production also rose as plants shifted into higher gear and compared to the same month in 2019, the total output was only 3% lower. Cumulative production is, however, 36% lower than for the same period last year.

Increased track testing for Mercedes-AMG Project ONE prototype

Three years after being shown to the world for the first time, the development of the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE hypercar is entering a new phase as several pre-production models are now clocking fast laps at the company’s own proving ground and technology centre. Testing is now largely transferred from the test stands to concentrate more and more on actual running.

For the first time, the project leaders have also authorised testing of the comprehensively electrified and highly complex hybrid power unit with its full output of more than 1000 hp. The objective of reaching a new dimension of driving dynamics and performance for a road-going vehicle with the Project ONE and thereby setting a new milestone in automotive history is thus gradually drawing closer for Mercedes-AMG.

Along with the dynamic test programme and some refinements to the car’s driveability, development work is also focused on its active aerodynamics. The complex interplay between the various active components such as the louvres, the air outlets in the front fenders or the large rear aerofoil is now confirming its effectiveness even outside the wind tunnel as a means of delivering the car’s exceptional lateral dynamics.

Making the Project ONE road-legal
The adaptation of a complete Formula 1 drive unit for a road-legal hypercar must also deliver perfectly in terms of everyday performance and be able to drive in all-electric mode, This represented a tremendous challenge; as far as many aspects were concerned, such as noise level, the development team ventured into uncharted territory with this project and had to find solutions that could be developed for production cars.

In parallel to the extensive dynamic testing being undertaken with the project vehicles, the attendant development work also continues. The various vehicle systems are put meticulously through their paces on the engine test beds and in the in-house simulator. The next step in this extensive programme of testing and development – testing on the north loop of the Nurburgring.

All 275 units – each priced from 2.28 million euros (around RM11.38 million) – that will be made already have customers waiting and the first one will get their hypercars sometimes in 2021 (originally 2019).